Welcome to the Bio of Scott Kepnes.
For more info on Scott’s Harmonica Playing and Music for Kids and Families check out
My Musical Journey
My Musical Journey
I grew up in a musical family. Inspired by my Grandfather Robert Cohen my first instrument I started to learn was violin in third grade and that didn’t last very long! In Junior High School I joined the school band playing percussion which I recall my favorite memory playing “:Michael Row The Boat Ashore” in the School Concert. I began to take drum lessons outside of school and with the help of my parents bought a used Ludwig Drum Set. The drums were set up in my bedroom playing along to Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”, Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath”, and Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Takin Care Of Business” over and over…
In High School I became interested in Photography, Art and Creative Writing. For my senior art project I created a clay animation with Super 8 film and spent many hours in the Darkroom I put together in our families walk in attic. The soundtrack for the animation was Aerosmith’s “Make It”. I also had a weekly nightime radio show on the High School Radio Station.
I first attended College on Long Island studying Photography. I spent a lot of my time again developing film and prints in the darkroom and takin photos of street musicians in New York City. in addition to photography I was taking classes in Creative Writing, Art and Music “The History of Jazz”. I took a semester of guitar lessons, and then continued learning guitar on my own mostly through books and my brother Steve Kepnes.
In the Summer I enjoyed Working at Summer Camps and connected well with kids. I took a class in Education and found that I could use my Creative Arts interests working children. I transferred to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA, and continued studying Early Childhood Education. During my time at my practicums I began to use play my guitar in the classroom. I bought my first Harmonica a Hohner Marine Band, and carried it with me playing as I walked between class learning melodies like “Oh Susannah ” and making up my own melodies.
After graduating from college I continued playing guitar. Inspired by Neil Young I began playing harmonica using a neck rack, while playing guitar, Neil Young. Bob Dylan style. I began writing songs and my brothers and I put a band together “The Alan Jasman Band” playing out a few times including at the great music venue Bucksteep Manor in Washington MA.
At the time I decided to pursue other interests beside teaching and I worked for Building contractors in the Berkshire County MA area for the next handful of years. During that time I began to develop more songs and stories and volunteered throughout the Heads Start Program of Berkshire County, bringing my guitar and puppets into the preschool classrooms.
Moving to the Boston Area at the beginning of the 90’s, I started to teach preschool as well as promote my Kids Music Performances, performing at many libraries, schools, festivals, town events in the greater Boston area and New England.
