We recently connected with Jaé Anaé and have shared our conversation below.

Jaé , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew at a very early age that I wanted to be a musical artist… I say around 2 years old, you could tell there was a prominent spark in me. I just loved music so much. I was always dancing to it, repeating drum cadences, and singing fluidly. By the time I was 3 1/2 – 4 years old, I would walk around with a karaoke machine and perform an hour long concert for my entire family. A few years after that, I was creating full blown concerts with my dolls. I’d learn albums from start to end and make them my set lists for my concerts. I’d get intricate. I’d make costumes for my dolls and create mini stage sets with whatever materials I could find. I would be so in the zone that I would tell my mom, “We can’t leave right now!! The girls are on tour. This is major!!” Haha… Creating and performing has always caught my eye. I think it’s just something I’ve always truly wanted.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Well of course, I don’t mind at all! I, Jaé Anaé, am an entertainer that makes timeless creations with amazing individuals. I sing, write, dance, produce, and act. I started my artistic journey as a child. I was surrounded by musicians and singers, so I was easily a sponge for anything artsy. My mind would literally be everywhere at once. I’d create full blown dramatic concerts for my dolls, play piano and drums with my family and friends, write songs whenever they came to mind, fingerpaint just because, and still manage to build a lego city in one day. Haha, the creativity was, and always is, flowing.

I attended performing arts middle and high schools. Being surrounded by likeminded individuals prompted a different drive. For middle school, I participated in everything. We’d have city tours for show choir, lyrical/jazz concerts for dance, auditions/rehearsals for plays, and choral concerts all in one week. Whereas in high school, I mainly focused on growing my dance ability. I fell in love with dancing, and continued on to dance collegiately.

Although I focused heavily on dancing, I never lost my drive for becoming a musical artist! I kept writing poetry and songs throughout highschool and college. I began creating mini vocal projects and instrumentals on my phone near the end of highschool, and eventually used them in college. I upgraded to better recording equipment, and began creating full length songs from home.

My “Exit 61” EP was released during the 2020 pandemic, and it changed my life in the most positive way. Not only did I learn a lot, but I was truly surprised by the outcome. “Exit 61” was one of the most challenging things I’d ever faced, emotionally and technically. The project taught me that it was okay to heal out loud. I didn’t realize how great the impact truly was. I began hearing things like: “I got over my breakup through your music”, or “I listened to your songs while I healed from covid”, or “my husband and I love your song”, or “my daughter won’t sleep at night unless I play your song.” The project not only healed me, but it helped bring light to others in their journeys as well. That’s so beautiful. It’s truly the greatest feeling.

I believe I became a well rounded artist through the technical side of my project. From it, I learned that recording music is a true process. An art within the art, is what I like to call it. Mixing and mastering are extremely underrated skills that are needed for the sound to be fluid. I personally didn’t know much of anything regarding sound engineering prior to my “Exit 61” EP. I would only feature for other artists, and the recording process didn’t require much on my end.

I diligently used my project to learn as much as I could to the best of my ability. I worked day and night to create a sound that felt as close to what I wanted the listener to hear. It was received and supported. I’m beyond grateful to this day.

In 2020, I also started using my social media platforms more often to perform for my supporters and potential supporters. I wanted to build my fanbase and connect. I also created my website, splitbynaeture.com, so that I could provide merchandise and updates to the supporters! I’m proud to say that I was able to make my dreams a reality as an independent artist, in such little time! I’m loved and appreciated for being organically me. My supporters don’t push me to create for one genre, they just allow me to blossom. For instance, I recently released “Feel The Heat” in June 2023, and it’s had nothing but positive feedback so far. It’s a big difference from my sound in 2020, but my supporters were so happy with the results. I’m so excited to have such awesome supporters, and to see what the future holds. I’m ready to create more timeless music with more amazing individuals!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think for me, when it reaches who it needs to impact. You know? Knowing that there’s someone on the other side that needs to receive it as much as I needed to create it. The creation might not be loved by everyone in the world, but that’s okay. There is one person that truly needs it.

For example, I have a poem about a toxic situation that I escaped. A woman heard me recite it and it encouraged her to escape her situation. She expressed that she’d experienced extreme mistreatment in her marriage, and she didn’t think it was possible to escape, until she heard my poem. I personally never intended to read that poem aloud in my lifetime. However, when I did, a woman found her courage and her voice. That proved to me that someone else needed to hear my creation as much as I needed to write it. Sometimes the creation serves as a wake up call, other times it’s something that serves as simplistic comfort. However it serves, I just hope it’s helpful.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I remember someone I admired, heavily, told me “If it fails initially then it’s obviously not meant for you.” I believe that’s false. Failure has actually been the most helpful tool in my process. Often times people will try to scare you out of your dream by weaponizing  failure. You have to exhaust every avenue before you deem it a failure. You have to keep going even when people don’t see the bigger picture. Listen closely, don’t let a loss, someone’s “no”, or someone’s disbelief, deter you from your dreams and your journey. If you treat each loss or decline as a door you can’t walk through, you’ll never be able to stand in the rooms you wish to enter.

I was told that I would never be a successful musical artist when I initially began this journey. I’m extremely proud to say that I’ve conquered so much, and it’s only the beginning. I’ve heard “no” so many times, but it only took one “yes” to get my career rolling! I’m working with phenomenal artists, performing on countless stages, recording music, and traveling!

I am slowly but surely becoming the artist I’ve always dreamed to be. It’s because I didn’t settle for the losses. I used the losses to make better choices. So again, don’t let a loss, someone’s no, or someone’s disbelief, deter you from your dreams and your journey. If you believe it can happen, GO FOR IT!!! Go and create that new lane to attain what’s meant for you! You’re amazing, you’re unique, and you’re worth it! I believe in you!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.splitbynaeture.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jae.anae?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jae_anae
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jae_anae
• Other: https://instabio.cc/jae-anae

Image Credits
KL Optics Cierra Ruffin