FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a list of our most frequently asked questions​. We'll keep adding to the list in an attempt to be helpful to presenters, audiences, and our fans.
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Q. How is "Jâca" pronounced?
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A. Jâca is phonetically spelled "ZHÄ€-ka" and you can hear an audio clip of how our name is pronounced by clicking the play button below.
Q. What does "Jâca" mean?
A. Jâca is a word without meaning. This exotic sounding name was chosen because the group and new combination of clarinet and guitar is blazing new trails and creating new music Jaxon and Wesley decided to take a word and give it new meaning with who they are and what they do.
Q. What is a Jâca concert like?
A. Jâca's concerts reflect the exuberant and playful personalities of the musicians on stage and the musical heritage of the individual instruments. The Jâca experience is more than just a musical concert. It starts with a blend of virtuosic world music fusion, and incorporates storytelling, comedy, and loads of audience interaction. The stellar combination of Wesley on clarinet and Jaxon on guitar creates a dynamic concert experience that consistency leaves audiences buzzing.
Q. What music do you play?
A. We play instrumental music for clarinet and guitar. Our music is a refreshing mix of many styles that represent: our diverse musical interests, our own multicultural lives. and the musical heritage of our instruments themselves. Our influences include our classical training mixed with traditional folk music from Portugal (Wesley’s heritage), Spain (Jaxon’s country of residence), and other traditions that work well on our instruments, such as Klezmer, Jazz, and music from South America.
Q. Where can I hear your music?
A. Our recordings are available on all streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, etc. You can find singles as well as our most recent album Breakthrough (Navona Records, 2022) which received the 2023 IPMA “Best Instrumental Performance” award. Our performances have been featured on radio nationally throughout the USA, and worldwide on TV and Radio in Europe and South America.
Q. Do you have any sheet music available?
A. Yes! You can play most of our music through sheet music available in our online store.
Q. How did you meet/get started?
A. We first met by chance in 2018 to record new music for clarinet and guitar. Despite having only 3 days to rehearse and record, our musical chemistry was apparent and we synced up immediately and had an incredibly successful recording session.
Further collaborations revealed we had personal chemistry as well, and as we developed Jâca, that chemistry shined through beyond the music into a charismatic performance presence. From Wesley's on-stage antics to Jaxon’s witticisms, to interacting with audience members throughout, we can’t help but bring a multi-dimensional show that feels like two accomplished musicians at play, having a contagious amount of fun on stage that delights audience members worldwide.
Q. Where do you perform?
A. We tour the entire United States performing at concert series in both small towns and big cities, and we also perform internationally at music festivals.
We have performed in large, storied international venues like Carnegie Hall (NYC), Teatro Benjamin Carrion (Ecuador), Igreja Colegio dos Jesuitas (Portugal), and also at intimate historic venues nationally, such as the Poncan Theater (OK), or the Carolina Theater (NC).
Q. Do you do outreach or residencies along with your concerts do you perform?
A. Yes! We offer a variety of outreach and education options to go along with a concert engagement. Our most common program is an interactive educational performance for K-12, adaptable to elementary, middle, and high school. Check out our Study Guide for educational outreach. We also offer masterclasses for university or high school music students, and are also happy to host teaching or collaborative music-making workshops open to all members of the community.
Q. How do we book you?
A. For bookings, contact us.
Q. Where else can I find you online?
A. Google us! Simply enter “Jaca clarinet and guitar” in your search and you’ll find tons of articles, reviews, videos, etc.