We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Torri McMullin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Torri below.

Alright, Torri thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to make others happy with music, as much as music makes me happy.

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?

I am a professional bassist based in the Los Angeles area. I am originally from Santa Barbara, California and have played music my whole life. I grew up playing multiple different instruments during my childhood, but at the age of twelve, I fell in love with the bass. I participated in a handful of youth music programs in Santa Barbara, as well as took private lessons for guitar, piano, vocals, and drums; and by age twelve, I was playing in numerous bands at events and festivals around the Santa Barbara area. In addition to the local programs I was enrolled at in my hometown, I was lucky enough to attend a performing arts camp in New York called French Woods, where I was able to really hone in on my technical skills and truly embrace my love for performing live.

Even though no one else in my family is a musician, I have always been surrounded by music. Since both of my parents are music-lovers and avid concert-goers, my childhood was filled with music-related activities and events. I credit them both for my first introduction to a wide assortment of music. As a young child, I quickly began listening to all sorts of artists and bands spanning across a variety of musical genres, such as AC/DC, The Beach Boys, Ozzy Osborne, The Ramones, Nirvana, The Cranberries, Sheryl Crow, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, The Bee Gees, Elton John, and Whitney Houston.

During my highschool years, I filled my time with activities like choir and additional music programs; including two at Musicians Institute: College of Contemporary Music. My wonderful experience at these Summer Shot and the inaugural fall Youth Academy really deepened my desire to pursue music as a career as well as my wish to go to Musicians Institute for college.

Soon after I graduated from highschool, I began my professional musical journey by attending Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the school’s campus was still closed in order to honor the national safety requirements and guidelines. However, I still moved down to Los Angeles at the end of 2020 during the pandemic and started my musical adventure by taking online courses. I was extremely ecstatic when the campus was finally given the green-light to reopen in the summer of 2021. At long last, I was able to meet students face-to-face, jam and collaborate with musicians, and network to eventually form bands. I was thrilled to be able to complete my Associate’s Degree in Bass Performance on campus and graduate in person in September of 2022. With my musical education starting during the COVID-19 shutdown, I was exceptionally eager to be able to perform live once venues were re-opening. Performing live has always been my favorite aspect of being a musician, so I was desperately craving that feeling of being on the stage again.

I have been gigging around the greater Los Angeles area since July of 2022; and have played venues spanning up and down the California coast from Thousand Oaks to Escondido. Over my course of gigging, I have had the tremendous pleasure of performing at legendary Los Angeles venues such as the Troubadour, the Whisky a GoGo, and the Mint. I currently play for a handful of different artists based in the LA area whose musical genres include everything from hard rock to alternative pop to singer-songwriter to R&B. I have also been hired for studio sessions for artists based in both the Santa Barbara and LA areas to write and record bass for their original pieces.

In addition to those musical endeavors, I perform regularly with my cover band, “Whole Lotta Hair”. Inspired by the iconic Led Zeppelin song ‘Whole Lotta Love’, we take our audience on an entertaining musical journey through multiple decades of classic rock chart-toppers. Our setlists are packed with hits from the ‘60s all the way to the ‘90s, such as ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac, ‘Every Little Thing She Does is Magic’ by The Police, and ‘Fly By Night’ by Rush. We are incredibly grateful to have a residency at Alissa’s Ocean View Bar and Grill in Montrose, California where we play once a month. In addition to our residency, we are available to hire for private parties and events.

In addition to gigging and studio sessions, I also work as a Teaching Assistant at Musicians Institute. Earning this position has been an extremely gratifying and enjoyable experience, especially after being a student in that environment myself. To be able to play even just the smallest part in other students’ musical journeys and to positively impact their time as students is incredible. Additionally, I, myself, am continuing to learn from the remarkably bright faculty and staff, on top of being surrounded by seasoned musical professionals and extremely knowledgeable teachers. This is an experience I will be eternally grateful for.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My motivation behind pursuing music is simple: I love it. Ever since I was very young, I can vividly remember always having a strong desire to be up on the stage performing. It has always felt like music just ran through my veins. So, my ultimate goal is to continue playing music for as long as I physically can.

In the future, I would love to grow into a fully-fleshed touring musician, along with continuing to work on my own original songs, which I have been writing outside of gigging and working. I would also like to be someone that other aspiring musicians can look up to. In addition to being a musical role-model, I would love to inspire other budding musicians to never give up, focus on their dreams, and stay true to themselves.

After working at Musicians Institute for the better half of a year now, I have realized how fulfilling it is to be a part of the educational journey for up and coming musicians. I have come to understand that being an educational mentor for other musicians is something I am very interested in pursuing more in depth in the near future.

I’ve learned that in this line of work the learning process is one that has no end. With that in mind, I strive to further myself musically, more specifically improving my technique and building upon my creativity daily. I seek to continue to increase my industry experience by taking on new opportunities such as more live gigs, recording sessions, and educational positions.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most fulfilling aspects of being a musician is having the freedom to completely immerse myself into the craft. I truly love what I do and just that fact alone overwhelms me with the ultimate feeling of joy. Having the ability to share my immense love and passion for music with others is truly rewarding. I genuinely value being able to create a fun and safe atmosphere for others to enjoy themselves and for them to be seen and understood, all through music. This is a specifically significant element for me personally, as I can distinctly remember being that little kid at concerts and musical events cherishing every second and never wanting it to end; feeling like I was able to be myself and just enjoy the moment.

Another rewarding facet of being a creative is that there is always more to learn and there will always be room to grow and improve. There are no rules that instruct you how to develop your craft. There is not a specific box you must fit into as a musician or an artist. There is not a blue-print that will outline a designated path for your musical adventure. There is truly no right or wrong in how you identify yourself as a creative-minded individual. As long as you ensure that you are being the best version of yourself and maintain an open-minded attitude, success is always within reach.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torri.mcmullin/
• Other: https://wholelottahair.wixsite.com/wholelottahairband https://www.instagram.com/wholelottahairband/

Image Credits
Jessica Greif Nick Coggiola Alx Corzo Los Deviles