Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Harris.
Jay, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my journey in entertainment in 2012 after a successful Broadway tour in which I starred in several principle roles. Always having had an affinity for music and entertainment, I used this experience to navigate the entertainment industry, particularly in the area of songwriting and composition. This area of expertise has allowed me to work with an array of artists in genres that span from r&b and gospel to rap/hip-hop and Pop music. I have re-purposed this platform to create spaces of opportunity in which I am able to assist aspiring talent and young professionals through mentorship and skill development. Having worked closely with seasoned industry professionals behind the scenes, I have combined all garnered experience and applied it to my latest project, a five song musical EP to be released in the summer of 2020.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Throughout my pursuit, I’ve experienced several challenges that range from fear and delayed launch, to budget appropriation, and unfulfilled promises. All of which are common when attempting to produce something bigger than yourself. Enduring and overcoming challenges of this kind has sharpened me professionally and truly refined my approach and technique when it comes to completing projects of great magnitude.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Singing, songwriting, and vocal producing is what I specialize in and it comes natural to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a career that has allowed me to refine and advance in an area of which I consider to be an expert. Combining my passion for music with the corporate nuance attached to the music “business”, I now get to create opportunities for those who will come after me. In fact, being able to pour into others using the knowledge and experience gained from my journey is the most exciting and fulfilling part of it all. In particular, every spring my business partner and I host a group of talented students from Berklee College of Music here in Atlanta to be apart of an industry recording session. This group of students is comprised of future singers, songwriters, engineers, PR managers, producers and so many other areas of the entertainment business. We invite some of the industry’s top professionals to provide knowledge and show these students the ropes in their respective areas of interest. It’s amazing to see their creativity come alive and be in an environment of which they someday hope to have a career in.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
For me, I equate the yieldings of luck to that of spiritual guidance. Growing up in church, I’ve learned the importance of having some type of belief system to support you as you take leaps of uncertainty towards your goals and dreams. It didn’t take me long to realize and now embrace that for every opportunity or event that works or does not work in my favor, at the time, is truly either an indicator to the type of success the future holds for me or simply redirection into an area of opportunity that is much greater than what I initially had in mind.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: officialjayharris
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