Today we’d like to introduce you to Stella Kaplan.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Portland, OR, getting my start in music at four years old on the violin. My first teacher, Timoteus Racz, had a style that was described as Hungarian Funnyman, which was pretty accurate since he was indeed a funny man from Hungary. He showed me how much fun playing and performing can be. I studied classical music with him for eight years, also joining the Young Strings Ensemble of the Portland Youth Philharmonic and getting the chance to perform with the Oregon Symphony. After Mr. Racz unexpectedly passed away, I tried working with a couple other teachers but was starting to realize that classical wasn’t my jam.
My mom took me to Trade Up Music on Alberta Street in Portland and put a mandolin in my hands. Since mando has the same strings as violin, I could play it right away. I was an Irish dancer at the time, so Celtic music (which often features mandolin) was something I knew well—the instrumentation, the melodies, the rhythms. I joined my first Celtic band (The Bog Pirates!) and had a great time playing at house parties and spots around Portland. Around then, I started at School of Rock (SOR), where I picked up the bass (and guitar, keys, and drums). I was a member of the SOR house band and was selected as a national “AllStar” and played at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Third Man Records, and Mo Pop Festival. I was also mandolinist for a jazz ensemble and bassist for a rock/punk band that performed at various clubs and venues.
I started at Berklee in 2018, majoring in Film Scoring, gigging around Boston with a bunch of bands (including the Celtic band SilverTree), and serving as president of the Berklee Women Musicians Network, which creates performance and network opportunities for female and non-binary students. I composed a Celtic album (available on primalhouse music), wrote the score for the short film SIMONE (directed by Aisha Amin), and performed at the 2022 Berklee Commencement Concert at Agganis Arena before moving to LA to pursue film/media scoring and music.
Here in LA, I got an internship at Sparks & Shadows, Bear McCreary’s record label, where I had the amazing opportunity to be a co-composer for the score for Percy Jackson & The Olympians on Disney+. I also contract for other projects, teach music, and play bass and mandolin in a bunch of bands. In January, I played with 2Saxy (Grace Kelly and Leo P’s band) at the Tucson Jazz Festival. One of the most exciting gigs I’ve been part of.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Relatively. There have definitely been challenges. Figuring out the industry—who to talk to, where to go, how to access the “right” people and opportunities—is a work in progress. So is navigating LA and the whole scene. The writers’ strike set things back. I’ve also experienced my share of sexism along the way (oh, the mansplaining). In school, I was active with the Berklee Women Musicians Network and am a member of the Female Composer Safety League, which supports and advocates for people identifying as female or non-binary who experience abuse, harassment, prejudice, and marginalization in the music-composing industry.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a multi-instrumentalist (primarily bass and mandolin) who plays in lots of styles (rock, Celtic, choro, pop, r & b, jazz, classical). I’m in a bunch of bands. Collaboration is a blast for me. I love bouncing ideas around and building something together. I love helping with arrangements. Whenever someone wants me to write a mandolin or bass part, I’m down. I guess I’m known for bringing it when I perform.
I do session work. Last year, I recorded in the studio on bass for composer Nicoletta Nomicou’s score for the film Estelle. Yesterday, I was in the studio recording tracks for Little Dove, one of the bands I’m in.
I’m a composer. As I mentioned earlier, I was a co-composer for the score for Percy Jackson & The Olympians (which was a dream because I was a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series as a kid), have scored several independent films, and wrote/released a Celtic album (available on primalhouse music). The tunes I write most often are Celtic. Even though I stopped Irish dancing at 16, I still find myself hopping around, getting ideas for tunes as I’m dancing and writing them down.
I’m a freelance transcriber, making lead sheets for a few tv shows on Netflix, for musicians recording in the studio, for Berklee professors, and others in the industry. I can turn those around pretty quickly.
I teach music, both private lessons and as an instructor at School of Rock (SOR). I used to be an SOR student, so it’s pretty cool being on the other side. I teach one-on-one lessons on bass and guitar, performance groups (themed for bands or in certain genres), Rock 101, and classes for 3-5-year-olds (Little Wing!). So much fun.
I’m always up for whatever’s next!
What Makes You Happy? Why?
Being outside. I grew up in the PNW. I love tall trees.
Performing. It might sound like a cliché, but I really feel my best and most alive on stage.
Composing/writing. I’m not always the best at starting things, but I love the process of putting it all together.
Playing with my kitties Duchess and Apollo, the sweetest, most hilarious mother-daughter duo out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: stellakaplan.com
- Instagram: @stellaokaplan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stella.kaplan.963
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stella-kaplan-153b27178/
- Twitter: @stellaokaplan
- Youtube: @stellaokaplan
Image Credits
Mariah Clinkscales
Kelly Davidson
Susie Kaplan
