Check Out “Mama Jan” Smith’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to “Mama Jan” Smith.

Hi “Mama Jan”, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself and how you got started in the music business.
I never really thought much about the fact that I was “first starting out.” Music is something I’ve done naturally from before I could talk until now. While things were certainly different when I was growing up, and not every 15-year-old teenager was a singer-songwriter, it was my “normal.” So, writing songs, recording, and performing was just the natural thing for me to do in the progression of being an artist. I will say that being musically gifted as a kid presented its own challenges, especially during adolescence when teenagers are trying to belong. I didn’t fit in very well because I was different.

Fast forward to today, I own and operate Jan Smith Studios/Mama’s Music House, a state-of-the-art vocal coaching, music production, and artist development facility with credits that include some of the top charting artists in the music business today. I am sought after because I’m different, so God always brings things around full circle. You gotta love that!

Can you talk to us a bit about the struggles and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think most of my “struggles along the way” were much like those of any artist who has attempted to successfully establish themselves in the global music economy. There’s always timing which plays heavily into the impact that any music will have on a generation of people, and then there’s the true day-to-day attempting to survive as a working musician until your music–your art–can truly support you.

That journey has had many twists and turns along the way–some good and some not so good, but all in all, the experiences brought me to where I am today, so I’m not sorry. Did I ever make it over the top as artist? No. Have I been called in to work with and trusted by a plethora of those artists who have made it and are clearly on top? Yes, many times over. And so, I’ve been provided a “back stage pass” to the life I thought I would live, and instead am living mine in a highly specialized role of support to other artists.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an “artist whisperer.” When something goes wrong with singer’s voice (and their confidence), I am called in to help get things back on track so the tour or recording can go on. I am also a “front end loader” — a professional artist developer and vocal consultant hired to prep young artists and prepare them for the demands they will likely face as they climb the ladder of success.

Vocal coaching, vocal production, performance coaching, tour prep, visual branding and media prep, songwriting and recording, guitar and piano instruction, tour support, vocal rehabilitation (from surgeries or vocal damage, etc.), and anything else that falls under the heading of “artist development” is what we do. ALL of these services used to be provided “in the building” at record labels, but that all kind of stopped in the mid-to-late 90s, and professionals like myself began to be sought after to fill that gap.

Obviously, in an industry that thrives on celebrity and whatever is trending, the work I’m most noted for rests with those artists who are the most visible as I work with them (Justin Bieber, Usher, Rob Thomas, Monica, Nicki Minaj, Drake, The Band Perry, Janet Jackson, Shania Twain, Keyshia Cole, David Crowder, etc.). And so, I am most known for, and the proudest of that reputable work.

Probably what sets me apart from others in my lane is the history I have in the industry and the relationships therein that have fostered trust in the work of my hands and helped build my reputation of delivering results. Two very important things in my industry.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t really know that I believe a whole lot in luck. I do think that timing has a LOT to do with any path of success, but it’s more of a work ethic and building block mentality for me. I believe that certain artists have been massively successful due to their position in history and how their alignment and preparedness in that particular time led to “stardom.” Sometimes we give ourselves a lot of credit when in actuality, it has a whole lot more to do with human nature, social progressions, and trends.

Most of my success has been defined by a progression of opportunities that I was prepared to step into and to take certain chances therein, as well as my workhorse mentality to continue to strive for excellence and do more. Having a creative spirit and a desire to succeed is why I’ve been successful in business. Loving people and truly helping them to succeed has made me successful in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jansmith.com
• Instagram: MamaJanMusic
• Facebook: MamaJanMusic
• Twitter: MamaJanMusic
• Youtube: MamaJanMusic

Image Credits
Mil Cannon/Imagemil