We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gene R. Singleton Jr. (GRSJR). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gene R. Singleton Jr. below.
Gene, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Having parents who are also musicians allowed me the space to be surrounded around like minded people without having to pay for the access. My parents and sisters encouraged me to try saxophone early on and be in band growing up to get the feel of a team environment. Both my parents play piano and playing respectively at different churches and for different choirs gave me a blend of their different musical tastes and approach to music. My father noticed as a child unable to speak I was playing the note he would on piano without prior knowledge of the keys. He eventually got me a drum set as well and allowed me to sit in with his musical groups and record in studios with his projects. By the time I was 13 I had already been to hundreds of churches, sat in on hundreds of choirs and having my subconscious filled with music theory. Those 3 instruments turned into 40 by age 30. They’ve supported me in Marching Band throughout high-school and planted a seed that would grow into a meadow that would make way for children to look up to me for lessons and direction. It all trickles down. I learned flute after seeing my mom and sister do it. My dad played bass, I picked it up after he showed me it was possible and introducing me to Chic Corea in highschool which shifted the dynamic of my entire existence. My limits fell off once introduced to Jazz after growing up playing Gospel music.
Gene, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am sort of a music dynamo. Rhythm and music sticks out to me like a sore thumb. I grew up in step teams and was heavily influenced through the Sigma beta Club by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Growing up, I didn’t have access to studio software so I learned how to strip the audio from cameras using usb in windows movie maker. I would layer the tracks together as it was the only way to get used to the feel of producing. I would record audio of the keyboards at home and add drums, vocals and anything else I could get my hands on. After a while, I bought my first mac the cheapest I could find and started my go at production with a midi board while figuring out how to navigate the computers built in microphone to add saxophone and other available instruments. Using low ram, I was extremely limited to my creative ability so I decided to take my saxophone down to river street in savannah, ga to busk as an outlet. After several back to back nights of $100 in tips, my eyes were opened to the possibility of having my compositions distributed to the general public. I saved and bought a slightly newer mac and throughly learned Logic Pro and started making albums. I initially had help with my first track to understand a bit more of layering and after getting the process going, I realized that I could do all the instrumentation for every instrument. The song was featured on the internets most shared website or what we now come to know as going viral. By this time, I was dancing in groups throughout the city and selling hundreds of copies once the project was completed. I struggled gathering musicians for groups as I didn’t have a lot of close friends. The lack sent me into overdrive and I became a media powerhouse doing session work for available artists/groups and even tried my hand at video game composition. I help artists as an adult now by creating everything from Backing tracks, Vlog soundtracks, Tv show background themes and album production. When dancers are in a rut and lack creative input, I’m one of the reliable minds who assist with overall production and creative direction. I’ve had so much help from people allowing me to borrow instruments to learn and record with that I went from Sax,Piano & Drums to all of Woodwinds,Percussion,Brass,Strings & Synths. I’ve been relentless in my pursuit of music because I didn’t get enough out of grade school I had hoped for. I’m one of the most cost effective approaches for artists around me because I took the leap of learning what most pursue on 1 instrument on every instrument I touch. I get the work done in a night owning all my own microphones, instruments, speakers, computers, software etc. I’m not necessarily a proud guy. I’m just grateful I was able to take the narrow road and have so much of a solid return for my investments. I’ve Produced 3 of my own albums, recorded a full album at the University of Denver, played and recorded on projects prepared by Berklee College of Music and countless other albums. It has truly been a blessing. My brand is myself and there’s nothing more authentic than showing up knowing you can deliver quality product you’ve worked your entire life to create and maintain.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Owning your own equipment has made life so much better to be able to show up and provide on your own terms. I realized after moving to Denver, Co that performing with electronic instruments was not only difficult unless played indoors, but seemingly impossible unless plugged into an outlet. I kept searching for ways to bring what everyone hears through my production to the streets of crowded downtown areas. I found out that lithium rechargeable powered generators were available and purchased 1. Within weeks, I was able to play virtually anywhere I wanted because I could take my speakers, keyboards, mics, kit, instruments out all at the same time and take performances quite literally to peoples backyards and be my own source of power for hours upon hours. The journey was challenging while I first started without the generators because I was limited in how I could be heard. I not only played instruments while busking but joined a trio singing on the streets and ended up making 3 times the amount i previously had. At the time I would have cashed out in savannah even more if only I had the resources then and understanding of how to further create an on the spot performance. I joke now that I could set up a concert in the middle of a desert, but it’s actually true. Owning everything and making small investments while setting yourself up to pay off those investments is one of the best financial moves you could ever make. One of my keyboards cost $800. Buy a generator and use it to pay itself off, then use it to pay off your other instruments. It works. I took risks knowing that if opportunity didn’t find me, I would make my own opportunity. I never needed a ballroom to perform in because the general public will gravitate to what pleases their ears regardless. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to create a pop up show when people already made the decision to leave their homes in expectation of a good time? It only further promotes my ability to perform/deliver and extends the opportunity for clients to walk right up to me for wedding gigs, concerts, birthday parties, etc.
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is hearing the words ” This event/project would not have turned out this way if it had not been for you” It’s especially wonderful at weddings, but it genuinely warms my heart to receive gratitude for my services. At the end of the day, I’m one person doing what they sacrificed thousand of hours in life for to be. That’s the person who shows up and it’s wonderful to be able to remain authentic and build a brand off my own work, not someone else. Whatever the need, I’m there and I only get a more in depth understanding of how to present better material and understand the music industry more. Networking and taking risks is how you become successful. You have to take leaps of faith, create tangible memories and content people can mentally and physically revert to. Creating my own website has allowed my flow to be consistent and in the past I designed my own personal app (Google play/Apple Music) that was free of download and reached over 50,000 streams. I made my way on to Tv shows musically and had my tunes I produced by myself in different countries let alone in different states locally. Being heard and felt is one of the most rewarding aspects of this game. It’s a game to me. I’m battling against past versions of myself learning how to be better. I’m not in competition with anyone else. There’s only one GRSJR. Along the way, I picked up an Endorsement with Soultone Cymbals and the gratitude has been stretched out upon thousands more people I haven’t even been in the same room with. Being featured on the front page of a site is only proof that hard work and trials produce perseverance and then you reap a harvest always. I struggled having friends growing up so it’s wonderful that all these hours turn into relationships through opportunity being drummer for “The Well Beings” Band, a Keyboard Player for the “Titonic” Band and Keyboard/Drums/Bass Player for my wonderful church Colorado Christian Fellowship. It’s more of a testament that when you do what you’re created to do, God will fill in the rest of the gaps. I open my eyes and everyone in my life is in my corner. It’s amazing that love is the currency this world truly operates on. Having people close to inspire you to create such as my wife Isabelle drives me forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ArtofGrsjr.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/artofgrsjr
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArtofGrsjr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/genersingletonjr
Image Credits
@ShotBySomi