Graham Leva grew up in Austin, Texas and has been playing both electric and double bass since he was 14 years old.  His musical education began with French Horn in middle school, but he soon thereafter shifted his emphasis towards the bass because of its versatility and the various genres and styles that it offers access to. 

He initially began performing and playing with rock bands, but spent the majority of his formative years on bass learning and playing jazz in big bands.  During which time he won a number of awards for his bass playing.  After high school, he moved on to the University of Texas where he made the switch from jazz to classical music. 

While at the University of Texas, Graham was honored as being the youngest musician to ever be invited to join the University of Texas’s prestigious New Music Ensemble.  He also performed with the University of Texas symphony orchestra for several years. In 2008, he received a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in theory and a minor in Japanese from UT, and spent the following year in Japan teaching English and furthering his knowledge of Japanese musical practices.  Graham has also participated in master classes with some of the world’s greatest double bassists, including Edgar Meyer and François Rabbath.    

Having been instructed through the Rabbath method, Graham stresses playing positions and postures acclimated to the individual student, rather than a rigid methodology that can, particularly with the double bass, cause problems for players.  In addition to traditional repertoire, he believes in training one’s ear through transcribing and encourages students to bring to the lessons any material that they find compelling and want to learn.   He also places great importance on understanding pieces through the lenses of music theory and history, in addition to the precedents of other performers.