Life & Work with Gonzalo Teppa of Superior

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gonzalo Teppa.

Hi Gonzalo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I began to study music at eight years old at the Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory in my home state of Lara, Venezuela. I have no memories in my life without music. I remember during my toddlerhood in Venezuela, my father hosting jam sessions in our house and I was playing along using my own maracas (shakers) that I just had made by putting little stones in two matchboxes. At that age, I was also able to sing and play different instruments with my dad. My dad is an amazing musician as well as my first music teacher. During those days, I started taking singing lessons with Carmen Alvarado, who chose me as soloist for the Choir of the State of Lara Conservatory and also violin lesson at the same conservatory. My first double bass professor was Luís Guillermo Pérez and in June of 1995 I traveled to Spain to study with Ludwig Streicher. In 1995, I returned to Caracas where I continued and finished my double bass studies at the Simon Bolivar Conservatory with Nestor Blanco. I was part of “El Sistema”, a national musical project created by Jose Antonio Abreu. From 1991 to 1995, I played with the bass section of the Lara Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela. In 1995, I joined the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra in Caracas.

In 2002, I came to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where I obtained my bachelor degree with Paul Erhard and my Master’s degree in Jazz Studies with Mark Simon. I went back to my country in 2012 and began playing again with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. In the Jazz genre, I have had the opportunity of performing with outstanding musicians as: Wynton Marsalis, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Bobby Shew, Matt Wilson, Ed Simon, Chris Potter, Tom Harrell, Ron Miles, Art Lande, Slide Hampton, Don Byron, Jeremy Pelt, Otmaro Ruíz, Joel Frahm, Ben Goldberg, Rob Sudduth, Ches Smith, Shamie Royston, Kenny Wolleson, Mira Melford. Carla Kihlstedt, Ira Sullivan, Conrad Herwig, Jiggs Whigham, Nelson Rangel, Chip Stephens, Pat Bianchi, Luis Quintero, Calixto Oviedo, Natalie Cressman, Alison Miller, Peter Stolzman, Paul Romaine, Eric Gunnison, Keith Oxman, John Von Ohlen, Brad Goode, John Gunther, Jeff Jenkins, Aruan Ortiz, Kate McGarry, among others.

In 2014, I made the decision to come back to Colorado with my wife and my two sons due to the political situation we had, and still have, in my country Venezuela. Since that, I have been able to work with a lot of wonderful musicians as well as teaching in two universities. I taught at Metropolitan State University for three years and I have been a faculty member of the University of Wyoming for seven years for the classical and jazz departments.

Extra information about some awards (if needed):

“Honor Competition” award from the University of Colorado.
2004, 2005 and 2006 “Best Jazz Soloist” awards from Downbeat Magazine, a highly coveted award among Jazz students in the US.
2004 and 2005, “Best Jazz Soloist” award at the Greeley Jazz Festival in Colorado. Two Latin Grammys for the recordings “Tiempo” by Linda Briceño; nominated as “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” and “3rd Element” by Luisito Quintero; nominated as “Best Latin Jazz Album”.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
During this pandemic, I would deeply say that with whatever problem I was struggling with before or tough situations I was involved years ago as a musician, it is nothing comprising with these difficult times all the artists have been going through. That has been the real obstacle/challenge for us! With that said, I can strongly assert that I have actually had a very smooth road in general during my whole career, of course with some ups and downs, but if I balance the good moments and the bads moments, the good moments are always more. It is never easy to be a musician, however I think of music as a gift given by God, whoever your God is or your beliefs are. We have the responsibility to share that gift with the world and work hard with passion and love to achieve that goal. Once you are a musician, you won’t be able to separate yourself from music, it will always be there for you. For example, I did not have the support I was needing from my family when I started playing music professionally. I remember when I was in college in the Civil Engineering School in my country, starting my fourth semester, and I said to my father that I wanted to be a full time musician and pursue my dream. I never really wanted to be an engineer at all but my father was pushing me to do it. He used to tell me that after being graduated, I would be able to do both, music and build houses at the same time. I said to my dad “I am so looking forward to be done with the Civil Engineering School, for me to autograph and dedicate my diploma in the back for you to frame it and keep it and then I am going to become a full time musician”. At that point, my dad realized he was wrong and said to me: “I am sorry son, I can see your passion and how much you love music so, go for it but I want you to go to college for it”, we hugged and cried together and that was it. So, it was not easy for me when I started. I cannot complain at all. I have been lucky to have had the best mentors and professors in my life. I am very thankful for that because I never had to pay for it, even when I was in college. That is why I am always willing to help and give my best to all my students or whoever needs to learn something.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a bass player, acoustic and electric, however I am more known as an acoustic bassist. I am also a composer and I have five albums of my own Designios, Travesías, CONtrabajos de Aldemaro, Sinergia and Away from home. My more recent project as a bandleader is Gonzalo Teppa Quintet and I have a wonderful band: Greg Harris on vibes, Ike Spivak on sax, Alex Heffron on guitar and Andrew Wheelock on drums. What I am more proud of is being the father of two wonderful sons, Juan Esteban (8) and Gonzalo Andres (12) as well as having my beloved wife Vanessa as the best person to spend my life with. Of course, what I am most proud of are my two kids! I am also proud of being originally from Venezuela, a beautiful country, with the most friendly and welcoming people but unfortunately with the worst and most corrupted government. What sets me apart from others is definitely the situation in my country. It separates me from my family down there.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We need risks in our life’s, we loss more if we do not take them than if we take them. I took a risk when I came back to Colorado in 2014. I left everything behind, my family, my house, my job, my gigs, all the bands I was playing with and my country, to give a better life, a better future full of opportunities, to my two kids., It was worth it. It is not easy to get out of your comfort zone but again, if you are afraid of assuming a risk, you would be asking to yourself twenty years from now if you would have done better now than before… Also, it is important to take risks in music! I always say to my students not to be afraid of taking risks in music. For example, when taking a solo. Solos are like life; you develop something musically and it has to have meaning. If you do not take a risk during that process, you won’t be able to learn and to grow as a player because we all learn from mistakes and all risk causes a mistake.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gonzaloteppa.com
• Instagram: @gonzaloteppa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gonzalo.teppa.79
• Twitter: @gonzaloteppa
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sltxuormLGB8Q8AuXqIeQ

Image Credits
Marylynn Gillaspie Ken Trujillo Maria Alejandra Mata Nicolás Serrano Jack Sasson Raquel Rangel Toro