Lauren Jones has been playing cello for twenty-six years. Her love of music (rock music especially) started at a young age when she would sing along with her favorite musical movies and listen to her parents' record collection. Lauren decided to play the cello in elementary school after seeing it in a school orchestra concert. She loved its beautiful sound and unique size.
Beginning in middle school, Lauren became interested in the idea of playing rock and experimental cello. In high school, she discovered and was inspired by rock cello groups such as Apocalyptica. Her first "electric cello" experience was playing "The Star Spangled Banner" Jimi Hendrix style for a church rock concert. She hooked a specially designed cello pick-up to her bridge and played it through a guitar amp with a wah pedal.
Lauren attended music school at the University of Arizona. While there, she studied cello under Nancy Green, Nelzimar Neves, and Mark Votapek. She also joined her first rock band, The Evergreen. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education in 2008.
After graduation, Lauren taught orchestra, general music, and choir in the Avondale Elementary School District. In 2009 she founded the band, orchestra, and elementary violin program at the Rancho Solano Private School Gilbert campus and taught there for the next two years.
While teaching, Lauren joined a funk metal band called Risky Agenda. This band performed in the Tempe area and eventually changed into the band PoorWater, a progressive rock band. While in PoorWater, Lauren purchased her first fully electric six string cello. Having a fully electric cello with a larger range in both the high and low ends dramatically changed her sound possibilities and allowed her to be able to stand while performing.
PoorWater released their album, Harvesting Habits, in 2011. PoorWater stayed together until late 2012, performing at various venues around Tempe, Mesa, Phoenix, and Scottsdale and opening for national acts such as Smile Empty Soul and 10 Years.
In early 2013, Lauren joined the electric rock project Don't Panic. They released an E.P., Dos Robot Circus, in December 2014.
In the summer of 2015, Lauren parted ways with Don't Panic and reconnected with two cellists she had known and played with throughout high school and college, Michael G. Ronstadt and Kenneth D. Stewart, to form The Plenary Art Ensemble. They played their debut concert of experimental and improvisational modern music for cello, bass, guitar, voice, and electronics at the New Directions Cello Festival in Ithaca, New York.
Later that summer, Lauren joined the ambient alternative rock band, Ghostwalk. They released their first full-length album, Archive, in October 2015. After a couple of years of exploration as a band and joining forces with a new singer, Ghostwalk released their second album, Final Lullaby, in 2019.
In 2021, Lauren began to revisit traditional visual art, a hobby she has had since she was a young child. This is her current artistic focus.
