Well, it has been over a month now since I moved across the country to Los Angeles. A lot has happened since I have been here so figured I should update everyone.
This past week I’m am proud to say I set up my first California business as well as my own music publishing company (least of these music). I have received my first substantial (not paid in pennies) royalty check. I have been song writing almost every day with many different LA artists. I even worked in the studio as a singer with the producer who found sean “diddy” combs and Mary J. Bliege. I’m been in contact with the writers for Justin beiber and have received my first publishing deal for tv music. Next week, I’ll be playing my first show on sunset strip at the World Famous House of Blues. This all sounds fine and dandy but truth be told, it has not been a LA LA land experience. Stress, fear and loneliness have been the central themes of the past month.
The first week I was out here I literally lived in a dream world. We were staying with a friend in the Hollywood hills, Sean lea was in town, we hung out went to the beach, and life was good. Then through a series of events, Nate and I found ourselves looking for a place to live. Needless to say week two was filled with tons of stress, doubt and fear. This is a hard place for anyone to be in, moving across the country to pursue a calling to only doubt your initial belief. I will say this, even through all the perils that I faced, I knew this would all just be chapter in my autobiography someday. Needless to say, I now have a great apartment up in the valley, huge living room, have the studio all set up, walk in closets, no adjacent walls with neighbors, yea I’m still blessed. In the middle of this crisis I began to let fear overwhelm me of not having steady income. The job I had been promised out here seems to be delayed…the market out here as you can guess is as tough as anywhere. It is easy in times of great uncertainty to question, and questioning is good because it will only provide solid answers (I encourage you to do so).
Since being here I have seen so much growth in my spiritual life. I have learned the meaning of daily conversational prayer. I have experienced what full dependence on God taste like, for food, and shelter. Since coming here I have been going to Angelus Temple (dream center Church) and one of the things that Pastor Barnett said is that “parents will either instill hope or fear into their children”. I have to say coming from an Italian American family, there is lot of fear for the wooden spoon, but I can say with gratitude that I have been at peace because of the hope that is in me. Thank you mom and dad for placing that in me, and I hope every parent out there realizes the power of words. I recently have been spending time reading ezekial and how he was called to a rebellious nation. Powerful text, I’ll go into detail later, for it deserves its own page.
Through this all I have learned boring people have no story to tell.
Yesterday I was listening to a performance on NPR from a musical theater/rock and roll composer I had never heard of. Honestly he was terrible. But his second song (some how I kept listening) impacted me. It was one of those moments you knew that God was speaking through you, even through the most bizarre circumstance. He sang a song about a man who wanted to be rock and roll artist but was terrible. He would play show after show and no one would listen. He was terrible because he was boring and had no story to tell. He didn’t come from the ghetto, never had to rise from the ashes, just a plain boring suburban man.
This might sound farfetched but I feel that God has led me through trials to preserve my art. In order to make me a true artist, maybe God needed for me to experience every kind of emotion. Whether or not it is the case I am thank full because my art has not suffered but only thrived. There is something surreal about having no backup plan and wondering where you will stay for the night, or where your next meal will come from. No I’m not homeless, nor starving but the reality of it not taking much to get me there has been surreal.
It is not the valleys in our life that define us but the way in which we react to them –Alcia britt Chole
Lastly, I know its been forever but the album will be done in time for a fall release. I’m planning on returning to Springfield to host an amazing night of music as the world premiere for the new Album the Verge. I’ll keep you updated as things will progress quickly. If you want to be apart of the night let me know I’ll need lots of helping getting it rolling. This is it, the beginning of path that will lead to hopefully many lives changed and impacted through my music, message, giving and life example. I have so much to say, but no is probably reading. I’ll explain more about the concert event and about my vision for my music venture in the upcoming stages.
Good night.
Jackson
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