Challenge accepted
iAM Music's Jesse Ogle on new gigs, bigger ponds ... and squids

No one has shaped the Durango music scene over the last two decades quite like Jesse Ogle. Bassist, bandleader, nonprofit founder, scene-builder and recently – somehow – Netflix reality show contestant, Ogle has become an anchor figure in the region’s creative ecosystem. He’s led or played in more than 20 Durango bands, including J-Calvin, Nu Bass Theory, Hello Dollface and Mojo Birds. As co-founder of the iAM Music Institute, he has helped engineer its self-named festival and mentored thousands of rising musicians who now define the sound of Durango. I recently sat down with Jesse to talk about his new split life between Durango and Boulder, what it takes to survive as a professional musician in 2025, and his surreal stint on Netflix’s “Squid Game: The Challenge.”

SS: You’re a man of many titles. Can you give us a few of those titles?

JO: Let’s see … I think the title I resonate with the most is professional musician. But secondary to that, I’m the co-founder of iAM Music, which is a nonprofit that’s been in Durango for 13 years. And I’m also the community director of development for an organization in Boulder called Roots Music Project.

SS: What does it take to make it as a professional musician in 2025? The landscape feels more complex than ever.

JO: You need to be diverse. You can’t rely on just one thing anymore. So, yeah, you have to have a skillset in music that goes beyond just playing – teaching, running sound, arranging, recording, whatever it is. Having a diverse set of skills that complements your musicianship is essential. That’s the only way to build something sustainable.

SS: You recently made the jump from living full-time in Durango to splitting time between Durango and Boulder. What stands out to you about the differences and similarities in the respective music communities?

JO: Well, Boulder just has more venues – bigger venues, iconic venues and a lot more volume. But because Durango is so geographically small and everything is essentially centered downtown, music here happens in one concentrated hub. That actually creates a tighter-knit scene. In Boulder, so many musicians are also based in Denver, and the community spreads out. Durango feels more unified.

SS: What does a normal day look like for you at the Roots Music Project?

JO: A lot of meetings. It’s grant writing, funding procurement, planning, connecting with partners. And then, usually, about one or two hours of the day I get to interact musically. We have a youth program that I’ll play bass for, and I host our monthly jazz sessions. That keeps me grounded in the actual music part of the job.

SS: Tell us about the flagship event you put on up there.

JO: The festival is called the Boulder Roots Music Festival. It’s 180 bands, 750 artists, 18 stages, over three days. And the focus is on independent Colorado musicians. We do bring in national acts, but the festival exists primarily to highlight the state’s independent music ecosystem. It’s massive – and growing.

SS: OK, we have to talk about Squid Game. What is “Squid Game: The Challenge,” and what exactly did you do?

JO: Oh man … it’s the craziest thing ever. It’s the No. 1 trending reality show on Netflix in the world. And it’s based on the most popular show they’ve ever had. So I’m on “Squid Game: The Challenge,” Season Two. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, it’s a game show where 456 contestants compete for $4.56 million. They had 160,000 applicants, and I was one of the lucky ones who got picked.

SS: So, what happened?

JO: From the very beginning, I was in a challenge that would eliminate half the team. We had to count to 456 seconds, and the closest team won. I’m like, “Hey, I’m a musician – I do 60 beats per minute all the time.” So I helped my team clap perfectly at 60 BPM for basically seven minutes, which is insane. Inside the dorms, I felt like a hero.

But I got eliminated in a challenge that had nothing to do with skill or strategy. It was literally a game of catch. The ball got thrown short, I couldn’t catch it, and boom – done. You start thinking, “What if I win this thing? And then it’s immediately over.” They actually have a therapy team you can call 24/7 for a year, because the psychological impact is so intense.

SS: Can’t wait to see it! Before we wrap up, what’s on your horizon? Anything you want to share with readers?

JO: I’m playing bass with Blessing Chamanga, an international star from Zimbabwe. We’re doing a New Year’s Eve show at the Durango Arts Center. Also really excited about all the iNDIGO Room shows. We’re working hard to make it the venue to receive music in Durango. And then iAM Music Fest is coming up on its 11th year. We’ve expanded it to seven stages over four days. It’s going to be big.