We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Josee McGee. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Josee below.
Hi Josee, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I’ve been a musical performer for 19 years- hard to believe since I’m only 24. But really, I’ve been performing for audiences since age five with my family. Being creative is the most fulfilling career path I could have chosen, It’s the only thing I’ve been able to picture myself doing and found happiness in doing. Having gone full-time in music, I get so much joy in earning a living through my passion and having the freedom to create a schedule that allows time for creativity, fellowship, and recreation. It does put me to the test, though. Using my mind and body to create my product is highly demanding and often wears and tears me down. I’m working on a second album and finding myself stuck about halfway- not due to a lack of songs, but due to a lack of self-belief. I keep writing more songs and reconsidering my song choices, asking myself, “are the ideas and styles of these 10 songs cohesive or complementary? Should I start the song selection process over, or stay committed to these tracks?” Making an album truly takes a team and I struggle to work up the courage to continue to ask for help. As the creator, requesting others to learn and perform your art feels like a lot to ask! There is a constant overthinking during this process.
When earning money as a performing artist, you really have to consider your venues and crowds for your setlists. There’s an expectation to engage the audience by being more interesting, clever, or funny than I actually am, which is hard in venues where most people attend for dining, drinking, and socializing- less for the entertainment. The majority of my shows are three-hour sets at local bars, breweries, wineries, and restaurants where the folk enjoy hearing covers of popular songs the most. I do, however, add in several of my originals during these sets. Though, nothing satisfies my creative heart more than performing shorter, entirely original sets at dedicated concert venues.
October-February is the time of year for artists, like me, to book for the following year. If I want to chase my dreams of traveling and performing my original music more exclusively- performing fewer three-hour gigs- I have to start contacting venues for dates next year- right now- adjust my typical approach, and find a few fellow players to join me for some of the adventures. Having a new, high-quality album to share along the way could make a huge difference in my booking success and impact my following. Making those dreams come true might also require another form of income. The cover gigs that keep me grounded in my hometown are what make foregoing a typical 9-5 possible. And they are actually loads of fun; Singing perfectly written songs that showcase my voice is nothing to be ashamed of, but man, it means so much to share the depth of my own songs with a listening crowd in an intimate setting.
This is why I’m currently pondering a “regular job.”
Since becoming a full-time musician, I’ve considered going back to school for a business degree or entrepreneurial degree, but the reality of affording the cost is something I can’t accept, yet. Physical fitness has become a large part of my lifestyle and I’ve decided to get a Strongfirst Kettle Bell Level 1 Instructor Certification in February 2023, begin coaching at Generation Strong in Akron, Ohio and test the waters of having a regular job. Hopefully, I’ll be able to shift into performing more concert spaces and intimate shows, giving myself the opportunity to slow down the wear on my voice and body.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a singer-songwriter and performer in North East Ohio. I perform anywhere between New Philidelphia and Cleveland, but Canton is my stomping ground. I perform covers and original songs for bars, breweries, wineries, restaurants, weddings, farmers’ markets, festivals, concert venues, and other private events. I formerly hosted Open Mic Night at Muggswigz Coffee & Tea Co. from 2018 to September 2022- a major place of community and networking in my life- and I continue to host Open Mic Night in Minerva at Sandy Springs Brewing Company.
My dear friends, Bethany Joy, Dan Socha, Ben Gage, Gordon Oliver, and Jackson Boling- also performers in North East Ohio- have been guiding lights during my journey as a full-time musician. They’ve helped me get connected, improve my guitar playing, taught me new songs, how to communicate with bookers, how to share my content online, how to interact with the audience and bring myself to the stage.
A little background for ya:
I began learning to sing when I started learning to speak. Both sides of my family were extremely musical. I began performing with both sides of my family around age 5. My mother had a singing group with her sisters that my cousins, sisters, and I were folded into. My step-grandpa has always been a full-time entertainer and music director. My little sister Nikole and I often stayed with our grandparents growing up and they allowed me to sing with them at many of their events- at nursing homes, restaurants, funerals, festivals, etc. We both developed a natural skill with their guidance, learning harmony and vocal techniques, and with time, I learned piano and guitar, thanks to the ear they helped me fine-tune.
