Since picking up the electric bass at 14 to play in a punk band, I have been performing and creating music of all kinds. I have been fortunate to have performed in many music theatre pits, a few orchestras, and jazz ensembles big and small. I have composed and arranged a wide variety of music from solo instrumentalists to massive orchestras and even premiered an opera on a London stage. I will try any style, I love music in all of its forms. Having landed in Philly with my partner and our two Husky mixes, I am working on teaching, composing electronica and starting a substack about music and the tech platforms.

When did you begin playing Bass, and why?

I was about 14 when I started to play electric. There was a big metal scene where I grew up and everyone was in a band. A lot of my friends were picking up the guitar, but I was enamored by the bass players. As I developed as a player and my interests broadened, I moved on from Flea and Les Claypool to Mingus and Ron Carter and learned to play the Upright bass as well.

What other instruments do you play, and what is your experience with them?

I play piano, cello and saxophone. I’ve dabbled in french horn and clarinet as well.

What are your personal goals as a musician?

To forever be open and curious about everything musical.

Do you have a memory of a time when a musical concept or technique really clicked?  Something you’ll remember forever?

Starting out, I would always want to learn the fast music fast and would fail hard. I had a teacher just look at me, put a metronome on super slow and say, play slow to play fast. No matter what, I now start learning new music super slow, every note, one by one. Sometimes it’s hard to go so slow, but I always feel I know the music better having done it.

What is your favorite piece of advice from one of your past (or current) teachers?

Making music is a wonderful expression of who we are. A teacher once told me that, no matter what, always to ask yourself: What does it mean to be Jesse, sitting here right now, in this time, in this place, making music? That is what your music, your playing, should say no matter how big or small the moment is.

I try to never forget that.

What was your most challenging moment learning an instrument?

The transition to thumb position on bass. Upright is a big instrument and suddenly you need to give your instrument a big hug and play in a completely different way! It’s awkward and hard, you go way out of tune, but eventually you get used to making that change, like anything, muscle memory kicks in.

What is your biggest musical achievement?

I once wrote an Opera and had it performed in London. It’s both the biggest piece of music I have ever written and biggest achievement all wrapped in one!

Favorite thing about teaching?

I love that music is a process of discovery both about the world and often about yourself. Through music, people grow, and that is a joy to be a part of.

What is a piece of advice you would like to share with anyone learning music?

The hardest thing, sometimes, is to step out of our own way and trust that we got this. Trust yourself. You got this.

Personal music projects:

Besides playing as much as possible, I have a couple of big projects going on right now in the music technology space. 

I’m really interested in how people use tech to create music and how music technology affects the creator.