ABOUT BIG WORLD BREAKS

Big World Breaks, a production company built for stage, studio and education; has shared stages with Janelle Monáe, Kool DJ Red Alert,Digable Planets, Reggie Watts, DJ Qbert, Macklemore, B.o.B., Saul Williams and many more.

BWB has also provided stage and studio support for artists such as:

Grammy Nominated vocalists Wayna and Rocky Dawuni, Sy Smith, Zo!, Kassa Overall, Dynamq, Xperience, Dr. Julian Priester, Anne Drummond, Jimmy James, Jumaane Smith, Khingz, Massive Monkees, Pamela Yasutake, Black Stax, Riley Mulherkar, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker, Jennifer Johns, Dyme Def, Circle of Fire / Soul Shifters, Evan Flory-Barnes, Toni Hill, Camila Recchio, Isabella Du Graf, okanomodé, Clarence Acox, Choklate, Spac3man, D’Vonne Lewis, Owuor Arunga, Tiffany Wilson, Gabriel Teodros, Eriam Sisters, Helladope, Lia B., JusMoni, B-Boy Fidget, Sol, Yirim Seck, GodSpeed, Clockwork, Hi-Life Soundsystem, Sista Hailstorm and the Blue Scholars.

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History

How it all began

It all began when the world-famous Seattle-based dance crew, the Massive Monkees, invited Aaron Walker-Loud (Big World Breaks founder) to provide live music for breaking competitions and jams in the early 2000s. Putting together a team for such events required players with versatility, power and improvisation skills. Walker-Loud dug deep into the Funk, Soul, Jazz and World Music communities within the Northwest to build the right crew, many of whom are alumni of the internationally acclaimed Jazz ensemble programs at Garfield High School and Roosevelt High School. After the production team began working regularly within the dance scene, word got around and the B.W.B. movement snow-balled.

With five core members as the nucleus within an ever-growing support roster of artists and teaching artists, Big World Breaks has become a community anchor and advocate for intergenerational power through rhythm. With an expanding repertoire of original works, multi-media and cultural anthropology productions, award-winning residencies and curriculum commissioned for various organizations, the BWB Family remains committed to learning from and collaborating with youth, families and community members who are most negatively impacted by institutional racism, economic oppression, bigotry, xenophobia and nationalism.

Founder, Owner and Director

Aaron Walker-Loud (drums/percussion/production)

Core Members

Camilo Estrada (bass)
Ivan Galvez (percussion)
Mikaela Romero (vocals/cello/percussion)
Ariel Loud (alto sax/soprano sax/keys)

One of DList Magazine’s Top 10 Soul Bands of 2015

“…a relentlessly funky, versatile big band studded with horns and percussion…”

– Jonathan
Zwickel (Seattle Times)

“…badass…collective funk-groove armada…trump-tight chops…one of Seattle’s tightest funk/soul/breaks powerhouses (headed by the inestimable drumming of Aaron Walker-Loud)…”

– Larry Mizell Jr.
(The Stranger)

Support Roster

Support Roster:

WOODWIND: Tobi Stone, Kate Olson, Adam Harris, Darian Asplund, Dylan Heaney, Carlos Overall, Ben Roseth

TRUMPET: Jumaane Smith, Riley Mulherkar, Owuor Arunga, Chris Littlefield, Carter Yasutake, Bob Frazier, Ahamefule J. Oluo (clarinet / bass clarinet)

TROMBONE: Ty Peterson, Willem De Koch, Ben O’Shea, Naomi Siegel

GUITAR: Dan Rapport, Ryan Waters, RL Heyer, Evan Gackstatter, Chris Clark-Johnson, Andy Coe, Jabrille Williams aka Jimmy James, Arie Pytel, Mark Oi

KEYS: Darrius Willrich, Marc Hager, Mack Grout, Gus Carns, Alex Chadsey, Avi Loud

BASS: Avi Loud, Jefferson Rose, Kevin Hudson, Andrew Imanaka

STEEL DRUM & PERCUSSION: Absolom Shantz

PERCUSSION: Thione Diop, Walter A Torres, Ahkeenu Musa, Teo Shantz, Larry Rock

DANCE, VOCAL HARMONY & PERCUSSION: Camille Primous

MULTI-MEDIA: Avi Loud, Atuanya Priester, Adam Curtis, Quang Nguyen

Big World Breaks Core Members

Click Below to Find Out More!

“Working with Aaron Walker-Loud and Big World Breaks is always an honor. They have created a fabulous community environment and when working with them, you feel like you’re family. Musically, the energy and integrity is always spot on. I’ve been collaborating with Aaron for over 20 years now and have always enjoyed his presence both on and off the bandstand”

– Jumaane Smith

“I first became aware of Aaron Walker-Loud and Big World Breaks soon after I moved to Seattle in 2012 when I happened upon a YouTube video for one of the group’s singles. I was impressed with the song, the performances, and the production and I felt compelled to get in touch. In becoming familiar with his work as an artist and an educator, I’ve since come to consider him an integral part of this city’s music community. I’m fortunate to have had and I look forward to having many more opportunities to collaborate and create with him and Big World Breaks.”

– Ryan Waters

“I was lucky enough to be brought into the Big World Breaks family when I was still in high school. Those early studio sessions, shows, and collaborations were a formative part of my musical development, and set an example for how music should be – inclusive, imaginative, and inspired.”

– Riley Mulherkar
(The Westerlies)

“BWB is a staple in the emerging and stable Seattle music scene. Definitely an inspiration for artists and an upliftment for the community. Glad they are on our Team! #Townbiz”

– Black Stax

“Big World Breaks are a collective group that really understand music on a comprehensive level.”

– JD “Twixx” Rainey
(Massive Monkees / Footwork Fanatix / Groovaloos / L.O.D.B. / Nation of Funk)

“Throughout the years I’ve worked with Big World Breaks they’ve conducted business with the utmost integrity and transparency. Aaron Walker loud and his team are industry professionals with decades of experience and are dedicated to bringing the best out of any project they are a part of.”

– Daniel Robinson
(former student / former intern: Big World Breaks)

ABOUT BIG WORLD BREAKS

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History

Support Roster

Big World Breaks Core Members

Big World Breaks’ 20th Anniversary Celebration & Inaugural Fundraiser for the BWB Drumline