Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Alexander.
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 became interested in bluegrass music riding around the county roads near my home in Sweetwater, TN with my dad when I was around 12 years old. His best-friend of 35 years had an MP3 player loaded with bluegrass, red-dirt, and country music. As he would upgrade his MP3 player, he would give his old one to my dad. This music proved to be the soundtrack of my early teenage years. When I was 13, my Dad noticed I was taking an interest in bluegrass music and took me to see Punch Brothers, still my favorite band, live in concert. He encouraged me to explore more music and before long he got me my first mandolin. I began playing around my hometown and by the time I was in high school, was playing in bands across the state. I attended college at East Tennessee State University to major in Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies. There, I was able to surround myself with a wonderful community of educators and mentors as well as a group of peers who shared my same musical interests. School allowed me to hone my craft and build a network of friends and collaborators. During college, I began to tour around the country with different bands as a side-man playing banjo and guitar. Since graduating I have been fortunate to travel and perform both around the country and abroad with a host of tremendous musicians, many of whom are heroes of mine. I made the move to the Nashville area in 2023 to get my Masters degree in Recording Arts and Technologies at Middle Tennessee State University. During my time there I developed my skills in audio engineering, another passion of mine. Eventually, I was able to share what I’d learned as a Graduate Teaching Assistant to undergraduate students. Meanwhile, I began making connections around Nashville and getting to tour and perform with musicians I have looked up to for years. Now I have graduated from MTSU and have been fortunate to focus on music full time. Since moving to Nashville I have performed with acts like The Cleverlys, Wood Box Heroes, The Jason Carter Band, Missy Raines and Allegheny, The Burnett Sisters Band, The Thomas Cassell Band, and The Amanda Cook Band. During this time I have been able to accomplish a dream of mine, performing on the Grand Ole Opry having made three appearances this year with Wood Box Heroes and The Cleverlys. Additionally, I have worked on recording sessions as a musician and an engineer both in-studio and remotely from my home studio. I have a love for songwriting and am currently in the process of writing my debut solo album. I have enjoyed my time in Nashville so far and look forward to making more friends and more music in the studio and on the road!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Mostly my path has been smooth, but a few challenges have come along the way. The most challenging thing was the passing of my mother in 2021. She was in constant support and encouragement of my musical and academic pursuits, and as she was the first person in my family to hold a Masters degree I was proud to follow in her footsteps and honor her through my work. Her passing taught me that our days can be fleeting and that you should always tell your friends and loved ones that you love them because you don’t know when may be your last chance. Additionally the feeling of moving to Nashville can seem daunting especially when growing up in a smaller town and then moving to a major metropolitan area. Meeting friends and finding my community was something that seemed challenging at first but going out to things like shows and jam sessions as well as making new friends through my friends from school and touring allowed me to quickly get plugged in and everyone has been very welcoming.
Life as a touring musician can be challenging in the way of making healthy dietary and exercise choices but recently my peers and I have taken an initiative to get exercise and a balanced diet in on the road which has greatly improved my overall wellbeing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an acoustic musician, and audio engineer/producer specializing in Bluegrass/Americana/Roots music. I love to draw influences from a vast range of musical style and find that I can adapt well to different musical scenarios. I am most known for playing five-string banjo and acoustic guitar though I occasionally play other instruments like mandolin, electric guitar, and bass. I love to meet new people and collaborate on music, As an audio engineer, I love the recording process and getting all of the musicians together to play that’s where the most excitement comes from for me.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have too many to count, I loved growing up in East Tennessee listening to music with my dad, sitting on the porch with my grandparents, fishing, playing some sports. It would be hard to pinpoint just one memory.
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