Today we’d like to introduce you to Mona Tavakoli.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in San Jose, California. I moved to Los Angeles when I was seventeen to attend UCLA. That is where I discovered the Cajon in Flamenco dance class, met my bandmates and collaborators in Raining Jane and Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles, ran around the Rose Bowl as Josie Bruin (UCLA Mascot) and as a member of the drumline in the UCLA marching band.
After graduation, I spent a few years back in my hometown of San Jose working at my Alma Mater, Leland High School as an Assistant Speech & Debate coach and Student Body Government advisor. In 2002 I returned to Los Angeles to pursue my love of music and friendship. To survive as a freelance musician, I became adept at making espresso drinks at a local café and taught drums to young people. In 2004 Raining Jane made the leap and started touring around the country. Self-managed and self-booked, we made our way from city to city playing mostly colleges and small clubs. In 2006 Raining Jane met Jason Mraz at a show as his opening act and began writing and recording music together.
Meanwhile, in 2010 Raining Jane took some time off of touring to create the Rock N’ Roll Camp For Girls Los Angeles. Over the years, I have toured as a percussionist, drummer and background vocalist for various artists. While on tour in 2012, I began creating collage art under the name MT ART FOREVER. Some career highlights include traveling to Antarctica with Jason Mraz as a part of the Climate Reality Project, playing music and facilitating workshops in Africa as a cultural diplomat on behalf of the U.S. State Department and being featured on the cover of DRUM! Magazine.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a freelance musician always has its ups and downs, but I sincerely believe the path is the goal. Every opportunity, every gig has shaped and informed my career path.
The greatest gift has been being in a band with the ladies of Raining Jane. It has been a home base for me. It has taught me about communication, collaboration and compromise.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a percussionist, drummer, drum designer, artist, band member and co-director of the non-profit Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles. As a percussionist, I am most known for playing the Cajon, a box-shaped percussion instrument originating from Peru. I designed a signature Cajon for Latin Percussion (LP) called the MT BOX (they are my initials and also a fun implication of the “empty box” that it is. Fun? FUN!). I usually tour year-round with different artists like Jason Mraz, Raining Jane and Persian pop legend, Ebi.
I help organize the Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles. Rock Camp LA is a non-profit social justice organization dedicated to empowering girls through music education. Our main program is a week-long summer camp in downtown Los Angeles where girls learn how to play an instrument, form a band, attend workshops focusing on personal growth, write a song and perform live with their band at a local Los Angeles venue like the Troubadour. I am most proud of the safe and brave space we create for girls and women to express themselves. We are now in our 11th year of Rock Camp and I am in awe of the relentless community of mentors that show up year after year to inspire the girls. It is a special and sacred community of caring and open-hearted people that I am so honored to be a part of. This year was particularly challenging because of COVID-19 but our team came together to create an online summer camp experience for our campers. Instead of one-week of camp we divided it into three weeks of shorter days called “Rock Camp Express”. The three weeks included Instrument Instruction, Songwriting, Recording and Music Video curriculum all via zoom.
What were you like growing up?
My parents emigrated to the U.S. from Iran in 1975 to get their Master’s Degrees. They planned on returning to Iran after they completed their studies but ended up staying in the U.S. due to the Iranian Revolution in 1979. They were committed to having their kids integrate into American culture. They claim this is the reason they put me in Beauty Pageants at seven years old. My talent was a Persian dancing routine that my mom taught me. I never won the beauty contest, but I managed to win the judges over in the talent category with my tiny Persian dancing. I was a curious and loving kid, but recent VHS discoveries reveal that I was also extremely sensitive and annoying. I loved making funny videos and playing basketball. I loved spending time with my little sisters and making them act in skits I would write. I started playing drums in the 6th grade and loved the way playing them made me feel. In High School, I loved being active in Student leadership, theater, the Speech & Debate Team and the Marching Band.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.monatavakoli.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mona_tavakoli/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/MONA.TAVAKOLI.DRUMMER
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mona_tavakoli
- Other: www.werock.la / etsy.com/shop/mtARTforever / https://www.lpmusic.com/products/cajons/lp/americana-mona-tavakoli-cajon
Image Credit:
Abby Linne, Eric Morgensen, Sarah Haywood, Ralph Lee Hopkins, Chaska Potter
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