Teja Veal, a native of Miami, was a showstopper at the Playboy pop- up club event held recently in Atlanta. The event celebrated the launch of the new NBC series, “The Playboy Club” that airs on Sept. 19. Rolling out spoke with Veal before her set.
How long have you been a bassist?
I’ve been playing the bass for 14 years. I started in middle school in an orchestra program.
Why did you choose to play this instrument?
I chose bass because I was the tallest one in class. [Veal is 5-foot-10 now.] It was tall and I had never seen one before.
Did your music teacher support you?
When I attempted to play the first time, my teacher said, “You’re a girl, you should play the violin,” and he refused to let me play it. I went home and told my mother, she started this huge campaign, and finally, the teacher said, “If she wants to play she’s going to have to teach herself.” And the rest is history.
How long have you been playing professionally?
I started playing professionally about 11 years ago. I was in a jazz studies program in high school and we had to perform as part of the curriculum and I got approached by a local jazz band and they asked me to play.
Who are your biggest influences in music?
My primary bass role model is James Jamerson, the Motown bassist. I just love him. His pocket is just unreal. And his bass lines [are] very innovative and I try to model myself after that. The bass player that I most admire is Adam Blackstone. He’s the music director over a lot of gigs right now — Jill Scott, Eminem. Just being a bass player who is also a music director — that’s already an inspiration. Verdine White the bass player in Earth Wind & Fire. His presence is awesome, he never stops moving and he’s such a performer and the music is beautiful to me. I’m old school at heart.
So when you arrive at a gig to perform, do people mistake you for the singer?
I have my bass on my back, and people always think I’m the singer, do they think this is a tennis racket? I don’t understand, no one ever believes that I’m the bass player until I play. And then they’re like, “oh my goodness.” But I’m used to it now. I just think it’s funny.
What are your words of advice for young girls who may want to become a bassist?
Follow your heart. You’re going to come up against a lot of [opposition] and people may not understand why you want to play something different, or do the “boy” thing, but if God gave you something, he gave it to you for a reason. You just have to tap into your inner dream and always be the best, don’t settle for being “good to be a girl bassist” be the best that there is.
There’s no separate playing field, I’ve never played that game. I wanted to make my name as Teja the bass player, not Teja the girl bass player.
Teja Veal is on Facebook.com/TejaonBass.
Video: Teja On Bass
