Who am I you might ask
J Walk is a graduate from the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he earned a degree in Double Bass performance, composition, and technology. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Jason was the musician of the year in 1998 before deciding to study music exclusively. In 2003, he moved to the Bay Area to further his performance career with the group Mandrake while also performing with local symphonies. With a passion for recording and producing, J Walk has fully committed himself to creating music for artists and film. Having written over 100 pieces, he is now experimenting with a limitless sound that blends genres such as electronic, rock, pop, trap, Latin, and classical.
Influences that create the sound
Growing up I was heavily influence by a multitude of musicians. At a young age I loved the emotion of helpless romatic 80s music by artist such as Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, Bon Jovi and Depeche Mode just to name a few. As the grunge scene took off in the 90s,I found my passion for playing the guitar, and became obsesed with hard core rock, with bands like Nine Inch Nails, Radio Head, Tool, Metalica and Pantera leading the way. All along my musical journey I was continually mesurized by symphonic music, Tchacovski and Beethoven was the cream. The organic sound of string instruments meshing with winds and brass and percussion I found to be the most powerful form of song writing. I was fortunate to start playing the Double Bass at age 9, and found myself taking every opportuity to play in orchestral ensembles when ever I had a chance, including All State Orchestras or playing with local symphonies.
As I broadend my musical intrest in college, I found myself intregue with the percusion of hip hop and rap, the harmonies of Jazz, and the intricute melodies of music from over seas. Composing music was always the unkown goal of mine, and when technology became more accesable to composition, I started to study more of my film scoring idols such as Danny Elfman and Hanz Zimmer. I also fell in love with electronic music, the vibe and energy it can give your body, and closely admired artist like Tiesto, deadmau5, Motorcycle and Calvin Harris.
Mandrake
Mandrake was an Indie Folk Rock band formed in 2003 by Liam Carey on vocals, Matt Herz on guitar, Jason Walker on bass, and Owen Wilson on Drums. Having mostly met in Boulder, Colorado in 2002, they decided to take their sound to the Bay Area to write an album of their intricate song writing with thick harmonies, melodic bass, and classical influence guitar, ultimately creating a very orchestrated sounding rock band. After touring the west coast and releasing one album in 2007, the band ultimately decided to move on due to family and other issues. Their skill level and creativity brought about a timeless sound, yet very peculular and aesthetic in musical taste. Their long thoroughly written songs were not simple in texture or form.
Visit Mandrake on applemusic and spotify.
Paul Erhard
Dr. Paul Erhard performs as a soloist and teaches internationally in Europe and Asia, as well as throughout the USA. His solo recitals promote the bocal beauty and richness of the double bass through a unique blend of traditional and contemporary double bass solo repertoire. He has performed as a concerto soloist with orchestras in New York, Colorado, Kansas, and Hawaii. Paul Erhard is the winner of the 1984 Juilliard Double Bass Concerto Competition, performing the Mortari Concerto at Lincoln Center with conductor Isaah Jackson. Frequent chamber music collabortations with wide variety of performers have included Schuberts Trout Quintet witht the Takacs String Quartet. He has worked extensively as a jazz bassist in New York, Colorado, and Munich, and was a member of the Eastman School of Music Jazz Ensemble. Paul Erhard is principal double bass of the Boulder Bach Festival, and was principal bass of the Soviet Emigre Orchestra and the Albany Symphony in New York.
He has been the Double Bass Professor in the University of Colorado, Boulder College of Music since 1986. In addition to the double bass teaching, Dr. Erhard teaches “Improvisation for String Players” drawing upon his experiences with Indian music and Jazz, and the “orchestral Audition Class.”
To learn more about Dr. Paul Erhard click here.
Vanda Sue Skadden
Bachelor of Music Education in 1964 from the University of Denver, Vanda Skadden went on to teach instrumental music at Rantoul City Schools in Illinois from 1964-1967 before bcoming the music director of Widefield Distric 3 in Colorado Springs. Teaching at all the elementry, middle, and Highschools till 1999, she was the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher award of Colorado Music Educators in 1986-1989, and 1996. Vanda Skadden has been listed as a noteworthy music educator by Marquis Who's Who, as well as on the Board of Directors of Colorado All State from 1996-1998. A very established violin player, she played in international culture symposiums in Neuberg, Austria. This amazing person touch the musical lives of many children, including myself.