Ian Janco’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Ian Janco shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ian , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Firstly, if things are going well, I wake up.

I roll out of bed, flip on the kettle, make some herbal tea from our apothecary and move my body (I like to start my mornings with a little mobility, tai chi, and yoga warm ups). A quick prayer to the day.

I then write for a while, warming up my senses with some object writing and journaling. I’ll write a song or two and read for a bit. Breakfast is shared with my partner and usually light – fruit and yogurt or a smoothie.

I’ll then start with the most important music work of the day, which varies. Sometimes its my project, sometimes its for a client. Yeah… that’s how it usually goes on a good day!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! I’m Ian Janco. I’m an artist, songwriter, producer and creative mentor. I’ve had a long journey through and around the music industry, and I’m grateful to have landed on a way of working within music that is very much on my own terms.

I grew up in rural Idaho, and music has led me through chapters in Northern California, the UK, and Nashville. I work remotely for the most part these days, making my own records, collaborating with songwriters, artists and producers on their own projects, as well as music composition for film and TV. After a hiatus I’ve come back to performing live which feels really good. Most recently, I’ve recently launched a new venture called “Sacred Songs”, which is a culmination of my work. It’s a bespoke, high touch and deeply personal transformational songwriting process for people who may not necessarily see themselves as songwriters, but have stories to tell or special occasions to celebrate.
I’m really excited about this, because I think there is an opportunity for other songwriters to work in a more heart-centered and equitable way in an industry that is rapidly changing.

(You can hear my work at www.ianjanco.com or check oht Sacred Songs out and book a free discovery call with me at www.sacredsongs.co)

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
A dreamer. An explorer. A goofball. I played music because it fascinated me, and it allowed me to express myself. It’s been quite the journey keeping that flame alive. I try to remain friends with that younger version of me. He lets me know when I’m screwing him up, ha. It’s so interesting how the values and intentions behind your actions can slowly change as you follow a path. I have questioned myself and my path a lot, which pulls me out of the experience of life.

I try my best to stay in the experience. It’s what is currently happening, so there really is nothing else that could be happening. The future is entirely speculative, though we do have a small amount of influence on it. The past happened as it did, so we can either embrace it, or reject it.

What I’m trying to say is that, through trial and error, plenty of meditation and mind medicine, I have learned to be more present and accepting of the moment as it is.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yeah. 2020. Lowest point of my life and career. I almost packed it in, but luckily the art wouldn’t let me, and I threw myself into a creative album project that kept me afloat in my darkest times. That, and good friends. Thank god for good people. At the end of the day, it’s all about connection. When you’re in your heights or your lows, real connection is what matters most. Treat people well and you will always be taken care of.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
That songs and ideas come from another dimension.

I’ve heard or read many great songwriters (Paul Simon, Carole King, Bob Dylan, etc…) share their experience of getting songs from a “download”, with the whole song being written in under twenty minutes as a sort of crazy cosmic transmission. It is my belief that if you work to keep your creative channel open, and “show up for the muse” as it were, these transmissions come more frequently and easily.

We are all expressions of a greater force, and creativity is itself an expression of that force, through us.

I actually did my BA dissertation on the creative process, through the lens of Jungian interpretation of consciousness. I love studying and thinking about creativity, but I’ve also found if you go too deep down that rabbit hole, your creativity becomes… self conscious. Not as good or pure. There’s something to be said for just letting a creation unfold without observing or questioning it.

There have been times in my career and life as a songwriter where a song will show up and I’ll think “hmm, wonder what that’s about”. Then, weeks may go by, and a situation will come to pass that is entirely relevant to the lyrics of that song. It’s a spooky, almost premonition-like experience. This has happened so frequently that I’ve been led to believe that these songs come from a space within consciousness, or the greater field of consciousness, where events have already happened. General relativity, space time, all that jazz. It gets really far out if you think about it too hard…

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m out in nature. Nature is the only thing that is real. What separates human beings from nature is our ability to believe our own fabrications.

Structures of society are pure invention. It’s especially jarring in the music industry when you are dealing with an industry (an arbitrary, made up set of rules, norms, and practices) built around something that is ephemeral and intangible.

Nature helps me remember my place. Scale, wonder, awe. Very important to stay grounded when you deal in ephemera.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ianjanco.com
• Instagram: @ianjancomusic
• Linkedin: /ianjancomusic
• Twitter: @ianjancomusic
• Facebook: /ianjancomusic
• Soundcloud: /ianjanco
• Other: Reach out if you want to work with me: [email protected]

Image Credits
Studio photos: Emory James – Nash City Media
Nature shots: Kailyn Avery