Joseph Marmarella was born in Ontario, Canada, and grew up just outside of Portland, Oregon. The son of a classical pianist, Joseph was introduced to music at a young age and quickly took to the guitar. In high school, Joseph's passion for music grew and he signed up for every music class he could, and decided to continue his education by pursuing a degree in music through Portland State University (PSU).

 

At PSU, Mr. Marmarella studied under several notable jazz greats, such as George Colligan and Darrell Grant and he studied advanced guitar technique under instructor Jeff Putterman. He also focused on a deep study of advanced techniques for composition and improvisation in addition to his studies of advanced music theory. In 2019, Joseph earned his Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Guitar.

 

Joseph's interests in music are broad and he has played with ensembles in all genres ranging from funk to rock and metal to traditional and jazz.  He enjoys writing original music for his fusion band, the Joseph Mammarella Group, and plays regularly in the Portland area.