Bio
Aeryn Jade “AJ” Santillan (she/her) is a composer, guitarist, and bassist whose work draws from the DIY punk scene, blurring the lines between band and ensemble, song and composition.
AJ currently performs in forever (bass/vox), Wellness (vox), and this place is actually the worst (guitar/vox), and has toured across the USA, Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Japan. From 2018–2025, she was the bassist and vocalist for experimental screamo band Massa Nera, and is a co-founder of the post-genre DIY label people | places | records.
As a composer, AJ has been commissioned by groups including 45th Parallel Universe, Bang on a Can, Del Sol String Quartet, ~Nois, percussionist Adam Groh, and more. She is an alum of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, and the Toronto Creative Music Lab.
AJ holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Columbia College Chicago and a Master of Music in Theory and Composition degree from New York University. Previous mentors include Gabriela Lena Frank, Michael Gordon, Julia Wolfe, Marcos Balter, David Reminick, Drew Baker, and Ilya Levinson. She is currently an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt and freelances as a performer, art handler, and sound person.
Outside of music, she enjoys skateboarding, RPGs, video games, reading, documentaries, and vegan junk food. She lives in Ridgewood, NY with her partner and cat.
How to pronounce my name:
Aeryn = AIR-in | Jade = JAYD | Santillan = sahn-ti-YAHN