We recently connected with Jude Leighton and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jude, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My childhood dream was to be a jazz saxophonist. I just wanted to play jazz in small, dark, smokey jazz clubs and that would be my full-time job.

Things didn’t quite end up that way. I did study a bachelor in jazz music and I did get to perform in some small, dark and smokey jazz clubs at the time but, after finishing my studies, I realised that performing jazz wasn’t going to pay the rent. I went on to study and become a high school music teacher.

However, childhood trauma had, and still has, a severe impact on my mental health. I left my job as a teacher and moved to Denmark at the age of 23. I needed to get away and start over. And I really did start over, with my first job delivering papers in the very early hours of the morning in the thick of winter, with snow deeper than I’d ever seen before and earning barely enough to get by. Playing the saxophone was put on the back-burner and I felt that I had lost the passion for playing all together.

After some years, and learning the language, I took an education as an IT supporter, which is the field that I still work in today. With more stability in my life, my interest and passion for playing music was reignited. The financial stability also meant that I could afford to have therapy regularly and work with my PTSD diagnosis. The therapy, combined with playing music again, gave me a huge boost and I was driven to do something else with music than just playing in my home.

I had earlier written a tune as a thank-you gift for an undergraduate psychologist who worked as a volunteer at a therapy centre that I could attend free of charge during the years when I didn’t have a stable job. Clients weren’t allowed to give gifts so, just before she stopped, in 2015, I wrote a tune for her. In 2021, I recorded and put the tune (‘Janne’) out on streaming services. I was surprised how well it was received, and it was a great confidence boost, so I wanted to keep writing, playing and sending my music out into the world.

My closest, childhood friend deserved a tune, too, so I wrote one for her (‘Sarah’). Then a close friend in Denmark who loves the Chaplin tune, ‘Smile’, got a recording as a birthday gift. Most recently, I released a tune for my youngest niece (‘Beanie’s Bossa’). I started seeing a few dollars coming into my account from streams, and thought it would be great to donate the earnings from streams to different local charities. It’s really not a lot that comes out of streams (about 25 dollars a month), but I honestly believe that every little bit helps, and that it gives me the opportunity to give back, in some way.

I played in a jazz quintet for a few years, which was wonderful, but the band chose to go our separate ways in November 2021, during one of the occasions in which I was hospitalised. It was hard, but probably for the best as it was difficult for me to commit to the band at that time as I was in a bad place, mentally. Shortly after I came out of the hospital, I wrote ‘Håbets Farve’, which translates as ‘The Colour Of Hope’. I decided to use this tune to raise money for a charity called Psykiatrifonden, who campaign to improve the psychiatric system here in Denmark and raise awareness surrounding mental health issues. I offered free downloads to anyone from my website, and people could make a contribution to the fundraiser, if they wished to. The fundraiser made over 5850 DKK (over 800 dollars).

This ongoing project is one that is both therapeutic for myself, as well as allowing me to give musical gifts and monetary donations. It drives me to keep going; to wake each day and tackle whatever the world may throw at me. I only hope that others can find some comfort and happiness in the music I make.

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’m Jude Leighton, a jazz saxophonist and composer. I was born and raised in England and have lived in Denmark since 2004. I have had a passion for music since early childhood. I started learning the piano at age 6, and went on to learn clarinet at 9, then saxophone from when I was 13.

Listening to music of almost all genres has always been a salvation for me. Jazz just spoke to me that bit more when I first heard Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster etc. on the radio, and my love for the saxophone was ignited. I went on to study jazz at Leeds Conservatoire (UK).

Some may consider me as a failed jazz musician. I work full-time as an IT supporter. I don’t do gigs every other night, or even every other month. My mental health issues make it difficult for me to even commit to band rehearsals. But I didn’t fail. I have managed to use my passion for jazz, ability to play the saxophone and compose music, to do good for others, as well as myself.

I’m proud to be able to give to other people the gift of music, when I often feel that it is hard to give much else of myself. I hope to spread kindness, compassion, warmth and comfort to other people. Music, as we know, is a universal language that can create unity and speak to us, even when words aren’t present. We can never have too much of that in our lives, in my personal opinion.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Kindness and compassion drive my creative journey. I try, as best I can, to treat others as I wish to be treated. You just can’t go wrong with genuine, selfless kindness and compassion. It’s actually hard to achieve at times, but the world desperately needs these things right now and, as they don’t cost a thing, we might as well give it a try, right?

Working with my own mental health, compassion, and forgiveness towards myself, puts this vision constantly at the forefront of my mind.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Just hearing and reading other people’s reactions, opinions and feelings towards music that I have made is the most rewarding aspect of putting something I’ve made out into the big wide world. It still fascinates me seeing that my music has been played in so many different countries around the world! All of a sudden, the world seems smaller and within my reach, and I find that very comforting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://judeleighton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gingerlyjazz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judeleightonjazz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@judeleighton
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4edvfMXHVIFinQhAfdADFo?si=IgqQyXiuSZ6U6COTLv4U-w Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/dk/artist/jude-leighton/1569960400