Black Sheep, artists, and dreamers
Jessica Wachs with black sheep, artists, and dreamers
Jessica Wachs performing at the Key West Songwriters Festival
Growing up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Jessica Wachs studied music and playied the French horn. She spent the summer months in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her mother.
Jessica finally started singing in her junior year of high school, studying vocals as an alto with an inspirational choir director. She spent her senior year at a new school, La Civa High School, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
She transitioned into a new location and a self-created clean slate full of confidence. She got the lead in the senior class play, graduating in 2009. Jessica attended the University of New Mexico with a scholarship to sing classical and opera. In 2012, she went to England to study at University of Leeds. While there, she switched majors to intercultural communications with a minor in anthropology, trying to learn more about humanity, how things worked, and used music as a vehicle to spread cultural shifting ideas. She saw the Olympics in Great Britain, listened to Flamenco music in Spain, and sat in many ancient cathedrals listening to their music.
After a year, Jessica returned to the University of New Mexico, recommitted to singing and music. The university only had classical music programs so Jessica started an a cappella choir that still exists today. It’s now a fully credited course.
With the start of the choir, Jessica also started her own company, Rumble Productions. She began writing original music, got involved with the film industry, flash mob scenes, and videos, private clients, contributing to episodes of “Better Call Saul”, “Yellowstone”, “Longmire” and others productions. The local music theater company was producing Evita. Jessica, at age 26, auditioned for the lead role and starred in the production.
Jessica Wachs and Larry Smith performing.
She moved to Los Angeles, by way of New Orleans, to study jazz. After a two-month road trip, she arrived in L.A. and began as an Uber driver, positioned outside of Disney and Universal Studios, hoping to get directors and producers in her Uber. She met a number of people, quickly began getting roles, and became an assistant to Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”). Just as she was being considered for a full-time studio position, the COVID epidemic started, shutting down all film productions.
Jessica moved into the family cabin in the north woods of Wisconsin, planning on a 2-3 month stay while COVID ran through. She ended up in the cabin alone for almost a year. She did a lot of reading and wrote music (“Sweet Georgia” and “Ballot Box”) and several potential productions.
After a year, she planned a two week visit to a cousin in Key West in 2021 – that lasted over five years. Like many others, Jessica was amazed at the live music scene. The first entertainer she met in Key West was Raven Cooper at the Schooner Wharf bar. She loved meeting and partnering with the black sheep, the artists, and the dreamers of Key West. She started gigging and getting involved with a number of groups in Key West, including trying out with Jerrod Isaman and his band, Coconut Victrola. Jessica became ill and developed nodules on her vocal chords requiring complete vocal rest for over three years.
She switched to a job sailing and later started a vocal lab. The vocal lab was an immediate success with 16 students in the first six-week workshop and 33 in the second. Between 2022-2025, she taught 129 students at her vocal lab. She was nominated for an Iggie award for Mentor of the Year at the Key West Music Awards four years in a row.
Her vocal lab had several locations in Key West starting at the Armory on White Street and finishing at Party 105.7 Radio station facility which housed the vocal lab in an empty space. Jessica has also become a radio personality.
Jessica Wachs holding her Key West Musicians Awards – Iggie Award
Jessica has produced a number of plays in Key West, including “This Blows – A Musical Comedy That Doesn’t Suck” which is one third music, one third comedy and one third theater all about hurricanes. She hopes this production becomes part of Key West culture.
She also produced “Flip the Bird Jazz Cabaret”, with Larry Smith and James King, “The Bird Drops” at La Te Da, and The Jessica Wachs Jazz Cabaret at the American Legion Post 168 in Bahama Village. Larry Smith hosted a show at the American Legion Hall Post 168 in Bahama Village during the Key West Songwriters Festival which included a performance by Jessica Wachs, to a packed house.
Jessica is planning her next adventure to Los Angeles which has production resources that Key West doesn’t – but they don’t have the characters that Key West provides. 
She plans to spend time in both locations and says she will never really leave Key West. Jessica will produce a musical travel show inspired by Key West. On her way to L.A., she plans to visit Nashville and New Orleans, writing episodes of the travel show which will be made for Keys Living TV, spreading the good word of the “One Human Family”.
To Jessica, the type of person that comes to Key West has a special grit and character. This acts as a filter along with all the struggles and trials it takes to make it in here. Jessica feels this helps unite all the black sheep, the artists, and the dreamers. She says we have an extra bit of empathy with each other, having to compete with actual hurricanes.
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