David Held
FAYM Chairman
January 2026
What words would you use to describe yourself? How might others describe you?
I am someone who enjoys taking on big projects and finding creative solutions along the way. I like planning, organizing, and then rolling up my sleeves to do the work. I have a deep appreciation for history, music, and craftsmanship, and I try to bring a balance of humor, patience, and determination into everything I take on. Others might describe me as thoughtful, reliable, and persistent, with a tendency to see challenges as puzzles that can be solved.
Where were you born? What location feels most like home?
I was born in Tarzana, California and grew up in Porter Ranch. While I lived in California for many years, Henderson, Nevada, is the place that truly feels like home now.
What role, if any, did music play in your childhood?
I did not play music myself as a child, but music was always present in my life. My dad listened to classical music constantly, and my brother played keyboard and guitar. I also enjoyed listening to music on my own. Starting in junior high, I became involved in lighting for dance shows and dance clubs, where I programmed lighting to match the music. That was the point where I began to dissect and break down music and experience it in a very different way, even if I was not performing it myself.
Which instruments do you play, did you play, or do you wish you had played?
I am currently taking violin lessons alongside our first-year students and their parents. Before this, I did not play an instrument, but I have always wished I could play the piano, especially ragtime piano. That style of music has always fascinated me and has stayed with me over the years.
Who are some of the most influential people in your life?
The most influential people in my life have been my mom and dad. Their constant support and encouragement gave me the confidence to pursue the arts, and they never questioned my passion. Instead, they nurtured it. I was also deeply influenced by a stagehand teacher, Mr. Steve Jacobson, who introduced me to the technical side of theater and sparked a lifelong love for working behind the scenes.
What passions or creative outlets have you focused on in your life?
My passions have always centered on curiosity and understanding how the world works. I have been fortunate to channel that curiosity into a career in theater, working on everything from small intimate productions to large concerts and multi million dollar casino shows. Each project has been an opportunity to learn, create, and bring something special to life.
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
While I have been fortunate to work on many projects I have enjoyed, the accomplishment I am most proud of is my work in suicide prevention. It began in high school through peer to peer training in suicide prevention and hostage negotiation. Over the years, I have been able to use those skills to help others in meaningful ways, and I know of more than a dozen lives that were positively impacted as a result.
What advice would you give to your younger self or to young musicians?
Enjoy the process of learning something new. It is not about being great right away. It is about appreciating the journey. Take things one lesson at a time, celebrate progress, and enjoy the moment when everything finally clicks.
Describe an activity or experience that helped prepare you for your involvement with FAYM.
Throughout my career, I have served on numerous boards, including boards for large organizations. Those experiences taught me how to anticipate challenges, think through solutions, and address issues before they became major problems. That background has been invaluable in my work with FAYM.
Did you ever feel you had to overcome the weight of expectations? Explain.
I often place high expectations on myself when taking on new projects. Rather than feeling limited by that pressure, I use it as motivation to remain disciplined and thoughtful in my work, knowing that the outcome reflects both the project and the effort behind it.
How did a serendipitous moment or meeting impact your life?
After graduating college with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater, I took an administrative position with the school while I continued searching for theater work. One day, a student walked into my office asking where the law school registrar was. I pointed him in the right direction, and he left. About five minutes later, he came back and said, “You don’t look like you belong here. You look like you should be doing theater work.” Surprised, I explained that I had just graduated and was trying to find my way into the industry. The very next day, he returned with a list of three traveling shows and asked which one I wanted to work on. He was well connected in the business, and that conversation led directly to my first touring job with Godspell. I gave my notice the following day. A week later, when I called to thank him, I learned that he had been murdered while protecting his mother during a home invasion in Miami, only days after changing the course of my life. It remains one of the most incredible and heartbreaking moments I have ever experienced.
What are a few of your thoughts as you step into the role of Chairman of FAYM?
Stepping into the role of Chairman feels both exciting and deeply humbling. FAYM is already a strong organization with a solid foundation, built through the dedication of Hal Weller and Art Ochoa, along with past and present board members and everyone who has contributed their time and energy since its beginning. I see my role not as reinventing that work, but as building on what already works while keeping everything moving smoothly.
In the coming year, my focus is on fine tuning the systems that support our teachers, students, and families. That includes improving communication, easing pressure points that create unnecessary stress, and helping ensure everyone can spend more of their energy on teaching, learning, and making music. Financial stability and long term planning remain important priorities, not because something is broken, but because a healthy organization should always be looking ahead.
Above all, I want FAYM to continue being a place where students, parents, and teachers feel supported, inspired, and valued. If we can make incremental improvements while preserving the heart of what makes FAYM special, I will feel we have had a very successful year.
What would you like your FAYM legacy to be?
I hope my legacy is that I did everything I could to help FAYM succeed and to give its students every possible opportunity to thrive. If I am remembered for having played even a small role in opening doors for students, I would consider that a success.
What inspired you to learn the violin and perform with the year one students?
After joining the board, I decided I wanted to experience FAYM from the perspective of a student and to better understand the organization from all sides. I do not come from a background as a musician, so stepping into violin lessons as a beginner felt like a meaningful way to fully understand the challenges, frustrations, and small and large victories that come with learning an instrument.
Learning alongside the students and their parents has been incredibly meaningful. Standing on stage together, feeling the same nerves before a performance, and working through those moments as a group has given me a real sense of the FAYM community. It is not just about music. It is about shared effort, encouragement, and showing up for one another. That experience has helped me build deeper connections with both students and parents and has reinforced that FAYM is truly a community, not just an organization.
What musical skill would you like to achieve by the end of 2026?
By the end of 2026, I hope to confidently play the violin in an ensemble setting and genuinely feel like I am contributing as part of the team. I want to reach a point where I can read music comfortably, maintain good tone, and support the group rather than simply keeping up.
I want the violin to feel less like a constant exercise in concentration and more like a natural form of expression. That shift, when the mechanics begin to fade and the music starts to flow, is something I see our students work toward every day. Experiencing that myself would be meaningful both as a personal milestone and as another way to better understand and support the journey our students are on.
