We recently connected with Amanda Lynn Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Amanda , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic came from my upbringing. Looking back now, I realize some of it was abusive but I’ve grown to appreciate the strength it has given me. For 7 years I lived with my grandparents who were from the Great Depression era. They owned a dairy farm that had been in the family for multiple generations. I didn’t see my dad often but I remember him telling of the time he had worked with my great grand-dad who resembled the same sense of humor that was passed down to my Dad. Great grand-dad had a way with words like calling cactus a cracked-ass. Work was usually filled with some kind of laughter and jokes which made the days go by easier. I worked in the same barn milking cows that my dad had. At 18 my Dad welded pipes of the stalls we milked in over 20 years later. There were a few visits over the years that I was able to milk with my Dad. He’d joke around and taught me to ski behind the cows. It’s where you’d grab the cow by the tail and splay out like you’re being pulled behind a boat but instead of water, you’re sliding in cow sh*t. In today’s world something like that might be frowned upon but that’s just the way life was back then.
There is something that is indescribable about working with animals and working the land. It’s honest work that is both rewarding and can also be bone chilling. It’s reward comes in the mornings where the birds sing and the trees sway in a slight breeze. To watch the sun come up each day to remind you that God is still with you.
My grandpa tried to instill good work ethic into us kids. He used quotes he repeated to us almost daily such as :
“Many hands make light work!”
“A penny saved is a penny earned.”
“Better to measure twice and cut once, than to measure once and cuss twice.”
My grandparents were under economical, familial, and financial pressures. This caused them to rely on myself and my siblings to keep the roof over our heads. I was pulled out of the school system and told that I was an adult and could teach myself. My grandparents didn’t really care what I worked on but just told me to be productive in whatever I chose. My choice was the guitar but it felt more like the guitar chose me as I spent hours a day perfecting my craft as a musician.
Now, I can’t just speak about hard work without touching on pushing past adversity. My upbringing shaped the work ethic I now possess, but it was certainly a double edged sword as it created challenges that still haunt me through mental health issues like Complex-PTSD. Moving past this adversity has felt like an extra stumbling block that sets in quietly like a fog in my surroundings. Hair stands on end, as it creeps in making what normally would be a joyful experience look like a bleak scene echoing horrors from the past. It influences the very definition of what hard work looks like for me. Hard work sometimes looks like self compassion when my limits arise due to the negative effects of my upbringing. For me, I have to recognize when I need to stop pushing so that I don’t invoke a panic attack or episode. I’m just grateful I’ve learned to live with my demons so to speak and move ahead with triumph despite my personal challenges. I’ve managed to bounce back and use my setbacks to move me in a forward motion. I hope to inspire to others who have had to rise above adversity in order to achieve success and maintain a good work ethic through it all.
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 childhood trauma survivor and my mission is to use my story and music help those who also struggle with trauma and its effects.
I Just Released My First Single!
My first single “Prison In My Mind” came out in September. It has the vibe as if it were recorded by coal miners who would have used a hammer to create the heartbeat of the music you hear. This song in particular has a similar singer/songwriter feel likened to that of Colter Wall. The melancholy undertones complement the imagery of what it’s like to feel imprisoned in your own mind when it’s a dark and perhaps disturbing place. It captures the experience of being tossed between a state of longing for an end to the pain, and the reality of living with it. I’m really excited about the release and it’s just the beginning of what I hope to be many, many more! You can listen to it on all streaming platforms and the lyric video is up on YouTube under my name Amanda Lynn Jones.
I’m A Looper
Another aspect of my career I am recently very excited about is looping! For those of you who haven’t heard of looping, it is where the artist records a live track right there on stage. I myself use guitar, bass, beatboxing, and other sound effects to create the illusion that there is a full band jamming with me on stage. It’s really expanded what I can do as a solo artist. My hope when performing is to inspire others to pursue their passions whether music or some other avenue. Whatever your “it” is, I think you should rock it like a rockstar. Find what makes you excited and keep doing that. Right now looping is one of the things that’s giving me that inspiration. It feels like I’m 18 again and just starting to perform and it fills me with wonder and excitement. For me, I feel the electricity in the air like I felt at that age. I play regularly at Lake Effect in Salt Lake City and play other venues as well if you want to hear my looped rendition of songs in multiple genres.
