We recently connected with Jason Damico and have shared our conversation below.

Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Everything I’ve learned thus far is a byproduct of everything I’ve been exposed to and personally experienced, as well as the countless mistakes I’ve made—a concoction of all of that truly is I believe the greatest teacher. But I’ve been blessed by dozens, even hundreds of incredible teachers & mentors along the way—some I’ve worked with personally and others I’ve never met at all, or who have even been deceased for quite some time.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of my greatest “mentors.” Through the power of the information age, YouTube etc. I was fortunate as a tailing Gen-Y to have access to an ever increasing and growing global library of content to learn from. I could watch an interview of Bob Rock on how he psychologically navigated and produced Metallica. I could find out more about Rick Rubin encouraging Anthony Kiedis to bring “Under The Bridge” to band rehearsal to hear what it sounded like in the room—ultimately to find out that it was a hit. All of these little golden nuggets of information became more and more abundant—one just needed to have an eye out for them.

But in the tangible, I was relentless. I would practice and record for countless hours. I’d take any gig that I possibly could to gain experience. It’s a never-ending process full of infinite lessons that you’ll learn along the way. I’m still learning every day on stage, in the studio, on set, and in life in general.

I’m a firm believer in what Norman Vincent Peale says that “in every problem there is nestled within it an opportunity”—and with every opportunity its own lesson.

If there were any obstacles standing in my way from learning more, looking back now I believe I did all I could to neutralize them. Ironically and laughably, when it came time to apply for college, my higher education was self-perceived as an obstacle. Coming from primarily a homeschooled background for most of my education and already earning money as an actor and musician in my youth, the thought of having to be confined on a campus for another four years was suffocating. Thankfully, I had a great guidance counselor who steered me into the direction of complete online learning through a school of professional studies program that allowed me to continue to work and build my career.

Don’t get me wrong, I value my education and know that I am better for it. However, one of the things that I see blatantly lacking in the education system is the training and facilitation of soft skills and general selling knowledge for young people.

Personally, I think this is a travesty. Learning how to sell and present oneself to the marketplace and world regardless of background or field of study is one of the most important skills one will ever acquire to drastically increase their chances at experiencing success in life.

One of the most baffling encounters of mine was never once in my college experience ever reading a lesson plan or listening to a lecture in my curriculum that had anything to do with the subjects of deal-making, negotiating, billing/invoicing, sales training, gaining clients, lead generation, and general day-to-day business running operations – and I went to business school and graduated as a BSA!

Fortunately, through my own observance and curiosity, good parenting, avid reading, outside teachers, mentorships, and overall working life experience, I was fortunately exposed to enough of these essential skills even before I began college (as well as afterward). And maybe that’s just perhaps what it takes. Luckily I was fortunate enough to have those opportunities—but I believe it should be a higher priority in general within the education system as a whole.

Jason, 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?

I’m a proud Raleigh, NC native and grew up in an art-appreciative household. My mom played classical piano from an early age and my dad played guitar in various bands throughout high school. They both pursued careers outside of the arts but always encouraged and supported me in my creative proclivities and endeavors.

There were always instruments laying around the house. I began tinkering around with the piano as a toddler. But ultimately, I showed an innate love for percussion and drumming—so my parents started taking me to drum lessons at around four years old.

My first professional acting job was, of all things, as a baby model at 18 months old. Someone approached my mom and said they needed a mother/infant pair for a magazine shoot. So that was my first official paid gig! I still find that funny to this day.

Mom had gotten me into some reputable agencies in NC. I continued to build credits as a childhood actor for both regional and national TV commercials and films. I enjoyed taking classes and performing in Raleigh’s own productions at Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Little Theatre, North Carolina Theatre, etc. They played a tremendous part in my training and development as a performer.

A big music “a-ha” moment for me happened when I was 12 and my dad introduced me to Deep Purple. We were going on a road trip and stopped at a Barnes & Noble to pick up some music for the drive (this was at a time when they still had many CDs for sale). I remember him just scanning an album with five dreary and out-of-focus figures on it. He put the headphones on me as Highway Star faded in and my mind immediately exploded. I was like, “whatever this is, I have to do it.”

In high school, I started to play guitar more and became obsessed with Stevie Ray Vaughan. I wanted to be him. Looking back on it now it was kind of hilarious. But I was the kid literally up until the wee hours of the morning on school nights playing along to his records. I’d watch videos of him on YouTube set at half-speed with the screen flipped upside down—this way I could study every subtlety of his hands from his POV. I was hooked.

After high school, I took a gap year to just record and play music. I had formed The Jason Damico Trio when I was 16. Eventually, it would become Jason Damico & The New Blue—the name that still stands to this day. We were playing anywhere and everywhere in the Triangle just trying to gain traction and experience. Around that time, I also won my first Carolina Music Award for Youth Male Artist of the Year in 2011.

At 19, I self-produced/performed and released my first record Blood, Sweat & Blues. This would eventually land me a management deal in NYC as well as help me acquire contacts within the Triangle Blues Society. I won The Triangle Blues Society Solo Challenge in 2014 and advanced to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.

