About Jake
Jake Amy is a multidisciplinary artist, working as a jazz and classical pianist, composer, producer, audio engineer and social justice journalist. Jake is an active member in over 20 musical projects, including Kaiit, Bumpy, The Mamas, Emma Volard and Ella Clair. Jake has performed with musical luminaries such as Gordon Koang, Jesse Valach, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tony Moreno, Julie O'Hara, John Rees, supported Canadian rock band The Tea Party and American jazz pianist Jon Weber, and has played on over 50 recordings. Jake completed a Bachelor of Music at Monash University in Clayton and New York University in Manhattan, studying with pianists Barney McAll and Sam Keevers, drummer Tony Moreno and saxophonist Robert Burke.
In 2020, Jake founded Attaboi, a volunteer-led online magazine with a mission to promote inclusivity and diversity within the music scene of so-called Australia. Attaboi quickly became synonymous with social justice within the Australian music scene and aimed to question unjust ideologies imposed on minority groups. As part of this project, Jake interviewed musical artists such as Katie Noonan, Danielle Ponder, Greta Ray, Scott Tinkler and DRMNGNOW on topics such as systemic discrimination, social/political responsibilities of artists, Indigenous sovereignty, racial equality, gender equality, cancel culture, sexual assault allegations, the effect of colonialism on the Australian music scene, white beauty standards, eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
In 2021, Jake was commissioned by Dingo Australian Jazz Journal to write an article entitled "What Is Australian Jazz". The article featured interviews with Australian jazz musicians Deline Briscoe, Tony Gould and Daniel Wilfred and is available in news agencies across Australia.
In 2018, Jake co-wrote the musical Ambushed with Karen Milkins-Hendry, which premiered at the 2018 Melbourne Fringe Festival.
In 2014, Jake received the Senior Jazz Encouragement Award from the Phillip Island Jazz Festival and in 2017 received the Bass Coast Community Foundation’s Performance Award.
Initially from regional Victoria, Jake grew up on dial-up speed LimeWire downloads. Loving and inspired by their grandmother’s late-night organ jams, Jake took to learning classical piano at age 5. Their compositions received encouragement from some of Australia’s most respected classical pianists, including Michael Kieran-Harvey and Hoang Pham.
(Jake's independently published piano book entitled Evocations is available to purchase on Bandcamp).
Jake's passion for sound engineering came from working alongside sound engineer and mentor Brett Van Hoorn on a variety of amateur and large-scale productions (such as festivals, theatrical productions, community events). Jake completed their VCE studies at Newhaven College on a musical scholarship. Jake moved to Melbourne immediately after high school to study music at a tertiary level.
Jake attributes their passion of music to mentors, friends and family: Gladys Burns (great grandmother), Craig Amy (father), Anne Tschiderer (primary school music teacher), Joyce Williams (first formal piano teacher), Carmel Slater (classical piano teacher), Leigh Owens (bandleader), Marcus Satchell (Marcus introduced Jake to recordings of Herbie Hancock and Donny Hathaway), Brett Van Hoorn (sound engineer), Elaine Epifano, Byron Scothern, Emma Volard, Jordan Pereira, Barney McAll, Em Schnall, Sam Keevers.
Selected Discography
Leader
-
2015 – Jake Amy – ''Nostalgia''
-
2016 – Jake Amy – ''Chasing Heads''
-
2019 – Jake Amy – ''Angst''
-
2020 – Attaboi X Emma Volard – ''Petrichor''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – "Abode"
-
2021 – Jake Amy – "Hot Chicken"
-
2021 – Jake Amy – ''Mill Studio''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – ''Reflections''
-
2022 – Jake Amy – ''Starry Skies''
Collaborator
-
2015 – The Rubric Duo – ''Innovation''
-
2017 – Silicon Valley – ''Bad Habits''
-
2018 – Silicon Valley – ''Poison Ivy''
-
2020 – Malla – ''Live at the Gracement '19''
-
2021 – Little Songs of the Mutilated – ''A possessive mountain elucidates slowly to the...''
