Working: musician

By HANNAH KIVI
UNLEASHED STAFF
Inspiration, practice, gigs, audiences, rehearsals, listening, traveling, spotlights, recordings. Music.
Welcome to the world of the professional musician.
“By the age of 16, I was 100 percent sure I wanted to be a musician for the rest of my life,” says Jeff Leonard.
Originally from Yakima, the 28-year-old now resides on the west side of the state. But one of his inspirations, friend and fellow musician Wayman Chapman, an R&B artist, still lives here. The 50-something Chapman not only taught Leonard, he gave him his first paying gig.
“He gave me the experience that I can’t even imagine where I would be without today,” the Bremerton-based Leonard says.
These days, Leonard is a bass player for five different bands: Vicci Martinez, The Glistening Moments, Money Penny, Higher Vibes, and Robbie Walden and the Gunslingers.
He plays a wide variety of genres — rock to country, reggae to Latin, jazz to pop.
“I honestly like them all, but I guess if I had to pick one, I would put gospel at the top of the list,” he says.
Of all the places music can take you, Leonard’s favorite is the recording studio.
“I love being a part of the smallest musical idea and turning it into a finished song,” he says.
Leonard also likes being on stage and performing to a responsive audience.
His days are filled with practice and learning and writing new material — all underlined by the hunt for inspiration.
At night, Leonard spends his time performing or playing at home.
When he isn’t practicing or performing, he loves to catch up with friends, play chess, cook, read and eat.
Within the year, he hopes to finish his first solo album, filled with instrumental gospel and country music. He also hopes to write a children’s book, educating kids on music.
Meantime, Leonard plays anywhere his music takes him — from bars to churches.
“So far, the farthest music has taken me is to Chicago,” he says. “However, I do believe that if I stick with it, and keep dreaming, it will take me all over the world.”

— Hannah Kivi is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Riverside Christian School.