Towards the end of my gap year, my pro-education parents lovingly coaxed me into obtaining a college degree. They always told me, “we don’t care what you get it in, but you’re getting something—you’ll always have it in your back pocket.” And with folks that are literal part-shareholders of your business, I figured it wouldn’t be wise to ignore such an admonition.

I had toured Berklee College of Music in Boston, Julliard, and PACE in NYC, but the atmospheres just didn’t feel quite right for me. I was a homeschooled kid throughout most of my life, so I wanted something much more flexible than I could do on my time while pursuing my career and building credits. Hence, William Peace University’s School of Professional Studies Program in Raleigh came into the picture.

In 2013, I enrolled in WPU’s SPS program, which essentially allowed me to obtain a Bachelor’s in Business with a Focus in Leadership entirely online. This would allow me to travel freely back and forth from NYC during production pilot seasons as well as tour with the band.

It took me nearly six years to finish my degree while continuing my career pursuits—but I was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude while also maintaining enough music industry presence to take home another Carolina Music Award for Rock Male Artist of the Year in 2015.

After graduating from WPU in 2019, I was ready to take on the world. With classwork and exams finally behind me, I was in the process of fully relocating to NYC as well as looking forward to touring the US blues-rock circuit with undivided attention and commitment.

And then the pandemic hit.

While the world was shut down, I tried the best I could to stay positive and productive. I had already started The Jason Damico Show in 2019—but in 2020, I saw a tremendous opportunity to keep the momentum moving via Zoom.

The show became a lifesaver. Not only was it a way to document stories of incredible artists and creative entrepreneurs in NC, but it also built relationships internationally. Over 130+ episodes in, I have learned so much from a diverse pool of talented people—from all walks of life. It has single-handedly been one of the biggest blessings for me personally and professionally.

Throughout the pandemic, I also wrote/recorded new music and produced other artists remotely. I landed some great UGC commercial contract work for companies like TikTok, 1-800 Flowers, Wolf & Shepherd, Adobe, and many other great brands.

As things began to slowly open up again, I was fortunate enough to work with legendary blues-rock icons such as Eric Gales, Gary Hoey, Kenny Aronoff, etc. on some recent single releases—one of which would garner a new career milestone with four GRAMMY® Considerations.

I’m constantly juggling a multitude of opportunities spanning different sectors within the industry. I’ll be honest, sometimes I wish I wasn’t as spread out as I am. It’s a lot to manage even with multiple managers and agents working alongside me. But I always knew from a young age that I would never work a traditional 9-5 and the only desk you’d find me behind is one with a recording console on it.

The bottom line is I love what I do—even if I don’t know exactly what it is that I do at times. But that’s precisely the magic of the arts and entrepreneurship. And all of my fellow artists reading will know exactly what I mean when I say that “you don’t choose this path—it chooses you.”

Regarding the business and brand specifically, the three main career passions in my life at this point are music, acting, and production. My umbrella company New Blue Entertainment, LLC handles my intellectual property as a recording artist/creative while also operating and managing a multi-room recording studio and production house located in the Triangle near Jordan Lake. It also serves as a label and oversees coordination for all live music events and touring for Jason Damico & The New Blue.

I started dabbling in music production after having a few negative experiences early on with outside producers. At around 15, I began building my own recording studio. I did everything I could to push myself more and more in learning the process.

I told myself that I would always be “the artist’s producer” and proudly adopted that mantra because I wanted to treat every artist with empathy and respect.

I’d further learn how to do this at Manifold Recording Studios in Pittsboro, NC—which I was blessed to intern at for a little over a year while in college. Working in a world-class
environment like that helped me develop and refine proper studio etiquette, problem-solving skills, and overall understanding of the music production process.

As a songwriter and recording artist, I resonate most with organic music—specifically rock and blues. But I love all genres. I just try to take a little bit of everything that I like and create something with a touch of originality. A great song is a great song—especially when it can effectively communicate and inspire others in some way, shape, or form that is relatable.

Growing up as an actor, I always felt comfortable in front of a camera and on set. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time behind the camera directing various projects as well as editing in post-production. Wearing so many different hats generates an experiential advantage.

There’s so much that goes into the medium of film and on-screen storytelling. The more you know, the more value you can provide us as a creative asset, and the more respect/awareness you can have for everyone else involved in a project.

As a content creator, I have a huge passion for documenting people’s unique stories and experiences. The Jason Damico Show is a platform that focuses on the artistic and entrepreneurial community of the Triangle—conducting interviews in an informal yet educational and entertaining manner.

Guests have often praised the atmosphere of the show to be “healing and therapeutic”—propelling positivity into the often-negative saturated space of social media. I take great pride in effectively creating a safe space for talented people to express themselves so freely.

Ultimately, I’ve been fortunate enough to build and continue to shape a career that is dynamic with complementary passions. There’s music ubiquitously in films and TV. There are infinite performance aspects required in music. And both art forms rely heavily on production savviness, conscientiousness, and core competencies within various content creation skillsets.

