Conversations with Alyssa Jacey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Jacey.

Hi Alyssa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in San Diegan right here! I went straight from high school in SD to college in northern California as an English major with a minor in Spanish, assuming a possible future profession would be teaching English, a news reporter, or maybe a court translator. I had been taking dance classes (jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, lindy-hop and character) since I was four years old and was asked to take over teaching students hip-hop at college second semester. For no reason other than missing home, I moved back to SD and changed major’s sophomore year to Communications, uncertain again as to what type of career the future held. I was always SO nervous getting up in front of peers to talk, so it’s an absolute wonder how I ended up not only as a professional singer/songwriter but a TV Host and motivational speaker!

I took a break from school towards the end of 2003 and moved to LA to teach dance, knowing I’d eventually go back when ready. It was at that point in my life when I learned I had a voice. I would unknowingly be singing to myself at work and co-workers who overheard convinced me to try karaoke. Actually, per the request of one of the bars I worked at! “Alyssa, we’ve heard you singing and we decided that beginning Wednesday of next week, we’re going to start hosting karaoke night, and you’re going to be the one to kick it off.” Wasn’t even given a choice. That’s how my music career started! And I had no intention of EVER being in the music industry prior to that; Never played an instrument, never written a song (although I had written hundreds of poems) and never sang in public. I wanted to be Usher’s, Justin Timberlake’s or Janet Jackson’s backup dancer, or a successful choreographer! I did dance in the Super Bowl and still choreograph and dance to this day in my own and other musicians’ music videos and live shows, which is awesome! But never in my life could have guessed I’d end up in music. (People always want to know which song I performed that night. It was “Life Goes On” by LeAnn Rimes, which is ironic because little did I know, I’d eventually end up moving to Nashville!)

I got off stage and every table I was waiting on that evening, even random people at the bar asked the same questions almost verbatim; When can we see your next show? Where can we buy a CD?

I was hooked immediately and began singing weekly.

But it wasn’t all roses and sunshine. Instead of making dance a priority, I worked four part-time jobs, still barely making rent and was hanging with the wrong crowds. I hit rock bottom multiple times and it was the last time that really woke me up. That’s when I decided to move back to SD, go back to school, and get back on track. I continued singing karaoke, which after a years’ time – end of 2003 to end of 2004 – turned into songwriting and eventually recording. It was December of 2004 when I called the only producer I knew and said, “I know you know me as Alyssa Jacey the choreographer, but…I think I’m supposed to sing. Can you record me?” He said, “Yeah, do you have any songs?” I said, “Oh, yeah! That’s part of this whole thing, isn’t it! OK…” and less than a month later, I had three songs written and ready to go.

I had a full schedule, taking classes Mon-Thurs. I’d drive up to LA to record on Thursday nights after my last class, record Thursday night through Sunday morning, drive back to San Diego, do all the homework for the week, and repeat for three months until “The Alyssa Jacey EP” was recorded. I submitted it to local radio and the Del Mar Fair (later called the San Diego County Fair) and before I knew it, my first single, ‘The Longest Kiss’ was getting radio play on multiple local stations and I was performing to tracks and/or with a guitarist at the fair.

Another thing I never saw coming was playing an instrument. But, after being flaked on by eight guitarists in a row (either late to practices, no-shows, etc.) I picked up a guitar and decided to teach myself. I was performing live shows on guitar three weeks later and celebrated 100 shows in six months. I was addicted, hooked and ALWAYS inspired. I kept writing, releasing, performing, repeating. Four years later – after putting out an LP, another two EP’s and my first full-length album, I was asked to open for Bruno Mars. The club said it was such a success, they requested I open for him again a few months later, and it was just as fun as the first time! I assume because of having a dancer/rhythmic background, became attracted to the drums, so I started drumming for fun whenever I was around another person’s or studio kit. One of my favorite memories was singing on the drums, opening for Paula Cole, in front of 700 people at The Coach House (San Juan Capistrano, CA) and one of those people was world-renowned music manager Doc McGhee (KISS, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Darius Rucker and more) who was there that night, just to hear me. We are great friends to this day and regularly keep in touch!

