We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jake Walters a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jake, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I think it’s very important to keep your mind open to as much as you possibly can. Listen to an artist you would never normally listen to, go to an eclectic or historic art gallery, go see an avant-garde play, anything! The more exposure to creation we have, the more curious we become, and there is a higher potential to be inspired. But, beyond that, I think, keep your mind open to its own thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. I feel that in our society, sometimes we don’t often feel encouraged to really listen to that primal voice inside of us, but that’s truly where all creation, whether it be artistic, academic, or whatever, that’s where it comes from. Don’t shy away from anything. Embrace and experience it, fully, entirely.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hi everyone! I’m a musician from Tucson, AZ, currently based in Los Angeles. I participate in many types of musical performance, including choral, theatric/operatic, and pop music. I’m particularly proud of my pop music, which I write and produce entirely by myself. I think I find it so exciting because it is the way that I feel I can most accurately communicate with the world. I’ve always been quite shy and introverted, but with music, I am able to let go to who I really am, and say what I really need to say, with no societal barriers. Pop music is a particularly powerful way to do this, because of how accesible and relatable it is, by its nature. It has the most potential to create change and make a difference in the world, because of how heavily it is consumed.
My pop music comes from a place of simply wanting to inspire people to connect to deeper parts of themselves, whether that be their political or religious ideologies, their sexuality, their relationship to their families, etc. I think that the way I write is informed by the other types of music I participate in, like classical music and musical theatre, and so I think I bring a certain unique flavor to the style and execution. I enjoy using pop music forms and sounds, but interspersed with things like odd time signatures, and complex poetry (if I do say so.)
Right now, I am concluding the rollout of my latest project, The Eighth House, which has been released as a series of EP’s, each exploring a different aspect of our society. The conclusion will be a release of all the EP’s as one album, including two final tracks to serve as an epilogue.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think I’ll include one of each thing.
A quality I think that was important for me is just keeping a spirit of improvement, and a constant hunger to learn. Music is ENORMOUS. I think it’s imperative to constantly seek the continuous expansion of it in your own mind and body, sort of like the Universe.
A skill I think it’s important to have is having a discerning ear. Why do you like this? Why didn’t you like that? How would you change it? Those types of questions help to refine your own creative spirit. I think it kind of goes along with the quality I mentioned before, as I think developing your ear and taste is something that takes time and can be done alongside learning.
This may be kind of a non-answer, or not very poetic, but just continually growing your expertise in your field. Study the arts, whether on your own, or in a more formal way. Furthermore, learn about the society around you. Music so often reflects the world in a very literal way, and so understanding what is going on in it, both past, present, and, yes, future, will inform your artistic voice, and give it a deeper purpose.
I think my best advice on developing these things is to really work to stay humble. For me, humble means believing in your work, and feeling confident in it, but never putting yourself above any other living being, and always seeking to connect and inspire, rather than to be praised or rewarded.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I have been absolutely blessed with having two incredible people as parents. I think the most impactful thing they continue to do for me is just their undying enthusiasm and encouragement. I’ve never felt unsupported by them, and that has given me the confidence and strength to continue pursuing big dreams. I recognize my privilege in this, and I’ll never take this lucky circumstance for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jakewaltersmusic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/khakijake
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1FpAz4eBd5mYPYb9gGQRBS?si=rBDHZCV0TouipUIh0sO1cg
jakewalters.bandcamp.com
Image Credits
David Pujol John T Gordon
