This month’s Artist Spotlight features Jayna Jennings, a young singer-songwriter from Atlanta. Only two percent of the population are redheads, and Jayna Jennings makes music as unique as her hair. Jayna welcomes you into her world with her emotive, moving, and relatable songwriting in her latest release Courtyards and Aviaries Pt. 1. Eight of the nine songs on the album have received worldwide radio airplay. She was nominated in many categories, including Songwriter of the Year, for the Nashville Universe Awards. Jayna’s goal is to spread a message of hope to everyone who hears her music and inspire others with her songs.
Tell us about your music.
Hi! My name is Jayna Jennings, I’m from Atlanta, GA, and I make Americana music. I love blending genres so most of my songs are inclusive of rock, folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and pop (sometimes….). I like to think that my lyrics are deep, emotive, thought provoking, and add some kind of moving resolution to the song. My live shows are mostly acoustic and intimate. I love to get to know the audience as they get to know me, regardless of how big the stage is. I share stories about what my songs are about, what my original thought was that created the song, and how it became what it is. At my last album release I did a Q&A with the audience during intermission that was so fun. I love to do those at my headlining shows and I plan to do it again at my next album release.
How did you get into music and how long have you been a working musician?
I started singing at church and loved it so I told my parents that I wanted to be a singer and my uncle told me to try singing on a stage to see if I liked it. My relatives owned a music store and they had shows there every month so I went and sang 3 or 4 songs during intermission. I met my guitar teacher there. I had a great support system and my friends and family encouraged me to keep following my dreams. Eventually I got further in the business and just kept it up. I’ve been a working musician for around 5 years. God has been so gracious with opportunities that have continued to further my career and introduce me to awesome people who help show me the next steps to take.
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What’s your job situation like? Full time musician? Work part-time? Do music on the side?
I am a student and full-time musician.
What types of shows do you play?
I play a variety of shows. I play concerts that are organized by non-profit organizations, I play coffee shops, I play live venues, and I enjoy playing open mics because they are a GREAT way to meet other artists.
How do you make your money as a musician?
I mostly make money from my live shows. Ticket sales or flat payment for services and merch sales are where the best opportunities for revenue are.
What has been your biggest money maker in music? (Types of shows? Teaching? Session music work, etc)
I would definitely say that my biggest money maker has been playing live venues.
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How long did it take you to become a full time musician?
I have always been able to be a full time musician because I started when I was still in Middle School. I am at a good enough place in my career now that I am able to continue this now that I am out of high school.
How do you deal with the financial uncertainty that comes along with being an independent artist?
Being an indie artist is so rewarding and so incredible but it is a huge undertaking that requires a lot of time and not a lot of pay back. Sometimes it can feel like you get out half of what you put in to it. I work hard to keep my finances in order and I try to save as much as I can. Because income varies pretty much day to day for an indie artist, look back at what you made at the end of each week and determine how much you can save. Your percentage can change when it needs to so that you are always putting away something. Keeping a steady line up of paying gigs can be difficult as well, so consider adding a part time music job to help. I teach guitar weekly to ensure that if I need to take a week off or I haven’t lined anything up for a week I can still feel secure.
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What advice do you have for artists looking to take the plunge to being a full-time musician?
I would advise that you make sure you know where you are going from the get go. Have gigs lined up, start teaching, and don’t give up. It seems like a wild and uncertain venture (and it is) but it is completely doable. Make a list of goals and a mission statement and stick with it. Add to your list of goals every time you can check one off and make sure that what you agree to do aligns with your mission statement. Remember to keep the joy in it and everything will be worth it.
What other music related projects are you involved in and why?
I am the host of a twitter hour called #UnsignedChat! It’s a very cool opportunity for musicians to share their new projects, links to their songs, and make connections with bloggers, radio, and other artists in our community. Every Monday and Wednesday from 8pm to 9pm EST, just tweet us your music with the hashtag #UnsignedChat and I’ll retweet it! Then you can go see the latest tweets and make friends with the other musicians who are participating in the hour. #UnsignedChat also has a blog and we feature a different guest blogger who shares their insight into the industry. We’ve featured songwriters, audio engineers, vocalists, etc. I am so passionate about creating a community for musicians to show others their new music, ask for feedback, and make friends and contacts! I love to make friends with other indie artists because it really does help to have a village around you of people who understand exactly what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. It’s so important to surround yourself with that kind of amazing community and that’s why I started hosting #UnsignedChat.
Connect with Jayna on any of her social links below:
Official Website: http://jaynajennings.weebly.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaynaSongs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaynajenningssongs/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaynajennings13
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+Artist Feature: Jon Magnusson: See how this artist utilizes the internet for mega exposure.
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Great interview, Anitra! The order and layout of the questions are so perfect for an emerging artist to sift through and learn from Jayna!
Thanks Clara.