User:Jason Karuza
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| Image:Jason Karuza.jpg |
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| Name: | Jason Vincent Karuza |
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| Birthdate: | July 7, 1982 |
| Origin: | Lake Forest, California |
| Status: | Married to Heather Jacobs Karuza |
| Occupation: | Software Engineer/BHHS Drumline Instructor |
Jason Karuza (born Jason Vincent Karuza on July 7, 1982) was raised in Lake Forest, CA until he graduated from El Toro High School in 2000. From there he went to UCLA to pursue a Bachelors (2004) and Masters Degree (2005) in Computer Science. Currently, Jason is a software engineer for the Northrop Grumman Corporation (which is the 2nd largest Defense contractor in the nation). On the side Jason is the Percussion Caption Head for the Beverly Hills High School Drumline. Jason was also the first drummer for the Nintendocore band: HORSE the Band.
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[edit] The Early Years
Jason was born to Ivan and Eileen Karuza in Mission Viejo, CA but moved to El Toro, CA (which later became a part of the neighboring city Lake Forest, CA) at around 2 years old. Jason's ancestry hails from Russia, the former Yugoslavia, Austria, and Hungary. Jason was raised at a conservative Jewish temple until his Bar Mitzvah at 13. His father was a UCLA alumni and Electrical Engineer for the Aerospace Industry. His mother had experience as an administrative assistant but had become a stay-home Mom to raise Jason, and later on his sister Gina (born Regina Charlene Karuza in 1985). His parents met while his father was attending UCLA and his mother was working in the graduate department of the UCLA engineering school.
Jason first attended preschool at Congregation Eilat, his Jewish synagogue, and then went to Santiago Elementary School. In 4th grade, he transferred to La Madera Elementary School upon his entrance into the GATE (Gifted And Talented Education) Program. It was during this time that Jason began playing violin and piano. From there, Jason went to Serrano Middle School for two years where he got his first taste of drumming in the concert and symphonic band and began taking honors classes.
Next, Jason attended El Toro High School in 1996 where he continued taking honors courses and began taking AP (Advanced Placement) courses in preparation for college admission. Jason graduated in 2000 with a 4.5 GPA, a top 10 ranking in his graduating class, SAT I scores of 1450, SAT II scores totaling 2210, and over 50 units of college credit. While at El Toro, Jason joined the Royal Blue Regime marching band and entered the drumline. It was in the marching band that Jason made most of his friends during high school and began to blossom as a musician. Jason participated in the Key Club, Jazz Band, multiple concert bands, and the musical orchestras. During his junior year, he helped start HORSE the Band with long time friends David Isen and Erik Engstrom. The band played at the high school's Battle of the Bands type show called Bullstock, Trabuco Hills HS during a lunch, and David's backyard for their final show before getting the next drummer, Nathan Winneke.
[edit] UCLA
Jason received admission to UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine in 2000 after applying to only 4 schools (the fourth being Stanford University). Based on location, financial aid, and quality of marching band, UCLA stood out as the clear choice for a better college experience. However, with the intent of pursuing Computer Science as a major, Jason was initially accepted into the College of Letters and Sciences, and not the college of engineering. Since this was the case, he spent his first year and 2 quarters taking necessary requisites to transfer into the Computer Science major in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
Once he successfully transferred into his desired major, he began taking classes that both interested and excited him, proving that this was indeed the correct study focus for him. Jason completed his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Computer Science in June 2004 (after a ridiculous 3-hour long ceremony in Pauley Pavilion). Having a GPA of over 3.6, Jason was given the opportunity to attend UCLA's graduate program for Computer Science to attain a Masters Degree. Admission was guaranteed. Being in the studying frame of mind, Jason decided to just keep on studying and began his graduate studies that fall.
While doing his graduate work, Jason focused on Networking and Security and completed a research project for Dr. Peter Reiher as part of the PANOPLY project. Jason completed his Master of Sciences Degree in Computer Science in December 2005. The following February, Jason began his first full time industry position at Northrop Grumman as a software engineer.
While at UCLA, Jason’s social life was significantly influenced by his experience in the UCLA Drumline. His first year of college, he lived in a dorm with suites (rooms with private bathrooms) and found his social life lacking. It was through his new fellow snare drummer, Eric Dunlop, that Jason found the relational aspects that he greatly yearned for. Eric and Jason would periodically take midnight walks to the local In N Out and to the Reiber recreation room for games of 3D ping pong while consuming smoothies from Puzzles. It was during that time that Jason opened up his life to the college experience.
