We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jay Watts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jay below.

Jay, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

In my heart, I’ve always been drawn to the arts in general. I used to use a lot of opportunities to make noise and create something new out of something old. My first true pursuit of making music began as I was headed for college. I always expected to go to college, but I had no idea for what. While looking through brochures, I found MTSU’s RIM program and I was sold on engineering! I love the craft of making music and I enjoy technology, so audio engineering seemed like the perfect choice. During my sophomore year, I almost switched majors. But after having a heart to heart with my mom, we decided I should go after what I want to do with my life. After graduating, it took a little while to get my foot in the door with consistent work, but we have finally made it!

Jay, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into music just by being born into the family. I was fortunate enough to go to college for audio engineering as well as interning with some amazing producers. Since 2016, I have been operating my own studio and freelancing for a number of live events. I also dabble in stagehand work and I have recently started DJing through a local company.

J. Watts Recording offers recording, mixing, and mastering packages for beginners to experts. We specialize in audio editing and songwriting as well. We have begun to offer rental packages for studio and live audio equipment. You can also book me to host and/or DJ your events

I pride myself on being adaptable and accommodating to any type of client. We always want every project to meet your desires, so we will work until we find the perfect balance for your project. My motto when creating anything is: you don’t need a lot of money and you only need some talent, but you must have heart. Anytime I work with someone, my main goal is to create something unique and beautiful that will mean something.

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?

“We go first; that’s what artists do.” – Suzanne Paulinski

This is a quote that has always stuck with me since I heard it in 2017. It means that we get to write the songs that you all sing your heart out to because we put our feelings on display first. Then you, as the fan, get to relate. I’ve worked at a couple of factories and in many cases, I heard the employees judging creatives. They felt like they were being paid “to have fun” and weren’t serious people with goals or ambition. Many implied it was a waste of time to work on the craft of making music. The same sentiment is echoed throughout social media between memes and videos telling people to “give it up and get a real job”. Just look at some of the response to the writers strike. I hate that mindset. The world would be a much darker place if we didn’t get to partake in those little moments with your favorite song or the emotions you can get from your favorite movie. I think about the music coming out today and I wonder if those artists had just a little more time to develop (and more support), the heights they could reach. But as long as we have people downplaying our roles in the world, it will be hard to keep creating classics.

Another thing I recently realized: non-creatives may not understand the sacrifices needed to be made in order to make a living in this industry. I get questioned all the time about why I work so many jobs and dabble in so many different areas of the industry. In a perfect world, I’m learning all I can so I can be successful in many different avenues. But in reality, I have to do this to make ends meet, build my portfolio, network, and continue learning new techniques and concepts. It can be exhausting, but you continue to grind in the hopes that all of that effort and building will pay off…eventually. I can see how it can be unsettling to live that way if you are used to stability.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think both sides can do more to create a thriving industry again. Artists can start to work on their craft again: practice, write, and learn more about the music you’re making. Make sure you are marketing yourself to the right audience and make sure you are creating and maintaining your brand. One thing I’ve noticed is artists trying to do it all themselves! If we had solid teams to help with our mastering, promotion, and touring, artists would probably see their careers (and their actual bodies of work) become templates for success.

Society is fickle. As much as it takes to get them to support you, it takes very little for them to stop.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jwattsrecording.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwattsworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jwattsworks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jwattsworks
• Other: https://linktr.ee/jwattsworks

Image Credits
9-y