Jerry Van Cleave began his musical training in Waukee, Iowa where he started on tuba because the band director said he could play a school horn for about $5 per year.  He attended Drake University where he received a Bachelor of Music Education degree.

Jerry attended the University of Minnesota Law School and began playing in the Minnesota Symphonic Winds, an adult community band.  In MSW, he sits next to David Peterson, one of the founders of the LWBB.  That led to his invitation to fill a seat in the LWBB (or perhaps it was the desire to have a lawyer in the group available for consultations).

Jerry practices law, representing employers and insurers in workers compensation cases, and enjoys playing in both the LWBB and the MSW.