An interview with Jazz student Billy Ruegger
Billy Ruegger plays a vintage Gibson 1955 hollow body electric guitar, and he plays it well. The 23-year-old is finishing his second semester at The New School for Jazz. Before coming to New York, Ruegger spent two years at the University of Vermont. But he soon felt tempted to learn and play in a city famous for its musical scene. The Free Press recently caught up with Ruegger and asked him about balancing his music, his studies and New York City.
Are you in a band?
Ruegger: I don’t have any bands here. But I had a band up in Vermont, [called] Fink. That was the most active band that I had been in. We played a lot up there. It was a four-piece group, all electric, very loud. Our drummer came from metal. We combined rock and jazz and funk. You could have lumped us into the danceable jam-band category.
Which professors do you admire at The New School?
Ruegger: Richard Boukas. He taught guitar sight-reading, that’s where I first met him. He’s a consummate professional musician; he just knows so many styles. He’s someone I really enjoy working with and I think he’s passionate about the students and giving them a good foundation. Also, Peter Bernstein. He’s a huge part of the New York jazz scene. During my first lesson with him, I felt like I was meeting a celebrity.
Is The New School competitive or collaborative?
Ruegger: It’s definitely both. At jazz schools, they try to make everything quantitative, like how well do you know this thing and then you’re tested on it somehow. Everyone’s trying to figure out their place and how they measure up to others. There’s a lot of comparison. At the same time, you make a lot of friends and people are willing to help each other. As unpleasant as the competitive atmosphere can be, it’s also necessary in helping you reach another level. It’s a healthy thing.
What are your plans after graduation?
Ruegger: I’m leaving it pretty open-ended. I figure I’ll just stay here, because it offers the most opportunities for doing music. I definitely want music to be my focus. I’d really love to get a group together to be in the same frame of mind and develop a right sound. It’s a matter of the right time and right people. You definitely need a sound that’s accessible to people.
What is best about being in New York City?
Ruegger: The community of musicians here. It gives you verification that what you’re doing matters, that other people are passionate about it. You get a lot of support emotionally and you just learn a lot from professors and everyone’s really willing to share what they know with other people. Once you graduate, you’re going to rely on that network of musicians you’ve created here. But what it comes down to is that there are so many cool people, there are a lot of people that care about the same thing.