Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Minter.
Jacob, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Born in Simi Valley, my family moved t0 Palmdale when I was 3, and it was here, like the majority of Tone in Georgia, that I grew up.
In many ways, this was an attempt to escape the excesses my Father had experienced as a working musician in LA since the early 1960s.
He was sick of having no identity outside of his bass (he toured and recorded with Glenn Yarborough and Jose Feliciano), and feared my sister and I being sucked into the world of child acting. The Antelope Valley, still quite small in 1993, held vast appeal for him.
Consequently, while music was a constant in the house, and instruments were readily available, pursuing it as a profession was lightly discouraged. Stories of the trials and tribulations of ‘the Road’ were common. While humorous, they clearly served a dual, cautionary purpose. Any artistic or intellectual pursuit was encouraged, but always with an emphasis on a need for long-term income, preferably in some other, less volatile job.
School encouraged my appetites for history, and eventually economics. This led me to UCLA, where I received my BS in Economics, with an eventual goal of an academic position in the field.
The problem was, many of my most respected professors seemed so concerned with the mathematical rigor of their models that they had little idea how those models were applicable in the real world, and worse, seemed unconcerned! So long as they reached the conclusions expected from the Investment banks funding their grant money, there was no need to think any deeper.
This struck a bad chord with me. Coincidentally, I had begun jamming on a regular basis with friends back home. These semi-regular visits were a reprieve from the stress of constant mid-terms, finals, and my father’s suicide following two years of disastrous roommates. Music had become my grounding point. Tone in Georgia was officially dubbed so in 2012, and suddenly I was with a collection of singer-songwriters, writing my own songs.
After graduating, I immediately moved back to Palmdale, and with my bandmates, recorded our first album, Fresh Palm Fronds, much of it in my Mom’s house. Through numerous line-up changes and moves (most of us are in the San Fernando Valley, now), Tone in Georgia has become my main outlet, emotionally and creatively, and while not my main source of income, makes enough money to be increasingly self-sustaining.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Having a large band where everyone sings, writes and/or arranges parts, and where everyone switches instruments, i.e. a band without a front person, will inevitably have growing pains along the way. The freedom of collective leadership brings with it risks: consensus, and whether it is decided by a majority or requires unanimity; issues with information flow and keeping everyone up-to-date; planning long tours that fit within everyone’s schedules; equitable delegation of roles, in terms of merchandise, social media, etc. Nonetheless, these issues have always been resolved, generally through dialogue, and in some cases, sadly, through members parting ways with the band.
The upside to a large band built around multiple songwriters and multi-instrumentalists is that it is resilient We have always been able to roll with the punches, and each time, talented musicians step up to the plate and fill those slots when they have opened.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Tone in Georgia – what should we know?
Tone in Georgia is a collective of six multi-instrumentalists and songwriters. Primarily, we provide musical entertainment at events, bars, clubs, DiY music spaces, etc. We also produce and record original music, having released several singles, music videos, one LP, and have a second LP on the way.
Our live shows have been described as “a party in band form,” with active engagement and audience interaction, especially dancing.
Unlike most bands, there is no fixed front-person in Tone in Georgia. Because we allow everyone to collectively write/arrange the music, our genre varies drastically from song to song. Additionally, instruments are frequently swapped between members, sometimes mid-song. This “frenetic” pacing creates a fun, unpredictable atmosphere.
The biggest point of pride for me has been our ability to book numerous state/country-wide tours. Each has been financially self-sufficient and used no outside booking agency.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The rest of the band: Kory Adams, William Splinter, Wyatt Garrett, Wynne Males, and Merced Stratton. Since everyone arranges the songs together, and writes their own parts, the band would not be the band without them.
My Mom, Carol Arnold, for letting us use her home as a recording/practice space for over a year.
Anthony ‘Tone’ Baker, the band’s namesake. He is an eccentric comedian, folk musician, producer of trap beats, and so much more that it is difficult to describe. Tone isn’t someone you read about, but rather experience. As the name implies, he resides in Georgia. He lives there with his wife and her family, but originally was a citizen of the Antelope Valley, where we went to school together, and often all jammed on his experimental folk songs, jams in which many of the band’s original members first played together. I started playing bass just so I could be a part of them. Without Tony Baker, there is no Tone in Georgia.
Diego Hodge, and his parents Steve and Mardou, for basically being the band’s home for the first few years of its existence. Diego was one of the founding members and one of its main driving forces for years. We wouldn’t be a band if we hadn’t started jamming at his house in the first place.
Johanna Hackett from Friends of the Los Angeles River, for giving us numerous opportunities, in one instance helping set up an on-stage jam Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toneingeorgia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toneingeorgia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/toneingeorgia/
Image Credit:
Annette Armijo
Alberto Dominguez
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