The following academic year, Jason moved into a traditional coed dorm with shared bathroom areas and Eric as his new roommate. During that year, he made a lot of new connections with new drumline members Jamie Strowbridge and Taylor Ettema as well as dorm neighbors on his floor. Jason and Eric had a great dorm room with a couch, a PS2, a nice TV, and babes…lots of babes. Well, not lots of babes, but he did meet the girl he would later marry at his first “band party.” Her name was Heather Jacobs and she played flute and piccolo in the UCLA Marching Band. She spotted Jason at a rehearsal and, through a mutual friend, made introductions and then sought to make him her boyfriend. Jason and Heather hit it off at the Bay Area trip to Stanford that year and thus began the greatest Love he would ever know.
During Jason’s graduate studies, he left the marching band and fell out of the loop with that social circle. To adjust for this, he made friends with other Computer Science graduate students: Eric “Beer” Fiala, Ashwin “Fatass” Chandra, Shivan “Mess you up” Bindal, and Kirill “Rusky” Minkovich. This group met up periodically for games of Texas Hold ‘Em and late night code parties. Hehe. Just kidding about that last part. All in all, Jason really enjoyed his college experience.
[edit] Drumming
Jason first began drumming during 7th grade in the “Beginning band.” His interest at that time was to learn drumset for no real reason in particular. Prior to that, Jason had studied Piano and Violin. His musical interests at the time were beginning to shift from Oldies and Disney tracks to other genres, but he had no real focus. He started listening to Pearl Jam because of his friend at the time, Jeremy Wachtman, who later moved to Arizona and disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Jason’s father Ivan has been a musician all of his life. He had sung in choirs, played guitar, piano, and bass guitar. Ivan had also been in a classic rock cover band called “Volatile Memory” for a number of years. It is possible that Jason was inspired by the jam band’s drummer to begin playing. Jason received 2 drumset lessons during that time period from the band’s drummer and continued to become more proficient at reading drum sheet music through the school bands.
When Jason entered High School, he joined the marching band and quickly discovered he was lacking in the drumming skills as he was placed in the cymbal line with a sophomore who later dropped out of band because of ineligibility. Driven by the desire to reach whatever potential he had within, Jason practiced hard and moved up through the line to section leader on snare drum by his senior year. This does not necessarily reflect a lot of progress because the quality of the drumline was on a decline due to lack of instruction, but it shows the initiative and drive that fed Jason to grow.
During high school, Jason also performed in the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Band, the theater department’s musicals, and also HORSE the Band. The Jazz band provided new opportunities to grow as a drumset player. When he first tried out for it in 10th grade, he was accepted and joined another drummer, Scott Harrah of the (at the time) band “Warpath,” as the Jazz drummer. Scott was a senior at the time and a significantly better drummer than Jason, but opened Jason’s eyes to what would become his favorite style of music (Progressive Rock) and his favorite band (Dream Theater). Scott was not the academic type and soon found himself ineligible, forcing Jason to be the sole Jazz band drummer. Let’s just say that those first two years were not the most fruitful years for the Jazz band, but by Jason’s senior year, he was quite comfortable and was even mentoring a young 10th grade drummer who was in much the same shoes as Jason was when he began. It was during this time that Jason began composing drumline pieces just for his own interest in hopes that someday some drumline might play them. His interest in teaching also began through this mentoring experience.
During Jason’s junior year of high school, he joined with (then Nerdcore band because the average GPA of the band’s members was well over 4.5) his friends David Isen and Erik Engstrom to start up HORSE the Band in 1998-99. During that year, the band performed at the annual battle of the bands-type show at school called “Bullstock.” The performance went moderately well and led to a couple of lunch time performances and Jason’s first studio recording experience. Let’s just say that the resulting album was entertaining at the least. When David and Erik graduated and went to Stanford and UCLA respectively, Jason left the band for a couple years to finish up high school and start college. During that time, Dave and Erik picked up current singer Nathan Winneke as the drummer and were performing in small venues around southern California and trying to develop the sound that would eventually become Nintendocore when Jason later reunited with the band.
During all four years of his undergraduate study at UCLA, Jason played snare drum for the UCLA Drumline, the latter two years he was section leader and center snare. During the summer between his freshman and sophomore year (2001), Jason joined the Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps and played bass (drum) 2 for the summer tour ending at championships in Buffalo, NY. After returning home and starting school again, Jason joined up with HORSE the Band and began playing small shows with them in an effort to build the band’s name and reputation. HTB even played with Avenged Sevenfold at the Cobalt Café in the valley back when Avenged sounded totally different (and kind crappy).
In the summer of 2002, Jason went on a small tour to Oregon and other parts of California with the Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps playing bass (drum) 4. The second half of the summer, Jason joined up with HORSE the Band and went on a nation-wide (no BS. Went to NorCal, cut across the Midwest through Chicago, hit up the Northeast in New Jersey, made their way down to Florida, and cut back West through New Orleans and Texas) tour that was a very small spark to the name of HORSE the Band throughout the country.
