We recently connected with Mo Egeston and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mo, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love it if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Well I’ve been told it’s an Egeston family trait to take pride in and be grateful for whatever work you’re doing. And to give that work every single thing you can. I’ve also been told that I am well on my way to continuing this tradition.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’ve worked as a musician and educator in the St. Louis area since the mid 1990s. After getting my Masters degree in Piano Performance- Chamber Music and Accompanying I began working as a pianist, bandleader and educator in both private studio and classroom scenarios.
My current creative vehicle is my band Mo Egeston All-Stars (AKA Mo E All-Stars) which blends elements of jazz fusion, soul, Latin and dance music inspired grooves. The band features original music, collaborations with other artists including AhSa-Ti Nu and my arrangements and interpretations of classic and contemporary soul, pop, r&b and jazz.
With the All-Stars I have spent a good amount of time holding down residencies at area venues past and present including former venues The Delmar Lounge and Lola. From 2017 until the Covid era I hosted Late Night Grooves on Saturdays at the Dark Room which was developed out of my residency (inaugural class) with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
These days, the band continues to be a source of true joy. It gives a voice to my creative vision which is vital to my happiness but equally I’ve been lucky to work with some truly great people along the way. I’ve collaborated with percussionist Duane “Jingo” Williams for 15 years in various versions of this project which also features bass player Eric “Snoopy” Tyler and drummer Andrew Gibson who took over for longtime drummer Grover Stewart after he moved.
I also run my own Mo Egeston Piano Studio and have been an instructor at Teipen Performing Arts for many years. Along with my work as a piano teacher, which is a 5-6 day a week endeavor, I accompany student recitals and festivals which allows me to stay in touch with my classical music roots.
The newest component to my piano career is my work at St. John’s UCC on North Grand. I did not grow up playing in church but I’m grateful to have found a community that I’m proud to support musically. Along with the great people I’ve met there, many members of the music team (anchored by drummer Andrew Gibson) also collaborate with me in the Mo Egeston All-Stars. Recently we had a really great show at Music at the Intersection i(September 2023) where I was able to feature vocalists Nikki Ellis, Michelle Higgins, (both of whom I met at St. John’s) artist AhSa-Ti Nu and St. Louis favorite Robert Nelson.
We will be continuing these collaborations in 2024 including February 17 with AhSa-Ti Nu at Blue Strawberry. And new music is in the works which will eventually lead to some recording.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
How this looks will be different in all pursuits but having experts in any field guide you and share their wisdom and skills is essential in my opinion. Understanding that there is always someone who knows more than you and is frankly much better than you is vital. So the first component that served me well is a hunger for knowledge. School is not a necessary path for all, but my training as a pianist through my Masters has proved to be essential to my career. Even though I did not pursue the path I originally planned as a full time college professor I use the broad skills I developed especially in graduate school on a daily basis. I of course use these skills directly as a pianist and educator but the necessary discipline to complete my studies also laid the foundation for what I’ve been able to do as a self employed musician.
Although I have certainly not been perfect in this regard a second vital component is how you interact with your colleagues and people that work for you. I think the network of people I’ve worked with throughout my career is one of my biggest strengths. Be kind and professional to the people in your career orbit and they will support you.
And finally not everyone can lead but someone has to. I was an accidental leader very early in my career. While definitely not the original plan I realize now that I was fortunate to be the organizing factor behind some very talented groups of people. And I am still learning from the many mistakes I’ve made along the way. But I also grew to accept that leading was something I could do, so when it came time to start leading groups under my name, I had skills in place that allowed me to move forward. This is especially helpful in today’s do it yourself world.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Along with providing a great home, my parents were both in education. Mom really loved to read and in Dad’s case I believe he was the first of his siblings to get a college degree. It’s because of them, both as models to emulate and how they leaned on me to do my best, that I love learning to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: moegeston.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moegeston/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@moisme
Image Credits
Kita Anthony, Philip Hamer
