Sudden Impact: Josh Campesi – Multi-instrumentalist

Age: 13
School: 8th grade, St. Aloysius Catholic School
Extracurriculars: St. Aloysius Spirit of Service organization, writing music
Dream job: Record label CEO
Inspiration: Doug Gay, Baton Rouge Music Studios

Josh Campesi’s room would make any teenager—and probably a lot of adults—jealous. On one wall, four guitars hang next to a framed set list from Mitch and the Originals, a band run by his great-grandfather—the first person to recognize the 13-year-old’s musical talent.

An eye-catching Fender Stratocaster hangs up there too, near a drum kit, a piano and amps. Campesi has saved every penny he has earned from chores to buy musical equipment. At 13, he plays it all and spends most of his time writing music and practicing. In his spare time, he talks music theory.

This singular dedication has helped him land the guitar and keyboard positions in Baton Rouge Music Studios’ top student band, The Blues Project. He played in front of thousands at this year’s Baton Rouge Blues Festival and Jazz Fest, too.

But Campesi has his eyes on the business side of music.

“I think it would be cool to own my own record label,” he says. “I like recording and engineering, and I’m interested in the marketing and business side of music-making.”

Campesi’s mother Gretchen enrolled him in piano lessons when he was 4 years old. At 8, he picked up the guitar and began learning at Baton Rouge Music Studios. From there, he started on drums, then bass and even more percussion instruments.

“He’s dedicated to being a well-rounded musician, and he’s a very service-oriented kind of guy,” says Doug Gay of Baton Rouge Music Studios. “He sees the importance of being what we call a utility player’—the guy who could play any instrument in a band. To me, Josh seems like one of those guys who could pick up any gig on any instrument by the time he’s out of high school and function in any band.”