We were lucky to catch up with Ja’Nia Harden recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ja’Nia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my career at the same time I started college so I guess I wouldn’t say sooner; what I will say is that I wish I would have continued at the pace that I’m at right now, which is full throttle all cylinders running. I was just using the talent of being a musician/singer and just doing that instead of using every gift I was given innately or learned outside of what was already put in me. I am a musician, composer, producer, educator, author, host, visual artist and actor. All those talents work hand in hand. When you truly maximize every gift and talent that you have, sooner rather than later you get more bang for your buck as people say. As long as you are constantly educating/researching to get the best possible results first for yourself and for your audience I say take the risk of using all of what you’ve got even if you’ve never done it before publicly you know it’s something that you only do you know for friends or just for yourself you just never know how that will translate over to your public audience and different demographics of audiences. I asked myself why didn’t I do this earlier or why didn’t I do this before;I am reaping benefits that I haven’t even realized yet because I am operating on all cylinders. I say always go full throttle, run on all cylinders now still set up side time to rejuvenate your spirit man, your mental capacity, and physical capacity, but as long as you have breath in your body I say push the pedal to the metal.

Ja’Nia, 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?

The spirit of music brought them together and the spirit of love binds them together. When you go to experience The Harden Project you will feel the love of music encapsulated in this couples musicianship. The core of The Harden Project consists of Singer/Composer/Author Ja’Nia Harden and Musician/Composer/Arranger John Harden. These two artists skillfully and fearlessly play off of each other and displays fluent chemistry during their performances. Born on the 1st Day of Spring, JaNia Harden is a native of South Florida. Music was a strong influence on how she wanted to live her life as a professional musician, performer, composer, arranger, artist, author, and educator. JaNia graduated from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Music Education emphasis in Voice. Immediately after graduation day she hopped on a European Gospel and Jazz tour and never stopped. She has been in education for 15 years and has the pleasure of being a music educator with Broward County Public Schools.
John Harden was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana where music seeped into his soul at a very young age. He was heavily influenced by his late father, who was a well-known local blues singer and harmonica player who opened up for the likes of late blues legends Coco Taylor and Bobby Bluebland. John would later receive a full ride to the University of Louisville and graduate with his B.A in Jazz Studies emphasis in Tenor Sax (1st instrument). He would then deny the offer to receive a full scholarship to receive his Master’s in Jazz performance to record his first Jazz album Just Say So and begin self-teaching himself to play piano and organ.
JaNia and John’s influences range from Bobby McFerrin, Dinah Washington, Al Jarreau, Jimmy Smith, Robert Glasper, Soul Live, Andre 3000, Ella Fitzgerald, Chaka Khan/Rufus and Bobby Floyd. The couple blends their influences and life experiences to create soulful groovy sometimes enchanting compositions. They are not afraid of being transparent and open while performing.
They have opened up and performed for separately and collectively for artists such as Laylah Hathaway, Stephanie Mills, Anthony Hamilton, The Marley Family and a host of others.
The goal of the project is to bring soul-stirring, emotion-provoking, life-influenced music to the world. The Harden Project features fusion based music of all genres, heavily influenced by jazz, social music, and soul.

Innately I know that music has always been a part of my spirit; the power in which Music wields to be able to change ones mood is inevitably mind blowing and I understand that too withhold such a power is a great blessing and responsibility which I take very seriously.
As an artist I like to paint musical pictures with melodies reminiscent a soft but grainy textures; strong and mighty musical phrasing. I would describe my note preferences as heels and valleys along a coastal ride with a destination unknown but happy when your get there. Jazz is a heavy influence but life is the biggest influence of all and I would like to think that is displayed throughout my artistry. Whether it is a live performance or composition.
I am a proud graduate of Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Music Ed. emphasis voice. Classicaly trained by Mrs. Claritha Buggs-Jacobs and Dr. LuVada Harrison (Alabama State)
My father was a popular jazz DJ emcee and host for South Florida for over 30 plus years and I can recall as young as three or four years old going to the radio station at 10:00 PM late at night all the way up until 2:00 PM where I would witness him interview jazz greats as you know them now um that definitely was the beginning of something being put in me but I will say when I did this 6th grade talent show and I say Mariah Carey’s vision of love and I was able to place third is when that bug really hit me um my parents definitely invested in private lessons for dance and piano um but it really took shape in middle school with me doing everything arts being in the band being in the chorus all I wanted to do was perform I didn’t know anything else or didn’t want to know about anything else I took it really seriously so definitely that’s when it began for me. now what really gave me the push to be like oh you really could make a career of this is my junior year in college at Florida and M university we did a tour for the Africa united festival when they brought back brother Bob Marley’s body to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for his 60th birthday. I think it was like 2015 and I was a featured soloist and we did an acapella version of Nice Time and I was able to sing for a sea of people! It was so many people there it literally looked like an ocean of heads. It was the connection to my people and them enjoying and singing with me and the energy from that audience I wanted to duplicate it every time, because nothing brings joy like music, nothing changes a mood like music. Music has the power to change one’s mood and outlook on things and I was gifted with this power like why wouldn’t I wanna do this over and over again music is amazing.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Connection. When you are singing playing a simple phrase but with conviction and your audience can connect with you without all the fancy shapes and melismatic patterns that we as artists can sometimes create which is beautiful too, but just with lyrics/words, just with simple melody when you can connect with your audience with just that and you can evoke emotion where there is a smile, a sigh, or a tear you’ve done your job as an artist and that is the best part making the connection; connection through life and spirit.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I honestly think NFT’s are dope; I just recently learned of their existence or really I’ve always been around it but just didn’t know about it but once I learned which was actually really recently like within the past more than 1/2 or so I love the concept and idea that that that peace will constantly travel and can make it around the world just that quick you can touch that many people just that quick with that level of technology I really think it’s dope.

Contact Info:

• Website: thehardenproject.com
• Instagram: @thehardenproject
• Facebook: @thehardenproject
• Youtube: The Harden Project
• Other: TikTok @thehardenproject

Image Credits
Group pic photo credit- @muce Single shots- More than Live Productions- Rondale Forbes