Jamison Ross joins Tanner Guss to discuss taking control of your life, the balance between art and entertainment, and building deeper empathy and connection with others.
“We’re not notes! We’re not freaking rhythms, WE’RE PEOPLE.”
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Actionable Advice
- Decide what you want! Too often music school teaches us to be genernalists, to say yes to every opportunity, and to accept playing music in any form as enough. Although some people enjoy dabbling a little bit in everything, (and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that) most of us have more specific interests. It’s important to honor those! “What aspects of music do you love and want to do for the rest of your life? ”
- “Take the instrument away, what makes you happy?” Use music as a means to cultivate the lifestyle you want. By honoring your personal priorities, values, and interests you can better determine the gigs that will support that way of living. Don’t let the gig determine the life you live. Rather, let your ideal lifestyle determine the gigs you pursue.
- “Defining what you want is going to reveal to you whether you’re willing to suffer through some of the days of being a creative.” Part of deciding what you want is understanding what that lifestyle will look like: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you clearly understand the hardships ahead and still feel an overwhelming desire to pursue that goal you know you’ve found something you’re passionate about.
- “When there is something or someone you like. Research the hell out of it and find out what was happening at the time.” Understanding the historic context and personal experience of an album/artist will help you visualize them as a human and empathize with their experiences. Don’t forget that those are still just people playing on your favorite records. Get to know THEM not just their playing.
- “Understand people! When you do that you unlock the key to what art can give you.”
- “Art shows you people in a deep way. That’s the gift. Music is not the gift.”
Coda Questions
- What is your go to feel-good album? D’Angelo: Voodoo
- What’s the best advice about happiness you’ve ever received? “Keep on walking, keep on believing, keep on singing, keep on dancing. Be thankful for another day, hopeful for tomorrow. Smile all your worries away, don’t wait until tomorrow.”
- Who’s a musician in your life living a particularly healthy, happy, and fulfilling life? Leon Anderson, Michael League, and Jon Batiste
- What one piece of advice would you give to young musicians who are just starting their careers? Learn how to practice. Learn how to focus. And be disciplined about achieving small goals.
- What is your purpose as a musician? To heal and inspire people with a message of love and empathy.