Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaslyn Loftin.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii. Growing up on an island, life was laid-back, slow, and family-oriented. I was introduced to music by my parents, who always had music playing on the weekends when they were home. We’d always have family jam sessions where people would start singing and playing instruments (in Hawaiian, it’s called “kanikapila”). Music was always a part of my life and I wrote music since I was nine, as I self-taught myself guitar and piano. I only thought of music as a hobby until I had a conversation with my friends after graduating high school when they told me they were going to college for music business. In 2014, enrolled in a music business program with my friends, and I made the ambitious goal to write songs professionally. I moved up to LA with that goal in mind in 2017, and the rest is history.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest struggle I had while pursuing my dreams was the culture shock as a result of moving to a bigger city. Coming from a small island, the community I grew up in was familial and tight-knit. Here, the working pace is faster, tougher and stricter than in Hawaii. In a big city like LA, aspiring artists learn to develop tough skin, as I often faced many rejections and “no”s when I first moved here. I had to start from humble beginnings all over again. Not to mention, the amount of talent here is insane, so it’s scary and inspiring at the same time. I’m thankful that I met some amazing people in the LA community to help guide me through it all.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a professional pop songwriter and lyricist, and I mainly write songs for bands, producers and artists internationally and domestically. I am truly grateful that I landed some big projects without ever needing to be signed to a label or a music publisher. I am 100% independent, and right now I work with a vast range of EDM, R&B, and Indie Pop artists.
With this endeavor, my goal is to not only share my stories but to help other people tell their stories through music as well. Thus, I also have clients who come to me for songwriting help, usually booking an hour session with me for feedback or assistance. Some seek it because they need an outlet to release their emotions, and some want professional advice to help make their music releases stronger.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wish I was more prepared before I came up to LA. At the time of my move, I was not financially smart and I was not as comfortable living independently as I thought I was. Because of this, I had to face many hard lessons. I went to school in the day while working graveyard shifts at night, trying to squeeze in time for music whenever I could. Those days, I questioned whether or not my actions suffered too many consequences to pursue a career in music. It made my mental health suffer as a result. Somehow, things all fell into place with time. If there is any advice I could give to people, it’s to always prepare for the worst-case scenarios.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jlynmusic.wordpress.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.lynmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jlynmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/themindofJLyn
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyiPqu_o5NtGI2Z2DQupAJA
Image Credit:
Evan Fujimoto, Txrebel Spencer, Rafael Hernandez
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