biography
above: first recital, age 5
below: Sweet Child of Mine video
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Jasper Hughes is a 15-year-old drummer.
His understanding of rhythm was evident early on, when his mother gave him two straws to play with in his stroller at a coffee shop, and she noticed he was playing a beat. He started drum lessons at age three, and performed in yearly recitals starting at age five.
When he was nine, his school music director assembled a small combo band, in which Jasper was the drummer. However, shortly after, the pandemic hit, and schools closed. Jasper spent most of his free time during this period listening to the blues, jazz, and progressive rock, and playing the drums. The music director found a way for the band to keep playing as well. Songs were selected, then practiced and recorded at home. The music was mixed, the students shot videos of themselves playing, and the whole thing was turned into music videos for the school community.
When school reopened, the band was back playing together, and they moved through styles including Latin, pop, hard rock, funk, and jazz.
At the school winter concert in 2022, the band played Guns N' Roses’ Sweet Child O" Mine in front of a crowd of 1400 people, and the video on Jasper's YouTube channel has over 1.4 million views.
In April 2023, the band traveled to Philadelphia to compete at the National Jazz Festival, where they won Best Small Combo, and Jasper was awarded the Best in Band Medal.
In the summer of 2023, Jasper was accepted into the prestigious Stanford Jazz Institute, where he was one of the youngest musicians at age fourteen.
In early 2024, he was selected to benefit from the Bill Green Mentorship Program through LA Jazz Society.
Jasper has always had a great understanding of the emotions and subtleties in music. With what has been noted by many as his "great sense of timing," he works and challenges himself daily to grow as a musician.
His understanding of rhythm was evident early on, when his mother gave him two straws to play with in his stroller at a coffee shop, and she noticed he was playing a beat. He started drum lessons at age three, and performed in yearly recitals starting at age five.
When he was nine, his school music director assembled a small combo band, in which Jasper was the drummer. However, shortly after, the pandemic hit, and schools closed. Jasper spent most of his free time during this period listening to the blues, jazz, and progressive rock, and playing the drums. The music director found a way for the band to keep playing as well. Songs were selected, then practiced and recorded at home. The music was mixed, the students shot videos of themselves playing, and the whole thing was turned into music videos for the school community.
When school reopened, the band was back playing together, and they moved through styles including Latin, pop, hard rock, funk, and jazz.
At the school winter concert in 2022, the band played Guns N' Roses’ Sweet Child O" Mine in front of a crowd of 1400 people, and the video on Jasper's YouTube channel has over 1.4 million views.
In April 2023, the band traveled to Philadelphia to compete at the National Jazz Festival, where they won Best Small Combo, and Jasper was awarded the Best in Band Medal.
In the summer of 2023, Jasper was accepted into the prestigious Stanford Jazz Institute, where he was one of the youngest musicians at age fourteen.
In early 2024, he was selected to benefit from the Bill Green Mentorship Program through LA Jazz Society.
Jasper has always had a great understanding of the emotions and subtleties in music. With what has been noted by many as his "great sense of timing," he works and challenges himself daily to grow as a musician.
Influences
Neil Peart
Carl Palmer
Bill Bruford
Bill Ward
Bernie Dresel
Max Roach
Jimmy Cobb
Billy Higgins
Peter Erskine
Joe Morello
Tony Williams