Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesus Salas.
Hi Jesus, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ll start with where I am now. I currently am a member of “club solo 99”, a live band / DJ duo, and I also work part time as a Live Sound Engineer in the Pomona area. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where or how I got to where I am. Like most things it’s been a gradual growth over most of my life, I just didn’t know where it could lead me until recently. I’ve been into playing music for as long as I can remember. I started on the recorder and played it religiously until I got my first saxophone when I was about 11. For years I kept picking up new instruments and learning them mostly on my own without much instruction. Funnily enough, I mostly credit that to my excessive time with recorder. I taught myself how to play the trumpet and became the lead shortly after. I played mostly Jazz and Swing music in my teen years, both in school bands and in one band not affiliated with school, The Melody Tone Melody Makers, where I played lead trumpet. After that, COVID happened and going around performing wasn’t really an option. I learned how to play the guitar while quarantined, got my bachelor’s degree soon after, and when going out was an option again I began working in an office. After a few years I decided to go back to school at Mt. SAC to pursue a career in Audio Engineering because I figured it was the closest I could get to “working in music”. There, I met many amazing people, including Hector (aka hectorsolo), a musician and now a good friend that I am a part of club solo 99 with. With all the audio production knowledge I’ve gained, all the musical and performance experience I’ve had through the years, and all the people I’ve met and connected with, I feel like now I’m able to put it all together to try and carve out a space for myself as a musician. I couldn’t have gotten here alone and I still rely on the people around me to continue our growing presence. I like to think of us as a growing community of people with different talents and backgrounds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been plenty of struggles along the way. The first I encountered was at a young age when trying to audition as a paid trumpeter at a theme park. I saw how underprepared I was compared to some of the other players and I let that get to me. I felt afraid and insecure because I knew lacked technical musical knowledge. Two years before, a band instructor heard about my trumpet playing and put trumpet sheet music in front of me, I had to admit I could not read it and would not even be able to identify any of the notes I could play. I have struggled similarly with other instruments but persisted and have grown to understand each of them. Right after my audition experience, I had to focus on Business Administration for my degree because I really needed some of the financial stability of a job and felt like I had to say goodbye to my dream. After reigniting my passion, I still faced the fact that I had to try to exist in such an expressive and performance-heavy industry as someone who always preferred to be quiet and alone. I have gotten more comfortable being out of my shell but it is something that I feel still tries to pull me back at times. All in all, this bumpy road has given me a better understanding of who I am, and led me to take more control of my life and my ambitions.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently I produce, record, and perform original music for my band, club solo 99. It is the project I am most proud of, because it feels like a culmination of all the musical things I have learned. We perform as a full live band, as well as a DJ duo with my musical partner Hector. We started as just a band, but were inspired by some performers and DJs like Daft Punk and Disclosure to integrate that aspect with live performance. We are still growing our size and presence, and are planning to grow beyond just producing music. We are looking to develop more visual elements for our shows, offering stronger community presence and aid, as well as producing and editing videos with a growing team.
What matters most to you? Why?
Building community. I know how alienating the world can be, and I know that we alone can’t change whole systems. But by getting to know one another, and bridging the gap that keeps us so separated at times, we can work towards a better future in art and society as a whole. We aren’t here to just make music we think sounds cool. We want to connect with people and make meaningful art.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clubsolo99/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@clubsolo99
