We were lucky to catch up with Janelle Murray recently and have shared our conversation below.

Janelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I grew up taking dance and acting classes and absolutely loved learning and performing. As a teen, I would volunteer as an assistant teacher with different dance studios and theatre organizations sharing my passions with their youth and soaking up knowledge from talented educators. However, the one thing I was missing from these studios was a sense of community and belonging. I stayed because I loved the performing arts but I didn’t always feel comfortable or supported by my teachers and peers. As I got older and began teaching my own performing arts classes it was important to me that myself and the JEM STARS teaching artists create a warm and welcoming environment for all. We are not only educators but mentors and role models to the next generation and we take great pride in that. What makes my teaching methodology different from other arts educators is that I use the performing arts as a tool to support positive individual development, confidence and character building. I want my students to leave my classes feeling empowered, happy and inspired. It is my favorite thing to give someone a positive performing arts experience and thus JEM STARS Performing Arts Company came to be.

Janelle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Janelle Murray and I am the Founder and Artistic Director of JEM STARS Performing Arts Company. I have always had a passion for all things related to the performing arts and enjoys sharing my passions with the next generation. I have an array of experience as an arts educator and administrator working with different theatrical organizations, schools and youth bureaus throughout the New York and Connecticut area. I am a content creator on TikTok where I share a glimpse of what I am like as an arts educator. I have become known as the “Gen Z Teacher” who often uses Disney songs from my childhood to uplift, motivate and inspire my students. I have grown a following of over 50,000 people and my teaching artistry has been shared and noticed by the legendary Forbes, Disney Music, Demi Lovato, Hilary Duff, Bart Johnson, and more!

The JEM STARS goal is to create positive experiences for the next generation of performing artists through high-quality acting, singing and dance programming that educates and empowers people of all ages, backgrounds, identities and abilities. The JEM STARS Performing Arts Company methodology uses the performing arts as a tool to support positive individual development, confidence and character building. Janelle wants to give what she didn’t have growing up and takes great pride in serving as a teaching artist, mentor and role model to all of her students.

WHAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY SPECIAL?
Professional performing arts educators who strive to make learning fun!
Programs for all ages, skill levels, learning styles and abilities.
We use the performing arts as a tool to help support and promote positive individual development.
Instilling and advocating for confidence building, self-love, kindness, individuality, teamwork, leadership, community, and student voice.
We offer affordable year-round in-school residencies, after-school programs and one or multi-day workshops.
Scholarship opportunities.
Experiences, connections and memories that will last a lifetime!

Our Signature Programs are:
The Short Film Acting Experience – During this experience students will create and star in their own film, learn acting for the camera techniques, playing acting games and create memories that will last a lifetime! At the end of the program, there will be a final movie screening for friends and family!

Dance Expressions – Learn 4 different dance styles in 10 weeks! The dance styles include Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Two classes of each style with a dress rehearsal and final performance for friends and family during the last class!

JEM STARS Musical Theatre Day of Play – “5 6 7 8!” This 1 DAY MONTHLY WORKSHOP is the perfect combination of acting, singing and dance! Students will have the opportunity to learn new skills and engage in a fun, high energy and active experience. By the end of the class students will have the opportunity to shine like the stars they are in a final performance.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

One day I was teaching a Musical Theatre class in NYC for ages 4-6 and I randomly decided that I wanted to teach my students the song “We’re all in this together” from the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical. I grew up watching the movie and think there are so many important lessons and inspiring lyrics within the movies soundtrack and wanted to share with a generation that wasn’t even alive when the movie came out! They had no idea wha High School Musical was! As mentioned, I really value community, connection and team building so I thought this song would be perfect for them to learn! I wrote the words on the whiteboard and began to teach them. Once we finished, I truly couldn’t believe my ears. It touched me hearing their little voices sing this amazing song about community and following their dreams and believing in themselves. I asked my co-teacher to film myself pointing to the words while the children sang so I could have this special memory for myself and share with my friends and family. Once I shared with them they were like you should post this video on TikTok – and so I did and we unexpectedly went viral! After that I kept sharing small clips of myself working with my students and songs I would teach them and built a whole new community on social media. Stars like Hilary Duff and Demi Lovato posted our videos on their social medias and from there it just took off. Some advice I have for those who want to build their social media presence – authenticity and consistency is key.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The biggest thing for us has been word of mouth. Once people experience our classes they’re hooked and want to come back for another positive performing arts experience!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jemstarsperformingartscompany.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemstarspac/
• Other: Email: education@jemstarspac.com

Image Credits

Andrew Alstat