Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Michelle.
Hi Jordan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Great Neck, NY; a suburb of New York City. I was raised by a Pink Floyd oficianado/Airline Pilot and a world leading Dermatologist whose parents were holocaust survivors. My upbringing was nothing short of weird, interesting, awesome and painful. I grew up with an older brother who in my opinion, is the coolest person I’ve ever met. Between him and my dad, my taste in music was absolutely shaped into the rock and roll soul that I am. On the first day of my senior year of college majoring in Journalism and Political Science, ready to apply to law school and pursue a career in broadcast journalism, my brother died suddenly of a heroin overdose. His loss obviously devastated and changed my life in ways I can’t really verbalize. For purposes of this story, when my brother, who was a musician and truly introduced me to almost every band I’ve ever known, lost his opportunity to ever pick up a guitar again, it was a wake up call for me to pursue my passion. I finished the year, got my degree, packed up my car and moved to LA to share my story with the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I love that you ask this question because I know you already know the answer and it probably gets a pretty visceral reaction and a lot of audible laughs. I think it’s fair to say the answer to this question for most, especially artists, is no; but for me – I actually look back and applaud myself for surviving it. I was born into a family of holocaust survivors, my brother dealt with addiction since we were teenagers, I lost my brother at a young age and was in a nearly fatal car accident less than two years later – and that was before even injecting the very real struggles of being a woman in the entertainment industry, and just the entertainment industry in general. The road has been anything but smooth, I could walk you through every incident where I’ve been told no, every snake in the grass (there were many), all the times I’ve been cannibalized, taken advantage of, sexually harassed, depressed, and in time that will all come out. But for now, I just want to say that those things ARE the story I am fortunate to tell. I live a wonderful life and I’m so blessed and I am so proud of not only how far I’ve come and but persevering through those adversities. If there is one thing, I want your readers and my listeners to know it’s that optimism in the face of adversity will always lead to the greatest outcome. There will always be challenges, but they make you who you are.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I wear a lot of other hats but I am a singer, songwriter, model and am currently producing a TV show. I have also been developing a skincare line amongst other things, but my specialty is music – that’s my biggest passion and means for communicating my heart. I’ve been working on a body of work for quite some time and it’s almost ready to be released, I’m most proud of that. It’s a compilation of my journey and growth and feelings over the past few years. What sets me apart is that I’m the only me. My sound is unique to me, my experiences, my journey, my struggles – it’s me and no one else that sets me apart. I will say I have a very entrepreneurial spirit and I think it makes me a different kind of artist; I’m constantly thinking about the next thing, always cooking, conspiring and always building, it fires me up!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
To be honest, it’s so much to comprehend. My industry – MOST industries, but especially entertainment are changing DAY to DAY! With the rise of social media, streaming, NFT, blockchain, it’s evolving arguably faster than ever. Genres and trends in music of course are always part of that game, but what I do love about where it’s going is as the music becomes more decentralized and there’s less of a filter put on the art, I think the integrity and authenticity really get to shine through. I love that. The idea that music can reflect more of an artist’s uninhibited creativity, passion, expression and love as opposed to manufactured music made with the intent to make money and be a star. I hope it continues to go that way.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.jordanmichellemusic.com | byjordanmichelle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjordanmichelle/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjordanmichl
- Other: https://iamjordanmichelle.bandcamp.com/album/covers
Image Credits:
Ryuuzaki Julio Rick Wayne Adam Chin Matt Kricheli Samuel Gove
