JACOB WENDT is a musician, composer, music director, and educator in the Los Angeles area. A native of Northern California’s Bay Area, Jacob started playing the piano at the age of six. His musical curiosity led him to study multiple instruments during his youth, including the guitar, bass, tuba, drum set, and percussion.
As a student of the University of California, Irvine, Jacob received a Bachelors of Music degree in jazz studies, where his research and studies included music performance and composition. With an interest in world music studies, he also received a certificate of Ethnomusicology while studying with Dr. Robert Garfias in the Anthropology department.
As a graduate student at California State University, Fullerton, he created and organized the CSUF Lab Band; each week would feature a different topic or theme (record label, composer, album) and a discussion would be held about the subject’s history and significance before playing through related music. Jacob graduated in May 2022 with a Masters of Music degree in jazz studies and commercial music.
As an educator, he maintains a private studio of drum set, percussion, guitar, and piano students in the Los Angeles area with a wide range of ages and levels - (classes/clinics are offered in individual and group settings.)
Jacob leads and performs with The Long Beach Jazz Jam, currently in it's NINTH year running and hosted at The Auld Dubliner in downtown Long Beach. The house band plays original music and pieces that Jacob has transcribed from various jazz albums - a collection of over 200 charts! September 2023 will mark 10 years of the jam session.
He has served on the Board of Directors for the JAZZ ANGELS - Long Beach's non-profit, youth-based music education program.
Jacob is also an accompanist at El Camino College in Torrance, working with students in the applied music program and the dance department.