Instructor In Songwriting and Guitar
I’ve been teaching guitar for over a decade and I really love it. Although, I must admit that I feel that what I teach goes beyond just playing the instrument… Where I am a trauma survivor, it’s made me acutely aware of how important empathy and encouragement are within teaching. Many of the “guitar lessons” have turned into life lessons and a place to be open and real. I truly care about the students I teach and their well being. Many of them have gone from students to good friends over the years and I’m very grateful for such amazing students.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve also been working on methods that I have developed in songwriting to help me process triggers. More recently I have been working with teens who have had a significant amount of trauma. My hope is to use what I’ve learned in my own recovery and skills as a musician to aid these kids who have been through so much. I hope to do more of this in the future. If I can be a positive influence for even one child, that would be so meaningful to me.
Hot House West, Getting The “Swing” Of Things
You know what I said earlier about doing what you are passionate about?
Well, another one of mine is swing music and Django Reinhardt! I’ve joined musical group called Hot House West. Hot House West is a dynamic, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the enrichment, education, and promotion of jazz and swing music, with an emphasis on the unique sounds and cultural contributions of the American West. Through passionate performances, inclusive community outreach, and innovative educational programs, we strive to preserve and propel the timeless art form for future generations, while fostering a vibrant, diverse, and supportive environment for musicians, students, and audiences alike.
This has been an amazing opportunity for me to play swing music and work behind the scenes to help spread the love of this incredible music and ambience.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three areas of knowledge that have been impactful on my journey are: “Curiosity And Willingness To Learn”, “The Importance Of The Pivot”, and “Hard Work Trumps Talent”
“Curiosity And Willingness To Learn”
The first quality that was the most impactful for me was having a curiosity and willingness to learn. The subject matters have been many over the years in which I have studied be it for a short term or long term study. Guilt used to hang over me like the plague for not truly specializing in any one thing like some people say you should in order to be successful. Just when I thought I had specialized enough there was always someone who was so much better that I was. The quote that always taunted me said, “A jack of all trades, a master of none,” which seems to run around screaming at me to pick a lane a stay in it. Curiosity may have killed the cat but it sure helped me grow as a musician and as a person. Guitar was a great place to start at 15 but to have a career as a musician, I’ve had to expand my skills.
With that said. I’m not just a guitarist or singer. I’m also a bookkeeper, use spreadsheets, and have built skills with music production, film, photography, editing, and how to tell a story. Other knowledge I’ve accumulated include branding, marketing, finance, watching trends, and the study of media law to name a few. While going to barber school, I learned the art of conversing with people. Appreciation grew for those who differed from my point of view. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and was much harder than it’s ever been for me to learn any instrument. The value of conversation has paid off in my ability to build connections in the industry and cultivate genuine relationships. To build an experience in the chair for my next client was the same to me as building an experience on stage. Universal truths started to connect between the two worlds. In addition, the skills born of curiosity have grown and matured into great value. Value that has created opportunities within my industry. I believe that even if I didn’t make it in music, that I’ve developed enough skills to make it in the workplace without a college degree as I’ve had job offers from businesses that had nothing to do with my industry due to the skills and my willingness to learn.
Purpose has guided me in my choice of part time jobs I’ve done on the side in my music career. I used my skills with spreadsheets and organization to optimize an ambassador program for a clothing company. While working there I learned how they ran their weekly and quarterly meetings through a proper SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The SWOT analysis was a game changer for me as an entrepreneur. It keeps me in the know of what my goals are, and how to pivot if the climate changes, and the weekly meetings keep me honest if I accomplish my weekly objectives or not. The value this job gave me was worth much more than any money I was being paid.
I’ve noticed trends and universal truths that intertwine with the knowledge I’ve accumulated. Although many skills have been learned, each subject seems to sing the same song with one another like a well played symphony. The art of give and take. Business is just as much a creative art as every instrument I have played. Each subject has led to a new territory that still feels somewhat familiar despite the learning curve. The more I learn, the more I love it, and the more I want to learn.
For the record regarding the quote I said earlier, The quote in its entirety actually states, “A jack of all trades, a master of none. But often times better than a master of one.” So to anyone who is just starting and feeling hung up on needing to master one subject matter or skill, keep this in mind and let yourself run free to study multiple passions. I know it’s worked for me.
