Justin DiCenzo: I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Peggy and Tony , September 22nd 1979. My parents were music lovers and always played records or the radio during my childhood. I remember discovering classical music when I was in elementary school and always fighting my mother over the radio station I listened to in my bedroom.
My first instrument was the violin, but I only played for 6 months in kindergarten. In 4th grade elementary school I started playing the trombone, then taught myself the electric bass, then the euphonium, tuba, bassoon, bass clarinet, guitar and piano. Music became my passion and hobby.
Being the son of an engineer, I became very familiar with computers and evolving technology. I started to sequence and learn notation software in 1995 during high school.
I went to Webster University to study Jazz performance and music technology. I took a liking to writing music for images and started producing music for a TV show in St. Louis. While at Webster University, I pioneered the school’s first language exchange program with Kansai university in Osaka, Japan.
Returning from Japan fluent in Japanese, a new chapter of my life unfolded inspiring me to meld my multi-instrumental abilities and language skills together. I applied for the Japanese ministry of education research grant to study traditional Japanese music at Osaka university of the arts. Here I worked on learning the koto and shamisen and it’s use in pre-meiji era chamber music.
While in Japan I performed with many different orchestras and ensembles and finished 4 soundtracks for videos and films made in the university’s renowned graduate film department.
After coming home from Japan, I moved to Los Angeles to perform, compose and produce music with all the various talent that can be found in this city. I have yet to play a gig or work in a studio with people who are not talented. Everyone here in the professional music world is outstanding.
My current focus is production. I am writing and recording music with different artists in various genres to produce a library of works that can be sold or licensed for TV or film. Using asian instruments and my knowledge I acquired in Japan, gives me an edge that most producers don’t have. The note of silence found in Japanese music has beeen a big inspiration for my current approach to writing.
I am always available for teaching, touring and translating. Feel free to contact me at any time. I currently am located in Tokyo, Japan pursuing more research in traditional Japanese music.
The Justin DiCenzo time line:
2011- started research in traditional Japanese music again, bought another jazz bass and a cheap upright bass, played upright bass on Nobuko Toda’s song for “play for japan” charity CD, started touring japan with the hi-hopes and am writing music for Aaron croziers new feature film, Dadako studios and an up and coming music company called “ringmastersinc”.
More to come! (5/2011)
2010- moved to Tokyo to be with the one I love, wrote two songs for Konami, Translated two magazine articles for NERO music art and culture magazine, established myself in a new band called the Hi-Hopes and wrote an ambient CD called “sleepy tokyo”
2009- toured with Dakah chamber orchestra, mixed and finished writing my 3rd solo album “good morning, goodbye, acted as music director for tiff Randol, starred in a commercial for an international film festival held in Yokohama, played bass on the NBC TV series Community, played bass on a Sony feature film soundtrack by joe trapanese.
2008 -Started playing for a long list of artists in LA -Recorded at Capitol Records with MESTO -Played a showcase every week w/ Adjoa Skinner -Hooked up with Deron Johnson -Hooked up with Nailah -Started playing for Double G’s daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra -Worked an endorsment deal with Phil Jones Bass Amps -Performed at NAMM -Worked as a translator for a group of Japanese dancers on tour in LA -Performed at SXSW w/ HECUBA -Played on a soundtrack for a TV show pilot with composer/jazz guitarist Ludwig Goransson
2007 -Moved to LA -Toured and recorded on trombone and koto w/ HECUBA -Performed with MESTO in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt -Hooked up with Double G and became his go to jazz upright player
2006 -Finished 3 soundtracks in Japan -Moved home to St. Louis -Picked up a regular gig playing with the Dave Stone trio -Resumed teaching -Built up the OTTOMEN and recorded and produced the last album
2005 -Was asked to compose 3 soundtracks -Went to Paris, then Erquy, France, by myself to see my friend Mary Davis get married -Went to Bali -Went to Kuala Lupur -Saw my mother get remarried and played a few shows while in town -Finished enough songs in Japan for a solo album
2004 -Received the final notice that I was to be the recipient of the Ministry of Education research scholarship -Moved to Japan -Started learning and playing the Koto -Found a jazz group and orchestras to play with in Osaka -Started writing my own personal music -Got in the habit of riding my bike everywhere in Japan -Flew home for Christmas and played 3 concerts on 3 different instruments in 3 different bands.
2003 -Got my first job composing music for commercial projects -Worked steadily with various jazz groups -Taught at a few different schools as well as privately -Toured the North east for the 2nd time in February -Toured the entire west coast and covered lots of states in between in August -Put together my entire application and used connections to get all the necessary recommendations for my research grant to go to Japan
2002 -GRADUATED from college! damn straight! -Wrote a 5 minute arrangement for a 17 piece jazz band -Wrote, recorded, engineered and finished my very first album with Dave Stevenson -Moved out and got an apartment in the city of St. Louis
2001 -Came home from Japan fluent in Osaka style Japanese -Got paid by the Kansai University orchestra to perform for their concerts in the summer. -Finished my studies at Kansai University with a recommendation to apply for the ministry of education research grant -Cut my hair that I’d had from 1994
2000 -Convinced Webster University that they should start a real exchange program and send me as a pioneer of their newly formed relationship with Kansai Universtiy -Blindly got on an airplane to Osaka Japan to study Japanese. -Performed on TV with a couple of different groups: Ben Looker & Jeff Lash’s Inside Out and the Ambiguous “They”. -Worked on my language skills all summer until my best friend couldn’t stand to hang out with me because I was always speaking Japanese
1999 -Started getting good at playing jazz on the upright bass -Did my first audio recordings for video projects -Performed in almost every single club in St. Louis with the Ambiguous “They” -Formed a rep as a “wild bass player” (while just making it up)
1998 -Changed my major from classical to jazz -Did an album worth of rap songs with Dave Stevenson in my mother’s basement. (drove her crazy) -Recorded a variety of my own simple songs -Found a group to play jazz with which eventually led to where I am today on the upright bass. This group was with Ben Looker. Super piano player.
1997 -Graduated high school -Went to Webster University -received an award for instrumental excellence on Bassoon, Trombone and Upright bass -recieved an award for outstanding musician
1996 -Landed the Associate principal bass position in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra -Saw Parliment/Funkadelic on my birthday
1995 -Learned how to play classical upright bass and became the principal bassist of the Casa symphonic youth orchestra after only playing bass or 3 months -Studied Bassoon with Bob Mottl of the St. Louis Symphony -Taught myself every instrument in the symphonic band
1994 -Taught myself Tuba, Bassoon, Guitar and basic music theory -Became fascinated with Korean and French and taught myself how to read and write Korean.
