Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeremiah Adams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jeremiah, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?
In this day and age, traditional learning environments need to change. My school experience from elementary school to middle school consisted of a lecture style environment where students sat in rows and listened to whatever lesson plans teachers created for a particular subject. The classrooms were dark and dated, which did not feel inviting for students to learn. After a week or more of those lectures, students were tested on the information. This process was applied to every subject. Because of this, I often found myself overwhelmed and unmotivated at the end of the school day, only to be left with homework that I felt did not add purpose to my life or career. Teachers’ means of delivery was dull, too quick and often left me wanting more explanation. Projects were interactive and exciting, but did not seem relevant.
The style of instruction in school produced symptoms in me that were not apparent in my home life. Outside of school, I excelled at electronics, construction, music and video projects that required hours of focus and dedication. However, in school, I was not interested in school work, dozed off during class, and daydreamed about ideas to create when I got home. I rarely felt a connection with my teachers and often felt their apathy toward me. I had numerous conference meetings with my parents and teachers about traits of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) that required me to receive extra assistance in the classroom. As a result, I was assigned an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). While this plan did help, and I received extra assistance, it assumed that my lack of focus was the result of something in me and did not account for my learning environment. I was not the only student that was affected by the traditional school environment; therefore, my issues were a testament to a bigger problem. The education system needed to change.
My educational journey throughout elementary and middle school exposed what the education system lacked: learning diversity. Everyone has a unique style of learning and there is no cookie cutter way to teach students. It is crucial that students are provided more opportunities to experience different learning styles. In high school, I attended a STEAM based school that incorporated rooms that were modern and promoted interactivity. There were “think rooms” for brainstorming and collaboration. Natural light within classrooms felt more open and freeing, which prepared me to learn. Within the first weeks, I could tell there were efforts made to improve the overall learning experience for students, which I favored over my other schools greatly. Classes were interactive, assignments were project based and incorporated useful research tactics, and topics felt more relevant to current issues. At my new school, teachers were passionate about their job and students; therefore, there was also a stronger student-teacher bond, which contributed to my motivation. Even mundane subjects felt more lively in this learning environment. As a result, focus was not an issue; I thrived and excelled academically.
Without an appropriate learning environment, instruction, or subject matter, students are unable to excel in the education system. As a result they can be mislabeled, misunderstood, and lack the motivation to learn. To prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career, I believe schools should teach students life studies, such as financial literacy, operation of businesses, and good mental health practices. The education system should consider every student’s learning style and design a learning environment that is a welcoming space. The subject matter is equally important. The style of instruction, relevance of content, and actual learning environment played a major role in my educational career. Because of this, I was able to graduate with honors from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and continue pursuing a career in what I love.
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’ve always had a passion for electronics, lights, and music. As a child, I spent numerous hours in my room making beats, performing practice DJ sessions, designing lighting setups on the computer, filming music videos, and creating electronic projects in my spare time. During high school, I further developed my interests. I was a member of the robotics team, music production program, and audio/visual productions. This time afforded me the opportunity to become an entrepreneur and receive compensation for my services. I DJ’ed school events and friends’ parties, assisted artists with their music projects in my custom-built home recording studio, and provided filming services. These endeavors led me to apply to The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), pursue a major in Sound Design, and minor in Film and Television. SCAD Savannah had a plethora of film and music studios, which allowed me to develop my skills as an entrepreneur. One of the greatest advantages of going to an art school was being surrounded by like-minded individuals. The opportunities experienced throughout college fostered meaningful relationships and improved my communication skills. During these past years, I have been able to grow my business and work on paid projects, such as music videos, festivals, audio engineering projects, and DJ events. My business specializes in Videography, Photography, Music Production, and Event Production.
