Samantha St. John is a fourth year undergraduate at Rice University, studying under the tutelage of Paul Ellison. She is a student originating from a dual jazz and classical music background, employing both aspects throughout her career. Professionally, throughout recent years, she was a faculty member and performer at the Cleveland Tri-C Summer JazzFest, principal bassist of the Cleveland Women's Orchestra, and active member of the Houston modern music collective, "Musiqa". To expand her studies beyond college, Samantha has participated in several music festivals, including the DCBass workshop in 2022 (Ira Gold, Paul Denola), the Wabass Institute in 2023 (Hal Robinson, Ranaan Meyer), and Domaine Forget de Charlevoix in 2023 (Paul Ellison, Nick Walker, Francois Rabbath). Presently, Samantha is building her teaching studio, and becoming an active freelancer in the cities of Houston and Cleveland.