We recently connected with Jaslyn Loftin and have shared our conversation below.

Jaslyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

When it come to knowing when I wanted to be in the creative field, particularly the entertainment field, I was five years old. I saw Britney Spears on MTV and told my mom, “I can do that!” My ultimate dream was to be a part of a girl group, so I used to go to so many auditions to try and get into a label or a training camp, but I was always rejected. At one of my auditions, I saw a colleague of mine audition with me and said that she was going to school for music business called the MELE program (fun fact: I now work at the school as an instructor for songwriting!). I was intrigued that there were other fields than just being a singer, so I attended the program, where I found that people are professional songwriters for a living. The first time I ever shared my original song was at the Hawaii Songwriting Festival, in front of industry executives, A&R, and Sync companies. Everyone told me they were amazed at my work. It was that moment when I knew I wanted to pursue songwriting as my career.

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?

I am a professional songwriter who writes music for artists and TV/Film. I have written for more than 40 different artists, internationally recognized artists, and companies such as PEN Music Group through Songwriter Camps, Marmoset and Secret Road through Creative Lab Hawai’i, Sweet on Top, and many more. Most of all, I work independently without currently being signed to a publisher. When I write with artists, I make sure that I am highlighting them and that the stories I write can become their own. I am known for ear-catching melodies and being able to come up with various lyrics drawn from the tiniest bit of inspiration.

My path was not a traditional one. I knew that in order to get myself out there, whether or not I wanted to be the face of my music, I had to showcase my work to a lot of people. One tip I have for people who are in the creative field is to be versatile, because creative fields aren’t stable. I had two wonderful bosses at Poi Planet, a PR/MarCom company, who not only taught me how to get my story out, but to think like a business person and empower myself through my journey. It was from working with them that I got to meet some of the top entertainers in Hawai’i such as ukulele virtuoso, Jake Shimabukuro, who I collaborate on music with till this day.

For the past few years, I have been writing music with my former classmates, and quite a few of them are now on their way to musical success. I had a top charting single in China, partnered with TikTok, and got to work on a project with the Recording Academy. I also wrote songs for a band called Kennedy Taylor & The Electric Pancakes, who were finalists for a Na Hoku award, a Hawai’i award equivalent to the GRAMMYS.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There were a lot of pivoting points for me in my life. I remember taking a globalization class at my alma mater, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and we were talking about opportunity being dependent on social class and economic status. Growing up, my parents did not have a lot of money, and I did not realize that until I got older because they’ve built a life for me that looked abundant and secure. They’ve sacrificed a lot of money, and my mother even gave up our house partly because she wanted to put me through college. I pushed my luck into going to a school that I couldn’t afford and she gave up her life to get me this opportunity. I got to graduate early, but we both had no money to spare at that point, and to top it all off, this was during the rise of the pandemic. I eventually had to switch to survival mode and work any job I could get. I thought that meant giving up my journey to become a songwriter, but opportunities kept leading up to another, and eventually I didn’t need to sacrifice my creative work, knowing that “survival mode” was only temporary if I worked hard. I worked three jobs while staying with family in order to regain my income and pay off loans, and in the late hours, I was songwriting. I hardly had leisure time, nor did I see my friends and family often. Then, my health took a toll, mentally and physically, so I had to learn how to balance work, money, and my well-being.

Now, I still work 24/7 continuing to repay all debts, but instead of working side jobs, I get to pay things off with the money I make from songwriting and music. I owe it all to not only my parents, but to the community that encouraged me to not give up.

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

If people want to see the arts thriving in their communities, there are many ways they can support. The simplest way is to keep going to live shows, because ticket and merchandise sales are a huge income stream for creatives.

Donate money to organizations that uplift creators and give them opportunities. For example, I am involved with the Henry Kapono Foundation in Hawai’i and they give out financial help to artists in need and give rising talent platforms to showcase their work.

Send a letter to your state representative asking for more funding and support for the arts. The reality is that not every community has the same amount of support for the arts as others. Budget cuts for the arts has been ongoing in my community and a lot of us dedicate our time to put on live shows for free. A lot of event work that is paid in other areas of the U.S. is all volunteer work for us. It’s not sustainable, especially for a place that cultivates world-renown talent.

Lastly, keep supporting artists in your area. I make sure to give back to the amazing local creators first and foremost. A lot of us are independent entities trying to survive off the skills and talents we have. Small actions such as these go a long way.

Contact Info:

• Website: jlynmusic.com
• Instagram: @j.lynmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jlynmusic/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaslyn-loftin-ba963b18b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyiPqu_o5NtGI2Z2DQupAJA
• Other: Tiktok: @jlynmusic

Image Credits
Photo Credit goes to Mark Galacgac.