Today we’d like to introduce you to that’s my J.A.M.
Hi Jared, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love for music started from a very young age. My Dad, originally from Miami Florida, was a DJ and would always have the latest Hip-Hop and R&B songs, playing them in the house or the car on repeat. Occasionally, he would invite me to his gigs and I loved watching him perform and seeing how happy he made the crowd, so I learned a lot from him. At the age of 14 I started to mess around with my Dad’s decks and that’s when my DJing journey began.
It wasn’t until 2012 when I went to university in Leeds, England where I fell in love with dance music as the city has deep roots in underground music culture and is home to some of the most iconic underground clubs. I was always DJing house parties and had the opportunity to DJ in some of those iconic venues. In 2017, I moved to Bristol, England to work for a local events company as a promoter and resident DJ. Similarly to Leeds, Bristol has a massive underground rave scene and I was fortunate enough to play in a lot of the well known underground venues.
My wife and I decided we wanted a change of scenery after going on an around the world trip, visiting 16 countries. We applied for teaching jobs in our favorite places we visited, as we are both fully qualified teachers and Los Angeles was one of the first schools to reach out to us. It seemed the perfect place, as the weather is great for teaching P.E. and would allow me to continue my music career.
In 2022, my wife and I started our own promotion company Wyde Eyez, as we wanted to bring the U.K. dance culture across the pond, as well as introduce L.A. to the genre we both love, U.K. Garage (pronounced Ga-ridge). Over the past couple of years, U.K. Garage has started to really take off in L.A. We’ve seen events popping up advertised as U.K. Garage, and I’ve received interest from promotion companies to play at their events, so I’m hoping this will continue and I can showcase the diversity the genre has to offer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A personal challenge I faced was at the age of 14. I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor which was an extremely difficult and isolating time for me.
During this time, music was one of my main sources of comfort along with my family. Music provided me the escapism I needed and allowed me to stay positive, especially on those days where I really needed it. This further intensified my love for music and gave me a deeper understanding of the importance music can have on people’s lives.
Career wise, getting my foot in the door has always been the biggest obstacle. I’ve really had to persevere from a young age, all the way to now at the age of 34.
I’ve always had a gut feeling that being an entertainer was what I was born to do. As a teen, I was a hip hop dancer and competed in competitions. I would always be singing and rapping for fun and am known to be a humorous person who loves to see people smiling and laughing. Anytime I can entertain people, it brings me the biggest joy, so perseverance and having the belief in myself is what has kept me going all these years. I have recently started producing my own music and I have been receiving a lot of positive feedback, so I’m hopeful that this will be the point in my music career where I begin to open more doors and receive the biggest opportunities to date.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a DJ & producer, and go by the name of ‘that’s my J.A.M.’ as my name is Jared Adam Morrison so seemed to fit well. My genre of focus is a niche genre known as U.K. Garage, but I also play adjacent genres during my sets such as Jungle, Grime House and Drum & Bass. What sets me apart from other DJ’s is my ability to read a crowd and play the right song at the right time. Most DJ’s will have the songs in their playlist and play what they like, but what I learned from my Dad is having the ability to read a crowd, whether it’s facial expressions, interactions with their mates, or interactions with me, allows me to analyze the crowd to know what tunes will get the best crowd reactions. I’m also diligent with keeping up with the latest tunes to set myself apart from other DJ’s and I try to throw songs in my sets people haven’t heard for a while, as well as classics to keep the crowd engaged and on their toes. I have a lot of tension, release and surprises in my sets which also helps set me apart from other DJ’s.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
BE PATIENT! If DJing and producing is something you really want to pursue, it takes time. Nowadays, there are heaps of tutorials on YouTube so that’s where I would start. Attend events you’d love to play at and network. Go with the intention of meeting new people and increasing your social circle, not just as a way to play at their event/venue. Reach out to DJ’s and producers that inspire you to gain perspective and potentially conference call with them. I’ve learned different tips and tricks from different DJ’s and producers and used a little from each and every one to develop my own style/sound. If you want to get in to music production, I would highly recommend Ableton as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), which is just a fancy word for the software you use. Research Ableton courses online to get yourself familiar with the program as it is very daunting at first, but it does get easier over time so stick at it. I’m ultimately still learning the most efficient way of using Ableton for me, as there is not a one size fits all when it comes to producing, but the more and more you use the software, the easier it gets and the better your workflow becomes.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsmyjammusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatsmyjammusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thatsmyJ.A.M.
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thats_my_jam
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wuua1KRhddtBJGe7XRoI5?si=2xWrJbqbRvaKAaG1LzeHjA
