The Artsy Jumbo | Sophomore Jesse Brotter mixes art, music

Jesse Brotter is an artist if you’ve ever seen one. Guitar, bass, drums, painting, sculpting -- this music and psychology double major does nearly everything. 

“Music is my main focus,” he said. “I’ve always tried to be in a couple bands at a time.”

Currently, Jesse is part of two school-related jazz ensembles as well as two of his own rock bands: the psychedelic Quiet Bill and the Sunflood with his suitemates and the more classic rock-oriented Dig With Caution with his uncle and brother.

“I’m a ‘60s [and] ‘70s rock guy for sure. Everything goes back to blues for me,” he said. “But I still love [playing in jazz ensembles] just as much as playing in a rock band.”

Though he’s been playing music since before he was nine, art isn’t anything new for Jesse, either. 

“Art, I might have even been doing longer than music,” he said. “I kind of can’t remember even starting.”

He enjoys figure drawing now, but he spent his past summers sculpting in a studio and hopes to start doing so again soon.

When asked if he might combine these talents, Jesse already had a few ideas for what he might do.

“It mostly comes out in me fantasizing about what my album art would be if I were releasing a CD,” he said.

Expect upcoming performances from Quiet Bill and the Sunflood around campus soon, and keep an eye out for Jesse busking at local T stations. See him perform with the Tufts Jazz Orchestra as well, this November.