Jess Bergh

Jess' Biography

Jess is working as our website and graphic designer, maintaining our social media pages, and taking over our mailing list and newsletter duties.

A Shenandoah Valley native, she has been refining her skills as a drummer and graphic designer since 2002. She is a founding member of The Judy Chops in which she is fondly called “Bang” and is captain of the rhythm police. In addition, Jess is a “cool mom”, a home-school teacher, and a great partner and friend.

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She attended Augusta County, Virginia public schools where she began her music education in Orff at age 12 and continued in theatre, musicals, improv, and even worked behind the scenes on several productions with Fort Defiance High School and ShenanArts in stage tech and makeup roles. Her first job in high school was as a Paste-up Technician for the Shenandoah Journal where she designed layouts and edited. She attended Blue Ridge Community College where she studied graphic design, and went on to work at the Copy Centers at James Madison University in 2013.

All the while, Jess and her musical cohorts had been frequenting open mics around the Harrisonburg area for years-- jamming with friends including Molly Rose Murphy and William Howard, who would solidify their musical bond in 2008, forming The Judy Chops.

In 2005, Jess began playing hand drums and percussion in a band of pals, Heart Gets Monkey, where she improvised, wrote songs, and even dabbled on guitar and bass in this multi-instrument band. She began performing professionally ever since on a vintage jazz-style kit called a “cocktail kit” that she has customized to create a truly unique style and sound. Jess has recorded on all five of The Judy Chops' studio albums and has been touring with the band up and down the east coast since 2010. She has also performed with a slew of local and regional bands including Uncle Bengine, The Newtown Queens, Old Hat and Trout Mouth