Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Pence.
Hi Joshua, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am born and raised in Los Angeles, Santa Monica to be specific. I graduated from SaMoHi (as we like to call it!) in 2000. Growing up, the music program had the greatest impact on my life. Whether it was wind ensemble, orchestra, jazz band, marching band, quartets… you name it, I did. We had the most extraordinary teachers, from Mr. Lloyd, to Ms. Webb, Mr. Terry Sakow, to Mr. Carl Schwabe, to name a few.
I met Matthew Silberman when I was 4, if memory serves me. Cub scouts, it seems. And soccer. But of course, we played many years of music next to one another–some of the best years of my life.
I went on to graduate from Dartmouth College in 2004, with a degree in economics (of all things). I learned to sing in college and also took to film studies and, eventually, acting. I returned to Los Angeles after studying theater in New York for two years and have been working in film and television since. Some of my favorite memories of the past 20 years have involved the intersection of acting and music, recording numerous covers on “Good Trouble” (the television show). I’ve also had the pleasure of occasionally performing and recording with my partner, Amanda (AJ) Michalka. She and her sister Aly have a wonderful band, called Aly & AJ.
Matthew and I linked back up when he returned to Los Angeles (though I had the great pleasure to see him perform jazz in NYC at one point). Recently we began writing and recording music together for TV and film placement. Matthew is an immense talent, as a performer and a producer. I’ve always been in awe of his confidence, discipline and most of all, his humility.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
“The road is long, with many a winding turn… that leads us to who knows where. Who knows where.” -Donny Hathaway (“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”)
The road I chose has brought plenty of struggles, and I’d have it no other way.
Leaving college to pursue the arts was exhilarating, but daunting indeed. One of the most difficult parts is that the path is unique to each individual. There isn’t a blueprint that says, “if you do X, Y will happen!”. In fact, in many ways, where you went to school, what you did, doesn’t really matter. And that’s not what I expected at first. You think “I’ve worked so hard for so many years, studying studying studying etc.” But as an artist, and a performer, none of that matters if you can’t execute when the stage lights come on.
For me, one of the earliest challenges was getting over anxiety and stage fright. It’s something I suffered from for as long as I remember. Even buried in an orchestra as a clarinetist, when that solo came, it took everything in me to “get through it.” The more I realized “this isn’t about you, but something bigger… the ensemble, the music, the audience… we’re all in this together, we’re all rooting for each other to succeed”, the more I could enjoy the moment and lose myself in it. When you focus too much on yourself, you’re disconnected from the whole, and the joy, the thrill, is gone.
Finding people who will support you is very difficult in the beginning. It’s the catch-22 of “you need to experience to get experience, but how do you get experience without experience!?” Particularly when it comes to agents or managers. You’re just looking for someone, anyone, to give you a shot. You need a group, a community, even a few people, with whom you are willing to share in that journey. People at your stage of the game. And you have to enjoy the struggle.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a musician and an actor. I’m most proud of my ensemble work, in films like “The Social Network” and television like “Good Trouble”, particularly the music we recorded in the latter. Recently I have been recording music with Narducci (Matthew Silverman) for placement in film and television. I am also writing a television pilot and feature film.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Family and friends matter most to me. Animals. Nature. Work is actually about the least important or interesting thing about me. While music, film and storytelling are my passion, I could live without them. But I could not live without my family, friends and love.
Image Credits
Christopher Willard/Good Trouble