Comfortably interweaving and combining those skillsets and experience banks is probably what differentiates me (and my team) the most within the arts & entertainment industry.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve honestly had to unlearn a lot of things, or at least retrain myself to think differently on them. In contemplation, it’s hard to just boil it all down to one specific thing. But I think one of the greatest lessons or beliefs I’ve had to unlearn is the thinking that your natural talents alone will bring you success.

If anything, timing is one of the most, if not the most important factors in success–and that’s regardless of field. But another huge determining factor is who you know–and more importantly who knows you. Your network is equally as important as your level of deliverable talent and value that you bring to the table–if not more so. Yes, it’s taken me years of dedication and practice to be able to do what I do—and I’m always finding myself learning and continuing to adapt daily. But most of my best opportunities in business have come from word of mouth, referral, or reoccurring work.

Your perseverance is also paramount. You must keep delivering and showing up for yourself regardless of outcome. You must be fully committed not to perfection, but to just shear dogged perseverance no matter what. That’s the psychological secret that turns all noes into yeses. Then when you don’t get the part, or the venue or promoter doesn’t answer your first follow-up (as countless will along the way), you know unassailably that things are ultimately working themselves out for your greater good. It’s easier said than done, but it’s possible.

In the spirit of that, I’ll throw in another re-learn–and this one is more esoteric. But essentially, don’t push your happiness off to whenever you feel that you can allow yourself to be happy. Choose to be happy and grateful now—regardless of how frustrating or horrendous your circumstances may seem. I’ll explain why to do this in the way that I wish someone had explained to me in my youth (guaranteed multiple probably did, but I probably wasn’t listening or too pigheaded to hear them).

In my teens and early twenties, I was very caught up in trying to make things happen and force the 3-D within the realms of my own inner “perfect” world. And although the root of it all I believe was out of love, there were a lot insecurities that slowly grew like weeds around and impeded on the growth of my intentions. It took a long and debilitating burnout in a variety of ways for me to realize that things are just going to happen the way they are going to happen–the choice is yours as to how you choose to react and whether you are going to enjoy your life or not. Frankly, I wish I would have chosen happiness over perfection earlier on. But thankfully I began having enough revelations on this in my mid-twenties to refocus my course.

In other words, you attract what you are–and to quote Earl Nightingale, “we become what we think about most of the time.” Get joyful and grateful now, wherever you are in life, accept it as is with little to no resistance, and you’ll continually find yourself more and more in that joyful state no matter the circumstances. And then from there you’ll discover true inner peace. The Apostle Paul touches on this profoundly in Philippians 4:11-12, stating: “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things, I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack.”

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’ve always been an avid reader–the pandemic augmented that. During lockdown, I somehow stumbled upon a Guideposts ministry tract for veterans that had excerpts of Norman Vincent Peale’s “The Power of Positive Thinking.” I remember reading a few pages and having my eyes opened to a whole other viewpoint of faith that I hadn’t fully embodied or understood before. All I knew was I needed more of whatever “that” was. I ordered the full book on Amazon–it became a life-altering season for me because I realized just how negative my subconscious thinking was. Certain aspects were healthy, but I needed a reset–specifically in areas that I had been struggling in for quite some time.

This opened a gateway to understanding more about the power of manifestation, universal spiritual principles such as laws of assumption, attraction, the usage of visualization, affirmations, subconscious programming, etc. It’s one thing to have faith–it’s another thing to have faith with absolute certainty and fortitude that’s unattached, repeatable, and essentially on command with consistency. This has been one of my core shifts that I’ve made intentionally to align with, and I’ve seen dramatic results.

After discovering Peale, I read more of his books such as “You Can, If You Think You Can” and “Enthusiasm Makes The Difference.” I then branched out further into other staples like Napoleon Hill’s “Think And Grow Rich”, Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends & Influence People,” Grant Cardone’s “10X,” Donald Trump’s “The Art of The Deal,” Kevin Trudeau’s “Your Wish Is Your Command,” Chet Holmes’ “The Ultimate Sales Machine” and many more.

I’m also a huge fan of autobiographies–there’s a lot to learn from in them. For my acting and film friend enthusiasts, I highly recommend Marlon Brando’s “Songs My Mother Taught Me” and Bryan Cranston’s “A Life In Parts.” If you’re a musician or in the music industry, anything that Gene Simmons penned is brutely honest, shrewd, and entertainingly educational such as “Sex Money Kiss,” “Me, Inc.,” “On Power,” etc. They’re worth their weight in gold and written by an industry veteran with an excellent grasp that encompasses and merges the creative with business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jasondamico.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdamicoofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdamicoofficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-damico-96831262/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdamicoofficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jasondamico
• Other: New Blue Entertainment, LLC Website: https://www.newblueentertainment.com/ The Jason Damico Show Home Page: https://www.jasondamico.com/the-jason-damico-show

Image Credits
Jason Damico (New Blue Entertainment, LLC), FilmKraft, Anita Stinson, Zachary Jenson, Carolina Perez, Bonnie Fischer, NC Theatre