Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Smith.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love of music started at a very young age. I can remember playing around with keyboards as early as 4 years old. It was something that I just wanted to do on my own, and the passion for it continued to grow as I got older. I was born in Atlanta, but my brother and I were raised in the small city of Rome, GA during most of my early years. In small towns, there really isn’t much to do, so I gravitated toward music. I would sit in front of the tv and try to play everything that I heard! I didn’t care if it was television sitcom themes, commercial jingles or music videos, I just wanted to play everything that I heard. After many years of playing piano in church and participating in local school bands, I eventually joined the military in 1997. I heard about the military’s music program and auditioned for it. I barely passed the audition and was told that everything I played sounded like gospel and R&B and that I needed to learn how to play different styles and genres in order to play for diverse audiences. This experience changed my approach to music!
With my limited knowledge of music, I had to take classes, learn theory, and attend college at night in order to remain in the US Army Band. I would have to play jazz, classical, pop, and so many other genres. It was an awesome experience traveling to over 30 countries representing the United States and performing as a musician. The military experience prepared me for a career in professional music that I am grateful for to this day. 20 years later I am a commercial music producer for tv, radio, and other media forums. I have produced music for popular brands such as Procter & Gamble and General Mills! I am currently back in school working on my master’s degree in Commercial Music Production from Liberty University. My job has me working out of Atlanta, Nashville, New York, Dallas Texas, several cities in California and some international studios. When I am not in the studio, I still enjoy playing live gigs and venues when my schedule permits.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have had many obstacles in my musical journey. One of the biggest challenges is the fact that I went against the grain of what people thought I should do musically. When you come from certain areas, there are styles of music that are more prevalent, and people expect you to play those styles. When I came back from Europe playing jazz standards and other styles, people in my hometown were not used to church musicians playing things like that. You cannot let other people tell you what your musical identity is. You have to be yourself! I grew up playing in church, and to be honest, the church is the most critical and judgmental audience to play for. It is very competitive and not for the timid. They will adamantly voice who is good and who isn’t. When you grow up in an environment like this, it will either make musicians quit or it forces you into greatness!
I hear so many similar stories about the church environment from other musicians around the country. This is one reason there is a high turnover rate for musicians in churches today. When comes down to it we just chalk it up it to “Paying our dues”. The main challenge in recent years was trying to get my talent and abilities noticed by people in the industry. I was actually noticed by a Senior Producer who saw my YouTube videos. After 9 years of making content, it finally paid off in 2021. I was invited to Nashville to co-produce a tv commercial. They were very impressed with my work, and I have been doing it since that day. Most musicians either want to be an artist or play and produce music for artists. The advertising industry is huge, but not many musicians think about this avenue as a career.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work as a private contractor and with a few agencies when I do production work. I have built a good reputation in this industry by being a hard worker and a fast learner. My specialty is the ability to write, produce and play many genres of music. I remember a day in the studio where I had to produce salsa music for a food product, then hours later a jazz-based production for a car insurance commercial. This skill set is what allows me to be contracted on several jobs that would normally require two or three separate musicians. Commercials are produced like mini-movies. There are so many layers involved. Acting and filming for the tv commercials are often done in separate studios apart from the music production.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
This industry will be around for a very long time! Marketing and advertising are the backbone to commerce, and as long as people buy products, there will always be a need for my industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jsmusicpro.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JSM4Real/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jsmithmusic77