“The Importance Of The Pivot”
On any journey, we’re bound to have the wind change, earthquakes that cause our world to shake, and some form of being uprooted from our comfort zone. I call it a pivot maker. Within the last year that very challenge came knocking on my door. My own pivot maker. I ended up with a vocal injury due to overuse. The freedom and joy I knew in singing to my hearts content went out the window. My gig nights went from one to three nights a week to a sparse two gigs per month cutting my finances down significantly. The nights I used to stay out talking with friends became severely limited as I had been ordered by my doctor to prevent any permanent damage to my vocal cords. No chocolate, no eating after 6, and vocal therapy exercises. This felt like another version of the pandemic between the isolation from friends and the lesser amount of gigs I played. The fear of losing my voice left me with an identity crisis. Who am I if I’m not the singer or the gigging musician? My thoughts were cruel trying to convince me I would just end up a has been that played some shows with nothing else to show for it. These questions and thoughts flooded my mind like an oil spill in the ocean leaving everything I’d been so familiar with covered in a black oily substance. Through some really rough days and nights, I assessed my circumstance and slowly came up with a plan. My idea of pivoting was to take on more guitar students and learn music production. My goal was to find other ways to make more money which I did just not at the rate I was hoping for. My skills grew enough with music production that I was able to record some demos for my students and friends while also getting hired to record some guitar at home for a project. It wasn’t the grand shift I had hoped for but it was a start. A huge win for me was being able to fully produce one of my first songs that has now been mixed and mastered by a professional. It’s in the barrel ready to be released on a later date as I write this.
Despite making progress, the sorrow tugged at me pulling me down sometimes. I continued to do the work even if that day my 100% was only 20% of what I’d normally be able to do. Disappointment met me at the door as I didn’t have as much success as I’d hoped in terms of finances with this pivot. Little did I know, another idea was going to strike gold for me. One night after playing at Lake Effect downtown in Salt Lake, a fellow musician mentioned looping as he had tried to encourage me in the past. “You should really give looping a try! You could show people how good you really are.” His words bounced around in my head over the next few days. Trouble had plagued me since I had been unable to play my normal amount of gigs. How can I play more shows without damaging my vocal cords? The words bounced around like a tennis ball until they stuck as I paused and the lightbulb went off. Looping…that’s it! By the time I build out the loop, sing the song, and play a guitar solo, I’ll only be singing around 60% of the time! I can do that!
In the following weeks I got out my Boss RC-30 looper pedal. I hadn’t done much looping for around 9 years. I worked up a few songs with some simple loops and played a couple of shows that way. My nerves manifested as butterflies in my stomach as I went to set up my gear. Technical difficulties would arise during my first show looping. Feedback came out of the speakers because of the booming space in my hollow body acoustic. After my second show and similar problems, I searched the internet and obsessed about the process and how to improve my setup. To my delight and also disappointment, I was going to need more gear. Gear I couldn’t yet afford. Most loopers use a midsize acoustic to achieve their loops without the feedback I’d been getting from my full size acoustic. Back to the drawing board. Wait? What if I just played with my electric? It will be different but I can make that work. I wanted to play with distortion, delay, and other effects. I guess I’ll use what I have already. Click. Pop! Pop! I turned on my pedal board I’d used for live shows with the band. I worked up my loops. Lake Effect here I come!
I was playing during my second set when a small group of people walked in. My loop pedal carried the chord progression as I played my solos. My heart sang as I played one of my originals. When I got done with the performance, I had a round of applause from the room including the small group who’d walked in earlier. I had a few technical difficulties that caused me to end the next song early so I went to attend to them on a quick break.
A beautiful woman from the small group approached me excitedly with the clack of her heels on the floor. She could hardly hold back her excitement as she praised my performance.
Then she said something like this, “My friend over there is the singer for Smashing Pumpkins and he said you’re REALLY good! You should come over and meet him!!”
Before I knew it I was shaking hands and talking to William aka Billy Corgan. He told me I sounded great! We had a great talk and I’ve gotta say, he is one of the most humble, down to earth, and kindest individuals I have met. I felt nothing but respect from him as we talked about music and the nature of the career. I even asked him what advice he would give me and he gladly obliged. His advice was to compare myself to the very best in my industry or who I’m trying to emulate. Compare yourself to the best and find a way to differentiate yourself from them. This advice I will carry with me and use to the fullest extent.
In conclusion, pivoting is very challenging especially when we are sold on a particular path or vision of how life or our career should be. When those winds toss up all we’ve just worked for to drop it to the ground in disarray, it’s hard not to shake our fists at the sky in anger or shake in fear. I struggle often with discouraging thoughts and when there’s a pivot maker, it makes it even worse. There was a quote I remember reading when I was 18 years old.
