Check Out Jake Silverman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Silverman.

Hi Jake, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I got my start as a jazz pianist and hammond organist in Baltimore, Maryland/Washington D.C. I began playing professionally in high school. I went on to complete music performance degrees at Oberlin Conservatory, the Manhattan School of music, and the University of Southern California where I earned my Doctorate in Jazz Studies.

In recent years, I have created my own multi-media project called Button Masher that brings together jazz and video game music. This project has received widespread recognition on social media from general audiences, as well as from notable jazz musicians. For this project, I use Ableton Live to recreate and utilize the sound design of retro video games. Just as jazz builds on early popular music, my Button Masher project extends retro video game music. As in jazz, each tune includes both structured parts and improvisation. Many of the tunes cover video game melodies that were popular. Other tunes are originals that utilize the sound design of well-known retro video games.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In no way has the road been smooth. Growing up playing acoustic jazz made it hard for me to imagine doing anything else. However, after living both in New York and LA, it is easy for one to see that there are no shortage of students/musicians also trying to do this. At some point, I realized I needed to do something that would allow me to stand out from an already oversaturated field. I eventually arrived at my project “Button Masher” and have been largely successful in carving out a lane for myself.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would describe myself as a Chip tune artist. I specialize in making music using software that emulates the capabilities of the sound chips that were used in various retro gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo 64. What sets me apart from most chiptune artists is that music is heavily inspired by jazz fusion, modern classical music, and other non-electronic genres. My music also involves a fair amount of improvisation.

What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue making content, releasing new music, and book shows for myself around the country. I am also currently looking for work as a professor of music.

Pricing:

• Private Lessons-$50 per hour

Contact Info:

• Email: jsilverm1991@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.jakesilvermanjazz.com/about-button-masher
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_buttonmasher/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Button-Masher-648990065739519
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpknPTgFWjDd7HBp-_wjbHA
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/button-masher-486000334
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3p0OtpbgE6a46IBMirYCe3?si=q1JBhMYPTI-l9z6PIeNISw&dl_branch=1

Image Credits:
Mega Driven and Chip Core album covers done by Patrick Ackerman