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Mike Jarvis | bass guitar
Mike Jarvis was blessed with knowing what he wanted to do from an early age. He had a very strong affinity for music even when he was young. In fact, his first memory was playing a snoopy snare drum on his second Christmas. Mike began playing the upright bass in the 4th grade. He had to use a stool just to reach the top of the fingerboard. He always loved playing the upright. After a year or so of learning how to read some notes and rhythms, he had the natural urge to do the obvious, play rock and roll. After working for what seemed like a small eternity to purchase his first bass guitar, he began to see a natural agility around the instrument.
Through middle school, he found out that people sound better when their playing together and that it would be a healthy challenge to start writing music. At about this time, he had met two people who would have the most significant musical impact on him to date.
Mike reflects "My middle school band teacher was actually a guitar major in college. He mastered in theory and composition." Richard Cosby could be described as an Einstein-like character with erratic red hair. He was always carrying way too much and arrived right as the bell was ringing.
By the time he was in the 10th grade, Mr.Cosby had already given him the theory entrance exams to Peabody Music Conservatory. He taught Mike music on an in depth level and began to train his ear. He also did something that no one had ever done; question the foundation of what is considered to be music; the abstract pholosophies of some revolutaionary composers such as Harry Partch, Philip Glass, and John Cage. In short, he expanded tonal posibilities and helped break the conventional boundaries of modern music. Musicians such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Pat Metheny were all introduced to him and shown as examples of how to create music without the constrants of a bar line or a piece of paper. He also had a giant picture of Thelonious Monk above his door for inspiration.
One of Richard Cosby's top music students, Scott Harlan, had taken Mike on as a student and helped push him forward. Scott later became a columnist in bass player magazine and now runs a successful studio. Fortunately, Scott was down with all the contemporary styles. He showed Mike slap, tap, chords, and harmonics. Scott showed him what it ment to support the under-carriage of the music while keeping it coheasive and constantly making it a new.
Mike had been in a few small bands until around the 8th grade. His first was a rock, reggae, funk, ska like band called "Sams Friend". "We actually played pretty well. We had a following at our school and gigged out as much as we could. " Scott Harlan was the engineer and showed them the ropes through the studio. These first studio expiriences had a great impact on Mike further down the road. Eventually he became an engineer in a music studio, taught classes in Midi applications and all the modern recording software mediums, and became fluent in Video editing and graphic design.
This was the very first taste of something bigger. The whole not-knowing about where it was taking him made it all the more appealing. From the 9th to the 10th grade, Mike began playing in a Christian based group called "Jacob's Ladder." They did secular material as well, but the fellowship that bonded them was the church. The lead singer, Dave Fatula, and lead guitar player, Jason Rector, showed Mike how a "real" band functions. When he was 15, Dave was 32 and Jason was 19. They all had more experience than Mike, but he was able to keep up and never let the music drop. They taught him how to sing harmonies and developed the idea of putting on a show. "We had a set of 65 songs and practiced 2-3 days a week."
Well, things happen and bands break up...so that one did too. Good times - but then he had to find something else. By the time he was a senior in high school he was invited to be the guitar player in a PBS broadcast lesson of Jazz Improvizaton hosted by the Billy Taylor Trio. Later that year he was invited back to attend an Exercise In Jazz hosted by Pat Metheny.
Finally it was time to decide what he was going to do about college. He did the obvious; flip a coin and hope for the best. It landed on Longwood College. He convinced a few friends to go with him and preceded towards obtaining his degree in music.
His Freshman year he started a band with his roommate, Scott Hopson, called First Floor. He was the lead guitar player and singer. It was very experimental Floyd-esk art rock group. They did a lot of odd timed stuff with elaborate forms. He was also playing in the Longwood Jazz Ensemble and a few small quartets. The next four years were pretty much like that; dedicated to learning the concepts behind jazz and the history of its elements. He grew a passion for instrumental music and of many different kinds of sounds.
In an attempt to create a "music scene," First Floor helped introduce other musicians around campus. A few of them formed a group called MickyFinn. First Floor and MickyFinn played some shows together and were always helping each other out. Mike actually recorded their first demo. This first CD was titled "Jubeus" after a South American tree that had an intoxicating fruit and spirit; a place to gather and be.
A few years later, Mike graduated with a degree in composition and guitar performance. Soon after he moved to Richmond, First Floor broke up. This was about the time when people started to have babies and get married. Mike and his drummer, Clay Wray, found it important to pursue music as a career. They took numerous gigs from jazz, classic rock, to blues, and gospel. "We were basically trying to find our niche. We found a home in a bluegrass band called "Divided Highway." Clay was an accomplished guitar player and I picked up the mandolin. Clay became the lead singer and arranger."
After being in Richmond for almost two years Mike got in touch with the MickyFinn guys. They were out of school and gigging in Richmond. He was offered the position as bass player. Two years later, and with a lot shorter hair, Mike is pursuing a life long dream to be able to play music for a living.
Mike says "Now is a fun time for me. I have found a group of guys who are all on the same page and love what they do. Seth, Brian, Jason, and Eric are very talented on many levels. It has been a thrill playing with them over the last few years. As a band we have dedicated our lives to expressing the truths that we have each learned individually, and as a whole. We continue to write music that we think means something and are enjoying the process of sharing it with the world."
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