About Me
I have been a music educator for over 15 years and a performer my whole life. In 2003, I graduated cum laude from Ithaca College wth a Bachelors of Music and majored in music education with a focus on the clarinet. That's right, I have been a band geek for a loooong time. I have been teaching at a little rural school in Northern California for the past 10 years. I started a music program there with 15 ukuleles and progressed to a full arts program adding drama and art. In collaboration with their dance teacher, we created a vibrant original musical in 2018 entitled, "Where's Waldorf?" where students take a journey to many mystical realms only to better discover themselves. You can see beautiful pictures of that performance by Full Life Photography. In the last year, I also started teaching at Whitethorn school, became the music director for Recycled Youth a free afterschool theater program for teens, and teaching Mothersong workshops at the local public libraries. Overall, I have been focusing on musical projects that see the arts as integral to sustaining mental health, bring attention to climate justice, social justice, identity justice, racial justice, healing justice and are accessible to all no matter race, class, or gender.
I have chosen to live in a remote area of Northern California where I chop firewood for heat, have a spring box with gravity flow for water, have solar panels for power, and I am still working on an alternative option to propane for cooking so that I can live more in communion with the earth. I grow my own veggies and am currently building a chicken coop for more self sustaining food. I also grow and sustainably harvest my own medicines. I have been living this way for 12 years now and it has been extremely beneficial to my mental health.
I have also chosen to live without the internet in my home and to not participate in social media anymore as I do not believe it is helpful to my mental health nor can I support Facebook, Instagram, and Mark Zuckerberg any longer.
Not only am I an arts teacher, but I am also a volunteer firefighter and first responder. I am currently working on my EMT Certification. I also volunteer on the board of our local non-profit, Coastal Headwaters. I have just joined the Southern Humboldt Fire Safe Council and will be focused on forming a local fuel reduction crew in the coming months. Also, I volunteer as a DJ for our local independent radio station KMUD www.kmud.org as DJ Septic, host of Early Morning Anarchy on the 1st and 3rd early Saturday from 12am-2am where I play punk, metal, hip hop, and all music that is subversive.
Because of these choices, my ability to self promote has been challenging. I often hear people say: "You need to move to the city or You need to get on Twitter." I don't believe that I need to compromise my ideals and my mental health in order to be seen and heard. In fact, the very essence of my creations come from my deep connection to the earth and by shedding the connections to the oppressive systems that have been in power for generations.
It is time to take back the power!
Support artists/activists in your community! Support non-corporate art! Please buy my music!
In 2017, I put out my first studio album, The Mirror. I created this album to help process vanity, narcissism, while questioning a relationship with reflection.
In 2018, I put out a solo folk album, The Moon, to help connect to spirit, earth, and ourselves inspired by the phases of the moon.
This year, 2020, I am celebrating 10 years of songwriting!
I completed a compilation for Planned Parenthood entitled Subversa: A Compilation for Planned Parenthood, in honor of Vi Subversa from the Poison Girls. (You can check out my journal entry to learn more.) This compilation is a collaboration of musicians from the west coast from Arizona to Washington from Hard Core punk rock to Anarchist Rap to Cascadian Folk. The tape and tour I had planned are postponed due to the pandemic.
Listen and/or purchase Subversa: A Compilation for Planned Parenthood: subversaplannedparenthood.bandcamp.com
Listen and/or purchase music here: herahasaheart.bandcamp.com
Listen to more raw recent music: www.soundcloud.com/jessi-lea
I have chosen to live in a remote area of Northern California where I chop firewood for heat, have a spring box with gravity flow for water, have solar panels for power, and I am still working on an alternative option to propane for cooking so that I can live more in communion with the earth. I grow my own veggies and am currently building a chicken coop for more self sustaining food. I also grow and sustainably harvest my own medicines. I have been living this way for 12 years now and it has been extremely beneficial to my mental health.
I have also chosen to live without the internet in my home and to not participate in social media anymore as I do not believe it is helpful to my mental health nor can I support Facebook, Instagram, and Mark Zuckerberg any longer.
Not only am I an arts teacher, but I am also a volunteer firefighter and first responder. I am currently working on my EMT Certification. I also volunteer on the board of our local non-profit, Coastal Headwaters. I have just joined the Southern Humboldt Fire Safe Council and will be focused on forming a local fuel reduction crew in the coming months. Also, I volunteer as a DJ for our local independent radio station KMUD www.kmud.org as DJ Septic, host of Early Morning Anarchy on the 1st and 3rd early Saturday from 12am-2am where I play punk, metal, hip hop, and all music that is subversive.
Because of these choices, my ability to self promote has been challenging. I often hear people say: "You need to move to the city or You need to get on Twitter." I don't believe that I need to compromise my ideals and my mental health in order to be seen and heard. In fact, the very essence of my creations come from my deep connection to the earth and by shedding the connections to the oppressive systems that have been in power for generations.
It is time to take back the power!
Support artists/activists in your community! Support non-corporate art! Please buy my music!
In 2017, I put out my first studio album, The Mirror. I created this album to help process vanity, narcissism, while questioning a relationship with reflection.
In 2018, I put out a solo folk album, The Moon, to help connect to spirit, earth, and ourselves inspired by the phases of the moon.
This year, 2020, I am celebrating 10 years of songwriting!
I completed a compilation for Planned Parenthood entitled Subversa: A Compilation for Planned Parenthood, in honor of Vi Subversa from the Poison Girls. (You can check out my journal entry to learn more.) This compilation is a collaboration of musicians from the west coast from Arizona to Washington from Hard Core punk rock to Anarchist Rap to Cascadian Folk. The tape and tour I had planned are postponed due to the pandemic.
Listen and/or purchase Subversa: A Compilation for Planned Parenthood: subversaplannedparenthood.bandcamp.com
Listen and/or purchase music here: herahasaheart.bandcamp.com
Listen to more raw recent music: www.soundcloud.com/jessi-lea
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Upcoming EventsSummer 2020 Reading and meditating and volunteering a lot! Recording Projects: Subversa: A Compilation for Planned Parenthood You can still support Planned Parenthood and get this awesome compilation from artists all over the west coast! March 8 - April 8 145 plays and $122 raised April - May 41 plays and $0 raised May-June 20 plays and $6 raised June-July 12 plays and $0 raised July-Aug 0 plays and $0 raised Aug-Sep 3 plays and $42 raised Tape cassette delayed due to Covid19. subversaplannedparenthood.bandcamp.com Performances: June - Summer Solstice Festival: Litha Cascadia in Washington (Postponed until 2021 due to Covid19) |
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My Equipment
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I can play all instruments in the orchestra at a beginner level, although clarinet is what I concentrated on in college, my voice has continued to remain my strongest instrument. I have taught myself guitar, ukulele, and bass. I am currently exploring the world of looping, beat boxing, dance beats, and punk rock.
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G series Zoom Petal
Marshall amp
Fender stratocaster
Shure mic
Ibanez Electric Bass
Marshall amp
Fender stratocaster
Shure mic
Ibanez Electric Bass
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