Here at YA, we love innovators; not one single word describes musician Josh Vietti more than that. He’s a true visionary, through and through. Recently featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Josh is a classically trained violinist for over two decades. Recently he’s crossed over into the mainstream by combining his classical brilliance with his other major love (outside his family) hip-hop. On the eve of his summer tour, YA was lucky enough to chat with Josh about his background, his love of Michael Jordan, his innovative style and his love for the upcoming Entourage movie.

Young Adult: Tell us a little bit about your musical background? You obviously have classical training but how did you come to incorporate that into the hip-hop world?

Josh Vietti: I’ve been playing the violin since I was 4, and studied with Mischa Lefkowitz for several years. But, it wasn’t until 2006 that I decided to start pursuing the violin as a career. I started street performing in Santa Monica hustling demos I made in GarageBand. One day, a rapper from New York invited me to do a studio session and that was the first time I combined the world of classical with the world of hip hop. From then on, I was hooked.

 

YA: What were you like as a kid outside of your music?

JV: I was extremely quiet and nerdy. Basically, pretty reserved. I played sports in school, but I wasn’t a superstar or anything. 

 

YA: What do you consider your first big break?

JV: I’d consider my “big break” the time I played on the Ellen DeGeneres show. That opened up a bunch of doors for me.

 

YA: What has been your biggest success to date?

JV: Definitely, one of my biggest successes was performing in front of Michael Jordan. He’s been one of my heroes for a long time.

 

YA: Who are some of your favorite artists or bands?

JV: There are so many, but I’d definitely have to say Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Kanye West, and Scott Storch. Also, of course, Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Beethoven.

 

YA: Who would you most like to work with?

JV: Any of the people I answered in the previous question, provided they’re still alive.

 

YA: You’re gearing up for a big summer tour starting tomorrow! Tell us a little more about that.

JV: We met a film producer here in LA who was very interested in collaborating on a live show. So, for the past couple of months, we’ve been putting together a solid hip hop show with many different elements, including a great DJ – DJ4TiFy – and a hip hop dance crew who will be choreographed by Tim Stevenson who has toured with J-Lo and many others. I’m very excited and hope to take this production on the road across the country and maybe even internationally.

 

YA: Tell us a little more about your vision as an artist and your image?

JV: Ultimately I just want to stand out and show people something they’ve never seen before. I try to take classic songs and put my unique spin on them using the violin. It’s my hope to make the violin cool and relatable for young people who think it’s just for their grandparents.

 

YA: What do you hope to accomplish with your music?

JV: I just hope I can make a good living to support my wife and two kids. And, of course, they say if you find something you love doing, it’s not really “work.”

 

YA: What can you tell others pursuing the same career?

JV: Just be prepared for a lot of hardship and rejection, because usually these kinds of careers don’t happen overnight. I played for six years on Third Street Promenade before I was good enough to start moving to the next level.

 

YA: What are three things you want your fans to know about you that they might not?

JV: I drink coffee like it’s going out of style. I like visiting historic landmarks when I’m on tour. And, I can play a mean version of “Devil Went Down To Georgia.”

 

YA: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? In 10?

JV: In 5 years, I still hope to be playing shows, but with enough down time to spend with my family because touring can be pretty grueling. In 10 years, I hope to be doing the same thing, but with bigger paychecks, haha.

 

YA: What do you have coming up outside of the tour?

JV: Well, besides hanging out with my family, I’m really forward to the “Entourage” movie that’s supposed to be coming out in the next year or two.