Jeff Yasuda

Jeff Yasuda is the Chief Executive Officer of Fuzz (fuzz.com), a digital record label and new media company with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In early 2005, after a career in investment banking and venture capital, Jeff decided to put everything aside to travel throughout Southeast Asia and South America with his wife Celeste, for about six months. During his travels, he realized that "life is too short not to pursue your passions," and returned with some wild ideas about a company that combined his love for music and knowledge of technology and building businesses.

"When traveling overseas, it's amazing what happens when we get away from cell phones and emails and take some time to truly think about our lives. I realized that we are all on this earth for only a short period of time and that it is absolutely important to pursue our dreams. I started playing in bands when I was 13, and when I started working on Wall Street I didn't even touch my guitar. Now that I'm in the music biz, things are just a bit different. At Fuzz, we are using technology to cut costs, maximize results, and pass financial savings on to the artists. It's crazy to think that checking out bands is now part of my job!"

"Thanks to Blue Bear, I now can't go on a single trip without my guitar. I grew up in San Francisco and Blue Bear was an important part of my development as a musician and as a listener. In my 'free time' I perform in two bands here in the city - Fuzz (fuzzfunk.com), a six-piece funk band, and Independent Orange (independentorange.com), a rock trio. There's nothing better than getting constructive feedback in the Songwriting Workshops before performing on stage. I cannot say enough good things about Blue Bear, the teachers, and the folks behind the scenes who make it one of the hippest music schools in the country."