D2Jay Productions is a business and a brand that knows the value of strategic partnerships. As a business owner I collaborate with businesses to execute their vision with custom-tailored creative services. One thing that sets me apart from others and what I am most proud of is my ability to design equipment or products, and provide experiences to meet a client’s needs. For example, as a sophomore in college, my friends and I, partnered with local businesses, and put on an all-day music and arts festival in Savannah, Georgia called Global. This festival featured local painters, music artists, designers, and DJ’s for over 500 attendees. I provided the audio visual production for the entire event, which included the management of the sound, lighting, and projection equipment. Later on, in 2023, I had the opportunity to partner on a major lighting project for Solfest, a large EDM festival based in Alabama. My team and I designed and deployed a custom landscape lighting system with over 10,000 LEDs to decorate a walkway in the forest leading to the event. During the process, I spent weeks designing 3D printed parts and putting together prototypes for a team of people to assist me with the project. I also filmed and edited a full recap video for the festival that I posted on my business website. This event and others I’ve been a part of speaks to the type of services D2Jay Productions provide. Clients are guaranteed a dynamic and positive atmosphere.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of my major goals after college was to have a sustainable life and career in visual arts in Atlanta, Georgia. During college, after multiple visits, I discovered the city to be inspiring and creative, so I did whatever I could to reach that goal. I attended IATSE film production union meetings, contacted associates and teachers for recommendations, and wrote numerous letters to enter the film production field. After my efforts to join the film production union was deemed unsuccessful, I decided to look for jobs in the creative fields, such as audio engineering, event production, editing, photography, and more. I spent months applying to jobs, stayed on numerous interview calls, and drove about 4 hours to Atlanta for an interview. Again, this process was unsuccessful.
After about two years of no results, I had an interview for a remote editing job that looked promising. A recruiter asked about my qualifications and I answered a set of questions. After a few days, they said I got the job, but there were some preliminary exercises I had to complete before I would be fully onboarded. This consisted of writing a short essay on workplace communication, and making a 30 minute voice over documentary on a unique city or place within three days. I decided to make the documentary about the place I wanted to live, Atlanta, Georgia. These preliminary exercises challenged me in great ways, not only because of the 3-day deadline, but the fact that I was already on multiple productions and traveling between events during that time. I found a way to manage my time, but worked tirelessly on coming up with a script, capturing footage, and editing the project. During this process, I was also tasked with filling out forms for the work-from-home equipment that needed to be purchased through the job’s funding. After completing the requirements, I received a check for $18,000 to be used to buy equipment, which I tried to deposit. Little did I know that it would turn out to be a scam. The next day, I went to the bank and was told that it was a fraudulent check and if it would have gone through, I would’ve owed the bank $18,000.
While I understand this situation could have been worse, the entire process lasted over a month and caused me to give up applying for jobs completely. Instead, I became motivated to put my efforts into expanding my own business. I began traveling to Atlanta on a monthly basis for production jobs, made some major business connections, and finally, at the end of 2023, received an opportunity to move to Georgia. Through my obstacles, I remained resilient; I prevailed. Not to mention, I now have a fully edited documentary that will soon be repurposed, and an experience that I will never forget.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Once I was approached to join a one-year mentorship and business development program. A family friend told me about it and was willing to pay the required fees. Initially, I was a bit skeptical, as I felt this program would be a waste of time and money. However, I continued due to possible opportunities and experiences to improve my business. Over the next few months, I was given “internship” projects to shoot and edit. Although I had a contract, and was told I would receive compensation for services I provided for client work, red flags were showing when I was given multiple unpaid “internship” assignments and did not receive all of the business improvement assistance I was promised. Still, I continued with the program because of the incentives and upcoming events I would attend for being a part of the mentorship. The major turning point for me was when I wasn’t compensated for running the entire production (sound, lighting, and video) for a corporate gala event that required out-of-state travel.
This experience motivated me to pivot and improve my business practices. Prior to this situation, I looked to others for mentorship in areas that I was already proficient in. I realized that everything I was looking for was in me and in my network. I now understand my worth and have decided to partner with creative individuals and established businesses to expand my career. I have discovered that one of the best ways to learn is by observing and asking questions from successful people that are consistent in their craft. While the mentorship program might not have ended as expected, I did gain valuable lessons from the experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: D2Jay.com
- Instagram: @d2jayproductions
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-adams-6ba0931a3/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/d2jaybeats
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@D2Jay
Image Credits
Global festival: Jordan Vescio Scad Film: Genevieve Kerr Teaching DJing: Mary McNamara