by Chelsea Sektnan
Saxon Weiss picked up the ukulele at age 2.
His father, Christian Weiss, showed him the only two chords dad knew.
“From then on, it was game on,” the Christian Weiss said. “I had to Google other chords to show him.”
“I remember just always really enjoying music, and whenever I heard music, I loved it,” said the home schooled 13-year-old Peninsula resident.
Weiss played the ukulele for about six years, gravitating toward Hawaiian styles and experimenting with techniques. When he picked up the guitar at eight he became interested in Hawaiian slack-key and then Travis picking, a fingerstyle associated with country musician Chet Atkins.
That exploration eventually led Weiss to classical guitar, which he now studies with Alexander Milanov; while also learning jazz guitar and music theory from South Bay guitarist and instructor Dan O’Sullivan, with whom Weiss has worked for nearly five years.
“He came to me to study jazz theory and that kind of stuff,” O’Sullivan said. “He just picked everything up really quickly. He’s a hard worker as well as being super talented.”
O’Sullivan said jazz guitar serves as a foundation for learning more challenging music theory.
“There’s a small percentage of musicians who can handle that particular strain of music. Pop and country music are simpler harmonically than jazz,” O’Sullivan said.
Weiss’ training, O’Sullivan said, enables the young musician to navigate musical situations that challenge even experienced players.
“I’ve seen him in situations where he’s playing things that a lot of other guitar players aren’t comfortable doing,” he said. “On top of that, he has good technique and a good sound playing rock or whatever.”
Weiss’ commitment has earned him a prominent position within the South Bay music community. He has performed with pro surfer-turned-musician Donavan Frankwriter at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, and with top-10 singer-songwriter Jackson Browne at BeachLife Music Festival in Redondo Beach. He packed the PV Wine Club for a recent show.
Weiss described Browne as “a really cool, down-to-earth guy” and “a nice person to be around.”
Last month, Weiss performed the National Anthem before an LA Kings-Ottawa Senators hockey game at Cripto.com Stadium.
Weiss said performance anxiety has never been an issue.
“Oh, no. I’ve never gotten nervous,” he said. “It’s always a great time, and I just love performing,” he said
That calm carried over to the Kings’ game performance. Weiss said playing on the ice was “really fun,” noting that the cold made keeping the guitar in tune a challenge, but that the performance “went really well.”
While guitar remains Weiss’s primary instrument, his musical range extends well beyond it.
“I play keyboards, drums, and I sing,” Weiss said. “I play pedal steel guitar … and a little bass, too.”
His songwriting influences are wide-ranging.
“I love all different genres,” he said. “I tend to write Americana, blues, rockish, a bunch of different things, really.”
His songs often reflect a spiritual connection that has been present from the beginning.
“I’ve written some of my songs about God because I’ve had a relationship with God from the start of playing music,” Weiss said. “That’s kind of what got me into music.”
Weiss’s 5-year-old sister, Sparrow, has grown up watching her brother rehearse and perform.
“She’s his biggest fan,” their dad, Christian, said.
Sparrow attends her brother’s shows and has expressed interest in playing music herself, though, like many younger siblings, she hopes to skip straight to performing at his level.
Because Weiss’ performance schedule has grown, he recently transitioned to online schooling.
His next focus is recording.
“I’m planning to record an album,” Weiss said. “That’s been a major thing. It’s in the works.”
In February, Weiss is scheduled to perform in Nashville at the historic country music venue, Ryman Auditorium, during its pedal steel guitar showcase.
Christian said his priority for his son remains balance and perspective.
“Whatever God wants him to do, I’m happy with that,” he said. “With the gifts he was given, it would be nice for him to start touring, making music, and recording. I want him to be able to make a living doing what he likes.” ER
