About Will
Will Beasley is a musician; a bass player and multi-instrumentalist, he lives and makes music in Asheville NC. He thrives in the exploration of music, meditation, and the Alexander Technique, and enjoys learning about himself and others.
Will’s musical interests began as a young boy hearing artists like Cat Stevens, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, and Alanis Morissette. As he grew into his teenage years, he was introduced to the Canadian rock band Rush for the first time. Being quickly drawn in by Geddy Lee’s bass playing, he soon acquired a bass guitar and began playing along to records. After playing the electric bass for several years and playing in rock bands in high school, Will was introduced to jazz and the upright bass in college, which led to him to falling in love with and picking up and playing the upright bass. Early influences for him on that instrument were and are Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Doug Watkins, Oscar Pettiford, Scott Lafaro, Larry Grenadier, and many others.
Now, Will holds two degrees in music performance; a Bachelors from the University of North Carolina Asheville, and a Masters from the University of Illinois, where Will was fortunate to study with and learn from Chicago bassist and multi-instrumentalist Larry Gray, as well as the faculty there, including Jim Pugh, Chip McNeil, Chip Stevens, Tito Carrillo, Ron Bridgewater, Joel Spencer, Joan Hickey, and Glenn Wilson.
After finishing graduate school, Will moved back to Asheville, NC and married his wife Millie Palmer; also a musician and frequent collaborator. There he would play regionally with many of the musicians in the area for the next few years, developing and expanding his musicality in a variety of different musical settings.
I’m 2017, Will moved and lived in Brooklyn, NY, where he was fortunate to play music and have many valuable experiences, including lessons with bassists Larry Grenadier and Ben Street, as well as simply experiencing life as a New Yorker, and as a full-time musician there.
In the following year, Will relocated to western NC, and began lessons in the Alexander Technique with Corinne Cassini. This work, as well as several workshops with Tommy Thompson, has helped to shape Will’s current way of making and experiencing music. In addition, Will’s adoption of a formal meditation practice in 2020 has greatly informed his music and approach to life- which in turn affects his music.
Will is currently beginning a Patreon page where he will be sharing new music he is writing, as well as explorations in music and in the process of experiencing and creating. He hopes this page can become a community for people who want to learn and share and a wellspring of inspiration.