Jack McDivitt Turns a Love of Music Into a Growing Gigging Career

Anderson University music business student has booked 75 gigs and counting in 2026.

ANDERSON, Ind. — Since starting as a freshman music business student at Anderson University last year, Jack McDivitt has booked over 75 gigs in 2026.

Jack McDivitt could sing before he could talk. At 10 years old, he began playing the piano and fell in love with making music. At 14, he began taking guitar lessons and found the courage to sing and play around his immediate family.

Following his sophomore year of high school, McDivitt and his dad began going to a brewery every Friday night to listen to live music.

“Week after week, I was entranced by a different local musician. Watching them perform, interact with the audience, and share who they were through the music they played,” McDivitt said.

After the shows, he would grab his guitar and begin learning his favorite songs from the night.

The following winter, McDivitt played his first gig at The Daily Grind, a coffee shop in Nashville, Indiana.

It was the first money he had ever made on his own. More than that, it was a way to love people he had never met before.

“We all respond to music in such a special way, no matter who we are or where we come from. In the immensely divided world that we live in, music unites,” he said.

Before visiting AU, McDivitt had planned to major in worship arts. However, because of his gigging experience, his parents encouraged him to check AU’s music business program.

Meeting with Rebecca Chappell, director of music business, and learning about the program for 20 minutes was all it took, McDivitt said. 

“One of the strengths of our Music Business program is that students don’t simply learn about the industry. They actively work in it,” Chappell said. 

Students in the program market campaigns, book and promote live events, create content, work on recording projects, and help operate Orangehaus Records, AU’s student-run record label. 

Experiences are built into the curriculum. Students can immediately apply what they learn to their own music careers. 

The program equips musicians and shows them that talent alone is not enough to build a sustainable career. 

Students learn how to identify and reach an audience, develop their brand, promote their music, understand contracts and copyright, collaborate with other professionals, and recognize new opportunities. 

“Our goal is for students to leave AU not only as stronger musicians, but also as confident, adaptable professionals who know how to create opportunities rather than simply wait for them, Chappell said. “Jack is a wonderful example of that. He has used the booking, promotion, networking, and entrepreneurial skills he has developed at AU to create real performance opportunities for himself.”

Now entering his sophomore year, McDivitt said he’s barely scratched the surface of all the music business program can do for him. However, his classes have already done a lot for his gigging life.

At first, he thought the idea that the music industry is all about “who you know” was an exaggeration. However, he now sees that the music business is a people business.

McDivitt aims to pack out every restaurant he plays at and become the business’s favorite musician they’ve ever hired. 

“I want to make my employer’s job as easy as possible, and give them more than they initially asked of me,” McDivitt said. “Having a schedule is huge, and being persistent is huge.”

McDivitt looks at who plays at different restaurants and what events they host, then visits new places to meet the managers and let his personality shine through. One of the places he regularly plays is The Toast in Anderson, Indiana.

McDivitt first reached out to The Toast via email and was so persistent that he was the first musician they had ever put on the schedule without having seen him perform.

The restaurant owner, Darla Sallee, laughed while telling his parents, “I wasn’t sure if he had reached out to us 30 times, or 300, but something told me that I should give him a shot.”

Beyond things like icing his fingertips to relieve soreness after a three-gig weekend and not missing his vocal warmups, gigging has taught him a lot about what it means to love people through his craft.

During his performance, he makes mental notes of who he wants to talk to on his breaks. 

“I’m in it for the people. I’ve had the chance to socialize with people of all different age groups, backgrounds, and beliefs,” he said.

After graduation, McDivitt plans to fulfill his childhood dream: auditioning for The Voice. He hopes this will make him more visible to companies and other artists.

“I’m going to see how far I make it, and when I’m done, move to Nashville, Tennessee, and make as much noise as possible,” McDivitt said.

About Anderson University

Anderson University educates students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 18 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult, graduate, and online programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized for excellence in business, computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, music, nursing, psychology, social work, and teacher education programs. Established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God, the university remains committed to its Christ-centered mission.