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

Jono, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

Even though I was rooted in theatre at a young age, believe it or not, my path was nearly rerouted in high school. Both of my parents are musicians and composers and I was heavily involved in music for much of my teenage years. I was in drumline, selected for All State, and attended The Schwab School of Music at Columbus State University on a scholarship. My first professional gig as an artist was at a summer band camp. I was a counselor for several summers and, right after graduating, I composed a piece of music for a group of ten percussionists. It was performed by the students of the camp and I eventually sold the music to several music educators to add to their selections for their students at their respective schools. Theatre is my life but music was definitely a passion of mine, at one point.

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

I am the artistic director and manager of the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. We are a facility run by Cobb PARKS. We rent our space to some amazing organizations in our community and we host the southeast’s only series dedicated to musicals in concert form. We’re in our third season and I couldn’t be more proud of the artists who’ve played in our sandbox and the patrons who’ve gone with us on this journey. We began this concert series to showcase the music in rarely-produced musicals. It’s just as exciting for artists to finally work on this material as it is for patrons to get to experience it for the first time.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The irony about this question is that I am very neutral to social media. I likely wouldn’t be using it as frequently as I do, if it weren’t for work. I mainly use it to update everyone on my current projects and I have a good time posting truly stupid content. I love graphic design and making creative content, so I don’t tend to use my accounts for anything other than puppy photos, maybe me dressed in drag, or silly videos that should belong on TikTok. I keep my content fairly simple and choose not to inundate people or else nothing is important. Oh, and these interviews. I don’t know who continues to sadistically submit my name for them, but I’ll do them and I’ll post them because I’m a Yes Man. At this point, I think readers have a good idea of the mess that I am. One day, I’ll compile all these interviews and boom…you have my autobiography! It’ll be called “From Jono, With Anxiety”.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

If I’m being honest here, I wish I had learned to say no, earlier in my story. Saying yes and not advocating for myself has really done a number on me, over the years. I’m a happy, patient, and conflict-avoidant person, but I’m extraordinarily self-aware especially after a good night’s sleep. I’ve let people say some awful stuff to me and I’ve let people take advantage of my kindness. Me being me, I’m the one apologizing and internalizing everyone’s issues as my fault, but it has made me wonder what I’d be like had I created firmer boundaries at the start of my career. Nobody’s perfect and I want people to hold me and each other accountable for their actions, especially if those actions affect careers and artistry. I deeply regret not holding a mirror to many people who’ve undoubtedly made my life more miserable just by them masking bullying with charm and talent. It’s 2022 and no one should have to put up with people being dicks.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: IG: @iamjonodavis
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonoDavis/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jono-davis-845b0a38
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgWsNnbxHw_H1KYqzAJJBIw

Image Credits
Cory Hancock, Jono’s selfie mode on his ancient phone