Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jasmine Lopez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jasmine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I started dancing when I was three. However, at six years old, my dance journey really began. I trained with the Children’s Ballet Theatre and through them I joined their company team, which focused on providing opportunities to enhance my training through weekly classes, bootcamps, intensives, attending the Tennessee Association of Dance, and performing publicly at parks, senior homes, etc. Primarily, my focus was on classical training, and later, I expanded my technique to other styles. Eventually I caught the acting bug and after much pestering my parents, I stumbled upon The Christian Youth Theatre (CYT). Through them I learned improv, singing, acting and lyric writing.

Looking back I really wouldn’t have been able to speed up my learning process since at the time I was juggling school, dance, piano lessons eventually as well as musical theatre and voice lessons which ended up me having to drop some activities to focus on others.

With the numerous amount of skillsets I’ve learned the most important ones have been of course the basic of your knowing your craft and the skills you need to have for auditioning.

Some obstacles that came in my way for learning more were and still is money, not having connections to people that could help me and also time.

Jasmine , 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?

To start off my name is Jasmine Lopez, I’m an actress, singer/songwriter, dancer, model, and a senior in high school. Sounds like a lot, I know. How did I get started in the music industry? It really began when I attended a songwriting class with Mr. Soren Allen. This is where I learned the foundation of writing music. I also took a music theory class which led me to enroll in The Conservatory of Annie Moses for private lessons. A friend I met in my theater group invited a small group of us to her party where we recorded a cover of “Count On Me” by Bruno Mars. I was smiling ear to ear the entire process. I remember telling her that one day I would record my own single playing on their grand piano. Later in the summer, we covered another song “Clouds” by Zach Sobiech. Before all these events, I had been writing my own songs and eventually came upon a terrible case of writer’s block. After talking with a fellow songwriter, she gave me the answer to my troubles. In 2022, during a church camp, I wrote my first single in three days. Once I returned home, I composed the music but waited to hire a producer and musicians. Unfortunately, it never came to fruition, so I reached out to my friend to see if I could book a session with her dad. I finally recorded my song. I went through the trials of learning copyright and months later my song was released on many platforms. To my surprise, Tingle the Single, who has been in the industry for over 30 years, heard my song and reached out to my mom about teaching me the ins and outs of the music industry. She is now my vocal coach along with another amazing vocal coach, Bryn Johnson.. I still have a lot to learn and improve in my music which has been a frustrating and fun process. I will get where I’m reaching for some time soon. My song is called “Building Fences” which was written, composed, and sung by yours truly.

I’m most proud of the biggest investment I made for myself. While I started auditioning for roles in movies and TV, I realized even though I’ve been dancing for years I needed to show proof. I remembered Mrs. Allison Little whom I had briefly met, and later learned she is the founder of Kerosene Creative Productions. I reached out to her inquiring if she provided services for making dance reels. I hired her for the project which was an incredible experience for me. She choreographed three styles of dance which were: ballet, modern and hip hop. We had one rehearsal in the studio, and I practiced for a week. On the coldest days of the year, we traveled to different locations in Nashville to record the videos. They are all on my YouTube channel under Jasmine Lopez. You can view them, comment, and give me a like.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One aspect I’ve noticed some non-creatives think is, if you are not getting jobs booked, or you don’t have an agent, etc., you are bad at what you do or that you are not doing enough. That isn’t always the case. Many times, it’s really about what the directors, producers or casting agents are looking for as well as numerous other reasons that can come into play, but that doesn’t mean you’re bad at your talents or skills. They just didn’t have you in mind for the part. Creative people are always looking for open doors, perfect opportunities, and the right timing to get in front of the right people. Every opportunity may not be a job now, but can move you forward and bring valuable experiences.

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

While I was with CYT Nashville, a theater arts program, I was able to learn many skills from improv to writing a song. However, the acting techniques and skills I desired and needed to further my career were not the focus of the program. Each show season required a total commitment of my time, talent and focus for rehearsals and the performances. At the end of each show, there’s an enormous increase of new students making the competition even harder to land a lead role which provided the coaching I desired. I ended up having to drop some activities to focus on others. Within 6 months, I released my own single, hired a production company to film my first dance videos, and I am currently taking film acting classes. My career has taken a remarkable upward trajectory ever since making the switch. It has helped me to explore and seize further opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasmine.lo1112?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA_2RdLPzjbfrFKkjILzg0w
• Other: https://withkoji.com/@JasmineLopez?fbclid=PAAaa1HGxE6LGhscuxE7AOxrLpuCFj4LwY040_33XCpGRJYrs1cnbxLJPzNwY_aem_ATQ5VGsbQnDMRMNw26jPu57g2zpyUlRvzRuay4sifWmjfimt2UV0eEc3IWo1nZXgzGQ

Image Credits
Madalyn Spicer Hannah Franklin