Jesse Mell grew up in rural Pennsylvania, graduating Pennridge High School in 1997. When Jesse moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple University on a full scholarship for Music Education, he was introduced to the music of Miles Davis, Parliament, and Tupac. He was inspired to double major in Jazz and Classical Music Education, took graduate credits in Jazz Composition, and went on to earn a Masters of Educational Leadership. Jesse is an alumni of the Crossmen and Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps.

In 2003, Jesse was hired as a marching percussion specialist for Philadelphia Public Schools, and immediately recognized the need for a culturally-centered curriculum and learning system to serve Black and Latinx learners. He began writing warmups and cadences in the style of popular Hip Hop songs, creating skill-appropriate, differentiated versions of each arrangement for elementary, middle, and high school students. His students became inspired to practice on their own, developed quickly, and took great pride in their school drumline programs! Jesse knew he had created a system that could revolutionize percussion education: Mad Beatz.

Jesse Mell launched Mad Beatz Methods in 2010 to publish method books and resources that would teach world-class fundamentals within the context of popular music. Kids loved warming up, reading new music, and practicing show music along with a playlist of their favorite songs instead of a metronome. Listening to the added layers of rhythm in a song - instead of just a quarter note - proved to drastically increase their listening skills, musical instincts, and passion for practice.

Taking the Mad Beatz system a step further, Jesse decided to create a DJ Drumline that could play along to live DJs at a moment’s notice, using a performance system based on hand signals and a playlist of tempo-defined arrangements. Jesse and his most dedicated alumni perfected the #djdrumline system, and the supergroup Mad Beatz Philly was born, playing live to DJs at festivals and clubs across the Philadelphia area from 2016 until the Covid pandemic.

Since 2013, Mad Beatz Methods’ teacher training, resources, and learning system have been the driving force behind a resurgence of school drumline programs across Philadelphia. Both Musicopia and the Mann Center’s school programs have experienced tremendous growth with Jesse’s system and leadership. Jesse has written three method books: Total Musicianship for Marching Percussion, Total Musicianship for the Beginning Snare Drummer, and Mad Beatz for Beginning Drummers, and co-wrote This is How We Do It with James Riles III of Atlanta Drum Academy. Jesse is very thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn from students, families, and communities across Philadelphia.