Bridging the acoustic and electronic worlds

Parker McAllister understands the sonic connections and disconnections that happen when combining natural acoustic instruments with samples and electronic instruments. He was excited to design a pack bridging these worlds.

Parker McAllister has toured and recorded with GRAMMY-winning trumpet powerhouse Maurice Brown, Chilean hip hop superstar Ana Tijoux, and the renowned activist and GRAMMY-nominated group, Sweet Honey in the Rock. McAllister is a part of the social and educational movement and multimedia presentation Soundtrack 63’, presented by Lincoln Center twice a year. Additionally, he’s a founding member of the internationally acclaimed band, The Love Experiment.

McAllister graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in 2012 where he was mentored by the greats Cecil McBee and Oscar Stagnaro. During his tenure in Boston, McAllister studied upright bass and was one of a very few students ever accepted on electric bass.

McAllister was born in Brooklyn, New York where his music career began with playing classical piano at age four. In the 5th grade, he learned to play upright bass and performed regularly with a classical string quartet. He’s self-taught on the electric bass and began playing with his church at age 12 and toured extensively with gospel and R&B groups through high school. As a teenager, he studied jazz piano and bass at the Manhattan School of Music where he had the privilege of studying and performing with icons including Josh Parish and Ethan Halpern on bass, and Donald Vega and Karim Merchant on piano.