Meet Jacob Trombetta | Multimedia Composer & Mathematician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob Trombetta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, what do you want your legacy to be?
I aspire to be remembered as someone who deeply valued understanding and embracing new ideas and concepts. I’ve aimed to harness what I learn to push the boundaries in both my artistic endeavors and technological pursuits. Throughout my professional journey, I have engaged with fields as diverse as robotics, computer vision, AI, and cryptography, all the while maintaining an active practice in music and video art. My interests span from the cutting-edge achievements in mathematics to the innovative works of boundary-pushing electro-acoustic composers.

I would like my legacy to reflect a commitment to exploring the unknown and novel, and an ability to synthesize and incorporate that knowledge into my work. Leaving behind a legacy characterized by an openness to new experiences and a talent for blending insights from various disciplines into unique creations would be deeply fulfilling.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My artistic work is guided by an ambition to be an ambient country goth version of Willie Nelson on pedal steel. My current focus is on producing atmospheric compositions using pedal steel and guitar. I also work at songwriting and producing in collaboration with other bands and my own band, Glenn Lazear.

I started playing guitar as a child and picked up the lap steel after college, which led to touring with several bands in my early professional years. The pedal steel, which is more complex than the lap steel due to its pedals and knee levers for changing string pitch, presented a significant learning curve. Without local teachers in Ohio, I turned to YouTube, ancient online forums, and DM-ing other pedal steel players for guidance. This self-directed learning process was invaluable, helping me merge my growing skills on the pedal steel with my knowledge of music technology.

In addition to music, I develop my own computer vision algorithms for video art. This involves breaking down videos into frames and using C++ to alter the pixels. The concept that both sound and video are data that can be manipulated with code is a driving force in my work.

If you’re interested in ambient electro-acoustic music made by an Appalachia man, my work might be what you’re looking for.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Welcome to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio! We’re going to have a great week exploring parks, eating food, and drinking coffee.

For me, the showstoppers of the area are definitely the local and national parks. Virginia Kendall, Brandywine Falls, and the Gorge are only a few of the places we would stop. We will be biking along the Towpath trail after riding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (the trail allows riders to bring their bikes along).

We will definitely get coffee at Portal West, Asterisk, and Akron Coffee Roasters, every day, visiting all three. We will enjoy brunch at the Blue Door Café & Bakery, Flurry’s Cafe, and Rye’s and Shine.

For dinner and drinks, we are going to go to Tiki Underground and Hiho Brewery for oven-fired pizzas and beer. We are also going to explore some of the amazing Nepali, Indian, and Mexican restaurants in the area: Nepali Kitchen, Heera Indian, and Taqueria Tres Amigos.

For excursions, we are going to see an original print of an experimental film at Rubicon Cinema, watch a current indie film at Nightlight Cinema, view some world-class art at the Cleveland Art Museum, and enjoy a round of putt-putt with Alien slushies at Alien Vacation Mini Golf Attraction at Castle Noel.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to Bob Ethington. For over fifteen years, Bob has been an incredible source of love, support, encouragement, and inspiration to me. He’s an experienced drummer who played with the no-wave band Unit 5 during the vibrant Akron Sound era. Bob’s openness and curiosity about new art have always inspired me, and it’s something I strive to emulate. His interest in diverse artistic expressions keeps him surrounded by interesting people, and I’m lucky to be one of them. We continue to collaborate on various artistic projects to this day. Recently, Bob started a podcast focused on Akron’s local music scene and its history, staying actively involved in the art community. I’m truly grateful to have Bob in my life.

Website: https://jacobtrombetta.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobtrombetta/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-trombetta-98697b8a/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacobtrombetta

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_M8pYklKAYFgLaHwEvq_7A

Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user106725791

Image Credits
Mary Riley, Jennifer Anne Court Howell