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

Jhoely, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I grew up in a family where music was not considered a “serious” career. Both my parents are accountants, and there are lawyers, doctors, and business people in the family, but no artists.

I was very good at school. I won physics awards, math competitions, and literature awards, and my parents expected me to be an engineer or business major. So when the day came to talk to them about my interest in pursuing a music career, they were unhappy with the idea, to say the least.

Despite the lack of support and much criticism about my decision, something inside my brain and heart told me I could make things work, and become a professional musician.

After a year or so of continuing my music journey as best I could without support, my guitar teacher suggested I go to New York and see if I could find something there for my career. Long story short, I sold all my music equipment, except my guitar, and booked a round-trip to New York City.

Initially, I was supposed to be in New York for around a week, but after four days of experiencing the rich jazz scene and music community, I called my mom. I remember telling her, “Hi, Mom, can you sell my car and send me the money? I want to stay and see what’s here for me.”

Looking back, I think I didn’t fully understand the decision and the risk I was taking then. Suddenly, I was living in a new country, speaking a different language, taking full responsibility for myself and my living, and away from my entire family. However, I remember feeling I had nothing to lose and a deep motivation to make it work.

I had zero certainty that things would “work out” for me. It often seemed I was going against the current, and at times, I felt unsure that what I was doing would eventually lead me to the experiences and places I dreamed of being part of.
But being in New York, listening to the rich jazz and music scene, and wishing to someday sound like the musicians who so profoundly inspired me kept the motivation inside me.

So I kept practicing, listening to music, going to concerts, taking lessons, meeting people in the music community, and doing everything I knew could help me succeed. After a couple of years of intense and diligent work, I started to experience the results of the seeds I had planted…

Ten years ago, I took a risk and went against my family’s desires. I moved to a new country with only hope and the idea of becoming a professional working musician in fierce New York City. And I believe it is the best decision I have made in my life (so far)!

Taking this risk has led me to share the stage and collaborate with artists I have always dreamed of, to discover my passion for composing music for large ensembles and teaching, and to make a career in it; to be part of and support my music community and friends, and to share my professional and personal experiences in music with new generations of music students; to meet kind and talented people from all over the world that I consider family, and to find the love of my life.

What I have learned during my journey is that if you do things from a place of honesty, love, purpose, commitment, and kindness, you CAN’T go wrong. Trust yourself and your artistic vision. Look what’s inside you, not outside. Find what moves you and what you are passionate about, and trust the process!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my NY family, friends, mentors, artistic communities, and organizations that have supported my music journey. Dream Achieved.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jhoely Garay. I am a guitarist, composer, educator, and nature advocate from Mexico based in New York City.

My music conveys my experiences as a child and teenager growing up in Mexico, my deep interest in the conservation and protection of natural resources, and my affinity for Latin America’s diverse traditions, cultures, and music.

My creative practice takes many forms, ranging from guitar performance to leading and conducting my 18-piece jazz orchestra, and my passion is creating music for large ensembles.
In my compositions, I combine different families of instruments, such as woodwinds, brass, and rhythm sections, and interweave them through composed music and improvisation. My inspirations range from straight ahead and contemporary jazz to music and rhythms of Latin America.

Through my artistic work, I aim to raise awareness about topics often overlooked by the public, such as climate-related issues and untold or hidden histories left out of official narratives.

I am also a passionate educator who aims to inspire students to reach their full potential in music while also instilling in them a deep appreciation for this art form. I believe that students can gain a well-rounded understanding of the world, including important topics such as history and social and political issues, through music education.

I regularly collaborate with community centers, churches, and schools, offering accessible and open-to-public music and educational activities to my community in Washington Heights, Mexico, and beyond.

In addition to music, I am a plant aficionado and an enthusiast hiker, which enriches my creative process.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Fortunately, there are many! 

But one of them is being in front of the orchestra receiving the sound from the conductor’s side. 

I spend a lot of time by myself in the process of composing and arranging music. Usually, I sit at the piano or with my guitar for months to portray to the best of my abilities the ideas I hear in my head, my vision. It requires focus, an open mind, and some playfulness to try things and go, at times, to unusual paths and new “music territories.” 

After that solitary process, bringing the music to the orchestra, shaping the piece from the conductor’s side, and listening to the music on the page for the first time feels like a breath of fresh air. It reminds me why I am doing this, my purpose.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to be part of a jazz and music community where everybody feels represented, supported and free to experience music in any way, shape or form.

At the beginning of my music journey, it was hard to trust that I was “on the right path” because no one looked like me in the professional spaces and experiences I wanted to be part of.

When I moved to NY, I found a community of women jazz musicians that had a significant impact on me.
Having safe spaces to share, learn, collaborate, and help each other find possible solutions to the challenges that a music career can present made me grow a lot as a person and, naturally, as an artist.

I am happy I have the opportunity to contribute to creating a more diverse and inclusive jazz and composers community by sharing my personal and professional experiences and through my creative practice. There’s a lot to be done; the journey continues!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jhoelygaray.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhoelygaray
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhoelygaray/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhoely-garay-46954b2a5
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jhoelygaray

Image Credits

Todd Rosenberg, Adrian Trevino