I have always managed every aspect of my career: Booking local shows, nationwide and international tours, marketing, either produced or co-produced all single and album releases and everything else a musician’s career incorporates. Three releases in, I was playing guitar and percussion or drums on the songs. Wrote 100% of the material, music, melody and instrumentation. I came up with the tag line, “Bring the crew and wear your blue,” and as a way to connect with fans and set myself apart. I wear blue to all my shows and call my fans the “Blue Crew,” requesting that everyone who comes to my shows wear their favorite shades of blue! As I would  In 2012 when I moved to Nashville, I started connecting blue to a charity near and dear to my heart. My grandma, who I was EXTREMELY close to, passed from Alzheimer’s just one month after I started singing (Feb 2005). I vowed that when/if I could ever start giving back through music, I would do so by donating $1 from ticket and/or merchandise sales to the Alzheimer’s Association, just for fans wearing blue to shows. I only wish it could be $1,000,000/show!

Moving to Nashville changed the course of my life. It’s where every other facet of my career was born. From hosting writer’s nights and playing six times a week to being nominated “Best Live Performer” at the Nashville Independent Music Awards barely a year after living here to starting a mentoring, artist development and booking agency called ‘Image Twelve28,’ to touring Europe four times in 13 months, to motivational speaking both nationally and internationally, to hosting five different TV shows (some on YouTube, some on Amazon Prime and Roku) co-writing with and playing drums for other musicians, getting signed to three sync licensing agencies (who pitch songs to TV/film) and two modeling/acting contracts. To date, I’ve released nine albums, written over 400 songs and played well over 3,500 shows. Plus, I have met some of the most AMAZING people who I am SO BLESSED to call my closest friends. Nashville forced me to be a better writer, better performer and even a better friend. It also taught me what my life’s purpose was: To inspire.

I didn’t realize it at first. It took a few years. But, after being messaged by several fans on a monthly at first, then weekly basis about how my story inspired them to go after their dreams, I started paying attention. People were leaving comments or coming up to me after shows and saying things like, “I follow you because you lift me up,” “you make me happy,” “your spirit…” “your lyrics…” “your smile…” “your energy…” “because of you, I’m going to chase my lifelong dream of…” “because you have inspired me to, I’m going to move out of (city) and pursue (x career).” It was all positive. I had unknowingly been moving people and touching hearts and it felt SO GOOD to know that! It wasn’t my voice, it wasn’t my songs. My purpose hasn’t been to play music, but to INSPIRE people THROUGH my messages, whether they’re lyrical messages in my songs or just inspirational text posts. The story of how my career(s) started and the stories I’d write about were really connecting with people and had they not reached out, I would have never known!

Fast forward to 2019, when I revisited my mentoring business. I hadn’t worked with clients in a few years, wanted to get back into it and did, but something was missing. It took me until last winter to figure it out. I wanted to give more to my clients on a career but also personal level. Like combining career coaching and life coaching! So, I re-worked the business model, came up with a new name and had the logo and website completely re-designed. My new business, which launched last month, is called “I Am Unashamedly Me; Inspirational career coaching for all careers, ages and stages of life!” The idea for the name originated six years ago by a friend who said, “Alyssa, you are so unashamedly YOU!” And it stuck with me ever since. Now, I know why☺ Check out www.IAUM.live!

I don’t want to put a cap on who I can inspire by only working with one industry; I want to inspire as many people as possible! Parents of third graders with daily changing dreams, retirees in their 70’s, and anywhere in between have reached out and I pray it continues. Especially after everyone having gone through 2020 and knowing what growing pains I personally endured, now more so than ever is the time for inspiration!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The smoothest road has been being guided on this path. I felt like it was an unstoppable force that guided me from the beginning. If I never danced, I wouldn’t have moved to LA to teach dance. Had I never lived in LA, I might not have ever been pushed to try karaoke. Had I not sung karaoke, people wouldn’t have asked me for CD’s and show dates. Had I not been encouraged by listeners, I may not have ever started songwriting and recording. If not for those, I wouldn’t be out playing live or learned instruments or be able to submit my songs to songwriting contests. Venues wouldn’t have anything to listen to online or any CD’s (back then) to open in the mail, if I hadn’t recorded, and without booking agents having anything to listen to, I would have never been booked to play shows, which never would have lead me to Nashville, which never would have lead to TV hosting, owning an Inspirational Career Coaching Business, more choreography and dance jobs, singing the National Anthem for sports and corporate events, touring Europe, becoming a better songwriter…As simple as this sounds, I suppose the smoothest road was just listening to what the universe was telling me to do, and following where it was directing me to go. Never before nor since have I had a stronger gravitational pull towards something. It was like being pushed towards something but in the most loving way. I can’t explain it. All I know is that I knew if I didn’t listen, I wasn’t going to lead the life I was meant to lead.

