Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
By Ryan Daugherty
Reporter
If you have ever passed by Common Grounds, odds are that you have heard Savion Wright singing. Wright, a junior from Jasper, is a multi-talented musician and singer who said he has always had music in his life.
“Music is a big part of my family,” Wright said. “All of my brothers and sisters sing and play at least one instrument. I kind of had to outdo them all and play every instrument that they played plus one more.”
Wright plays seven instruments including the saxophone, guitar, piano, accordion, mandolin, ukulele and harmonica. He is learning an eighth instrument as well: the cello. Wright, who writes and composes his music, is often accompanied by three other musicians.
Stephenville freshman Jeffrey Traylor plays the guitar, Shingle Springs, Calif., sophomore Jeremy Ashburn plays the keyboard and piano, and Coopersberg, Pa., sophomore Jake Cermak plays the drums. Together, they form Savion Wright and The Standard.
They play an alternative style of music, which is also categorized as New Wave music, a type of pop/rock music. Wright tells stories through his songs with a sound that he defines as soul etched with a hint of edge and alternative rock. Savion and The Standard has one big goal – to get their music out to the world.
“We all have a goal where we want to go in music and it seems like we are all far centered in that same place,” Wright said. “We came together, thought of things we wanted and it seems like it’s starting to work out. We’re excited for things to come.”
As talented and outgoing as Wright is, he said it wasn’t until he came to Waco that he knew the path he wanted to go.
“I actually really grew out of my shell when I came to Baylor so I’d say my freshman year was when I really wanted to perform in front of people,” Wright said. “I’d say that it’s been a big impact on me, just Baylor in its aspect.”
A big part of getting people to know an artist’s music is performing in public places, which is how Wright gained much of his popularity. Wright has performed at popular locations on Baylor’s campus including the Baylor Bookstore, Waco Hall during Chapel and Common Grounds.
“I played at the bookstore a couple of times, especially during the fall because it’s during football season,” Wright said. “When a lot of parents and alumni come, they ask me to come out and play. I usually play about six or seven times there a semester.”
Although he said he is a busy student, Wright is constantly writing songs for his band to play. Cermak has been around Wright long enough to know exactly what happens when he writes a new song.
“I’ve had conversations with him where he starts singing a song and you have to wait until he finishes the whole song to continue,” Cermak said.
Wright has big aspirations for himself and his band. Last year, one girl asked Wright why he thought he could actually go on a world tour and he said to her, “It’s not that I dream too big, it’s that you dream too small. I really want us to go places. That’s the main goal. It’s hard work but I think we can do it. These guys are talented and if we get our stuff together, we can go places.”
Traylor summed up the group’s goal best.
“I’d say together with all of that, we’re just trying to make a name for ourselves,” Traylor said.
Wright said he is running a campaign on IndieGoGo.com to raise money for his band. IndieGoGo is a website where aspiring artists put their names out for people to donate money to help them in their journeys. Wright is trying to get an album set up for his band.
“I already have the songs ready,” Wright said. “I just need them to be in the studio. We’re trying to get that out so we can actually show the world what we have to offer. Not just in Texas, but the United States and even Europe.”
Wright’s IndieGoGo campaign ends on March 8 and donations of any amount are accepted.
Savion and The Standard next perform on March 23 during Baylor’s annual Bearathon. They will also be opening for pop-rock artist Ty Mayfield at the Common Grounds concert in Waco on the same day.
