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Find out more about Jesse

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favorite instrument?

  Growing up, there were a lot of musical influences in my life. My grandpa loved big band music, so whenever I visited, I would hear old records playing in the background. I sang in choirs all through high school and found a wonderful home there with my peers. Making music with other people is a special thing! I love to listen to the cello and erhu (a Chinese type of violin), but the voice will always be special, because it's our own natural instrument that makes up a part of who we are.

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  I love story-driven music. I can listen to musical cast albums with compelling narratives all day long!

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  All of us come to music in different ways, so it's hard to say which aspects will be more challenging, but I love getting into the nuts and bolts of music theory: how and why music works, what makes it unique, and how to infuse your own voice into its DNA. If you study songwriting or composing with me, there's a nearly bottomless well of knowledge and concepts we can dig into. All of it is cumulative and builds upon prior knowledge, so the further in we get, the more complex and exciting the subject becomes!

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  Piano is often seen as the most technically demanding instrument to master, and I would agree. Not only do you have to master your own repertoire, but you must also frequently accompany or collaborate with other musicians. There is so much to practice and only so many hours in the day.

• What are your keys to success?

  I just want to name one: resilience! As wonderful as music is, there is so much discipline required to master it. On the path to mastery, there are a lot of hills and valleys. The most important key to success is to keep going. Don't let failure discourage you for long; pick yourself back up and push forward. It's worth it, I promise.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Audra MacDonald, Gavin Creel, and Marin Mazzie. These are three of my favorite voices of all time. All three are also talked about as being incredibly kind people. Gavin and Marin have unfortunately passed away, but if I could have drinks with these three wonderful people, I think we'd have a great time.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  Once, during my undergraduate studies, my voice professor warned me about my diverse interests in music. He told me, "If you don't focus on one subject, you'll be a Jack of all trades and a master of nothing." This is valuable to me because I had a visceral and opposite reaction to it. While it might have been right for him to focus his study on voice alone, it wasn't for me. I doubled down on my diverse musical interests, and they helped form me into the musician and artist I am today. Only YOU can decide what kind of artist you want to be; you just have to take it seriously and follow your passions wholeheartedly.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I am an adaptable instructor. I have experience in many facets of music, and I'm great at adapting my teaching approach to meet a student's goals. I listen to the things that are most important to the student and work alongside them to name and meet their musical goals.