~For the condensed version of Mason’s professional and educational background, see Mason’s profile on LinkedIn~
As a child, Mason was often seen running around the house carrying a guitar, sporting sunglasses and acting like a rock star. Mason is highly disappointed in television producers for not coming up with the idea for “American Idol” much earlier on.
Still, the instrument was just a toy to Mason, who didn’t turn his “serious” attention to the guitar until his early teenage years. His musical career began by teaching himself crude renditions of his favorite rock songs on a guitar purchased for him at Costco. Soon after, unaware of how little he actually knew, he started joining and forming bands with friends and classmates.
The love for music and the desire to make it a profession continued to grow in Mason, as he studied music in high school and at DeAnza College, while performing in various original music and working cover bands. Arriving to the conclusion that California is simply too beautiful and pleasant, Mason decided to move to Boston, MA to attend the Berklee College of Music. Initially a Jazz Composition major, Mason nearly completed that course of study before graduating with a degree in Contemporary Writing and Production. Mason is currently working towards a Masters degree in Guitar Performance from San Jose State University.
Among Mason’s favorite musical moments: conducting his piece “Luck Has Nothing To Do With It” with 13-piece jazz ensemble at the Berklee Performance Center, writing, conducting, and producing his pieces for orchestra and string orchestra, and recording the album “Voodoo Man” with Black Betty and the Bad Habits after winning the inaugural RJL Memorial Fund Battle of the Bands.
Currently, Mason is an in-demand guitarist and teacher in the San Jose, CA area. Teaching is his true love, and you can read his teaching philosophy here. As a performer, he plays in a variety of settings, from solo classical guitar for weddings and special events to his jazz duo Lisa and Mason with singer Lisa Schultz, to musical theatre performances, and more. As a composer, Mason writes for different ensembles and mediums, but at the moment is convinced that he can save the world by expanding the classical guitar repertoire. He is writing material for his debut solo guitar album including the “Monster Suite”, a narrative piece in 5 movements for solo guitar. Mason is also composing works for the church, setting sacred texts to music for choir, and is always looking for new inspiration to expand his compositional palette.
When not immersed in his musical self, Mason is playing ice or roller hockey or watching the San Jose Sharks on tv or in person with his partial season tickets. A self-proclaimed internet nut, he is a co-founder of Halfstepup.com. Mason is happily engaged to his fiance Sara, who is a fellow internet nut, hockey fanatic, and animal lover.