Today we’d like to introduce you to Khadejhia Kassenbrock.
Hi Khadejhia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started playing guitar when I was eight and decided I wanted to become a professional musician when I was in high school. In 2014, after graduating, I moved to LA to attend Musician’s Institute.
I threw myself into music, practicing for 8 hours a day sometimes! I won a scholarship from Daisy Rock to attend and received the “Outstanding Student” award when I graduated.
Once I was out in the real world, I immediately started joining bands, going to jam nights, and trying to get to know people in the scene. I would scour the “musicians” section of Craigslist every day and say yes to just about every musical opportunity I could.
Now, I play multiple shows a week, get most gigs through word of mouth, am endorsed by GHS Strings, and am able to make a living doing what I love!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was definitely not easy to get where I am today! It took a lot of perseverance. A lot of people told me not to pursue a career in music, and I understand why. There’s no guarantee that you’re ever gonna make any money, it can be really unpredictable, and you have to be willing to hustle hard.
Then there’s a whole other layer being a woman in a male-dominated industry – I have had to fight (and still continue to) to get people to me seriously as a female guitar player. There are still a ton of people who have literally never seen a woman play lead guitar! I’ve also faced a lot of sexual harassment and straight-up sexism.
I love my career though, and I’m happy with my choice.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a professional guitarist and bassist working in and around Los Angeles. My main genres are usually rock and pop, but I also like to play hip-hop and funk.
Of course, I pride myself on my musical skills, but I think what truly sets me apart from other musicians in the scene is my punctuality, reliability, and adaptability. People hire me because they know I show up on time, have practiced the material, and have a good attitude. I hate letting people down, so I try to avoid it at all costs!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Transcribe! app from Seventh String Software is #1 for me. I recommend it to everybody. Open an audio file with Transcribe! and you can slow it down, speed it up, pitch shift, loop sections, isolate frequencies, and way more. It’s amazing and I use it pretty much every day to learn songs and practice.
I also love watching YouTube content from other musicians like Cory Wong, Paul Davids, Samurai Guitarist, Terence Fisher, JUNO, and Melanie Faye.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.khadejhia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/khadejhia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/khadejhiamusic
Image Credits
Albert Rowuin Don Marcelo Photography So Finch Photography Adam Kennedy Ace Perez
