I always wanted to play in a band–I did play in a punk band one summer in Winthrop, MA, and it was awesome. Growing up, I was always listening to pop music.
Actually, my first choice of instrument was electric guitar! My heroes were Jimi, Ritchie Blackmore (from Deep Purple), PJ Harvey, and Eric Clapton…But my parents bought me a classical guitar first and promised to buy me an electric guitar after a year of studying classical (which never happened). What made you choose to begin playing the electric guitar after having already excelled at playing classical guitar? There are numerous technical differences between the classical guitar and the electric guitar, with each needing a drastically different approach to performance. Released Jon New Amsterdam Records, the album is the second of several forthcoming volumes in which Wild Up will explore the late composer’s music. Most recently, she took on the role of bandleader for Wild Up’s latest album, Julius Eastman, Vol. JIJI continues to push the boundaries of modern musicianship, with her only artistic limitations being those of her own imagination. Her collaborations and premieres include new works by João Luiz, Hilary Purrington, Krists Auznieks, Gulli Björnsson, and Nina C. Guitarist, composer, and arranger JIJI is most known for her striking performances on both the classical and electric guitar.