Bass Instruction | Seattle Jazz Academy

seattle jazz academy's

upright and electric
bass instruction

Seattle Jazz Academy is excited to be offering private instruction for electric and upright bass players. If you are serious about improving your bass playing contact us today to set up an audition.

Moe weisner

electric and upright bass instructor

Born and raised just outside of Seattle, Moe was always interested in different art forms, but didn’t start playing music until age 15, and didn’t pick up his current primary instrument until age 17. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from Cornish College of the Arts in 2017, with a concentration in Jazz Double Bass Performance. There, he studied under Chuck Deardorf for jazz bass and Joe Kaufman for classical bass. In 2022, he received a Master of Music degree from Central Washington University, where he studied Classical Double Bass Performance with Dr. Anna Jensen and Composition with Dr. Jiyoun Chung.

Moe also works as a music teacher in the greater Seattle area, teaching beginner lessons on piano, guitar, and cello, and beginning through advanced lessons on electric bass, double bass, and composition. As a composer, he has written and arranged works for a variety of ensembles, including chamber orchestra, jazz big band, SATB Choir, small jazz combos, and various chamber ensembles. While he does have an affinity for jazz, R&B, and western classical music, he is always looking to challenge himself as a bass player in different styles of music and hone his abilities to become a more versatile musician.

Moe Weisner performing at Seattle Jazz Academy

Tony lefaive

electric and upright bass instructor

As someone who grew and developed as an artist in Seattle, Tony regularly participates in the area’s music scene. His creative upbringing began early, and at the age of ten his parents gave him a guitar and with it he taught himself to improvise and write songs. Around the age of sixteen Tony saw an opportunity after the bassist in his high school jazz ensemble quit. Every day before rehearsal he would step up to the upright bass and teach himself to play. Eventually he was asked to officially fill the role of a bass player, a request which set in motion his career as a professional.

In 2016 Tony graduated from Roosevelt High School and humbly received the Waldo King Inspirational Award as a result of his efforts to fill a job that no one else stepped up to do. He went on to study Jazz and Improvised music at the University of Washington with scholarships from the Brechemin Foundation and more. In 2020 he finished his undergraduate education and went on to complete his Masters in 2022 while also working as a Teacher Assistant. At this time he continued to perform and teach music of all genres in the greater Seattle area, solidifying his presence on the scene as a diversely experienced working professional.

Tony’s approach to art has always been to encourage himself and his peers to find their own voice and niche and use it as an escape and form of creative expression. In doing so he hopes to search out roles that need to be filled and do so with integrity and purpose.