The 2016 winner of the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship at Berklee College of Music is Jonathan Elyashiv. Danny Morris says that Jonathan is a favorite around the Berklee campus. “His love and appreciation of ‘the song’ is heart-felt. Not only does he put genuine soul into his bass tracks, he and his Dad build the basses too! Jonathan has a warm gentle personality, an insightful ear, and a groove that’ll melt your insides. He has been a joy to have in the classroom, and a thrill to watch and listen to on stage.”
Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Jonathan Elyashiv is best known for his honest and versatile bass playing. Raised by parents working in visual art, music and expression was a large part of his upbringing. He began Suzuki method classical guitar at age 9 but was soon drawn to a unique sound he had heard in a Beatles song: electric bass. Without access to a bass, he and his dad, who had experience in woodworking, decided to construct their own. By the time Jonathan was 10 years old, he had completed his first bass and began to teach himself how to play. Guided by nothing but his ear and his parent’s old Beatles records, Jonathan’s bass playing developed into a raw and viable skill by the time he reached high school.
Pursuing music as a career seemed to present itself to Jonathan as he gigged around Providence and played with groups such as All-State Jazz band and Jazz Band ensembles at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. He began to use his self-taught knowledge of recording/engineering to write his own compositions and record music with his friends. His musical influences include The Beatles, Dawes, The Band, David Bowie, Neil Young, Paul Simon and James Jamerson.
Now a Bass Performance student at Berklee College of Music, Jonathan has taken advantage of being surrounded by so many different genres of music. He is currently the bassist in multiple groups/bands including, folk, rock, soul, blues and R&B.
Check out Jonathan at these links!
http://jonathanelyashiv.weebly.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/jonathanelyashivbass