We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Justin Ra a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I decided to create “Galactic Jungle Music” to help heal and inspire the mind, body and spirit and show that everything and everyone is connected. Music is medicine and I felt and noticed a need for something different and authentic.
I started off singing in different rock and roll bands for a few years though I have a wide variety of music that I listen to from rock to electronic, jazz, new age, world, pop, the list goes on.
While I was singing in bands I started to create electronic music and at that moment I decided I wanted to mix electronic music and rock but it didn’t stop there because I found what are now two of the most important inspirations for me and my music, the Didgeridoo and Djembe.
Singing is the backbone of the musical journey.
Playing the Djembe really helped me understand rhythm and all the possibilities within “time signatures” and the didgeridoo is a huge representation of the connection between sound, vibration and nature.
I spent a lot of time teaching myself basic music theory to aid in the creative process while also learning about different technology that I could use to create something completely different.
After years of working on this project it was really starting to come together and I felt it was sure to do well because of the energy it produced and the message that was being delivered: To have an understanding of the past and a zest for the future to bring about a humbling present.
Justin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I decided to play music because I saw and felt the effects it has on people and their surroundings. Music heals and to me it is a great factor in a shift of consciousness.
My genre “Galactic Jungle Music” was created to inspire people to enjoy life and the experience with others.
I provide art that will motivate productivity and produce an energy that gives people a desire to grow.
I released my first album “Age of the Spirit” in 2019 which can be found on all streaming platforms and I am finishing my second album titled “Heavy Fog” which will be released in the fall of 2022.
Through my website justinra.com you can follow my journey using the social media links and I have videos and merchandise like t-shirts, coozie’s, hats, mugs, and more.
I also play live concerts and teach didgeridoo and percussion lessons and I’m available to travel for shows throughout the US.
I am happy with the progress I’ve made creating my own style and I would like to go even further and travel the world sharing galactic jungle music around the globe and continuously create content to guide the spirit through day to day life.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I unlearned the lesson that people are out to get me and to do everything on my own. I now have learned that even though I’m a solo artist, I have surrounded myself with hard working and inspiring people that are willing to help me grow with my business. I have unlearned that it’s not one person but a lot of people working together to make a business or product flourish.
I have been in a few situations were I have been mistreated, used and disrespected so I told myself to never trust anyone. Later on after coming to that conclusion I realized I just needed to be more selective with the people in my corner, people that are like-minded and respect themselves and others.
Now I am so very humbled that I learned from mistakes but didn’t let those mistakes close doors but open them.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
To build my social media presence I first started with making physical connections with the other musicians in my city. I played and went to a lot of local concerts and made sure to talk with other musicians, the sound engineer’s and bartender’s and in that process I connected with them on social media. Using this process I made so many friends and built my followers sharing music videos and photos of my journey.
Being a multi-instrumentalist I would collaborate with other local artists playing drums, hand percussion, singing and some bass and guitar and this helped build great relationships with my peers and content for posting.
I then released my debut album and professional music video and made sure to pay for ads on Facebook and Instagram and I targeted a specific audience to capitalize on the opportunity.
I have now hired someone to do posting through ads and I also post to really engage my audience and I will continue to do so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.justinra.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinramusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justinramusic/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/justin-ra-27032421a
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/justinramusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVQ1JH2tCy6XqGnsVmdZhDg
- Other: Band Camp: https://justinra.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Bailey Elizabeth Rogers Kalina Mondzholovska