“The pessimist sees an obstacle in every opportunity; the optimist sees an opportunity in every obstacle.”
I still have my vocal injury today but I’ve learned how to work around it as it heals. My body is more readable to me now as I know my limits and especially that of my voice. Looping has allowed me to continue playing more shows like I used to which has helped me level out my finances again. Even better, looping has brought me so much excitement, I look forward to every show. It’s the same feeling I had when I was first learning how to play the guitar.
In conclusion, pivot makers don’t look like opportunities, but they often are. It’s difficult to see until your looking through hindsite. Just as I learned in recovery, it’s important to just keep walking and pivot when you need to. You may even meet someone as cool as Billy Corgan.
“Hard Work Trumps Talent”
This saying is one from my good friend and mentor Dave Wilbur. I know he isn’t the first to say it, but he was the first to say it to me back in 2014 when I was 21 and working at his music school, The Rock Lab in Orem Utah.
Talent is something that runs in my roots. Generations of musicians run through my bloodline from both sides of my family. The DNA came boiling over with passion, an eager hunger for learning music. My background was unusual but cultivated the foundation of skills I now possess. At the age of 11 years old I was told that I was an adult and could teach myself. I was pulled from public school and left to my own devices in between working 7 days per week on the family farm. My responsibilities grew as I entered my teen years further instilling grit and tenacity through adversity. By the age of 15 the spark for music lit like a blazing fire of passion. I poured my time and energy into learning the guitar in between the physically demanding farm work. Questions always rolled around as background noise in my mind, knowing that I existed daily as a 5th grade graduate. With no means to measure myself against other adolescents my age, I feared that I must be stupid. My worries burned hot like the smoky exhaust behind the school bus as it drove past each day. Though I didn’t know it at the time, the work ethic that developed in the 7 years of farming and self taught skills would be the foundation for my music career to come. In my upbringing, I received conflicting ideas about myself that registered to me this way. On one hand, I was told that I was special, talented, and better off than other children because I was receiving a “superior upbringing.” That I had an advantage outside of the school system. The other side of that messaging was constructed by the emotionally abusive nature of my upbringing which left me with a deep root of insecurity. The undertones of being fundamentally different, broken, and less than in comparison to others. Playing the guitar gave me a sense that at least I was excelling in something. At least I had that to be proud of.
Fast forward back to The Rock Lab in Orem when I received the great advice I’ve held onto throughout my career. “Hard work trumps talent.” My good friend and mentor Dave Wilbur reiterated the importance of putting in the hard work for every opportunity that presented itself. He acknowledged what work I had put in to get where I was but forewarned what would happen if I tried to hitch a ride on the skills I’d already cultivated. He said something like this… “Just remember, there’s a guy out there who possesses less talent than you but is willing to put in the work. They will pick him every time when he shows up with an average but solid performance. I’ve seen it time and time again where a talented musician will get booted out for showing up having not practiced the material because they can fake it. Always prepare and work as hard as the next guy no matter how much talent you possess.” These words stung slightly because this idea challenged the conflicting ideas I had about myself from childhood. I had grown used to being praised for merely showing up and doing my thing while still struggling with my deep insecurities. In conclusion, I’m so grateful for his advice as it has been a beacon that has helped me maintain professionalism in my career. Each opportunity is finite. There is no guarantee of success. Perfection has eluded me of course but this frame of mind has shaped the way I approach every gig and opportunity I am called for. This advice has helped me take the work ethic and tenacity from the days of labored work and self propelled education on the farm. Turning the tools I possess to propel me in a forward motion of continued success in my field. I am forever grateful for this advice and hope it will be helpful for whoever is reading this. It certainly helped me.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes, I am looking for others to collaborate with. I am a trauma survivor, musician, and have been in my own recovery for 4 years. Music has been an outlet to express my own traumatic experiences to help me cope. I’d love to find like-minded individuals or groups that are looking to uplift trauma survivors like myself. I’d like to help others use music as an outlet as well. Whether that be through one-on-one guitar/songwriting lessons for individuals who want to work with me, or group settings or events where education on trauma is being taught. I want to share my story, play music for related events, or teach others the skills I’ve developed through processing my own trauma. That would be so meaningful for me to help others with what I’ve learned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amandalynnjonesmusic.com/home
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/amandalynnjonesmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandalynnjonesmusic
- Youtube: https://urlgeni.us/youtube/channel/lynnjones
Image Credits
Brittany Palmer Nielsen, Amanda Lynn Jones
