Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas
Encyclopedia
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas is a Mexican-American musician and author. His current gig is as the bassist for the rock band
Mutemath. Although he is most known for his work with Mutemath, Mitchell-Cárdenas has been playing in bands since he was twelve years old and has worked as a session bassist for the last ten years.
(Influential Phecal Material). After IPM
, Roy, along with Robert Vleck, joined Steve Salinas and Dennis Parker to form the funk
punk
outfit Jive. Many bands followed during these years in the Rio Grande Valley
, e.g., hardcore band Confused, jam band
Atreyu's Ensemble, acoustic band Roadside Prophets
, noise band Otis
and funk band Word
.
Mitchell-Cárdenas moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
when he was eighteen to attend Loyola University New Orleans
, where he studied music
, philosophy
, and classics
. His keen interest in jazz
flourished in its birthplace, and on a break from school in 1997, he acquired his first upright bass in Reynosa
, Mexico
. Mitchell-Cárdenas met Paul Meany
and Adam LaClave
in New Orleans and later joined their group Earthsuit
in 1998 after a semester of study at University of North Texas
, where he studied bass with John Adams. After 4 years of touring with Earthsuit, the band beginning to break up, Roy left the music business and moved back to McAllen to complete his degree.
While completing his undergraduate work in English at The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) (2002–2004), Mitchell-Cárdenas played in various jazz
, latin jazz
, funk
, and salsa
ensembles. He also reunited with a David "Meshach" Jackson, a long-time friend from Baton Rouge, whose album he would produce and co-write in later (Meshach Jackson - Experiments(in)Drowning(ep) - 2006). It was at UTPA that Roy began writing short stories, and compiling material for his first novel. He is currently searching for a way to publish his books. Many of his stories have been posted on his blog. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.) in English, Roy attended St. Thomas University (Florida)
School of Law in Miami; however, he decided to quit in order to take a chance at success with Mutemath.
In response to the redundant questions on bass playing Mitchell-Cárdenas got on the road with Mutemath, he started a free video blog for short bass lessons. These lessons cover technique, tricks, tips, and theory ranging from funk
, jazz
, latin
, and rock
playing.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Mutemath. Although he is most known for his work with Mutemath, Mitchell-Cárdenas has been playing in bands since he was twelve years old and has worked as a session bassist for the last ten years.
Biography
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas is the youngest child of John Eldon Mitchell and Diana Gloria Cárdenas de Mitchell, born on July 25, 1977 in Houston, Texas, United States of America. When he was two years old, his family moved from Houston to McAllen, on the Mexican-American border, where his father began to teach him how to play guitar at the age of six. Roy added drums to his musical arsenal soon thereafter. He attended Milam Elementary, Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS) Catholic School, and Memorial High School. It was at OLS that Mitchell-Cárdenas met Raul Castillo, Robert Vleck, and Nick Treviño, with whom he began a popular underground punk group called IPMIPM
IPM may refer to:Business*Indian Pharmaceutical Market*IPM Informed Portfolio Management, an investment manager*Integrated Project Management, a Capability Maturity Model Integration process area*International Project Management...
(Influential Phecal Material). After IPM
IPM
IPM may refer to:Business*Indian Pharmaceutical Market*IPM Informed Portfolio Management, an investment manager*Integrated Project Management, a Capability Maturity Model Integration process area*International Project Management...
, Roy, along with Robert Vleck, joined Steve Salinas and Dennis Parker to form the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
outfit Jive. Many bands followed during these years in the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
, e.g., hardcore band Confused, jam band
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
Atreyu's Ensemble, acoustic band Roadside Prophets
Roadside Prophets
Roadside Prophets is a 1992 cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John...
, noise band Otis
Otis
-People:*Otis family, Prominent American political family*Otis *Otis -Fictional characters:*Otis, a puppy in The Adventures of Milo and Otis*Otis the Aardvark, a BBC puppet character...
and funk band Word
Word
In language, a word is the smallest free form that may be uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content . This contrasts with a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning but will not necessarily stand on its own...
.
