Biography
“Jesse demonstrates instinctual teaching techniques that far outshine many experienced educators. His approach is as solid as that of a veteran—his musicianship is superior.”
🎶 Music Producer
For over ten years, Jesse’s company, Big Pear Productions, LLC., has produced bespoke music & live work for clients including Bergdorf-Goodman, Virgin America, Banana Republic, State Farm, HSBC China, & The Intercontinental Hotel Group, as well as dozens of smaller web, film, podcast, & jingle projects.
His film credits include the recording engineer for the soundtrack to the 2017 movie, “Wild Honey.” His most recent (self) release, “What Times Is It?” (under artist “The Times Two”), is a musical journey through the world of multiplication. Fun for kids, and not annoying to parents.
Jesse is also the main composer & producer behind an annually-staged bespoke musical production for Marshall University entitled “TRADITIONS: The Rise of Marshall.” His newest, in-development project is “Down in the Holler: An Appalachian Musical Journey,” a project for Heritage Farm, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum located in Huntington, West Virginia.
🥁 Drummer / Percussionist
A jazz & pop drummer by training, Jesse has performed in the US and internationally with jazz heavyweights James Moody, Gregory Porter, Steve Turre, Allen Vizzutti, Freda Payne, Lorraine Feather, Shelly Berg, Jim Snidero, Bob Sheppard, David Baker, Sara Caswell, and soul icons Glenn Leonard (Temptations), Joe Coleman (The Platters), & Joe Blunt (The Drifters).
As a big band drummer, Jesse can be heard on “Carol of the Bells” by the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra & performed extensively with the Rob Parton JazzTECH Big Band. Most recently, Jesse has held the drum chair for America’s Got Talent Season 6 winner Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.’s Big Band & The Jewel City Jazz Orchestra.
Between 2011 - 2015, Jesse was a Resident Music Director for Blue Man Group, performing as drummer / percussionist in over 1,000 shows while overseeing the musical quality of the performances. While not on the road, Jesse spent time performing in the Chicago & Orlando BMG casts and training new actors to drum. As a musical theatre drummer, Jesse manned the drum chair for the 50th Anniversary European Tour of West Side Story & a North American Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley.
Jesse can also be heard playing drums on the soundtrack to the 2017 film “Wild Honey” and on the 2004 release by Second Hand Poets, “Virginia City Lounge.”
📚 Educator
In 14 years as a public school music teacher, Jesse taught music including band, orchestra, jazz, choir, musical theatre, private lessons and general music to a wide range of students at multiple schools in Illinois & Indiana including Edgewood Junior High, Bloomington North & South High Schools, Oak Park River Forest High School, Wheaton North High School, Benet Academy, and Sunset Ridge School.
At the university level, Jesse taught for from 2004-2006 as an Associate Instructor of Percussion at Indiana University and from 2015-2019 as an Assistant Professor of Music (Jazz Studies / Percussion) at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, expanding the music department to include a Commercial Music Program. Jesse continues to be employed by Marshall as an Adjunct Instructor of Music, teaching remotely from his home.
Jesse also created and developed a performance/workshop series for Blue Man Group entitled “Painting with Sound: The Music of Blue Man Group.” The series was delivered for free to over 10,000 students in over 100 cities in 3 countries while Jesse was a Resident Music Director on tour with Blue Man Group.
Since 2019 Jesse has served as the Membership, Marketing & Program Manager for Chicago non-profit, The Jazz Education Network where he is responsible for overseeing the membership programs & marketing initiatives and is currently overseeing the development of a new online membership portal for a growing membership of 5,000+. Jesse also creates digital and print marketing campaigns, runs the social media presence, & develops new virtual programming. An avid graphic designer, his work has been featured in magazines such as Downbeat, JazzTimes, & JazzEd as well as hundreds of conference and festival programs around the country.
💻 Technologist
From 2011-2019, Jesse served as Director of Education and then President of Chicago edtech startup, Big Things, Inc. (BTI). Earning a stake in the company through his work on BTI’s flagship social media learning platform MashPlant, Jesse and company CEO, Jason Brett, developed and launched 3 successive versions of the MashPlant platform to schools and non-profit organizations all over the world, eventually selling the technology to The Source for Learning, Inc., America’s oldest education technology non-profit. Jesse continues to work as the lead force behind the development and deployment of MashPlant in his current dual capacity as Product Manager and Chief Evangelist of Social Learning for The Source for Learning. Jesse is currently overseeing the re-launch of MySciLife, one of SFL’s flagship programs.
Jesse is also one-third of the Yes And Group, a company developing immersive live entertainment concepts blending cutting edge digital media technology like augmented/virtual reality with interactive live experiences and social media environments.
🎓 Education
Jesse is a two time graduate of the Indiana University Jacob’s School of Music. A student of David Baker & Steve Houghton, Jesse holds a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies / Percussion and a Bachelors of Music Education (Percussion). He is currently in the dissertation phase of a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University.
