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

Joseph, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Ever since I was a young kid, I had the dream of becoming a professional musician. In a way, I didn’t choose music, music chose me. This was always God’s plan for my life. I performed a lot with my dad growing up and that contributed immensely to my love of music. I always looked up to him as a musician and as a classical piano player. By the time I was 15, my family and I had moved down to Nashville and I found myself dropped into the middle of the Nashville music industry.

Joseph, 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?

After my family and I moved down to Nashville in 2014, I really found myself here in the Nashville music industry. Starting off on Broadway, I sang and played cover songs for many years. Though I never saw myself in country music, Broadway offered me an opportunity to perform, which I cherish to this day. However, the lifestyle musicians live while performing on Broadway is very hard, especially for a teenager. It was Christian music that drew me away from Broadway and into pop music. After performing with Christian/Gospel artists such as Michael W Smith, Leeland, Josh Turner and others, I felt called to change my path and use my music not for my own gain, but to inspire others. This led me to Belmont University where I studied both my B.M. and M.M. in Music Performance.

While at Belmont, I worked very hard to become the best musician I could become. Studying under world renown vocal instructors Henry Smiley and Sandra Dudley was one of the best periods of my life, and I was able to deeply develop myself as an artist. During this time I began writing with incredible mentors and hit songwriters such as Jan Buckingham, Norm McDonald, Scott Barrier, Kirsti Manna, and many others. I also held a few internships including working with Brett Manning as an intern with Singing Success, working as a production intern for Nancy Deckant and Nashville Cool Music Publishing, and apprenticing as a worship leader at Otter Creek Church. I also worked as an educator and instructor during my final years at Belmont University.

My current work I find myself in is working as a songwriter, producer, and musician in the Nashville music scene, the dream I once held ten years ago coming to fruition. I have God to thank for the life he has given me, and for His continued guidance even during difficult times such as the COVID pandemic.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When the COVID pandemic hit, I watched my income as a musician drop immensely. People had less money to spend on music. The music and entertainment industry as whole is certainly the first sector of society to take a hit when things go south. Every artist big and small was impacted by this.

But instead of giving up on music I decided to shift perspective from performance to teaching to supplement my income. This was also part of the reason I went back to get my graduate degree. As performance opportunities for musicians vanished, Belmont provided me a place to continue my music career where I could grow and help others.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

There are really two main goals I have in this creative journey I have found myself on: one personal and one interpersonal. There is something I have to prove, not to anyone else, but to myself. I am extremely driven and I want to become the greatest version of myself; even to this day I am still working every day on becoming a stronger and better version of me.

However, on a deeper and more fundamental level, I want to inspire as many other people with my songs as I possibly can and leave a lasting legacy that impacts the world for the better. I want to leave this world better off than when I first arrived and I believe that the most impactful way for me to do that is through music.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.j4sings.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j4sings/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josephwandass/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j4sings/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/j4sings
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpCeGCzSbX_BzrC8YtSuRsw

Image Credits
For the main photo, credit goes to Nita Ann of NitaInNashville photography. Instagram provided here: https://www.instagram.com/nitainnashville/