Will Strickler is a bassist, bandleader, composer and educator based in Columbus, Ohio. He leads Waves de Aché, a band mixing his upbringing on rock, metal and hip-hop with Cuban timba, salsa, samba and other styles of Latin music.  Since winter 2020, Waves de Aché has been the house band for Brothers Drake Meadery’s weekly Jazz Wednesday music series.  Waves De Aché has released three studio albums, “Forward Motion”, “Triptych Continuum” and “Happenin’stance”, all produced by Strickler and featuring many of his compositions.  Waves de Aché has performed at top venues and festivals across the midwest and east coast. 

Since graduating in 2014 with a Bachelor in Music from the Capital University Conservatory of Music, Will has toured with a variety of artists and musicians, including the Grammy winning singer Daya and finalist on NBC’s “The Voice” Chris Jamison.  He has played with a variety of Columbus bands, including indie-rock band Doc Robinson, salsa group Al Son Del Iya, hip-hop collective Mistar Anderson, neo-funk band Mojoflo and singer/harpist Lily Bloom.  

In spring 2022, Will organized an 8-week long guest artist concert series at Brothers Drake, bringing in and performing with a variety of the region’s top musicians, including guitarist Dan Wilson, saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio, trumpet player Tommy Lehman, guitarist Brandon Coleman and more.  Will has also held artist-in-residence nights at Ginger Rabbit (May 2022 - ongoing) and Kafe Kerouac (2017-2018), both popular venues in the Columbus music scene. 

As a writer and composer, Will won third place in Film Columbus’s “Stuck at Home” Short Film Soundtrack Contest.  His compositions have been recorded by a variety of groups, including Mojoflo and the Troy Kunkler Quartet.  

Outside of writing and performing, Will is an educator for students young and old, giving clinics and teaching private lessons. Strickler has studied with top musicians from a range of genres, including Vic Juris (NYC-based jazz guitarist), Justin Raines (bassist for gospel star Israel Houghton), John Belzaguy (bassist with latin jazz trumpet player Arturo Sandoval), Sandy Beales (bassist for One Direction), Roger Hines (bassist for Ray Charles), Andy Woodson and Dr. Lou Fischer.