Jacopo De Nicola
Music
Jacopo De Nicola is a singer/songwriter, musician and sound designer. The beginning of his career in music dates back to 1985 when he starts taking bass guitar lessons and exploring the different worlds of classical, blues, rock, and jazz. As a bass player, he collaborates with and promotes numerous projects that include a Goth group (The Shades of Gray, Torino 1987-1990), a 12 element traditional Italian folk band (Giancarlo Corrente’s Orchestra, Piemonte 1990-1991), a pioneering techno-jazz trio (The Space Cakes, Torino, 1992-1993) and a Goth-dance duo (1993-1995).
The years from 1995 to 2006 mark a period of deep achievement for Jacopo where he brings to fruition parallel experiences and studies. He obtains the University degree in Modern Literature and Art at the University of Torino (1992-1997) and the black belt in Ju-jitsu (1993-1997). He makes a living by creating wood and resin sculptures for independent clients and for Pea Toy Company (1998-2006) and teaching Hatha Yoga (1997-2006). In 2000 he moves into a dilapidated farm house on the foothills near Torino and completely renovates it over the course of six years.
In 2003 the music comes back full force into his life. Picking up a classical guitar Jacopo starts writing his own songs. In 2004 he records his first self-produced album Ore, Minuti, Secoli followed by two more in 2005 (Dimmi chi sono) and 2006 (A Meta’ Strada). He takes voice lessons from classical opera teachersand collaborates with musicians and producers in Italy.
In the summer of 2005 he walks the Camino De Santiago (a 550 mile walk from the Pyrenees to Santiago De Compostela, Spain), a profound and changing experience that ultimately will bring him to move, one year later, to San Francisco, CA. From his arrival in 2006 to the present moment Jacopo has established and deepened his interactions with the fertile San Francisco music scene both as musician and composer.
As a musician he has performed regularly at Hotel Utah, Café International, Bazaar Café, Rock-it Room, Amnesia, and the Starry Plough among other venues in the Bay Area. Over the course of 2008 he has put a band together. He has released his first published CD “Mai come ora” (2009) and is working on developing his home-recording studio and playing bass guitar with other local bands.
As a composer he writes music and designs sound for experimental art projects, works on movie sound tracks, and records healing/meditation music. Recent projects include The Wormhole (Crowded Fire Theatre Company, 2009), a 45 min. sound piece in digital surround sound, that he has designed and realized in collaboration with theater actress/director Marilee Talkington. He has also worked as assistant sound engineer at Last Stop Records.
He records his second CD after moving to the East Coast (Philadelphia, PA). "Torn in The USA" (2010) is a concept album centered on the contradictions and idiosyncrasies of contemporary life in America. Developed entirely at his home studio and mixed and mastered over the internet in collaboration with Theatre Studio (Torino, Italy), it marks a passage to a more defined and cohesive style.
Jacopo is currently working on a new repertoire for his upcoming shows on the East Coast.
Copyright 2009 Jacopo De Nicola. All rights reserved.
