A Brand New Take on a 500+ year old Instrument
Spicy Violin
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James Mahler -> Spicy Violin
How did we get here?
Growing Up
I had quite an unusual upbringing, growing up homeschooled on 5 acres out in what used to be the countryside of Roanoke, Texas. When I was four years old, I was taken to a strange lady's house and given a cracker jack box with a ruler taped to it, to which my response was literal tears (I still hate popcorn and I thought I HAD to eat it). After getting over that short traumatic moment I started to learn how to play the violin.
Every week I would go to my teacher's house for at first, 30 minute lessons, and then when I was about eight we switched to an hour. I was thoroughly dissatisfied with my forced participation in the activity because, I was a very rambunctious child, and if I had my way I would do nothing but play outside with my brother and play video games.....also with my brother.
Along the way my parents graced me with opportunities that I did not truly appreciate until long afterward. Like going to see the symphony, and looking through a pair of binoculars at the violinist's technique (but mostly I was just admiring the double chins and wrinkles that come from the job.
I also would attend folk music festivals and learn from the fiddler's masterclasses held there. It was a fantastic experience but of course, I was on my Gameboy Advance half the time.
When I was 11, it was SOMEBODY's idea to start a string quartet (*cough cough*.....mom....) and of course to no one's surprise, NOBODY wanted to play viola so I was forced into the role. Forced, once again.
But it wasn't that bad. I learned a new instrument, got a $2,200 viola that I have to this day, and from that experience, the thought occurred to me, "what if I just.....became a string quartet all by myself?"
I was basically half way there.
Enter: The Loop Pedal
The next notable musical moment in my life was going to an actual high school and getting introduced to a looper pedal. It was a very religious high school called "Bethesda Christian School" and I would highly recommend NOT going there, but that's besides the point. What happened was because I joined the worship team, my worship leader and I became buddies somewhat (he was also a violinist, shout out Aaron Ingraham), and he brought in a bright red double stomp box pedal that I had never heard of before.
The Loop Pedal (Boss RC-30) changed my world. It allowed me to compose music in real time, record and layer all the parts, and then play the melody over all of it, in less time than it took to input 4 measures of melody into a notation software.
I was immediately obsessed and for two weeks I played and played and played, but then I had to give the pedal back unfortunately. But now I had a goal: Save up $325 for a looper of my own, and boy did it take forever. Back then my allowance for doing chores was about $10-$15 per week, so after saving for 4 months, I finally could afford to buy one.
Now it was time to take my looping into the real world. I went to an undisclosed location in DFW and on my first day, made $175 in tips for just two and a half hours of playing. Now, I'm no mathematician. But at the age of 16, making an average of $100 an hour, I felt like a multi-millionaire. For several years, I would go out every Friday and Saturday evening, and perform for 2-3 hours. And that's how I afforded all of my fancy musical equipment!
Spicy as an Adult
Since those days, I've leveled up to bigger and better things. I will still busk occasionally for fun but what people don't know, is that playing the violin is extremely rough on one's body. So as of lately, undoing all of the damage I've accumulated in my shoulders, hands, and forearms, has been the top priority.
And I wasn't always Spicy I'll have you know. Once upon a time I was unaware of the variety of flavor that the violin has to offer, but now that I've unlocked looping, plucking, effects, and composing on the spot (we call that improv in the biz), I am able to make music unlike any violinist out there. And I think it's pretty dope.
After living in a handful of states, performing at hundreds of different venues, and meeting all different types of people, I feel very well equipped for whatever lies ahead in my career. As I've gotten older, producing and making original music has been where I've shifted my focus, but as long as this website exists, I will still serenade the wonderful citizens of the United States of America, and hopefully one day, the entire world.