Jeremy Messersmith on Music and Arts Education

How did you get into making music, and how did arts education (or lack thereof) affect you and your music?

I remember learning how to play the recorder when I was in first grade. We played some stirring renditions of “Three Blind Mice” if I remember correctly. I had a lot of fun making up my own melodies and discovering that you could make little embellishments that made the written melody sound more interesting.

My parents were both band geeks, so when I was eleven or so they took me to the music store and had me try out some instruments. My dad was a trombonist and was eager for me to follow in his footsteps, but I was too small and could hardly hold one. We compromised and stayed within the brass family by getting a trumpet.

Improvisation was a regular part of the church band that I played in growing up. Often it was twelve to fifteen people all playing different instruments with little to no written music! I think it taught me the importance of listening to what other people are playing around you and finding your place.

I played in band in junior high for three years. It was a little strange because I was home-schooled so my mom would drive me to the school and drop me off for just one class! I find it hard to believe that I could make the music I write now without the music education I got as a child. Even though I don’t play trumpet as much as I used to, the foundations of melody and ear training still come in handy. Music education was a big source of confidence for me as a child. I wasn’t exactly athletic or even that interesting, so music was one of the only things I was really good at!

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