The struggles are the exact same today as they were yesterday, last week, last month, and the last 16 years. This industry is full of flakes and false advertising. People just tell you what they want you to hear, and then you never hear from them again. “We’d love to have you back at this venue, you were our favorite artist and the only one to sell out the theatre this year! Come back ANY time!” Then you never hear back, even after reaching out. Or getting emailed by random places across the US, “We’d love to hire you for this event in the fall!” I usually reply within a few hours with something like, “Thank you so much for your interest in my music! I’d love to hear the details!” (paraphrasing but essentially, that’s my reply) And then I never hear back. Artists, same thing. “OMG, Alyssa, I’d LOVE to write with you! What’s your schedule like next week? Oh, awesome, I’ll be free. I’ll text you to confirm!” And you never hear from them again. I’ll follow up and still, nothing. Which is so confusing! Why say anything in the first place if there’s no intention of following through? Personally, I have a two-follow-up rule. If they make contact, and I reply but don’t hear back, I’ll wait a week and follow up again. If I hear nothing, I’ll wait another week, maybe two, and follow up again either via email or phone call. I care about what I do, and I like to work. I WANT to work. It’s not even “work” when you love it so much! Depending on the size of the opportunity (opening for Bruno Mars, for example) I may give it extended time because people are busy. So, I’ll be more patient. I’ve waited months for SOME things, but there’s only so much one person can do and it takes two. It’s just frustrating because from where I stand, it could be so easy. You want me to play (or TV host or speak or…), I want to, too. So, let’s pick a date, a time, agree on compensation, start the promo and BAM. Goal achieved! But people, for whatever reason, and I know it’s not just this industry but the entertainment industry is one of the flakier ones, it sadly doesn’t work like that. I wish I had the power to change it.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I Am Unashamedly Me tailors plans for each client based on their individual needs. We specialize in working with those in the music industry, however, we also have a roster of clients in varying careers. Here are a few things we offer:

Artist Development. We develop the skills each unique artist possesses in order to build a professional career with longevity in the music industry.

Branding and Image. We Help create and build the right image and brand that both identifies who you are and represents you as you wish to be seen.

Booking and Touring. We teach you ways to get booking agents and venue’s attention (for example opening emails or calling back), so we can book you shows and tours.

Live Stage and Online Performance Coaching. We teach artists the do’s and don’t’s of proper stage etiquette which may include but is not limited to; Stage banter, addressing super fans, what to do if…, etc. This helps with building connections with the venues and audience members so both will want you back!

Marketing. Calculated marketing captivates and creates value for your target audience both on and offline. Doing this helps grow and maintain a successful business.

Networking. We teach artists several proven ways to build their network both in and out of their specific industry. You never know who will need you or who you’ll need as you climb the ladder!

Promotion. Selling your artistic creations to the world in an authentic way in order to keep growing your fan base and extending it, eventually reaching new audiences.

Production Advisor. We’ll go in-studio with you and be sure you’re making all the right decisions that benefit YOU and not the producer. As an artist and producer of 17 years myself, I hear things differently than your average producer or engineer who has never been an artist. Because of that, I can offer a much wider variety of opinions, thoughts and suggestions and also speak on behalf of the artist if they’re too shy to themselves.

Social Media. We’ll give you countless unique and diverse ways to authentically build your network in order to regularly gain friends, fans, followers and funders.

Songwriting Development. Whether you want to write a great song in the pop, pop/country, pop/rock, country, blues, soul, folk, indie, reggae and pop/rap genres, from conception, through construction to completion, we’ll get you there!

What are your plans for the future?
MAJOR MAJOR MMMAAAAAJJJJJOOOORRR changes and announcements but I can’t share them yet! Please follow me on socials for daily hints leading up to the final announcement happening very soon! Sign up for the FREE “Blue Crew” newsletter at www.Reverbnation.com/AlyssaJacey

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.IAUM.live, www.AlyssaJacey.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaum.live
  https://www.instagram.com/alyssajaceyofficial/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAUM.live, 
  www.Facebook.com/AlyssaJaceyMusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alyssajacey
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/AlyssaJacey
• SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/AlyssaJacey
• Other: www.Reverbnation.com/AlyssaJacey
• TikTok: @IAUM.live & @AlyssaJaceyOfficial