Kev Choice inspires music students with creativity and collaboration – Golden Gate Xpress

Kev Choice is entering his third year as an assistant professor at San Francisco State University, where he teaches courses in music of the African diaspora, including jazz ensembles, afro/latin jazz and electronic music production.

Choice joined SFSU’s School of Music after earning degrees in piano performance, including a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. His academic training in piano performance and his work as a professional musician inform the way he approaches teaching at SFSU.
His role at the university places him in classrooms with students coming from different musical backgrounds and levels of experience. In his courses, students work with musical styles that can require different forms of technical knowledge, performance experience, and collaboration.

Lynn Bertram, a first-year master’s student studying music, said Choice’s teaching has helped make jazz accessible to students who may have primarily studied other forms of music.

Professor Kev Choice stands in front of his students instructing them on their playing skills on Sept. 10, 2026. (Jerome Bragg / Golden Gate Xpress)

“He’s an expert in music theory, an expert piano player, and can translate to people who have only done more conservative music, classical music,” Bertram said. “[He] can teach people who don’t necessarily come in with jazz skills.”

Choice brings a resume that reads less like a standard academic curriculum vitae and more like a living history of modern Bay Area music. He is a classically trained pianist, a fierce emcee, a prolific producer and an experienced bandleader. He’s toured the globe, commanded massive festival stages and served as the musical director for the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill. 

Paul Wilson, a technician in SFSU’s School of Music, has witnessed Choice’s work within the department.

“You’re in the presence of Bay Area royalty, as far as musicians go. He’s extremely talented and knowledgeable,” Wilson said.

Choice said his position as a professor has changed how he approaches his work.
“Teaching pushes me to be on top of my game even more,” Choice said. “I’m a professor, but I still consider myself a student as well.”

His approach has also shaped how former students remember his classes.

Christopher Todd, who previously earned his bachelor’s degree in music at SFSU, said Choice emphasized discipline and a strong understanding of one’s craft.

“Professor Choice has really made me feel like being disciplined as a musician is the most important thing to your success,” Todd said. “You have to know your craft in whatever it is that you’re doing… You have to be committed to the idea that you’re going to learn whatever it is you’re doing to its most fundamental level and as deeply as possible.”

Professor Kev Choice plays sample examples for his electronic music production students on Sept. 15, 2026. (Jess Oledan / Golden Gate Xpress)

Choice’s courses also give students opportunities to study music through different approaches. Jazz ensembles focuses on collaborative performance, while afro/latin jazz introduces students to another area of jazz study. Electronic music production approaches music through recording and technology.

Choice said he sees connections between these areas rather than treating them as completely separate subjects.

“Once I realized they’re not all separate, but they all have a thin line of connection and communication,” Choice said. “That’s when I really started to grow as a musician.”

At SFSU, that perspective of fluidity appears in the range of courses the professor teaches. His classes allow students to encounter different musical practices within the same academic department.

For students, that can mean entering Choice’s classroom with one area of musical experience and being introduced to another.

Choice’s approach is connected to his own education. His degrees in piano performance gave him formal academic training before he entered his current role. As a professor, that background is applied to teaching students rather than solely to performance.

“My musical journey, it’s been a long journey,” Choice said. “It’s been a beautiful journey. It’s been a journey of many lessons, opportunities and experiences.”

While Choice begins his third year at SFSU, his work remains centered on teaching students through several areas of the School of Music. His courses place performance, musical traditions and technology alongside one another, giving students different ways to develop their skills and understanding of music.