Life & Work with Joshua Linsky of Ventura, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Linsky.

Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Sure! Here is the bio published on my website;

Joshua Linsky is a performer of drum set and percussion, a producer of original music, and a music educator from Ventura, California. He earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Studies from California Institute of the Arts as a student of Joe LaBarbara. Josh also earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Drum Set Performance as a student of Terri Lyne Carrington.

Josh performs live and records in-studio with artists and collaborators from an emerging network of industry professionals hailing from across the globe. Josh was a featured performer in the opening act for Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals with acclaimed touring artist Mendeleyev. Josh was featured on the album “Wilderness” by Sarah Rogo which was recognized by the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY Award voting members under “For Your Consideration” for Best Rock/Alternative album. Josh performed on djembe for the acclaimed NPR Tiny Desk Concert series accompanying Selina Moon after earning a spot on the showcase by receiving consistent recognition as a “Top Shelf” submission in the annual contest. His third studio album Family Tree was released in collaboration with platinum RIAA certified engineer and producer Mitchell Haeuszer of Haus Music Production in Los Angeles.

Josh is a music educator with ten years of professional teaching experience. Josh offers in-home private instruction to aspiring drum set and percussion players in Ventura County. He spent seven years teaching after-school private drum set lessons in Santa Clarita as an active member of the alumni community at CalArts. Josh has been a visiting artist at high schools, universities, summer music programs and community arts programs mentoring students of all ages in music theory, world percussion and drum set studies.

After completing his graduate studies at CalArts Josh formed a new funk/hip hop group, International Connection. Josh managed the touring act for three years while producing an original album alongside the members made up of mostly CalArts alumni. Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Josh spent time in Accra, Ghana with master musicians to study Ghanaian drumming, music and traditional culture.

In Boston during his time at Berklee Josh was the music director of local hip hop group, The Urban Nerdz. Under his direction the ensemble earned Hip Hop Act of the Year honors from the New England Music Awards and the New England Urban Music Awards. The group was also featured at Boston’s inaugural Outside The Box Music Festival.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
You know, I’m still uncovering the path as I travel down it. When I started college I believed that from there things would move quickly for me, and that I would reach some level of acclaim or notoriety shortly after graduating simply by trying to be as active as I could be in the industry with my network of friends. When the pandemic hit, I took a day job, and when things started to reopen I began working at piecing together my career as an artist around the job that had made it possible for me to continue living in California and pursuing this life as a musician. It hasn’t been easy transitioning back to being a full-time musician, but the adversity I’ve faced has really taught me that you have to really go after what you want in life. It’s not always going to appear right in front of you. Now I’m really focused on prioritizing what brings me joy, happiness, and how I can bring people together for the pure fun of playing music and being creative as an outlet- with less emphasis on the self-inflicted pressure of needing to always be working on the next project, having deadlines, or being critical of myself based on how active I am. That’s honestly opened up a lot more opportunities for me because I’ve been able to stretch out and be a musician and an artist simply because it’s what I love to do rather than it being something that I feel like I have to do or because I need to prove something.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself a rhythmist- I have been playing drum set since I was eight years old. I came up through the grade school music programs, city/state bands, marching, jazz, and then I pursued a professional music career as I began college at Berklee College of Music and completed my master’s program at CalArts. Between undergrad and grad studies I spent time in Ghana where my life was permanently impacted by the exposure to West African rhythms and culture straight from the Motherland. I love to play any/all percussion instruments and I have branched out as a producer where I also write by playing guitar, piano, writing lyrics, singing, and rapping. I believe I can fit into any musical setting or genre, and that I can speak the language of music and rhythm on any level with anybody in the world. I’m most proud of how my family has supported me and enabled me to live this life that I am so lucky to live. I’m also so proud of all of my amazing and talented friends who have allowed me to share in their artistry throughout my career.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think one of the most important things for me as an artist is to contribute to the efforts of keeping live music alive for decades and decades to come. As the world continues to become more and more infused with technology and be influenced by so many digital mediums, it’s so important to me to continue to perform live and bring people together. The feeling of sharing energy with a group of people during a live music event is so joyous and healing. It’s a truly ancient ritual and when you really zoom out and think about the concept of going to see your favorite artist perform live at a venue, it’s such a special gathering that I think we take for granted sometimes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.musicbylinsky.com
• Instagram: @musicbylinsky