We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jan James a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Sometimes it feels a bit strange to “need” to do this. From the beginning, I felt oddly drawn to the stage. Almost like a force field pushing me to get up in front of people. I will never forget the first time I did perform. I was at a bar where a blues band was playing. There were a couple of guys in the band that I vaguely knew. During one of their breaks I asked if I could come up and sing a song. They agreed and said they would call me up. I immediately panicked realizing I did not know any songs that they knew…that I could sing. Since blues is based on a progression that I was familiar with, I grabbed a napkin and wrote some lyrics. When they did call me up I was “somewhat” prepared and we chose a key signature and away we went. I was singing in front of a crowded bar. It was a blur of excitement and fear but I pushed through. The audience was was really into it. Of course I had no follow up song to sing so I left the stage wanting more. It’s never been about fame or money or success. It has always been about feeling that “excitement” or as i have since learned it’s about “making the connection”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was drawn to the stage at an early age. I started with theater which was interesting to me but the real pull came the moment I sang with a band. The energy was thrilling and using my voice to produce the sound was electric. I often wonder why I can’t just be an observer. Why I can’t just sit on the side lines. Performing is magnetic. And still, after all this time, I can feel the strength of its’ pull. I have written and recorded 12 albums in my career. The reviews that have been written all try to compare my voice with many notable vocalists and I do love the attention but what really matters to me is the constancy the music give me . The library of music I have created with my song writing partner (Craig Calvert) is something I am very proud of. The music is accessible to a large swath of the listening public so my work seems to be “standing the test of time”. The work is about connection and hope and love. I am really interested in spreading these themes using the vibration of music. There was a short period in my life that I thought it might be best to leave the songwriting and performance behind but I soon learned that I was left with no hope, no love and no connection. Music brings us together. If you have lost your family or your love or confidence you need only to turn on the music to feel ok.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

It is certainly a time that the general public needs to step up. There are so many stories of struggle in the artist/musician community. With society’s deep dive into “smart phone obsession”, “AI” and “influencers” many creators have been left in the dust. Add to that the up-side-down world of COVID we endured. The art/music consumers need to realized that the person creating content is NOT a robot and cannot live on dust. You might need to make an effort to find the direct line to the artist/musician. FIND the tip bucket on your smart phone. Don’t just rely on the auto-bot to feed you the images/music. It’s not real and eventually you might slow down to enough to feel it. Or feel the lack of it. I wish I had all of the answers but I do think the obvious route is to make sure you pay the artist/musician directly.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to keep it all going. Onward to the next collection of songs. On to the next stage. I am super proud of what I have been able to create so far. If I can reach more people with my music I will be very happy. It is not always about monetary success. What is that line?…..”you can’t take it with you”. It is the experiences you create today that make this life worth living. Keep reaching, keep spreading love and compassion. Find the vibration that lifts you and those around you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.janjames.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janjames_music/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanJamesMusic/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fjanjames
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@craigcalvert245268/videos
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0012ACE06/jan-james?isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true https://janjames.bandcamp.com/album/justify https://open.spotify.com/album/3CpgVXOHsCUla3XvA6OgZl

Image Credits
Eric Gramberg Chris Jacobs