About the Composer

Jake Kettleson (b. 2005) is a low brass multi-instrumentalist based in the Portland metro area, playing in several local ensembles, such as; the Vancouver Community Concert, Solid Brass PDX, Beat Rush Big Band, and Light Opera of Portland. He started out on euphonium back in the fall of 2017, and picked up trombone in the beginning of 2022. Ever since, more instruments have been added to his arsenal, with some seeing more public use than others.

As a composer, Jake has been on and off since 2018, composing and arranging a multitude of songs and pieces for his middle school and high school ensembles. While having been composing for several years, he only started publishing his music back in early 2025, and restarting his YouTube channel (@jakettleson) with that in mind. Since then, he has been posting original works, arrangements, and covers for a multitude of ensembles.

After high school, Jake further pursued education at Clark College to acquire his AA in music. There, he joined Clark's Concert Band, Jazz Band II, and Pep Band, where he played euphonium and concert baritone, tenor and bass trombone, and marching baritone respectively. It was during his second year at Clark when he started getting more involved in the ensembles of his community, where he joined Vancouver Community Concert Band in late October 2025 and Solid Brass PDX in December 2025. In 2026, Jake joined Beat Rush Big Band on trombone, eventually becoming the lead trombone of the group, doing Light Opera of Portland's 2026 production of "The Gondoliers," and joining the PDX branch of Gamer Bones.

Jake intends to transfer to Portland State University in the Fall 2026 quarter, where he will major in Music Composition, as well as participate in a few of the ensembles offered at PSU.