Jake Byers: From Classical Clarinetist to Van Life Jazz Pianist

EUGENE, Ore. — The air smelled of black coffee and weed. Jacob Byers, who goes by Jake, sat in his ruby-red Chevrolet G20 van behind his Nord piano, fiddling with the keys. He was preparing for another day teaching private piano lessons to students across Oregon. 

Born and raised in Newberg, Oregon, Jake was drawn to music from an early age. He knew he wanted to be a professional musician when he grew up. He picked up the clarinet in the sixth grade, and he would eventually earn a nearly full-tuition scholarship to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2021. He described the school as the “Juilliard of the West Coast.” 

Then came the accident. He was biking home without a helmet when his tires screeched against the pavement. A car failed to yield. His body crashed against the windshield before slamming onto the asphalt. Jake was rushed to the hospital and put into a coma for two and a half weeks. 

When he woke up in the hospital, he discovered he suffered from a diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury: a condition when nerve tissue tears and disrupts the brain’s chemical process and regular communication. He spent two months at Sutter Health’s intensive inpatient neurological rehab facility, where he was being treated for speech, occupational and physical therapy. 

“Going into the accident, I was a vegan for two years, but when I was hit, I didn’t break any bones,” Jake said. “I had vegan superpowers.” Despite his resilience, he did not have all of his memories back. His mom, Stephanie Meyer, was there for most of the recovery process. 

“I would play him a song on Spotify, and that would help him remember a story, “ Meyer said. “The pieces would all start connecting.”  

His time in rehab was anything but normal. “I was convinced that I was in a dream,” Jake said. “I was living in a hospital, doing rehab all day, but I thought it wasn't real.” 

A month and a half into his rehabilitation, his mother snuck him a THC vape pen to smoke in the hospital bathroom. Mayer said, “I was in therapy with him and Jake could answer the questions faster than I could, so I thought he was recovered enough to give him a little bit of weed.” 

“I had a mental breakdown because I thought if this is a dream then I wouldn’t be high right now,” Jake said. “I just remember going to bed that night not knowing if this is a dream, but I better start acting like it isn’t.” 

After leaving the hospital, the clarinet no longer called to him like it used to. He wanted to do something new, so he started learning to play the jazz piano. 

“His clarinet playing has suffered significantly from the loss of many necessary fine motor skills,” said Sarah Choi, Jake’s family friend. “Although experiencing many struggles at first, he surpassed all odds and now plays in jazz combos, takes lessons and practices many hours every day.”

Jake started learning the Taubman Approach, which is a piano technique that emphasizes coordination and correct body alignment. His goal now is to get his Taubman certification, which will allow him to teach this approach to other students so he can start his own jazz program for students. 

These days, Jake spends his time teaching students how to play the piano with a bright smile on his face. He travels across Oregon in his van called Ruby Van Jazz Studio playing the digital piano while his girlfriend sits beside him, doing homework.