Clayton Thompson aces the bass

By Vicki Botta
WARWICK — When Clayton Thompson was in seventh grade, he and his family left Iowa for Warwick. He dad has lost his job and found a new one in New York. The move might have been traumatic for another kid at this stage of life, but Clayton is a musician.

Already a talented euphonium player with experience singing in a choir, he quickly fit in with the band at Warwick Valley Middle School.

The following year, Clayton's parents surprised him with an electric bass and found a local bass teacher, John Arbo. He turned out to be an inspiration.

Arbo, who has played bass professionally for 40 years, brought Clayton to the pit orchestra of "Les Mis" and other shows he performs on Broadway. Being that close to the music, the driver of so many Broadway shows, showed Clayton the powerful effect live music has on an audience. Clayton rose his own bar, and strives to be the same kind of musician that his teacher is.

“Clayton is a very talented guy and generally engaging fellow," Arbo said. "He's pretty diligent about practicing and has made great progress on the double bass, which he's only been playing for a year and a half or so. He's also a good electric bass player, euphonium player and singer. It's a pleasure to have such a motivated and serious student.”

A new, music-friendly community

Clayton transitioned from the euphonium to the bass fairly easily because the music for both instruments is written in bass clef.

"I got pretty good in a pretty short amount of time," he said.

He played in a local band called Merge for a year, and then another band, Los Huevos, picked him up. He once had to learn 35 songs in two weeks, playing bass and singing back-up harmonies.

In ninth grade, he tried the upright bass. It didn't take long for him to accelerate naturally.

After only two years, he was accepted into several All County Festivals, where the best players in the county audition for limited seating positions. He only recently discovered that he was accepted into the All State Festival for Jazz, where the best players in New York audition even more competitively. His band teacher at school, Christopher Persad, said Clayton is his first student from Warwick ever to make Jazz All-State. Clayton was also the first person in Persad's 12 years of teaching to get into the All-Eastern — the best players of the New England Eight States — with the euphonium. He's now more known for playing bass, which he is much more passionate about.

Clayton is also in three Honors music ensembles, Meister Singers, Wind Ensemble on euphonium, and the Chamber Strings on upright bass.

“All of this stuff has happened to me because I moved out here," said Clayton. "It definitely wouldn't have happened if I remained in Iowa. I wouldn't have realized my full potential. Being raised in a very music friendly community such as Warwick, I am extremely lucky to be able to excel at what I'm passionate about.”

An artistic familyClayton said his mom played flute a long time ago and was really good.

“She got into honors ensembles but is now more of a visual artist and does mostly stained glass," he said.

His dad is a computer designer who paints, sculpts, and creates comic books.

Arbo discovered that Clayton has perfect pitch, the ability to identify any pitch he hears, and to play any pitch perfectly in tune — or know when it is even slightly out of tune. Only one in 10,000 people have perfect pitch, Clayton said, but the gift must be cultivated before age ten before musicians can use it.

He has surprised his teachers at school by playing technically challenging bass leads found in songs by Rush and one particularly challenging part in “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. In his first professional gig, in July, Clayton played in the Jeremy Langdale Band, an all-cover band, when their original bass player couldn't make it. He had to "wing it" onstage after only three hours of preparation, but was said to have given a very tight performance on the blues and hard rock pieces he performed.

Building confidenceWhen he's not playing bass, Clayton likes to play guitar with friends at open mics and to perform his own compositions. He particularly enjoys the Tuscan Café, where a young crowd gathers, expecting an edgier punk or Ska sound, and at Café Ala Mode, where an older, more nurturing crowd is receptive to classic rock covers. At both venues, he's learned the etiquette of “If you play, you stay" — which means you should listen to others play and not rush off the minute your own performance is done.

Through playing at open mics, Clayton has gained more confidence in playing in front of other people. Some of the music he writes is influenced by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Police, jazz, and simple rock. He says he feels really good about his playing and confident he'll keep getting better with hard work. But he doesn't want to “get a big head” about himself.

Clayton has already started preparing essays and audition recordings for his continuing music education, at schools like Julliard, the Manhattanville School of Music, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and the New School for Jazz, just to name a few. Waiting to see where he'll end up is almost painful, but he's optimistic that he will make the right decision and that, whatever school he attends, he will be able to play all types of music.

Clayton doesn't take AP classes or play sports. He is focused on his music.

“I want to go into it with an attitude that there isn't anything I can't do," he said. "I can probably become a really great player and a true professional."