“Would-be diva” a down-to-earth musician with the talent, experience and education to take her to the top

When 19-year-old alto saxophonist Larissa Lockett plays jazz improvisations, she has little idea where a given tune “is going.” Typically, she finds herself moving in random, unexpected directions.

Not so with her musical career. The FIU sophomore for years has been cutting a straight path to stardom. Currently enrolled in the School of Music, she took up the sax at eight years old, began touring at 12 and has set herself some pretty heady goals: to win a Grammy by age 24 and, ultimately, achieve “world renown.”

“Why can’t I be a diva on the sax?” Lockett asks, the bold question contrasting sharply with the restrained manner in which it is spoken. “I’m very humble,” she later states, matter-of-factly. “I let my actions speak for me.”

The mix of talent, modesty and positive energy several years ago caught the attention of celebrated R&B vocalist Roberta Flack. The two met just hours before Flack was scheduled to give a concert. Hearing Lockett jam on the sax, the veteran singer immediately invited the young musician to share the spotlight and that evening publicly predicted great things for her.

“It was awesome,” recalls a grateful Lockett. “Having Roberta Flack standing on stage talking about you is an honor.”

Well-known in Jacksonville, where she grew up—as an eighth-grade honor student she made news as the youngest person since Elvis to headline her own concert at the city’s historic Florida Theatre, for which she earned her own “day” by proclamation of the mayor—Lockett still plays regularly in her hometown and attracts a variety of gigs throughout the state and elsewhere. Locally, she has performed at festivals and jazz clubs, presented the national anthem at Miami Heat, Miami Sol and FIU Golden Panther football games and, most recently, entertained at an on-campus event for FIU alumni.

While Lockett continues to make her rounds, her performance schedule pales in intensity to that of her early-teen years. Back then she hit the road with her father, a Pentacostal preacher and well-regarded pianist who happily sacrificed his own musical ambitions to serve as accompanist to his gifted daughter. The duo took off on a series of church concerts all over the East Coast.

The exposure led to a music distributor’s offer to peddle a CD the pair had recorded in their home studio. It also introduced the younger Lockett to a number of helpful people who secured her TV and radio time in New York and an appearance on the nationally syndicated Show Time at the Apollo.

Throughout that hectic period, Lockett relied on the encouragement of her father and the support of teachers and tutors to help her maintain impressive grades. At FIU, the studious Lockett revels in the attention of her music professors.

“I love the faculty here. Their doors are always open,” says the artist, who seriously considered attending Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music before deciding upon FIU. Her highest praise Lockett reserves for major professor Gary Campbell, whom she calls “phenomenal” and “awesome,” himself having played with some major jazz names.

Lockett gives Campbell credit for enhancing her unique and unconventional “gospel-jazz” sound, which she describes as more “soulful” and less laid-back than straight jazz. Others, she says, have suggested she switch to the more traditional genre, but her musical leap of faith is paying off.

“People know that it’s me when I play,” declares a satisfied Lockett, who also writes and arranges music. Fans, she adds, have implored her, “Don’t get rid of your sound.”

Shooting eventually to be the female version of the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker, Lockett nonetheless remains content to savor her years as a student at FIU. Heavily involved with campus activities, she has with characteristic determination established an ambitious short-term objective: “I want to be the president of the Student Government Association,” says Lockett, who currently holds no elected position but works very closely with organizations related to SGA.

Given the lady’s single-mindedness, few should be surprised when she makes it.

To hear a sample of Lockett’s music, click here.

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