About Mr. Jess, Founder & Lead Monster

Jess Arcularius' contribution and exposure to music has been a lifelong process. He first began playing violin at age 6, and by the time he turned aged 13 he was developing his skills in multiple instruments. Jess became especially passionate about the drums. At 17 he joined his first band, Fluid, playing percussion and realized that playing music was and will always be his motivation in life.

He went on to study at the University of Nevada in Reno, majoring in musical education with an emphasis on percussion. Jess studied the Congas in Cuba under legendary Congealer Jose Eledio. After leaving Cuba he traveled to the musical melting pot of the world, San Francisco to study with legendary multi-percussionist Joe Craven (who played with 60s icon Jerry Garcia and Dvid Grisman). The time spent learning under Joe Craven consolidated all of Jess' musical capabilities and would inevitably become the most influential learning experience in Jess' life, and undoubtedly the catalyst for Jess' musical career and eventually the birth of the Music Monsters program.

In 1996 Jess was approached by a longtime friend to develop an educational music program for his preschool children at the Little Golden Goose in Reno, Nevada. After agreeing to the challenge Jess went to the drawing board to devise a unique language targeted for children to comprehend and execute the complexities of music theory.