The College Perspective by Lindsey

Up And Coming Band Talks About Next Steps

Don Juan, a band that formed three years ago under Don Cooper, are planning to record new material this spring and hope to make it onto the airwaves by the end of summer. However, the band hasn’t always been so productive.

Cooper, the band leader, started out as an English teacher, not wanting to make the leap into producing music full time, saying he didn’t want to “shuck the robe of responsibility”. But this same attitude of being responsible and not settling for less than his own happiness led Cooper to contribute to the band full time, saying it makes him feel more real.

Last summer, the group did a show with the likes of Jackson Browne and James Taylor in New York. As Dodge, a group member said, “James has been a fan for a while and Jackson Browne turned into a real solid supporter.” Some critics aren’t so kind however, saying the group doesn’t do anything original or worth hearing.

The group fights, but in the end this leads to “creative tension” that helps mold their new songs. Ultimately, even though they argue, they love each other and the fighting makes the end product feel more worth it.

Cooper knows that the band may not be the most successful but he doesn’t want the main goal to be getting rich, he just wants to make a living and be happy doing it.