Steven Heffner

Hailing from Washington, Steven has spent the greater part of his life making music throughout the United States. He has shared performances with artists including Chris Potter, Audrey Ochoa, Rashawn Ross, Christian McBride, and Louis Bonilla and been invited to perform in China, Colombia, and Europe. Equally comfortable as a leader or a sideman, Steven brings a spirit of collaboration and generosity to his music endeavors.  Steven pursued studies at Eastern Washington University and the University of North Texas in performance, jazz studies, and music theory which culminated in a dissertation on the free improvisation of Dave Holland and Sam Rivers on their 1976 album Holland/Rivers Volume 1. This research focused on a sampling of ways Holland and Rivers would interact in the domains of melody, harmony, form, and energy.  As an educator, Steven has taught at Marshall University and West Virginia Wesleyan College where he mentored young jazz musicians in applied lessons and small ensembles. He currently serves students as a Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas where he has taught a range of courses including applied jazz bass and aural skills.