On Saturday night, I went to the studio to help Brandon Pierre, the artist on the top, and Josh Gunn, the artist on the bottom, record a song that they were working on. Brandon has a beautiful voice!! It was the first time I met him. Me and Josh go waaaaay back, on the other hand. I've known Josh Gunn since middle school. I've always known Josh to be a talented lyricist and rapper. I met Brandon for the first time on Saturday and I was enamored by his voice! He sang with such passion and control. He was working with another songwriter that goes by Bread, and the song that they wrote together was a great song. It had a slow, soulful R&B feel to it, but the way Brandon sang it, it was so effortless and easy to get into. I really didn't have much to contribute to the song except for a high note, but I was glad to do it!! It's always great meeting new artists in the area and working with new talent. Once the song has been released, I'll be sure to show you where you can listen to it and buy it!
Josh Gunn also worked on a song with Brandon that was really tight!! His lyrics fit right in with the song. He also played some of the music that he is planning to release this year and the songs are on fire! I'm really excited for him! He said he'll be doing shows all along the East Coast, so I can give you all updates regarding his project and shows as well!
Songwriter/Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins gave great tips for songwriters during the interview last night on Huffington Post Live! You may know Rodney for his work with with Lady Gaga, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Michael & Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child and Justin Bieber, the list goes on. Rodney and his wife, Joy Enriquez, came on the show to promote their new upcoming reality show, "House of Joy", which will air on NUVO. The reality tv show will be about the life that Rodney and Joy have together with their family. Joy is a singer as well and is trying to start a singing career while maintaining a family. It sounds like a great show! Me and another songwriter had the pleasure of asking Rodney a question during the segment. Unfortunately, the time ran out so we only got one question in. I asked Rodney what is the most important thing that I can do as a songwriter to get my music heard by record labels and publishing companies and Rodney told me that I should take advantage of the opportunities online, such as with Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. He said if my music is great, then I will get noticed. He said things have changed from the past where songwriters had to ride buses all over and shop their music. This is good news for me and other songwriters that we have a greater ability to get our music out there right at our fingertips!! Also, the other songwriter, Christian Trent, asked Rodney what his experiences were working with Whitney Houston. Rodney talked about how outstanding a singer Whitney Houston truly was. She will be sorely missed. Check out more of the interview here at this link: Let me know what you think of the interview!!
Greetings everyone!! Jami Jackson has been asked to speak at an interview with Songwriter/Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who is best known for his work with Lady Gaga, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Michael & Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Destiny's Child and Justin Bieber. Darkchild is on the show to talk about his brand new reality show on NUVO. Jami and another songwriter will be asking questions about songwriting and the music business. The discussion will last approximately 25 minutes, will be moderated by the host Alyona Minkovski and will include members of the public. The interview will take place tonight, Monday, July 15, at 8:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm PT at the following link: http://huff.lv/10X30yw. Tweet at Jami Jackson at @JamiJackson. Check it out!!
How are you doing?? It has been a year and a half since I last blogged!! Can you believe how time flies? A lot has happened to me during this time. I moved back to NC after living in NYC for 9 years and have started a PhD program in statistics at NC State University. Leaving NYC was a really hard decision for me, but I really needed to go back to school and further my education. So far, school is great! I have also finished a song that I have been working on for over 3 years and now it's finally released to the world! My song, "Let Love Live" is now available for download on CD Baby and iTunes. I appreciate your support!! Also, please leave a review on CD Baby and iTunes and tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter about the song to spread the love! You can take a listen to the song on my website at jamijackson.net. I hope you like it! Tell me what you think :) And if you have any ideas for a music video for this song, let me know.
Are you on Pinterest? I just started a board for "Let Love Live". Follow me and I'll follow you back!
What have you been up to during this time? I would love to hear your stories and updates!
On Sunday, April 10th, I lead two songs for church service, "There is a Balm in Gilead" and "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired". I sang these songs without practicing beforehand, but what I like about singing at my church is that most of my performances are on the spot. The choir director asks me to sing and so I sing. It really helps me to learn to sing on the spot and to deliver a message right then and there. I have been working on how I sing the songs, so I try to experiment with my voice while I sing to sing songs differently each time. It's a lot of fun, so I'm glad I have a chance to express myself vocally in church.
During church service on March 27th, I sang a gospel song called, "You Alone are God". This song was written by Ron Hubbard and has been sung by Marvin Sapp. It was the first time that I sang this song live, so it was a really moving. I love the words to this song because it is so true; there is only one God and he deserves the praise. The music is also so pretty, and the choir really helped me to sing it. I have also included another video of me singing "Guide My Feet" at the end of church service.
On March 17th, I performed for the Divas Underground Concert Marathon, sponsored by the MTA. The MTA started a program called the Music Under New York program to help underground musicians be a part of an official music program. In New York City, it is common to find musicians performing underground at different subway stations, but this program allows musicians to perform with amplified sound. It is illegal, otherwise, to perform underground with amplified sound.
I have been a part of this program for two years now, and it has been a wonderful experience! I love singing underground in front of unsuspecting travelers. Setting up for the show is always a little hectic, because I'm trying to test the sound while the travelers look at me curiously, but can't stay to listen. But once I start singing, it's nice to see the crowds start to develop. They just don't suspect the my strong voice in the noise of the subway station! Because it's underground, the crowds get larger and smaller, depending on the song and where I am in the song, but I always get people who ask for a flyer, who tell me that I should be on American Idol and the X-factor, you know, the usual!
This event was particularly fun because it was an all day event. There were female performers at Union Square from 12pm to 8pm, so it was day of diverse kinds of music. It was also St. Patrick's Day, so there were many people celebrating that holiday that night. I always enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of new people. Here are a couple of short videos and a picture from that night. Enjoy and share with your friends!
On Saturday night, I went to the studio to help Brandon Pierre, the artist on the top, and Josh Gunn, the artist on the bottom, record a song that they were working on. Brandon has a beautiful voice!! It was the first time I met him. Me and Josh go waaaaay back, on the other hand. I've known Josh Gunn since middle school. I've always known Josh to be a talented lyricist and rapper. I met Brandon for the first time on Saturday and I was enamored by his voice! He sang with such passion and control. He was working with another songwriter that goes by Bread, and the song that they wrote together was a great song. It had a slow, soulful R&B feel to it, but the way Brandon sang it, it was so effortless and easy to get into. I really didn't have much to contribute to the song except for a high note, but I was glad to do it!! It's always great meeting new artists in the area and working with new talent. Once the song has been released, I'll be sure to show you where you can listen to it and buy it!
Josh Gunn also worked on a song with Brandon that was really tight!! His lyrics fit right in with the song. He also played some of the music that he is planning to release this year and the songs are on fire! I'm really excited for him! He said he'll be doing shows all along the East Coast, so I can give you all updates regarding his project and shows as well!
