Jojo Draven
Encyclopedia
Josephine Soegijanty-Draven is an Indonesia
n musician and film score
composer. She is currently a cast member of the Blue Man Group
. She was also a guitarist
for the American
all-female heavy metal
band Phantom Blue
and the tribute band The Iron Maidens
.
in Hollywood, CA
. There, she became the protege of Alex Skolnick
, guitarist of the heavy metal band Testament
.
In 1996, Draven joined the all-female band Phantom Blue
as their main guitarist under the name Josephine. She remained with the band until their demise in late-2001. On June of that same year, she and drummer Linda McDonald
joined vocalist Jenny Warren
, bassist Melanie Sisneros
(formerly of Raven Mad and New Eden) and guitarist Sara Marsh
(formerly of Bandit) to form the tribute band The Iron Maidens
("World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden
"). Her stage name in the Maidens was "Adrienne Smith," a female version of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith
. Draven's tenure in both Phantom Blue and the Maidens earned her three Rock City Awards for Best Female Guitarist.
Shortly after the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 2005, Draven left the Maidens to pursue a career in composing film scores - many of which have been produced and/or directed by her husband, Danny Draven.
Starting October 2011, Draven will play guitar in the Blue Man Group
in Las Vegas, Nevada
.
and Ghost Month.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n musician and film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composer. She is currently a cast member of the Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
. She was also a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
all-female heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
and the tribute band The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden...
.
Biography
Born in Java, Indonesia, Jojo Draven started her music career as a keyboardist for several rock bands in the country. Tired of playing keyboard as a result of her classical piano training, she learned to play guitar from the best local guitarist. Shortly afterward, she joined an all-female rock band and found some success before relocating to the U.S., where she studied at the Musicians InstituteMusicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
in Hollywood, CA
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
. There, she became the protege of Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
, guitarist of the heavy metal band Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
.
In 1996, Draven joined the all-female band Phantom Blue
Phantom blue
Phantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
as their main guitarist under the name Josephine. She remained with the band until their demise in late-2001. On June of that same year, she and drummer Linda McDonald
Linda McDonald
Linda McDonald is the drummer of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens . In addition, she is a member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band The Little Dolls and the cover bands Valley Dolls, Crabby Patty and Unholy Pink...
joined vocalist Jenny Warren
Jenny Warren
Jenny Warren is an American female singer, best known as the co-founder of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens.-Biography:Jenny Warren first had an Iron Maiden tribute band called Wrathchild. The idea came when she discovered the website of a Chicago-based tribute band called Revelations...
, bassist Melanie Sisneros
Melanie Sisneros
Melanie Sisneros is an American bassist and is currently a member of four bands: , , and . She was also a former member of the bands Sinergy, The Iron Maidens and .-Biography:Melanie Ann Sisneros was born the second of three daughters and raised in various towns in New Mexico...
(formerly of Raven Mad and New Eden) and guitarist Sara Marsh
Sara Marsh
Sara Marsh was one of two guitarists of the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens . In addition, she is a former founding member of the Ozzy Osbourne tribute band The Little Dolls...
(formerly of Bandit) to form the tribute band The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens
The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden...
("World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
"). Her stage name in the Maidens was "Adrienne Smith," a female version of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
. Draven's tenure in both Phantom Blue and the Maidens earned her three Rock City Awards for Best Female Guitarist.
Shortly after the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 2005, Draven left the Maidens to pursue a career in composing film scores - many of which have been produced and/or directed by her husband, Danny Draven.
Starting October 2011, Draven will play guitar in the Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Career as score composer
In 2001, Draven composed her first film score for the motion picture Hell Asylum. Since then, she has gone to score other independent films such as Witches of the CaribbeanWitches of the Caribbean
Witches of the Caribbean is a homoerotic Horror movie, released in 2005, directed by David DeCoteau.-Plot summary:Seventeen-year-old Angela suffers from a recurring nightmare about a 16th century witch burned to death on a dark and mysterious beach...
and Ghost Month.
Phantom Blue
- Caught LiveCaught Live (Phantom Blue album)Caught Live! is a live album by American all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue.The set list consists mainly of songs from Built to Perform and Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts. "Going Mad" is the only song from the band's self-titled debut album on the list...
(1997) - Full BlownFull Blown (Phantom Blue album)Full Blown is an EP release by American all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue. Following the release of the live album Caught Live!, lead vocalist Gigi Hangach departed from the band, leaving drummer Linda McDonald as the sole founding member....
(1998)
The Iron Maidens
- World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden (2005/2006)
- Girls Got Rhythm!Girls Got Rhythm!Girls Got Rhythm! is a compilation album featuring various all-female tribute bands. The album is named after the song of the same title by AC/DC.-Track listing:# "Thunderstruck" –...
(Compilation) (2006)- "Run to the HillsRun to the Hills"Run to the Hills" was Iron Maiden's sixth single and the first single from their 1982 album The Number of the Beast. The lyrics clearly discuss the violence visited upon Native Americans in the Nineteenth Century. Several lines appear to address the Sioux Wars, a conflict between the Lakota...
"
- "Run to the Hills
- Route 666 (2007)
- Appears on the live DVD portion.
Collaborations
- Warmth in The Wilderness (Tribute to Jason BeckerJason BeckerJason Eli Becker is an American virtuoso neo-classical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988...
) - Gitar Klinik 2 (Various artists)
Filmography
- Hell Asylum (2001)
- Cryptz (2002)
- Darkwalker (2003)
- Ring of DarknessRing of DarknessRing of Darkness is a horror/fantasy movie, released in 2004, directed by David DeCoteau. Although never released into American theaters, the movie was released worldwide, and translated into several languages other than English, such as French, Spanish, Italian and German.-Plot summary:The lead...
(2004) - Witches of the CaribbeanWitches of the CaribbeanWitches of the Caribbean is a homoerotic Horror movie, released in 2005, directed by David DeCoteau.-Plot summary:Seventeen-year-old Angela suffers from a recurring nightmare about a 16th century witch burned to death on a dark and mysterious beach...
(2005) - Ghost Month (2008)