Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Hodges.
Hi Jen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Jen Hodges, and I am the Digital Education Manager at a music nonprofit called Notes For Notes. I am also a professional bassist and drummer. I started playing piano when I was 6 but switched to bass after hearing Flea on the radio at age 10. At 10, I was 4 ft tall and weighed 60 pounds, so when I told my dad I wanted to play bass, he thought the idea was a bit silly due to my size, so he rented me a 3-quarter size right-handed bass for $30 a month. (I’m left-handed). I flipped the bass upside down and learned to play a right-handed strung bass upside down. He was fairly stunned, so he bought me a left-handed bass. It was too late, though; I had learned the bass upside down at that point. I’m glad I did, too; I get a lot of attention for it. That and being a girl playing the bass. I gigged throughout high school with a popular local band. Toured the East Coast with a signed metal band. I got accepted to Berklee on scholarship. I got my education and graduated in 2008, right after the economy collapsed. There were no jobs. It was like the forest had been burned, and the only options were sprouts from the ashes, entrepreneurs. I worked for several entrepreneurs in Nashville from 2008-2012. The Muse was my first real job. I was a talent buyer. I loved that place. The owner was incredibly patient with me and helped me learn the ropes of the industry. It wasn’t enough money to plan a future on though, so I worked at a country label in 2010. That place wasn’t great. It was a bit of a Devil Wears Prada scenario. It made me a resilient worker though. I moved to an online music video channel in 2011. That was a strange experience. The owner seemed a bit detached and not fully focused. They wanted to convert to a penny stocks business, so I started looking for other work. That’s when I found Notes For Notes. I found them on Craigslist. I pulled up to an interview and found that the studio was inside a Boys and Girls Club in the Andrew Jackson housing projects. I had never really spent time in the projects, so I was interested in the new experience. The interview was me, the founder, and the investor jamming with 6 8-year-olds to Stevie Wonder. I had a blast. I felt lucky when the job was offered to me. From 2012-2014, we grew from about 100k annual budget to 5 million! We were set to expand. I moved to Atlanta to manage a Notes For Notes studio here. We thrived up until the pandemic, when we had to convert to digital. That’s where I got my title. My title will change soon, though, as we have exciting new partnerships with Grady, The Department of Juvenile Justice, The City of Atlanta, and Covenant House. We are part of an initiative to discover how art can prevent and help heal youth from violent encounters. During the pandemic, I also started gigging professionally again. I’ve been playing musical theater and took on a new instrument to learn (drums). The gigs have been wonderful. They are starting to slow down a bit as I am ready to fully focus on our new partners at Notes For Notes.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been mostly smooth. There are always struggles though. Mostly in my personal life. I was asked to move with someone to Colorado from Nashville and give up my career. I chose my career. I’d love to tell you it was a hard choice, but it wasn’t. I miss that person, but I love my career. Music is what I’ve always done, and I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. I recently got divorced. My ex-wife apparently was upset I spent so much time doing music. I was always very upfront with her about the importance of music in my life. I am saddened and angry by the divorce, but ultimately, it was the right choice again. I deserve someone who recognizes and supports my passion.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I meet people in the community with a shared vision to use the arts as a means of connection for young people. Atlanta is a special place for this. Everyone here is creative, open-minded, and positive. They believe in the power and sanctity of art and are eager to be involved. Together with our partners, we enable youth to freely express themselves (censor-free) so that music may play a positive role in their growing up. I’m the only Notes For Notes employee in Atlanta which means not only do I pursue partnerships, I also produce the youths’ music. This is perhaps my favorite part. They are all so talented! I’ve had youth sign to QC, Drummasquad, go on international tours, receive college scholarships; we’ve even hired Notes For Notes alumni I taught in Nashville. It keeps me young. It’s amazing to witness how respectful the youth are of the cultural diversity. They even celebrate it. I’ve got rappers, rockers, country stars, DJs, guitarists, drummers, and everything in between.
I’ve been gigging at places like the Alliance Theater, Actor’s Express, Horizon, The Lyric, and with bands like The Pinx, Dirty Holly, and Blue Velvet. I started just playing bass, but after I sound-checked drums at the Lyric, I picked up drum gigs as well. It’s been interesting learning a new instrument as an adult. I haven’t struggled to learn anything since college really, so I get frustrated at myself when I can hear what I want to do but have to teach my limbs to do it. I’m getting pretty good at drums, though, and am grateful this little side quest has kept my brain busy.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I’ve learned that I’m surrounded by the best humans on the planet. I never missed a paycheck thanks to the efforts of leadership at Notes For Notes. My friends made sure everyone stayed mentally stable through the whole pandemic. My family came together stronger than ever as my brother was one of the officers who got attacked at the Capitol on January 6th. We are all so proud of him. He consistently and respectfully speaks his truth about the ordeal on the news in face of some really nasty haters online. It was also inspiring to watch my youth through those years. They were super strong about it. Most of them were just annoyed at online learning and weren’t as worried about the future of the country as perhaps some of the adults were. Working with them always centers me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.notesfornotes.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollyandtheband/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhodgesbassanddrums/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TZ9oZYYqU
Image Credits
Sam Schumacher
Carl Oligny
Actor’s Express
Ross Tyler
