Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jacques Le Sante. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jacques, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
Anywhere you look, there is something to be seen. Every noise is sound and that sound is music if you listen to it with intention. I used to struggle with finding “the song” but the song doesn’t exist, it’s an arbitrary concept that remains unwritten until the artist decides on what noise they want to use for their creation of the day. I don’t write everyday like I used to but every time I sit down with the intention to make something, I can make something. Whether it’s good or bad is subjective, not every song has to be my greatest song but it is like practicing any other craft, a game of improving my baseline.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a performer that has been heavily involved in “behind the scenes” work. As a sound engineer, light designer, mixing engineer, and composer, I have enjoyed having my hand in many sides of the process which has given me great perspective in whatever role I occupy on a given production.
I’ve recorded and produced with many artists in the past and I recently released my first album of songs that I wrote on my own called “Untitled Fiction”. It was a work that encapsulated my feelings and personal philosophies of life at the time and teeters the line between lofty daydreams and existential dread.
In performing any of my music in a live setting, I try my best to give a unique experience for the audience as well as my collaborators. Some shows, I recruit a group of friends that frequently record with me and they do wonders as far as bringing the music to life, sometimes I perform in more intimate settings where the songs can breath and be bare. Recently I began experimenting with performing with robotic triggers that make up a percussion section to back up my brother and I. All in all, I do my best to give the audience an experience that is different and interesting each time.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Learning to record myself was huge and it’s a skill that keeps proving itself necessary. Having some DAW literacy as a musician is extremely important, even if you are not a producer; it makes life so much easier when you can record and edit your ideas as well as record your live performances.
Programming lights started off as a means to an end and became an endlessly useful skill that I not only applied to my professional life but also utilized in my experiments with robotics.
Another thing I cannot recommend enough is the willingness to be open and play with groups that are outside of whatever genres you are comfortable with. Doing so has made me a much more rounded musician and has allowed me to cultivate friendships that have remained very dear to me over the years.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Lately, I have felt a certain disillusionment over being a small voice in a large crowd, like a droplet in the ocean it feels at times like there is no true way to make an impact. This feeling can be really self defeating and make someone feel small and unimportant, but it is in moments like that that it is crucial to remember that just because something is small or out of sight does not mean that it is not important and shouldn’t exist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jacquesls.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madlabjack/profilecard/?igsh=MThpcWcyNHR2OGMycQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18ZJRu6Txc/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-le-sante-18aa8692?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
