Meet J. Sonata of Onyx Theory Arts in Hapeville

Today we’d like to introduce you to J. Sonata.

J. Sonata, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started getting into music production in highschool. It all began with making beats with pens on lunch tables. The only music outlet I had at the time was band, but I was starting to step away from it because I didn’t feel challenged enough… so I started participating in beat battles.

I won so many battles, rappers started to approach me for beat requests. When my band director took notice, he gave me the opportunity to arrange music for the band and access to the band instruments after school hours. I was then able to bring out my musical ideas. However, I didn’t have the equipment to record my music. I was eventually introduced to a music production software called FL studio. As soon as I became accustomed to the software, I immediately began networking with local artists and producers. This year, I released my very first EP called ‘Derrty Joe’, which landed on the Billboard charts Nationally(#40 in Hip hop and R&B category) and Regionally(#2 in West North Central category). I’m ecstatic about reaching this milestone, but I remain humble because I know I have many more to go!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest challenges for producers is recovering from creative blocks. This is my biggest challenge I’ll go from making three beats day to 1 beat a week. It feels like something suddenly gets inside your head and lock all of your ideas inside a vault. There were days when I had to sit my in my studio for hours until I came up with a concept.

I also struggled with perfectionism. I was so focused on making my music flawless, I became counterproductive. I developed an all- or- nothing mentality, which made it difficult to complete projects. I’d either finish a beat to my liking, or I would scrap it.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Onyx Theory Arts – what should we know?
Onyx Theory Arts is a visual media and music production based in Atlanta. We specialize in film and video production along with music production and film scoring. As a company, I’m most proud of our decision to get into the film industry

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I give credit to my High school band director Mr. Aukes. I was on the verge of putting music to a halt until he intervened. He saw my vision and went beyond the call of duty to nurture my gift. He sacrificed his personal time to help me improve my skills. His contributions helped me push my career to new heights and prevented me from making the biggest mistake of my life!