James Petersen is a 19-year-old sophomore in CSUN’s Jazz program. Originally from Maine, Petersen now lives in Northridge and is part of several jazz ensembles, including the Epicenter Band and the Waves. Petersen believes that jazz is the most difficult and true form of music, as it requires a deep understanding of music theory in order to have musical conversations or improvise. Petersen cites Pat Metheny, Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter among his major influences. Petersen said, “I just want to keep practicing…get as good at guitar as I can possibly get. I’d like to teach music, record music, anything.”
