We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Hanson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

It’s taken some time to get to where I am, mostly because I didn’t understand where I wanted to go in the first place (laughing).

I grew up studying classical violin and piano from an early age and felt like there was an unintentional box put around me. When we see or hear violin at this young age it’s either classical music or fiddling and many times that’s what gets taught in violin lessons, which is great for beginners! I learned great technique and skill through classical music, but at the same time there’s an expansive world of music tech that can take violin playing to a whole different level.

After studying classical violin in college, I was already wanting to venture out into this world of different music and see what I could do with violin. I tried playing several different genres with various bands and really enjoyed the original aspect of creating your own music. Eventually, I decided I really wanted to learn how to make my own music, which as a violinist can be a bit daunting since we are seen more as a melodic instrument and not as much of an accompanying or chordal instrument, another box. I explored different pedals, music software such as Logic and Ableton, and began my journey there as a songwriter.

I think music technology was most essential to make this process of songwriting happen for me. Loop pedals and/or recording myself in a DAW really help me build layers and create the textures I hear in my head. This allows me to have a flow in the creation process also with the help of the many different effect pedals that inspire new ideas and creations.

It was definitely a learning curve (and I’m still learning), but it’s been a fun adventure all the same. I’m always on the lookout for new gear to try out and it is just a never ending playing field, literally.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Growing up in a musical community was really a great start to delving into the creative world of music. I was born in Nashville, TN, but grew up in a small but beautiful town in the Black Hills in South Dakota. After studying classical violin and piano from age 5, I began searching for new genres to play in after college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where I majored in Violin Performance.

First being inspired by the great Stephane Grappelli to play gypsy jazz, I realized there was a whole other world for violin outside of the classical realm. I ventured into bluegrass, blues, jazz, country, folk, and eventually electronic and cinematic music. After being inspired by current artists such as Kishi Bashi and Andrew Bird, I began seeking out ways to create my own music outside of an acoustic band. I spent a lot of time learning audio engineering and recording and eventually was able to create my own music with the help of many electronic synths and instruments. It has been an amazing journey to get to this point and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I currently do live looping performances with violin, my Headrush Looperboard, Akai MPC One for drums/synths, and sometimes my Yamaha MODX8 keyboard and a microphone. I also am working on my own cinematic compositions to film and video game productions.

As a multi-instrumentalist, I am always looking for new instruments to learn and stumbled across the Hardanger Fiddle because of my Norwegian heritage. I have been studying this beautiful 9 stringed instrument for the last two years and have enjoyed every minute of it. With new instruments, you not only learn the instrument, but the culture surrounded by that instrument and it has brought me closer to my roots and understanding of who I am.

Besides my own music, I also play violin for folk artist Andrea von Kampen, and opened for bands such as Trampled by Turtles, Watchhouse, Ira Wolf, the Wood Brothers, and Avi Kaplan. In the classical realm, I’ve played with artists like Ben Folds, Hannah Houston, Michael Buble, Joshua Bell, Mannheim Steamroller, Trans Siberian Orchestra, Chiara String Quartet, Mark O’Connor, and many others.

My current releases have been based off of ideas from live streaming events where improvised songs come together in front of an audience using a loop pedal. After the stream, the new ideas are brought into the studio and a final version of the song is created using material from the stream and new ideas from the studio. New music I am currently working on is heavily influenced by the Hardanger fiddle and its Scandinavian roots!

Be on the lookout for new music to come soon on your favorite streaming platform!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being in the creative world is how much you learn about yourself and others through art. It really gives life a deeper meaning and helps you understand yourself on a different level. In turn, you begin to see other people through their art and see this other side of them that is many times only available through their craft. It is this special alter reality that I truly treasure in the creative world and wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A very hard lesson I had to unlearn is that of perfectionism. It can really get in the way of creativity and staying in that non-judgemental mindset.

I’ve had to learn how to quiet the inner critic that’s inside all of us and allow mistakes and wrong notes to happen. A lot of creativity is exactly that – the mistakes the perfectionist mindset tries so hard to stay away from. Honestly, some of my favorite parts of pieces came from a mistake and I have to constantly remind myself of that on a daily basis.

When I enter the studio, go on stage, or just have some time to create I try to give myself some grace and just go with the flow!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.sound-postmedia.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jess.violin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jes.violin
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jess_violin_
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/usU-bdG8sh4
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LSbqpEixu7k6S3zQ66kiQ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jess_violin Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jessica-hanson/1329069908 Bandcamp: https://jessviolin.bandcamp.com/releases

Image Credits
Carley Kapelski ACG Graphics Maya Benko