Meet Jason Reiser

We recently connected with Jason Reiser and have shared our conversation below.

Jason, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

It can be easy to feel imposter syndrome as opportunities start to appear in your career. One mantra that always helps me overcome this feeling is Teddy Roosevelt’s quote “comparison is the thief of joy.” No matter the skill you possess, there will always be someone who is better than you, or somebody who seems to have an endless wealth of different skills. While it is important to always be humble and accept this fact, you have to trust in your own ability as well, and trust that you are meant to be in the position you find yourself. I have trust in my education, trust in my 10,000+ hours of practice, and trust in my peers/superiors who believe in me and have chosen to rely on my decision-making. One thing I also try to remind myself is that nobody truly knows exactly what they are doing! Especially in music, there is a lot of trial and error, and having a problem-solving mindset is much more important than feeling like you know exactly what you are doing in a given scenario.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a music producer, media composer, and audio engineer from New Jersey. During my graduate studies at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, I began working as a vocal recording engineer at a local studio called Syfy Studios. I’ve had over 100 sessions with a variety of talented artists, mostly working within the genres of rap, hip-hop, pop, and reggaeton. It is always a very special feeling to work with other creatives and help them achieve their vision. I also just love the energy of creating with others in the studio, where it oftentimes feels like the sum of what we are making is somehow greater than the parts.

I also have worked as a media composer for film, television, video games, trailers, and commercials. As a piano player of 15+ years, I often start my ideas at the piano, and then begin to orchestrate them for a bigger more commercial sound. Ever since I was young, I’ve had a deep attachment to certain films and video games, largely due to the incredible scores that truly elevate the story (The Dark Knight – Hans Zimmer, Halo: Reach – Martin O’Donnell, just to name a few.) I’ve always loved how effective music theory and thematic storytelling can hi-jack our brains to make us feel a certain way, and I strive to create these same feelings in my own work. If you would like to see my media scoring work or hire me for your own visual media project, I invite you to check out my website jasonreisermusic.com

I also very much enjoy making beats and producing music for artists. I have my own beat-store https://www.beatstars.com/prodjayrez where artists can find and purchase leases for my music. I make a lot of trap/rap beats, but I have always considered myself genre-less (I think I can make anything if I set my mind to it!), and you can find productions in many different genres on my beat-store.

Currently, I have been working part-time as an intern at the world-famous Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, NY. Many of the biggest artists in the world choose Electric Lady to record/produce their albums, and for good reason! The facilities and equipment are all top-notch, but even more importantly, the team of people there are kind, professional, and the absolute best at what they do. It is a very exciting place to be, and I feel lucky to be even a small part of the team at Electric Lady!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think one of the most important skills to have if you want to work in the music industry is a problem-solving mindset. Whether it’s the blank canvas of a film without music, or the empty session at the beginning of recording a song, there is never a black-and-white ‘correct’ way to move forward and make decisions. Ultimately, you must trust in your education and skills, trust in your instincts, and trust in yourself to make decisions along the way.

Another quality that is often overlooked in the music is the importance of communication and teamwork. With enough study, anyone can learn the technical side of making music; I’ve found that what often sets you apart is having a positive attitude, a team-based mentality, and being calm and confident in how you communicate ideas.

My advice for folks who are starting their journey in the music industry is to expand your network as much as possible. Whether it’s through attending a University, going to music industry networking events, or reaching out to professionals in your sector on LinkedIn, you never know where opportunity will come from, and building a strong network is crucial to success. All you can do is be persistent, be humble, and be open-minded towards the different opportunities that you will find.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I think that it is good to well-rounded, but even more important to have specific strengths that are unique to you. A relevant example that I am constantly thinking about is the film composer John Williams. John Williams has a very specific, thematic orchestral sound in the films he scores, which has made him a household hame as a film composer. Does this mean that all composers should try to sound exactly like John Williams? Absolutely not! Over time, I have pulled from many different inspirations to arrive at a sound that I think truly represents me. While I will always love John Williams’ work, I do not try to directly imitate him or anyone else, because if a director wants a John Williams sound, he will likely just go hire John Williams! In my opinion, it is much better to have a distinct sound, or a distinct set of skills with which to market yourself, than to try to fit the shoes of others.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Diego Clavixus

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What would your closest friends say really matters to you?

If you asked your best friends what really drives you—what they think matters most in

Highlighter Series
When do you feel most at peace?

In a culture that often celebrates hustle and noise, peace can feel rare. Yet, peace

Highlighter Series
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?

Almost everything is multisided – including the occurrences that give us pain. So, we asked