Meet Noah Wise | Musician – artist, touring/session guitarist, and teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Noah Wise and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Noah, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Expressing my creative voice in its rawest form is what brings me the most joy. For me, that means playing guitar, singing, song-writing, and producing – be that on my own, or collaborating with others. It’s satisfying enough to bring musical ideas in my mind to life, but it’s even more gratifying when those ideas really connect with listeners.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I make soul/funk/rnb/pop music! Recently my social media has gone viral for a song I wrote using a talkbox guitar pedal combined with a classical guitar – a combination I’ve personally never seen, but I think sounds really cool. I think mashing up the talkbox effect, often used in funk/jazz contexts, with a classical music instrument really intrigued viewers and caught their attention. I’m extremely proud of that song, aptly titled “FUNKBOX” – and the new version on the way titled “95 CIVIC” featuring my best friend singer/rapper Aristotle Jones.

My music career has really been a lifelong journey since I started playing guitar at six years old. Up to this point, I’ve played guitar, mandolin, and bass in a multitude of bands across Tallahassee, Florida (my hometown), Johnson City, Tennessee where I went to college at ETSU, and Los Angeles where I’ve lived now for three years.

It’s always been a grind trying to keep pushing my artistry and technical ability, but music is something I’m so passionate about, I’ve always been motivated to keep going.

What I want the world to know about my story is that you can and SHOULD embrace the most unique aspects of your personality and skillset because that’s what sets you apart. It has been extremely validating to find that my most unusual skills (talkbox guitar, jazz mandolin, etc.) have been appreciated by others more than anything else, and have been the most fun for me!!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Go to a show at the Hollywood Bowl! One of the most legendary venues with the best acts and has affordable tickets. Also, Noma sushi in Santa Monica. Go to point Dume for the beach! And go to Barnsdall Art park and picnic.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
YES! Far too many people to list in one go. Two of my biggest musical/life mentors are Mickey Abraham, who taught me guitar and mandolin from a young age, and Mike Baggetta, who was my guitar instructor in college. Both of them showed me what was possible in music, and helped me find my voice as an instrumentalist.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahthewiseguy

Image Credits
Ashley Crichton