Mitchell-Cárdenas moved to New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
when he was eighteen to attend Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
, where he studied music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
. His keen interest in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
flourished in its birthplace, and on a break from school in 1997, he acquired his first upright bass in Reynosa
Reynosa
Reynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from McAllen, Texas in the United States. As of 2010, the city of Reynosa counts with a population of 607,532...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Mitchell-Cárdenas met Paul Meany
Paul Meany
Paul Meany is the lead singer and keyboardist for the band Mutemath. He is also one of the co-founders of Franklin, TN based independent label Teleprompt Records...
and Adam LaClave
Adam LaClave
Adam LaClave is an American musician and singer. He was one of the vocalists and songwriters for the Christian band Earthsuit. The group's only major-label album, Kaleidoscope Superior, was critically successful. However, the band broke up soon afterward...
in New Orleans and later joined their group Earthsuit
Earthsuit
Earthsuit was a short-lived New Orleans-based Christian rock band formed in 1995. The band consisted of guitarist Dave Rumsey, keyboardist/vocalist Paul Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell, drummer David "Hutch" Hutchison, and vocalist Adam LaClave...
in 1998 after a semester of study at University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
, where he studied bass with John Adams. After 4 years of touring with Earthsuit, the band beginning to break up, Roy left the music business and moved back to McAllen to complete his degree.
While completing his undergraduate work in English at The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) (2002–2004), Mitchell-Cárdenas played in various jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, latin jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, and salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
ensembles. He also reunited with a David "Meshach" Jackson, a long-time friend from Baton Rouge, whose album he would produce and co-write in later (Meshach Jackson - Experiments(in)Drowning(ep) - 2006). It was at UTPA that Roy began writing short stories, and compiling material for his first novel. He is currently searching for a way to publish his books. Many of his stories have been posted on his blog. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(B.A.) in English, Roy attended St. Thomas University (Florida)
St. Thomas University (Florida)
St. Thomas University is a private Roman Catholic university in the Miami, Florida, United States suburb of Miami Gardens.-History:The University traces its roots to the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, by...
School of Law in Miami; however, he decided to quit in order to take a chance at success with Mutemath.
In response to the redundant questions on bass playing Mitchell-Cárdenas got on the road with Mutemath, he started a free video blog for short bass lessons. These lessons cover technique, tricks, tips, and theory ranging from funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
playing.
Discography
- IPMIPMIPM may refer to:Business*Indian Pharmaceutical Market*IPM Informed Portfolio Management, an investment manager*Integrated Project Management, a Capability Maturity Model Integration process area*International Project Management...
: Just To Let You Know We Exist . . . (drums, guitar, vocals) - Jive: Demo (guitar)
- Roadside ProphetsRoadside ProphetsRoadside Prophets is a 1992 cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John...
: Kafecito Sessions (acoustic guitar and vocals) - Katie Wilson: Demo (electric and acoustic bass)
- EarthsuitEarthsuitEarthsuit was a short-lived New Orleans-based Christian rock band formed in 1995. The band consisted of guitarist Dave Rumsey, keyboardist/vocalist Paul Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell, drummer David "Hutch" Hutchison, and vocalist Adam LaClave...
: Noise for Your EyesNoise for Your EyesNoise for Your Eyes is the second independent EP release by Earthsuit. All of the songs from this EP were eventually modified and included on the band's full-length release, Kaleidoscope Superior. Although this EP does not explicitly feature a song by the name of "Noise for Your Eyes," portions of...
(electric and acoustic bass) - EarthsuitEarthsuitEarthsuit was a short-lived New Orleans-based Christian rock band formed in 1995. The band consisted of guitarist Dave Rumsey, keyboardist/vocalist Paul Meany, bassist Roy Mitchell, drummer David "Hutch" Hutchison, and vocalist Adam LaClave...
: Kaleidoscope SuperiorKaleidoscope SuperiorKaleidoscope Superior is the major label debut by Earthsuit. The album features updated versions of select songs from the band's two independent releases, as well as other new songs. "One Time" was the first single serviced to radio from the album...
(electric bass, sample/programming) - Slow Hands: Dependence (Bass on "Cocoon")
- Mutemath: Mutemath (electric and acoustic bass)
- Mutemath: Armistice (electric and acoustic bass, guitar on "Spotlight")
- Mutemath: Odd SoulOdd SoulOdd Soul is the third full length release from New Orleans group Mutemath. The album was released by Teleprompt Records and Warner Bros. Records on October 4, 2011. It the first album without original guitarist Greg Hill. Bassist Roy Mitchell Cardenas filled in on all guitar duties during writing...
(electric bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and percussion)