Jackson Richmond
Jackson is a piano teacher, composer, electronic musician, and all-around music nerd! He began teaching music in 2018 at School of Rock, where he helped young musicians learn to practice and play music together. During the pandemic, he began to teach one-on-one lessons to a variety of ages, while also tutoring music theory to undergraduate college students. He currently teaches one-on-one piano lessons, focusing on what the students love about music, and guiding them towards their goals.
Jackson’s musical journey started at the age of 6 with piano lessons, but was cut short due to a bad teacher fit. After a year, though, he still felt a love for the instrument, and has been taking lessons ever since. Over time, he joined the School of Rock and became a rock keyboardist. He learned songs by ear, performed live shows for three years, and went on tour in 2018.
Jackson also took an interest in songwriting, composition, and electronic music. He studied these disciplines at UC Santa Cruz and created a variety of music, awarding him the UCSC Hortense Zuckerman Prize for exceptional achievement in performance and scholarship. He has applied to graduate school for computer music in order to further develop the discipline, and become a music professor and educator.
Video game music is also a part of Jackson’s career. He started composing for small developers in 2021, and has helped release multiple game titles. He is currently leading audio teams in indie game studios, working on music, sound effects, and audio programming.
It is with all these backgrounds that Jackson hopes to personalize the lessons of each and every student. Music is multi-faceted in its expression, and so is every musician. With this, Jackson wishes to help his students find their love for music, and grow into the best form of musician they can be.
Alive or Dead, What Musician would you do anything to see?
I’d love to meet Koji Kondo (or any of the Nintendo composer superstars like Kazumi Totaka, Hajima Wakai, David Wise, etc). Video game music is one of my passions, so to meet him would be so inspiring!
Greatest Musical Influence?
As a child, The Beatles were my musical world. Now, my musical friends are my primary influence. They inspire me to play and create every single day.
Any hidden talents besides music?
I can solve a Rubik’s cube in 30 seconds. It’s pretty fun once you learn how to do it!
What did you want to be while you were growing up?
At first, I wanted to be a scientist in Chemistry or Astronomy, then later I thought I wanted to be a psychologist. But after enough time, I realized music was my true passion.
If you could have any ‘Super Power’, which one would it be?
Time-stop. That way I can get those 20 extra minutes of sleep in the morning, or come up with an epic comeback in an argument.
If you could master any other instrument which would it be?
It might not be an instrument, but I’d master the modular synthesizer (that wall of ports and wires that create really cool electronic soundscapes). I love all the synth-y goodness that comes out of it!
Have you had what people would consider your “15 Minutes of Fame”, and if so when/what was that?
I feel like I had 2 note-worthy moments:
My first was in 2018 when I joined the School of Rock: AllStars Team. I was the keyboardist in a band, we were all teenagers, my name entered the local news, and we went on a week-long tour covering Nashville to Chicago, ending with a show at Lollapalooza!
My second was in 2023 when I composed both of my undergraduate senior musical works. One of them helped me win a high-prestige academic award celebrated by the entire music department. The other one was performed by the experimental music ensemble at the institution, and to my surprise, George E. Lewis was in the audience! He enjoyed my music and complimented me on my work, and that still sits with me to this day.
It’s your last meal: What would it be?
I LOVE ice cream sundaes, so I’d go straight for dessert: A big bowl of high-quality vanilla gelato with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana slices, pecans, walnuts, cookie pieces, and chocolate chips, drizzled with caramel and hot fudge, and topped off with whipped cream and a sweet cherry. In short, it’s pure bliss in a bowl.
You are sent to a deserted island, and you only have one album to listen to: Which is it?
That is such a tough choice! If I had to decide in the moment, my heart would pick ショップ @ ヘルシンキ [Shop @ Helinski] by 猫 シ Corp. [Neko Shi Corp.]. It’s been one of my favorite chill-out albums for the past three years, and I love every single song on it.
If you could leave one lesson with your students what would it be?
No matter what you’re learning, it’s okay to fail. There’s no other way to grow or move forward except to try, fail, and then try again. Let your heart be your guide, let failure be your supportive teacher, and never stop being the best version of you.
