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

Kent, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I work with folks with developmental disabilities and my first experience in the field was when my father brought home some of the clients he worked with for lunch. He was a teacher at a residential home and would often take his students home or off campus for activities. I remember being fearful at first. I was very young, but then I also remember being intrigued by his students and it became my future career. I have worked with folks with DD for over 20 years and although it can be frustrating at times, it is very rewarding when you see someone succeed in life and pursue their hopes and dreams regardless of any limitations others might place on them.

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 officially got into music at age 13. I had grown up in a musical family, so it was always a part of my life, but I didn’t go down a path to musicianship until my father asked me to play bass in his bluegrass band. I had never played bass before and he had a show in 2 weeks and their bass player had just left the band. He got me a double bass, and I had a crash course in the most basic elements of playing bass and was performing 2 weeks later. I never looked back from there. I have played bass in almost every genre of music imaginable and enjoy just making music. I also learned to sing with my dad’s bluegrass band and that is where I learned to sing the parts, the intricacies of harmony and structure. Music is my release. It is the place that I know I can always go to find comfort, strength, and dependability as it is always there and has never let me down.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Dogged determination. To make it in music is to be able to get a fortunate alignment of the stars! Music is a hard, grinding career choice, but one that is doable if you are willing to make sacrifices and put in many hours of hard work and practice. It’s not just about being proficient on your instrument or being a good singer, it has a lot to do with how willing you are to put in endless time to promote yourself on social media, traveling to shows, writing/recording/releasing music, keeping content fresh and interesting for your audience, managing merchandise sales, travel/rehearsal schedules, dealing with promotors/managers, and then trying to find time for friends and family. It is a herculean task and only folks who are extremely driven, or very lucky, ever “make it” in the music business.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I play bass and sing in a number of different bands in the area. I think what helped me with building my reputation within the market is dependability, professionalism, and ability to mold my performance to suit whatever genre of music I’m performing. Another aspect that i think has personally helped is that I check my ego at the door and only try to do what is being asked of me at any given performance. I don’t have to have the spotlight and I’m more concerned with putting out a good overall product and serving the song. I like to think of myself as being extremely reliable and consistent, which are good qualities to have as a bass player.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/kent.jolley