We recently connected with Elliott Jeter and have shared our conversation below.
Elliott, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity derives from a few sources: my family, friends, and faith.
My family shows generosity in so many ways, but the biggest way is through love. I’ll take a moment to highlight my parents. My parents (Lewis Sr. and Carolyn Jeter) are preparing to celebrate 47 years of marriage on March 31st, 2024. They have three children…Lewis Jr. (my brother/the oldest child), Corvette (my sister/the middle child), and myself (the youngest child).
My parents raised us all in a way in which no one child was loved more than the other children. I know there is the notion of there being a “favorite” child when it comes to parents and their kids. But when it comes to my parents and their kids, there was (and is) no such thing. My parents loved us all the same when we were kids and they love all of us the same now that we are adults.
When we were growing up, there was nothing that they would do for one of us that they wouldn’t do for the rest of us. My parents have always supported each of us greatly. Their love and support played a big role in my siblings and myself having 12 years of perfect attendance at school. The love that my parents have shown me all of my life has influenced me to show love to everyone whom I come in contact with.
My friends show generosity through their love and support. Whether it’s coming to see me perform music at an event or providing words of encouragement, their generosity has played a big role in my life and career. A good thing about generosity is that it can be reciprocated…so I’m able to show love and support to my friends and others as well.
My faith is centered around love. I’m a Christian. God showed how great His love is for us through His Son Jesus. This is the greatest love of all. Jesus said that it is “more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). I have found this statement to be true. By being generous, you are not only blessing someone else but you are also being blessed yourself. It’s a blessing to be a blessing.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a musician and entrepreneur. I play multiple musical instruments. The piano is my primary instrument followed by the drums, bass guitar, and other instruments. I’m the owner of E. Jeter Music, a business that consists of providing live music for weddings and other events. E. Jeter Music is based in Rock Hill, SC (just minutes away from Charlotte, NC). Not only have I performed music locally but I’ve also been blessed to be able to travel to different states and countries to perform music. The most exciting thing about what I do is being able to do what I love while putting smiles on people’s faces and bringing joy into their lives through music.
I’ll take a moment to go back to the topic of generosity as it relates to E. Jeter Music. My business is more than performing music. It’s bigger than music. Before I founded E. Jeter Music, I had a dream of giving back in some capacity. I ended up coming up with a way to do just that by establishing a scholarship (the E. Jeter Music Scholarship). One of the photos I’ve shared for this interview is of myself pictured with the very first E. Jeter Music Scholarship recipient.
I was a part of the Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Gospel Choir when I attended high school (Gaffney High School). These organizations played a part in shaping my musical journey and life. The E. Jeter Music Scholarship allows me to give back to graduating seniors of my high school alma mater who are a part of the same music organizations that I was a part of.
Being able to help cover at least some of the cost of tuition goes a long way in helping students to be able to attend and graduate college. The more I give back every year, the more I realize that it is truly a blessing to be a blessing. I’ve received several “thank you” letters from past E. Jeter Music scholarship recipients as their way of expressing their gratitude for being selected as a scholarship recipient and being awarded money to go toward paying for their college education. The feeling that comes from being generous and helping others is indescribable. I look forward to giving back even more as my business continues to grow.
I have to recognize Mrs. Debra Phillips, a Guidance Counselor at Gaffney High School. She plays a big role in making students aware of the scholarship opportunity, collecting the applications, and getting the applications ready to be picked up and reviewed. I’m thankful for everything she does.
You never know the impact that your generosity can have on other people. I ran into one of the E. Jeter Music Scholarship recipients not too long ago while in my hometown. They expressed how grateful they were for the scholarship. They also mentioned that they were about to give up on life altogether but the scholarship helped encourage them to keep going.
I just wanted to bring that story up in this interview to encourage people to be kind to others. Kindness is an act of generosity as well. You never know what people are going through but your act of kindness could be just what someone needs to make it through their day.
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?
1) Networking: Being able to network is a great skill to have when it comes to any profession. As a musician and entrepreneur, networking has allowed me to meet several talented and business-minded people. I’ve been able to make great connections that have led to me getting booked to perform music at events. I often take time after finishing up a set or after a performance to introduce myself to event attendees. Doing so sparks conversations that often lead to getting introduced to other musicians/singers and getting booked for other gigs. That just shows you the power of networking.
I regularly attend networking events in Charlotte, NC. One event in particular is the Nurse Monthly Mingle. It’s not an event specifically for nurses or individuals in the medical field (as the name may suggest). That’s just the last name of the event’s hosts, Timothy Nurse and Diamond Nurse (his wife). The event is open to all business professionals who would like to attend and is held every month. Proceeds from the networking event go toward supporting local charities and organizations in the Charlotte community.
As a side note, Timothy has written and published a book called Skyscraper that provides advice to help individuals on their “quest for a fulfilling career that aligns with their passions.” He discusses effective networking in his book. You can learn more about his book and order it on Amazon.
To develop or improve your networking skills, I encourage you to attend networking events regularly. The more you attend them, the more comfortable you’ll get and the easier networking will become for you.
2) Good Communication: Being able to communicate well has helped me tremendously in my journey. It’s one thing to get booked for a gig. It’s another thing to communicate with clients to gather all the details of their event and make sure you are answering their phone calls and responding to their text messages, emails, etc.
Leaving clients in the dark by not communicating well can hurt your business and reputation. Word can spread that you are not reliable and other people may not want to work with you as a result. I make it a point to communicate well with clients whenever I get booked for a gig. I want them to have peace of mind knowing that I will be at the event well in advance to set up, do a soundcheck, etc., and do my part to help make the event a success.
To develop or improve your communication skills, I suggest setting reminders for yourself to follow up with clients and block out time each day to check your email, text messages, etc., and respond to them. Being intentional when it comes to practicing good communication habits will help you to communicate better.
3) Preparation: Taking the necessary steps to be prepared has also helped me in my journey. As a musician, practicing is an important part of being prepared for a gig. Whenever I talk with a client to discuss the songs they want to be performed at their wedding or another event, I make sure to practice them over and over again. Not putting in the time to practice songs and have them nailed down by the performance date is something that no musician or singer wants to experience.
To develop or improve your preparation skills, I encourage you to avoid procrastinating and not being serious about doing your part to ensure your client’s peace of mind. Being well-prepared is a win-win situation for both you and your client(s).
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking for people to partner with or collaborate with. I mostly get booked for weddings but I perform music for other types of events as well. I would love to partner or collaborate with other wedding professionals in the Rock Hill/Charlotte area and throughout the US. I’m open to partnering/collaborating with wedding planners, musicians, singers, and other individuals in the wedding industry. Also, if any bands or venues need musicians for events, I’m open to discussing the opportunity to work together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ejetermusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejeter_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejeter.music/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/e-jeter-music
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ejeter_music/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ejeter_music
- Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ejeter_music/
Image Credits
Main photo shot by JR Roseborough (Owner of Level Up Studios LLC) – Instagram: @jrsnared