Sideperson
-
2018 – Felix Meredith – ''The Escapist''
-
2018 – Nick Carver and the Mean Street Butchers – ''The River''
-
2018 – The Mamas – ''Juicy''
-
2019 – Clap For Alaska – ''Don't You Think''
-
2019 – Bailey Judd – ''Goodbye Brown Eyes''
-
2019 – Emma Volard – ''Max''
-
2020 – Bailey Judd – ''Black Mould''
-
2020 – Christopher Engel – ''Summer Nights''
-
2020 – Emma Volard – ''Arachne (Replay)''
-
2020 – Emma Volard – ''Femininity''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Subtleties''
-
2020 – Jess Tyler X Thom Swain – ''Rich''
-
2020 – Kala Gare – ''Oom Da''
-
2020 – Malla – ''Uproot''
-
2020 – Miss Emilia – ''Woman With Needs''
-
2020 – Nick Carver and the Mean Street Butchers – ''Hide It Away''
-
2020 – The Mamas – ''Dancefloor''
-
2020 – Thorne – Do You Wanna''
-
2021 – Bailey Judd – ''Can't Quite''
-
2021 – Bailey Judd – ''Irene + Reynard 2020 Songdump''
-
2021 – Felix Meredith – ''Beloved''
-
2021 – Felix Meredith – ''Gods of Chaos''
-
2021 – The Tapeheads – "Sunday Morning Bedtime Beats"
-
2021 – Nick Carver and the Mean Street Butchers – ''Pony''
-
2021 – Tahnee Ollerton – ''I Hear Music''
-
2022 – The Mamas – ''Riding On The Bus''
Producer
-
2015 – The Rubric Duo – ''Innovation''
-
2016 – Jake Amy – ''Chasing Heads''
-
2017 – Silicon Valley – ''Bad Habits''
-
2019 – Emma Volard – ''Max''
-
2019 – Jake Amy – ''Angst''
-
2019 – Jess Tyler – ''Self Love Club''
-
2020 – Attaboi X Emma Volard – ''Petrichor''
-
2020 – Bailey Judd – ''Dance With You Now''
-
2020 – Christopher Engel – ''Summer Nights''
-
2020 – Emma Volard – ''Femininity''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Nice Room''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Subtleties''
-
2020 – Kala Gare – ''Oom Da''
-
2020 – Miss Emilia – ''Woman With Needs''
-
2020 – The Mamas – ''Dancefloor''
-
2021 – Bailey Judd – ''Irene + Reynard 2020 Songdump''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – "Abode"
-
2021 – Jake Amy – "Hot Chicken"
-
2021 – Jake Amy – ''Mill Studio''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – ''Reflections''
-
2022 – Jake Amy – ''Starry Skies''
-
2022 – The Mamas – ''Riding On The Bus''
Recording Engineer
-
2016 – Jake Amy – ''Chasing Heads''
-
2017 – Silicon Valley – ''Bad Habits''
-
2018 – Silicon Valley – ''Poison Ivy''
-
2019 – Christopher Engel – ''Wasting My Time''
-
2019 – Emma Volard – ''Max''
-
2019 – Emma Volard – ''Peanut Butter''
-
2019 – Jess Tyler – ''Self Love Club''
-
2019 – Thorne – ''D.N.A.''
-
2020 – Attaboi X Emma Volard – ''Petrichor''
-
2020 – Bailey Judd – ''Dance With You Now''
-
2020 – Christopher Engel – ''Summer Nights''
-
2020 – Emma Volard – ''Femininity''
-
2020 – Emma Volard – ''Respire''
-
2020 – Georgia Bancroft – ''Golden Light''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Nice Room''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Subtleties''
-
2020 – Kala Gare – ''Oom Da''
-
2020 – Malla – ''Uproot''
-
2020 – Miss Emilia – ''Woman With Needs''
-
2020 – Nick Carver – ''Hide It Away''
-
2020 – Odyssey Zelno – ''Stonehaven''
-
2020 – The Mamas – ''Dancefloor''
-
2020 – Thorne – ''Do You Wanna''
-
2021 – Bailey Judd – ''Can't Quite''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – "Hot Chicken"
-
2022 – Jake Amy – ''Starry Skies''
-
2022 – The Mamas – ''Riding On The Bus''
Mixing Engineer
-
2015 – The Rubric Duo – ''Innovation''
-
2016 – Jake Amy – ''Chasing Heads''
-
2017 – Silicon Valley – ''Bad Habits''
-
2019 – Emma Volard – ''Max''
-
2019 – Jake Amy – ''Angst''
-
2019 – Jess Tyler – ''Self Love Club''
-
2020 – Christopher Engel – ''Summer Nights''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Nice Room''
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Subtleties''
-
2020 – Kala Gare – ''Oom Da''
-
2020 – T-EDD ft. Emma Volard – ''Sacrifice''
-
2021 – Jake Amy – ''Reflections''
-
2022 – Jake Amy – ''Starry Skies''
-
2022 – The Mamas – ''Riding On The Bus''
Mastering Engineer
-
2020 – Half The Andes – ''Nice Room''
-
2020 – T-EDD – ''Love Affair''