Today we’d like to introduce you to Tré Rice.
Hi Tré, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music for me began at home. My mother, Dana Rice, started teaching me piano at the age of five. Over the years, I cultivated my craft through concerts that my mother hosted under her FAME School. Attending Juilliard’s Jazz Camp at North Atlanta High School and then again at Drew Charter School, as a middle schooler, piqued my interest in jazz music, which became my primary focus for the next several years. Moreover, I studied jazz piano at Oglethorpe University under Dr. Brent Runnels, and during this time, my curiosity led me to explore the construction of other styles of music as well, such as R&B, Rap and Afro-beat.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This has by no means been a smooth road. I have always wanted to be able to sing, and recently I made the conscious effort to begin learning from Andrea Haynes. Learning how to sing was initially a bit of a learning curve that halted my creative freedom, but over time, it has grown easier and easier, and I’m looking forward to developing more every single day. The biggest challenge for me is meshing all of the styles that I like into my own sound, especially living in a copycat/formulaic world. In addition, the pandemic taught me some interesting lessons about taking care of my instrument and my moneymaker – my hands and my voice. I got very sick at the beginning of the pandemic, and instead of resting, I tried to find ways to be ultra-productive.
For about three weeks, I was on my computer and playing piano for hours each day, on top of the hours I already spend on my phone. By the end of the three weeks, I had developed mild-carpal tunnel, which took a month to semi-heal from, and even now from time to time I have to manage my hand usage. Also, when I got covid, I lost my voice for a month, after a year and a half of practicing singing. This was extremely frustrating and deflating and I felt like I was losing time because I was not able to do my vocal warmups or practice my songs. As depressing as these two situations were, I learned methods to preserve my health, discipline, and optimism, which will help me along my path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an artist, musician, lyricist, composer, band leader and producer. My classical training in conjunction with my familiarity with modern-day soundscapes is part of what separates me from the pack. I prefer to create my own loops and samples. I prefer for my notes and chords to land off the beat. I feel like my versatility sets me apart; the ability to produce/compose, perform the instrument, and sing and rap the lyrics.
I’m most proud of completing my first EP, “Things That Need To Be Said”, and hosting my first release party. “Things That Need To Be Said” is a project that exemplifies the pushback that society gives toward people who are unapologetically transparent and honest about what they think and how they feel. It was produced, written, and performed by myself and Carlos Cortez Jr, aka Levelz.
The release party was held on September 1st at The Creamery Studios in Atlanta, a beautiful event space owned by Mary Seats. We were able to get 55 guests in the matter of three weeks of event promotion and are looking to have a bigger turnout on January 12 at the same location.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I will be having a “Sounds of ATL” show on January 12 at the Creamery Studios. Tickets can be found at my website, trericemusic.com
I teach piano and music production. For inquiries, email trericejazzpiano@gmail.com.
Instagram is @iamtrerice
Contact Info:
- Website: trericemusic.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChBS58u5czFnRXecj6tYKjg
Image Credits
Amber Harris Marté Barton
