Joshua Lozada hitting with Mooer Pedals!

Why are we talking about J. Schwing? I met Josh at the 2014 Gerald Veasley Bass Boot Camp. He was playing at my buddy David Seagal’s (New York Bass Works) booth. We hit off from the beginning.  Josh is a spiritual cat, a phenomenal bassist and a great person. Why do we call him J. Schwing? Because he Swings his a** off! Let’s listen to what he has to share with us! – rr

1) For those not familiar tell us a bit about your career?

I’ve been playing bass for 17 years. My beginnings were in my local church and through the years, has grown to International travel with worship leaders and Christian Artists. I have also expanded outside of the Christian/Gospel market in live performances with Hip Hop & R&B acts throughout NYC. Salsa music and Latin Jazz, was a big influence in my development as a bass player and my introduction to being a professional musician. As the genre began lose some of it’s momentum in a live performance setting, I found myself getting more involved in R&B and Rock music as a means to earn a living. With the increasing popularity of Christian Contemporary Music in houses of worship throughout the world, I now find myself fully immersed in that scene and staying very busy.

2) What do you see coming up for the future of music?

It’s tough to say. We’ve seen the ever expanding world of technology used in music and things have drastically changed. From the recording process to the distribution of the final product, technology is showing itself to be more relevant. I’ve benefited from tracking bass from my home but it’ll never replace getting together with great musicians in one room and hitting the record button to bring that feel to life. But the reality is that space is expensive and the pure convenience of recording virtually is appealing to many. Also, accessibility to musicians that you may have not been able to get in a studio to record your project is now possible thru virtual recording sessions and social media. As we’ve seen, technology has hurt many artists financially and I can only hope that this tide will turn in their favor in the near future so that good music can be created and the people that bring it to us can earn their living and continue to be inspired to create.

3) What role has music education played in your life?

I am a self taught bass player but I did have formal musical instruction in my school years. I played trombone from middle school thru high school and took part in the concert and symphonic band as well as award winning jazz bands, which is where I really learned my true appreciation for music. Jazz music and the study of jazz really took a hold of me and inspired me to be a musician. After I graduated high school, I took up bass and the rest is history…

4) Why are you using Mooer pedals?

I was first attracted to Mooer Pedals because of their size. Real estate on a pedal board is precious and I wanted to get the most out of the space but when I finally tried out some of the Mooer Pedals, I found that it was way more than just it’s small size. They are built extremely well, and they sound amazing. Most products can give you one thing but you’ll normally find that it’s a trade-off but I’m getting the compact size with an amazing effect in a well built pedal. It’s a win-win. I’ve been using the Mod Factory and the Ensemble King as a main stay in my pedal board and I couldn’t be happier. Amazing pedals!

5) What future projects do you have coming up?

I’ve been working on a solo demo for about a year now. I’m hoping to release something by the end of the year, time permitting. I’ll be continuing my travels in Latin America, US and Canada throughout the year with Ingrid Rosario and you can normally find me on Sunday’s at Christ Church in NJ.