We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jay Long a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jay, 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?
I have always been an over-achiever, filling up my schedule with as many things as possible. In High School, as I was getting closer to graduating, I decided to shift my passions around to see what I really wanted to pursue. I dropped out of playing my violin and doing theatre for a short while in order to pursue architecture, and that is when it hit me: Creating art is part of my survival methods. Now, one could easily argue architecture is creating art and I would agree, but not in the way I need. I was using theatre, choir, and orchestra in High School as a means of really discovering myself. Looking at characters and how different/similar they were to me and what that meant… discovering the minds of composers through their music and how they interacted with notes on a page… singing with others and feeling a group catharsis of emotional outpour on stage…
These things had been compounding in me and pushing me to want more, and this first momentary absence made me realize something: Music is my connection to the universe and my soul. I must have it in my life forever in one way shape or form.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
It is difficult for me to lead anyone down the path of how I got to what I do today, as it all sounds like one weird humble brag… but let’s dive in, and you be the judge!
I am first and foremost, a queer artist and songwriter. This has been my passion, and the skillset I have developed to share in the universe with others. I began teaching myself production when I was 18 (I am now 32), and have been using those production skills to work with others, produce songs for shorts, theme songs for friends shows, and produce my own music.
I began musically by playing the violin at age 4. My father is a theologian and pastor, and this led me to play violin in the church quite a lot as a young person. This also led me down the path of becoming as “preachy” as I am, and hosting/playing MC at queer night-life events.
My family always knew the passions I had for music, and they wanted me to be successful so they suggested I become a music educator on top of being a performer. In doing so, I teach and work in front of groups of children on a daily basis.
All of these things compounded have led me to really understand how to work with large groups of people. Make safe spaces, provide music that lends towards feeling deeply and connecting (or disconnecting depending on the event), and understanding the energies of a group of people in front of you.
Through these skillsets, I have co-founded an organization called “Queer Moment,” set on supporting LGBTQIA+ peoples succeed in the world of performance, night-life, artistic expression, business, and entrepreneurship. It has put me in charge of organizing large events, producing stages, booking artists, and performing myself.
THIS evolution in my career as a performer-turned-producer-turned-host-turned-nightlife person inspired me to pick up a camera.
There are so many incredible and talented self expressionistic individuals dwelling in the underbelly of Queer Night Life LA. They inspire me to no end, and I feel it should be documented. In wanting to assist in documenting these events and excursions, I purchased myself a camera. I taught myself a few things, and have now been filming and producing content for a few parties and events based around this family I have discovered in Queer Night Life LA.
In all honesty, I consider myself a one man production house. Producing events, producing music, videography as well as video editing, songwriting, multi-instrumentalist, hosting, community building, and educating. My business is people and bringing us all together through art, to: feel more, understand each other more, connect more, and express more.
A LOT of this is wrapped up inside of my music if you sit down and take a hard listen to the lyrics and composition of it all!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Society has become obsessed with Vanity Metrics (aka follow numbers, view numbers, likes and clicks); however a lot of these metrics are fabrications, or simply purchased. From the outside looking in it does not feel that artists or creative organizations are allowed to separate themselves from their art, and I think we should embrace this.
Putting money, time, shares, and energy towards organizations and artists who organically care and build what they do is so powerful. Having good media literacy and looking into why you’re seeing something, why everyone is talking about something, and where the money behind that attention comes from is so important in this day. We are stuck inside of electronic communities so often that we miss the deep connections happening in the communities available to us in our own city.
If society wants to support artists and creatives, find the teams behind the things you like, and do a bit of research. You will quickly discover a beautiful rooted tree, or a cesspool of money and capitalism. I mean quite literally: If you see a song you like, figure out who produced it, made the cover art, mixed and mastered it, and wrote it. If it is a ten names and three different organizations, look into them.! You will learn a LOT (even if you cannot find anything about them… silence speaks volumes). If it’s a couple names, and each person is a beautiful little gem on the internet, follow each one. Watch their career, and shout them out. INVEST in the art you INGEST! This goes for any bit of art that moves you. Dance, theatre, music, visual, etc.
Put your currency toward the organic things in art and we can bring art into a place that prioritizes artistic beauty rather than good marketing and proper investments.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Since beginning to create and produce more full time, I have worked with a few mottos of my own.
1) Do not infiltrate “the scene,” Create One! –> This means, if you see something you like, or a group of people doing something you like, don’t just try to put yourself with them. Don’t infiltrate something with the hopes of being put up on the pedestal you look at. Create something that brings people like that towards you. If you are a creative, your power is creating. Create the things you like and admire, and show them to the world. It will attract the people organically, rather than changing who you are to fit into something external.
2) “Forever on the quest for Truth and Beaty.” –> In order to ground myself and remind myself why I do what I do, I must remember to follow truth, and beauty. The world is full of distractions, pleasures, and misdirections. I create to add to what I believe is truth and beauty in this world, and if I stay on that path my art stays true.
3) “Barely Changing, Always Different.” –> Stay true, but innovate. You don’t have to re-write the book every-time, but maybe a few pages from each chapter you read will benefit the evolution of you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaylongofficial/?hl=en
- Youtube: youtube.com/jaylong
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaylongofficial?lang=en
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Is9reEvVLZVuTsYXJ5Edr
Image Credits
Zach Stahl, and Greg Driscoll