We recently connected with Jamie Lammers and have shared our conversation below.
Jamie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
It’s honestly hard for me to decide on the definitive meaningful project for myself because every project I’ve worked on has inspired me and resonated with me in different ways. With the various plays and musicals I’ve acted in, the songs and other projects I’ve written and/or arranged, and the ideas I’ve pursued on my own, there are so many reasons why the majority of the projects I’ve worked on have been meaningful. If I had to pick a definitive one, though, the one that’s coming to me off the top of my head is reading a play called Fool’s Gold. The play, written by Tristan Skogen as a Western adaptation of Don Quixote, was first read in spring 2023 for CU Boulder’s New Play Festival. I was cast as a band leader for that reading, and to me, the most fun aspect of the show was how Tristan decided to incorporate music. Traditional folk songs were incorporated into the script, and to match the practices of when the show takes place, no sheet music is provided, just the lyrics. From there, actors can learn one or more versions of these songs and incorporate whatever elements they like into their own performances. I loved the freedom this concept gave us as actors and singers, but I also wanted to make sure that the decisions we made for our performances were consistent. I was also the primary guitar player throughout the play, and I wanted to make sure the cues stayed the same even if the versions we performed were our own. From there, I took the wings regarding music. I learned all of the songs on my own, worked with the actors to make sure they were comfortable with the keys, cues, elements, and tempos of the songs, and even provided practice instrumentals for everyone in the cast so that they could practice let me know if they wanted me to adjust. Of course, working with the actors was the most crucial part of the musical process of the show, and I also have to mention I couldn’t wrap my head around playing one song correctly because the time signature felt wacky to me, so one of the actresses who performed that song learned it on guitar and played it instead. However, for being the primary guitar player and for working on every song for all of the actors in the show, I was ultimately credited as the music director for the production. It was incredibly meaningful to me that I worked on the show in my own unique way and ultimately created my own role because of how I wanted to contribute to the show. In a lot of ways, I think it’s motivated me to keep pushing myself to see what I can offer in certain projects. At the very least, it’s given me more motivation to try new things because I’m interested in trying.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Currently, I am the host and editor of The Mountain-Ear Podcast, as well as a journalist for the physical and digital editions of The Mountain-Ear. I have been a writer for the paper since April 2019, and I have been the primary writer for the weekly column Music of the Mountains, as well as a contributor for the podcast, since mid-2021. In June 2024, I was promoted to the Media Specialist position and have since completely taken charge of the podcast, editing and contributing the majority of the segments and even full episodes myself. In regards to paid work… as of this writing, that’s it. I’ve contributed writing to other places or performed at smaller events and gotten paid for those, sure, and I have been involved in PLENTY of amazing opportunities that I loved regardless of whether or not I got paid. In general, though, right now, I’m focusing on teaching myself how to create the projects I most want to be involved in or involve others in. I’m pursuing whatever I’m interested in and whatever I feel motivated enough to try. I feel that what sets me apart from others is my dedication to getting things right. As a person, I struggle to work on things in a timely fashion, motivate myself to move forward and follow through on an idea, and I’m attempting to improve my time management in general. However, if I set my heart and mind on something, I will get it done the best I possibly can. I feel I’m most proud, especially now, of allowing myself to try different creative avenues even if they don’t lead to success because I end up regretting the opportunities I didn’t take more than the opportunities that didn’t work out.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I think my biggest goal driving my creative journey is to get my voice out there while also celebrating the work of other amazing voices across generations and from all walks of life. Art excites me, and I want to share my passion and excitement for the arts and how it connects every individual with as many people as I possibly can. John Keating, the poetry teacher played excellently by Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, expresses a mentality about the world during the movie that I want to paraphrase in my own way here: Science is what allows us to live, but art is what makes us want to live. Some core concepts and necessities are important for everyone to understand to sustain themselves and others… but without passions in the arts (or even in science and mathematics and other fields), I feel that many, if not all of us, would struggle to find the motivation to push ourselves or even move forward. My passion for the arts and sharing that passion with others motivates me every day, and it’s even more motivating when you know and connect with other people who share your passions.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is putting myself out there. Singing, acting, writing, and sharing art in general gives me immense comfort and allows me to feel more confident in myself as a person. Having something prepared, being able to go on the stage and perform it, and feeling excited about what people will think of it is something that has always been incredibly fulfilling for me. It doesn’t mean you don’t get nervous, but Shawn Mendes has frequently said that being nervous about something, particularly a performance, means you care (to quote him in his younger years, “Nerves mean you care”). My stage fright isn’t a fear of doing it period, it’s me worrying about whether or not it will go well. However, oftentimes, even if it doesn’t go the way you plan, especially once you keep building experience, you can figure out a way to recover or move on from the stumbles. Honestly, even looking back at videos and performances I once remembered with a tinge of humiliation, I’ve sometimes realized that the performance didn’t go nearly as terribly as I thought, I just focused on all of the stumbles I had in that particular performance. Those stumbles happen, but you can keep moving forward from them, even at the moment, as long as you’re willing to keep putting yourself out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/animaldoctor
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/animaldoctor181
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/animaldoctor181/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-lammers-36b7561a1/
- Twitter: https://x.com/animaldoctor18
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MegaAnimaldoctor
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/james-lammers-736433196
Image Credits
Shrek picture by Donald Lammers
Duo picture by Donald Lammers
Group picture for Renova New Music Ensemble
Solo picture from “By the Lakeside,” distributed by Waffle Brothers Entertainment