Songwriting found me at 13 when a close friend passed away in a car accident. I needed music to process such a deep loss. When I expressed my grief through music and shared it, I found that my community really needed it too. It’s been my passion to process and release strong feelings ever since, and I’m grateful that it still resonates with listeners.
I started gigging, around the same time I picked up hosting my first Open Mic Night, at farmers’ markets and art shows. Busking and playing other open mic nights, I started to gain connections with bookers at restaurants, coffee shops, and bars. I found that when the phone rings, saying yes and showing up can take you pretty far. I learned the power of cold calling, and before I knew it I landed my second Open Mic Night Hosting opportunity which connected me to friends, Randy and Dian- an older couple who view live music 5 nights a week. I remember when Randy told me he’d only known one musician capable of playing full-time… I felt this intense urge to show him that I could be the second! They spread my name around to many of the venues they attend regularly and really boosted my network. It’s truly all about who you know!
What I love about my job is the way it unites people from every walk of life. Our world is so divided, but the one thing we all enjoy- together, may I add- is good music. I know I bring something unique to the table having gotten such an early start at my craft. I keep a fairly wide variety of artists and styles in my setlists and I love to play at a balanced volume that doesn’t feel like I’m competing to be heard. I love to fit in and feel like I’m hanging out just as much as the folk dining or drinking on the floor. If the crowd wants to give me their attention, I love being casual and performing in a way that feels like we already know each other.
I’m extremely proud of my album “Tree Rings” released in May 2021. Much of the recording was done at Realgrey Records in Canton. It captures feelings of grief when losing relationships and loved ones, and the search for certainty in life. I had so much support in making it happen. It features my sister, Nikole on vocals, my partner, Spencer Cindia on production, drums, and electric guitar, my dear friend and mentor, Gordon Oliver on bass and acoustic guitar/12 string, and a choir of beautiful friends in our community. I have to say, sibling harmony is one of my music’s best qualities! Singing with Nikole is my favorite form of musical expression. I love sharing our gifts with music lovers. I want to write in an honest way about real questions I ask myself, real moments of vulnerability, and I try to depict the growing pains of becoming a better person. I mix jazz chords into pop progressions and tie them up with powerful, decorative melodies and harmonies. If you want to give it a listen, my music can be found on most streaming services, but there are links available on my website, as well as upcoming show dates at joseemcgeemusic.com
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In our society, we aren’t well educated about managing basic finances. Self-employed creatives have no unions to fall back on for contract work or to offer health insurance, and finding a tax agent for income filing is tough. In the state of Ohio, the self-employed are expected to pay 14% tax on their income. There is a huge lack of support in guidance to becoming a full-time artist. Our society can’t conceive that being a creative can be executed like a standard 9-5. I’m not sure what the answer is to this difficulty, but I wish artists and musicians were considered and better supported by our government.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I started recording my first album before the Covid 19 outbreak of 2020. After tracking nearly half of the project, we were completely cut off from each other and the studio. All of our progress was put on hold for a couple of months. We had no certainty of when we’d be able to move forward. It was deeply saddening during a time of extreme isolation. Fortunately, I shared a roof with two of the biggest contributors to “Tree Rings,” Spencer Cindia and Nikole McGee. The quarantine, however, had widdled away much of our emotional strength and tolerance for one another. Our love for persevered in the end and, with recording equipment we’d accumulated over the years, we finished recording several of the tracks on the album, “Who Am I Today? , Life The Right Way , and Run if You Will ,” we tracked nearly all of the album vocals at home and completed the production there as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/joseemcgee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joseemcgeemusic,
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JoseeMcGee33/videos
- Other: https://linktr.ee/joseemcgee
Image Credits
Michael Obrycki, Nick Hartman, Carmen Misja