In the summer of 2003, Jason went with his band on a 27 day non-stop tour of the country and Canada in an effort to pick up where they left off last summer and really grow the band’s popularity. This time, the band took the 10 freeway East through Texas to Florida, went up the coast to New York, entered Canada at Niagara Falls, and then cut West and back into the US, through Colorado and returned back home. This second tour was significantly more successful than the previous tour and it was evident that the future fame of the band would grow quickly. The band recorded a new CD, R. Borlax that began distribution with Pluto Records prior to that tour and became popular within the Hardcore genre for its unique sound.
Despite the growing popularity of the band and the success of the tours, Jason was growing more and more attached to his girlfriend Heather and wanted to remain home during the summers and enjoy the comforts of regular showers and not having to worry about being killed on the road. Thus, Jason left the band and wished them luck on their future endeavours.
It was during the 2003-04 academic year that Jason received an email from a boy named Alex Strauss, who was a friend of Chris Reeder (Chris and Jason marched in the Impulse bassline in 2001. Chris and Alex went to Beverly Hills High School together but Chris was a year older), to come in and try teaching the BHHS Drumline. Chris had recommended Jason and Jason had always wanted to teach and write for a drumline since high school, so he decided to give it a shot. When Jason first arrived, there were 12 kids in the drumline and they had little to no technique, had little proficiency with music literacy and control, and had no real grasp of what was capable for a drumline other than what was seen in the movie and on drum corps videos. Jason saw the potential of the group and constructed the piece in entitled “Down the Road” as a purely battery-based (for lack of a pit) performance etude to demonstrate to the kids what they could do in time if they worked hard and really wanted to grow. The group performed the piece at their December music concert with the orchestra, band, symphonic band, etc. and were wowed by the positive response received by the audience. Clearly, Jason was on to something with the newness of the drumline at the school.
During that winter, Jason tried out and made the snare line of the first and only year that the Esperanza Drum and Bugle Corps entered a drumline in Indoor WGI competition. The line was taught by John Mapes (a friend of Jason’s from back when Jason marched at Impulse. Jason also bass tech’d John’s Pacifica High School drumline for a year to get his first teaching experience) and contained fellow UCLA drumline freshmen Kelly Flickinger and Hann-Shin Mao, as well as old high school friend Mike Schwaab. The winter line performed pretty well for a first year group and Jason had his chance to compete in a WGI season and championship in San Diego.
Starting that same January, Jason began constructing “Born to Drum” for the BHHS Drumline. This was to be performed at their spring concert and would delve into Jason’s more creative side by developing a plot involving a young man who lives to drum as much as possible each day. The group of kids was being challenged to grow as people and musicians as the performance day approached. When June came and the kids played, a 30 second standing applause resulted. It’s on film if you don’t believe me. It was clear that the future possibilities of the drumline were immense, but it was going to take more help to handle the effort.
In fall of 2004, Jason began bringing in fellow UCLA drumline members and percussion majors Kelly Flickinger and James Charrette to help shape the BHHS line. The line started with 15 and performed to the excitement of many parents and students throughout the fall leading up to the December concert. Then, with the inspiration from his girlfriend Heather, began work on a creative performance entitled “Light and Sound” which consisted of the majority of the show occurring in the dark under black light and glow in the dark enhancement. Needless to say, this piece also was extremely well welcomed by the school. So much so, that the drumline performed the show an additional 2 times and required the purchase of more glow sticks. For this performance, Jason recruited interested non-percussionists to help form the first “pit” or melodic section of xylophone, bells, vibraphone, synthesizer, bass guitar, and timpani in the drumline.
Seeing the potential of the line and realizing that the kids were missing out on experiencing drumline in a more challenging environment, Jason began pushing the drumline toward competitive performance. With the support of band director, Richard Farmer, and his other two instructors, the BHHS drumline entered WGI and SCPA indoor competition in February 2005 for the first time ever. The group instantly won attention from judges and fellow competing students with their clever and education show entitled: “A Tour of Technology: The Inner Workings of a Computer.” The competitive season went extremely well with the first year group placing within the top 10 multiple times and placing 12th out of over 40 groups at SCPA championships.
The 2006-07 WGI and SCPA season holds the second competitive year for the drumline with their show entitled: “Censor State: The State, The Conceded, The Resistance.”
At this point, Jason has no significant interest in performing any more other than just for fun by jamming with is Dad or ramming with kids and staff at BHHS. His interests lie in teaching, creating, and work.
[edit] Interests
Software design Drumming and Composing Teaching (philosophies) Contemplation Television Video Games Technology Blogs
[edit] Recent News
Jason married girlfriend of 4 years 9 months and fiancée of 1 year 6 months Heather Lorraine Jacobs on August 12, 2006. Heather has since changed her name to Heather Jacobs Karuza and has seen a drastic drop in Google rank from Heather Jacobs.
[edit] References
- HORSE the Band
- UCLA Band
- Esperanza Drum Corps
- Pacific Crest Drum Corps
- Beverly Hills HS Drumline
- Heather Karuza
