On any given day, you might find Nashville, Tennessee composer, Lee Michael Vacaro wearing any number of hats inside the music industry. You may find him in the role of touring bassist, band leader, musical director, tour manager, composer, arranger or producer. Many of these skills were developed out of necessity while traversing the boons and pitfalls of the music business.

   His history with sound starts during his childhood with his mother's diverse record collection. From an early age, Lee was introduced to an array of artists from the prevalent genres of the time. When his dreams of joining the Air Force were dashed at the age of twelve, he set his sights on an acquiring an electric guitar. While in a "mom and pop" music shop, he heard the rumblings of a massive Ampeg bass amp in the back room.  He walked out with an electric bass.  

  The happenstance of that childhood moment laid the groundwork for Lee to begin a life-long exploration performing with and leading multiple rock/pop outfits. These early groups would perform at house parties, coffee shops, dancehalls, local festivals and anywhere else he could book a date. At the same time, driven by his growing fascination with the fundamentals of music, he fought to enroll in his high school's music theory program, despite it being restricted to upperclassmen. During this early stretch, his musical palate began to be captivated by the sounds of jazz. Because of Lee's flourishing interest in various styles of music, he went on to earn a performance degree at Vincennes University focusing on rock, jazz and orchestral music. He then moved to Nashville and was hired to tour with a Vegas-styled disco/funk act. In between tours, he furthered his studies at The Nashville Jazz Workshop and by private lesson with virtuosos Reggie Wooten and Stan Lassiter. 

  Despite his passion for film music, particularly the Danny Elfman score for Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, Lee had yet to fully explore the compositional aspects of orchestral music. Seeking to develop this side of his musical interests, he decided to enroll in the Composition program at Middle Tennessee State University. While there, he not only studied orchestral composition, but that of small jazz combos and big band groups. Additionally, he created acts of his own like The Abbey Road Project - a complete note for note recreation of The Beatles' iconic Abbey Road album.

  Since his studies at MTSU, Lee tours with a variety of rock, pop, and county acts based out of the Nashville area. He has owned his own cover act and small booking agency and continues studies of his own. Lee's past eclectic musical pursuits have rewarded him with a collection of skills that grant him a command in musical expression to create in a wide variety of genres; allowing him to draw on an array of instrumentation and style to create unique and emotive cues for media. Please, stay for a listen and follow the link below to learn more about acquiring the music you seek for your upcoming projects.