We recently connected with Jared Neeley and have shared our conversation below.

Jared, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I would have started being a creative sooner. As a child I felt as if music was embedded into my soul. I could hear something and play it on an instrument. There was something pure about my connection to music that I had then, that I’d like to get back. I was also adept at writing poetry and story writing. I created worlds with a pen. Teachers would read my work in awe and put my work up for others to read. It was second nature to me. Singing was also innate to me. I was always singing and playing the tambourine in church, and I sang on the choir. As I got older, things changed drastically. I began dealing with issues of self-worth. I didn’t feel worthy or good enough to grace a stage. Thoughts of self-deprecation toiled in my mind. A music teacher I had in 5th grade once told me, “don’t add vibrato to your voice it makes you sound bad.” I remember her scrunched face as she said it in front of the entire class. I was mortified. Her words wrapped themselves around my voice. I was silenced. As a kid, I was also bullied by other kids. Their words took root in my mind and grew into an identity that shrouded me in defeat. I stopped singing for a long time. It was like my vocal cords were imprisoned. I wish I would have listened to the love and light my mom was trying to pour into me during this time. She was encouraging me to use my voice and tried her best to release the shackles that held my talents at bay.
Had I been able to shake off and ignore the lies others told me about myself, I believe I’d have learned to play multiple instruments. I’d have had a head start in finding my singing and song writing style. My vocal abilities would be at a skill level far beyond my current. I would have graced many stages and my name would be on the lips of all who adored me. I also believe this would have built an unshakable confidence that would have catapulted me into early success.
Despite this, I am so grateful to be where I am now. The kid that I was wouldn’t be able to understand the experiences I had, as I do now. These experiences have allowed me to take my life’s story and weave them into encapsulating songs. Though I could have found the value of self worth without those dismal experiences, the victory I have over them is the foundation of my artistry.

Jared, 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?

My name is Jared Neeley, but my artist name is Thēsis. I am a singer, songwriter, and recording artist. I chose Thēsis as my artist name because I am the original research and my music cites me, the source. My goal is to use my voice to convey the colors of unbridled emotion. Through my music, I aim to gift those who listen, songs that are adept at expressing emotions and experiences they may have a hard time grasping or expressing themselves. My songs are stories that express the complexities of my experiences, and in exploring those complexities, uncovers veiled truths in others that they may not have known about themselves. I delve deep within myself in hopes that others will be compelled to do the same with me.

I got my Bachelor of Arts in experimental psychology, so I thought I would be mending the minds of my clients as a therapist after I got my masters degree. But in 2020, I realized that singing and song writing was my purpose. It was like a fortuitous bolt of lightning struck me. I couldn’t believe that after all this time, singing is what I came back to. After 2 years of vocal training with my astounding vocal coach, Brittany Spivey, I got the opportunity to perform in a musical called, Decade Hits: The Concert Experience. My first audition ever went spectacularly and it felt as if I was born to be on stage. After countless hours of practice and 8, 2 hour shows, it felt as if the experience I gained from those performances were insurmountable. This was one of my proudest moments so far as an artist because of the acknowledgment I received from my parents. My mom had been begging me to cover Luther Vandross’ version of “Superstar.” At the time I felt unworthy of the song, that it was out of my reach. When it was confirmed that I would be in Decade Hits, I looked at what songs I would be performing and Superstar was one of them. It was as if God himself appointed me to perform it. My first performance of the song ended in a standing ovation. The most satisfying part of it was to see how proud my mom was of me, and to hear my dad say my rendition of the song was better than the original. My dad almost always thinks the original is better. The next thing that I’m also most proud of is the release of my first single, “April Showers” that I released on all major platforms Friday, April 19th.

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

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is having the freedom to express myself, and reveal truths about myself that also help reveal truths in others. Seeing the light in people’s eyes when they realize they aren’t alone in their experiences gives me so much joy. It empowers me to discover singular and novel ways to convey my complexities so that others are compelled to have positive and meaningful introspection.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One particular goal of mine is that I aspire to show beautiful and positive portrayals of non-traditional masculinity. I love putting together outfits that snatch the attention of those who behold me. I aim to show that the expressions of femininity and/or unique forms of masculinity, in and on men, particularly queer men, are breathtaking. When I discovered my favorite artist, Durand Bernarr, I saw that he was a beautiful amalgamation of masculine and feminine energies. He draws his own lines and creates his own borders. I saw myself in him. He helped unlock the confidence that was dormant in me for so long. Giving ourselves the freedom to express ourselves in unbridled, yet constructive ways, creates a new way of being. It breaks the chains traditional masculinity binds us in, and frees the colors within that have longed to paint the masterpiece that we truly are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thsis/april-showers/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/02thesis/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004728019293&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@02thesis?si=Gk5b3KstjVIbgkGM
• Other: Links to my song, April Showers: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thsis/april-showers/
  Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Instagram: @annamelvinphoto Instagram: @groovetheartist Instagram: @calebwoo