Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Kerr.
Hi Jordan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I want to start by saying that I was born into a life of privilege and that I wouldn’t be where I am now without the unwavering support of my amazing, hardworking parents. I was born and spent the first 19 years of my life on the complete opposite side of the globe, in the beautifully humble suburb of Taroona on the Australian island state of Tasmania. I am the youngest of three, and growing up, I would try to get into whatever my cool older brother and sister were getting into. I sucked at skating and didn’t have the focus or intellect to read a novel every day, but when my brother taught me the riff to Smoke On The Water, it made a ripple that would become an endless tidal wave.
I ventured out in all directions, lapping up every bit of music from every source I could get my hands on: my parents’ varied CD collection, my brother’s metal guitar playing, my sister’s classical piano lessons. It didn’t take long before I was gathering friends at school to form bands, and from there it didn’t take long before I realized I could write my own music for those bands. It was through this insatiable hunger for finding new and different music that I learned about Berklee College of Music in Boston. That was when I was around thirteen. I took every music class I could, with some incredible teachers, and filled my summers with music camps, weekends with jam sessions and band rehearsals. Even then, for the rest of my school years, I was itching to escape and focus solely on music.
In 2014, I was accepted into Berklee and awarded just enough of a scholarship to make the ridiculously expensive venture possible (again, thank you to my ever-supportive family). The most incredible part of that school, I believe, is the amount of international students. My musical world exploded as I was surrounded by people from all over the world with just as much love for music as me. I learned how to make music on a laptop, how to write, record and produce albums, and furthered my studies in just about every facet of music. Through the amazing people I met there, I have been a part of some incredible projects as a performer, recording artist, composer, producer, arranger, and educator. I have had the opportunity to travel interstate and internationally as a performer.
Last year, again following that insatiable hunger for new and different music, I made the move from Boston to Brooklyn. Although its distance from Boston is nothing compared to that from Tasmania, this move exploded my musical world in just the same way. I think I have played more live shows of original music in the past year than I had in all previous years combined, and I see new avenues opening up before me that I never imagined I’d see. While my love of music and musical expertise drove me to where I am, it has always been relationships with incredible people that fueled the journey. This is precisely what brought me to Brooklyn: community. Work together, lift each other up, create endlessly and freely.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having discovered such intense passion for an art form is something I’m grateful for every day. But it also creates a tension with everyday society and within interpersonal relationships. I think the hardest things I’ve been through have been a result of this tension. The guilt and difficulty of leaving people, of putting myself and my love of an abstract concept first.
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?
At the moment, I’m proud to say that I work entirely as a freelancer and that my jobs and skillsets are becoming more varied with time. I pride myself on being able to fit myself into almost any musical situation, and I think the fact that I have zero genre boundaries and am always game to try new things sets me apart. My broad knowledge of (and feel for) music of all kinds allows me to communicate and connect with musicians in any sphere. As a multi-instrumentalist, I perform and record any music anyone will throw at me, as long as it’s fun or interesting, and there’s passion (or money 🙂 ) behind it. I arrange strings and brass and create soundscapes with all kinds of instruments (which, to me, is anything used with the intention of it being a musical instrument). I collaborate with and produce other artists, with no discrimination to their musical background, to bring their ideas to life.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The numerous, often chaotic, band rehearsals held in my parents’ living room. Furniture pushed aside, exploring the depths of our childish creativity with our then-shallow musical expertise.
Pricing:
- Guitar Recording $150 per song
- Bass Recording $150 per song
- String or Brass Arrangement $250 per song
- Full Song Production $300
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odd.jord.music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.kerr.750
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi6PiACDXrMw6RZAlCDl7Hw
- Other: https://oddjord.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Taylor Weinberg
Adi Malka
Jim Cole
Francesco Gerosa
Andrew Kelly
Juan Pedro Ocampo
Chloe May Fuller
