Meet Jauron Perry

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jauron Perry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jauron, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My purpose of being a musician and artist came from how I felt different from others ever since I began playing trumpet at the age of 8 years old. I wasn’t serious at first but as I practiced, I naturally stuck with it. As I studied more intently over time, and focused on my education, I found myself just not feeling at home with what the majority of kids my age were doing such as sports and video games. I wanted to stray away and dive deeper into music while also be involved in other things such as archery and engineering as well. All of this came from the strong influences of my mother and grandfather. The qualities of being disciplined, adaptable, fearless, and passionate have been established in me throughout my entire life and I will forever apply the lessons learned from them to my career and experiences to come. It is because of the examples and foundations set for me that I was able to find music and grow through many stages, specifically the example of my grandfather always singing and dancing with my grandmother to their favorite groups such as the Temptations, Spinners, and Supremes. Later on when I went into high school at Detroit School of Arts (DSA), a high level training institution for the arts, I was further inspired and encouraged because I could be around others a lot more like myself in interests, mindset, and skills. Not too long into my high school, I heard of Roy Hargrove, a legendary trumpeter who just passed away at the time in the Fall of 2018, right when I started at DSA. The first time I heard one of his recordings, the sound and style of improvisation I wanted to go for in my development became clear immediately. The sincerity of Roy’s sound, his deep sensitivity to the moment, how he always sang through the horn in anything he played, and how pure he could be with his ideas, is the peak of virtuosity, musicianship, and at the core of why I do what I do as an artist. I create so that what I do lives in someone else and changes their life just as Roy did for me.

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?

My name is Jauron Perry, I am a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and educator from Detroit, MI who specializes in professionally performing jazz/improvisational music within the bebop/hard bop styles and applying those roots to other genres such as funk, fusion, soul, and R&B. Currently in college, majoring in Jazz Studies at the Michigan State University College of Music, I aspire to lead bands of varying styles and sizes from small group to big band. Actively building my career since age 12, I have had a very fortunate upbringing having great opportunities to travel, be featured in distinguishable events and work with masters from Detroit and across the country. These people include Rodney Whitaker, Regina Carter, James Carter, and Wendell Harrison. Others are Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis, Marquis Hill, Jazzmeia Horn, Tim Warfield, and Helen Sung. I’ve had the pleasure of performing in the Detroit Jazz Festival, East Lansing Summer Solstice Jazz Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, and won the first Michigan Jazz Festival Rising Horn Competition this year in 2024. Furthermore, I lead a jazz quintet, the Jauron Perry Quintet that is making its way around Michigan and eventually around the country. We recently performed at Cliff Bell’s, a popular jazz club in Downtown Detroit and will soon debut at the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor, MI.
I can found playing in other groups such as the Houston Patton Quintet and Quintessential. Both groups are of high caliber and are a joy to play with. Quintessential is a new collective formed by myself, Houston Patton (saxophone), William Hill III (piano), Dylan Sherman (bass), and Sam Melkonian (drums). We just very recently released our debut record entitled “Here We’ Are” that is available now on all streaming platforms. Please check out the other musicians I mentioned for the great strives they’re taking for themselves. Much of this information about me can be found on my website jauronperry.com. Upcoming performance dates are always posted through my social media which is connected to my website. I provide entertainment services for many events and always look for ways to build my reputation and credibility.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities most impactful to my journey are my passion for my craft, the mentorship I have and network of connections built, and my leadership development.

My advice is to do your best to silence doubt, fear, and those who underestimate you. Accept your whole self with all of your flaws as quickly as you can. Seek out great mentors and make at least three of them key to your learning. Networking in any field is critical to your success, so do all you can to connect with people virtually and physically. Improve your leadership skills by taking on roles that challenge you to inspire others. Work to create a unique voice and perspective for yourself that resonates.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My mother has been the most helpful all of my life. She’s never failed to be there for me and constantly shows me what it means to be a genuine person, open minded, resilient, versatile, patient, proactive, and consistent. I owe so much of my success to her. She is my very first mentor and helped me establish the social skills to create my own relationships.

Contact Info:

 

Image Credits

Rod Arroyo
Jeff Dunn

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