About Dominic

"This dude picks up and retains information faster than most. His playing incites many to make that feel good stink-face, but don't listen too long or you'll get stuck like that." - Jason Hawk Harris

Dominic Roch Martinez is a freelance musician, primarily as a bassist, based in Los Angeles since late 2016. Originally from Richmond, VA, he graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University in 2012 with a B.A. in Music as a Presidential Scholar of the Arts.

Before moving to LA, Dominic began his professional career in Washington, DC, playing bass in numerous jazz ensembles (including the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra), tango groups, symphony orchestras, musical pit bands, funk/soul bands, and other various groups. 

During his time in the DC area between 2008 and 2016, he performed at many area venues, including the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, the Embassy of Uruguay, and the Embassy of France. In 2013, he spent four months performing with the RKO Quartet, led by Ron Mills (formerly of the Glenn Miller Orchestra), on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. He was a featured musician in the 2014 GALA Theater production Puro Tango II. 

Since moving to LA, along with his continued freelancing work, Dominic's primary work is as one half of the duo Roch & Rose. He has also played bass with indie rock band The Lavender Scare, Bloodshot Records artist Jason Hawk Harris, TV and film composer Raashi Kulkarni, Los Angeles lounge legends Marty and Elayne, the musician collective Flight of Voices, Mitch Bradford, Maria Weissman, Rondalla Club of Los Angeles, Gaku Murata, and the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra. In Southern California, he has performed at venues including Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hotel Cafe, Village Studios, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Whisky a Go Go, the Viper Room, and the Dresden. Nationwide, he has performed in cities including New York City, Dallas, Tulsa, New Orleans, Austin, Memphis, Phoenix, Detroit, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. In early 2022, Dominic toured with Tango Argentina as a member of the Fabrizio Mocata Quartet. 

Dominic also has performed publicly on drums with Marty and Elayne, on laud/octavina with Rondalla Club of LA, and on cello with Flight of Voices, Maria Weissman, and Gaku Murata.

Samples of recordings and live performances that Dominic has contributed to can be found here.

Aside from performance, Dominic is also an avid music educator - from 2013 to 2014, he was a bass instructor with the DC Youth Orchestra Program. Today, he continues to teach private lessons to students of all ages and skill levels for bass, as well as beginner to intermediate levels for piano, guitar, cello, violin, ukulele, and drums.