Conversations with Jason Wynn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Wynn.

Hi Jason, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
How I started? It all started with a 6-year-old asking his parents if they can get him a piano so he can learn to play. Once getting into junior high, accompanying the chorus quickly turned into singing in the chorus, and then on stage in musical theatre and concert events. High school is where I fully developed my love of musical theatre. After college in CA, my partner at the time and I moved from CA to New York City. Through ups and downs, and then some more ups and downs, I spent 20 years in NY working as an actor/singer/musical director/accompanist/composer/arranger – wherever the work was. (Including 2 years off and on as a vocal director for Royal Caribbean and getting the opportunity to get paid for work I enjoy while travelling all through Europe, the Caribbean and both coasts of the United States). I also played at a piano bar off and on for about 4 years.

But after 20 years in New York, I was ready for a slower and more peaceful lifestyle. There were five cities I was considering, so I decided to travel to all of them. I came to Atlanta first, and called off the search. 6 months later, I’m in Atlanta, singing in the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, and their smaller ensemble group Panache, as well as the resident creator/developer for Voices of Note’s (the parent company for the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and the Atlanta Women’s Chorus) annual production shows. Well – creator, casting director, director, musical director, choreographer, arranger, band leader, and sometimes lighting designer.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In retrospect, I guess I can say it was a smooth road. Sort of. For example, when I quit my corporate job to really give the acting a FULL-TIME try, I did well for a while. But then, I was getting into this situation where I was being called back for everything, but getting cast in nothing. I used to joke at the time that they could say “Jason Wynn lives in New York City and is just about to turn 30” and I STILL wouldn’t get cast.

So I turned my focus for a while to musical direction, as I also had this experience under my belt. And that’s what led me to Royal Caribbean.

After that, I did projects from time to time. A lot of time, the only thing that got in the way was dealing with the hectic and exhausting life called “Life in NY”. But I was also just getting burnt out. The only thing I was doing for the last few years was acting as the resident music director and singer for a private record label – Stage Stars Records, which created backing tracks and vocal tracks as a tool for singers. But even that got really tiring after a while. I was ready to leave well before I actually left. My husband at the time was not quite ready to leave NY, so I stayed, just trundling along. And then he was finally ready, and I arrived in Atlanta.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think what might set me apart from others is that I have a wide array of experience and a variety of skills. As I had mentioned earlier, I am still able to continue the work I used to do in New York (albeit not nearly as much). And that means as a singer/actor/musical director/accompanist/composer/arranger.

I’ve written songs for other singers, as well as my now full-length musical, which is a project I’ve always been proud of. In this vein, I’ve also ended up being an arranger for the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, having arranged 18 pieces in my seven years with them.

But these days, the production shows I’ve put together for Voices of Note is something I look forward to MONTHS ahead of time and even though it’s a lot of work and exhausting, I have found that of all the things I’ve done in my past, this is where my current passion lies. This is what I would love to be doing for the rest of my life.

What are your plans for the future?
Honestly, I’m still trying to decide where I want to go, because I’m happy to be doing what I’m currently doing, but I’d also like to spread my wings and get more work in the Atlanta theatre scene as a music director. But I would also like to get more work in the Atlanta theatre scene as an actor. I feel that at this point in my life, I need to focus on one thing and work towards that. But I can’t decide which I want more.

What I have realized is that my media presence is embarrassingly minimal, with only a Facebook account, as well as a ‘Twitter’ account that I haven’t accessed in 15 years, which probably went by the wayside when it switched to ‘X’.

So I have been playing with the idea of creating regular TicTok videos. I have an idea of what I want to do. Although, I am keeping it close to the vest right now.

I’ve also really wanted to do a Disney podcast, from a more historical perspective. I am also a ENORMOUS Disney fan and have done a lot of research over the years into the various eras of the studios and would like to find a way to share that passion.

So….as you can see…..a lot of things I would like to do. But between my regular day job, and my current artistic commitments, and my TERRIBLY indecisive nature makes it hard to focus on one thing.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jason.wynn.961
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=guest_homepage-basic_google-one-tap-submit

Image Credits
This seemed the only place to make this additional note:

I had a hard time finding appropriate photos that show my brand/business/etc. My business is music. My business is theatre. It looks like I don’t have photos in action while I’m directing, creating, writing, etc,.

My success can be shown in a MASSIVE amount of video and audio clips, as one would really need to SEE and HEAR my work in a way that is not as successfully represented by photos.