Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Jordan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
For 4 years, I have been a group facilitator for Rock to Recovery. I have written over 2600 songs with veterans suffering from PTSD, at-risk teenagers, addicts and alcoholics who are seeking solutions at various treatment centers. I have been a touring/professional musician for most of my life playing in the band Killradio (Columbia Records) and I have been clean and sober from drugs and alcohol for over 10 years. I’ve used my experiences in recovery and in-band to learn to bring people together and get them to access feeling they have suppressed for many years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There are many struggles in my industry but the biggest hurdle right now is the fact that we are in the grips of an opioid epidemic. I have been to too many funerals and memorials for people that lost their lives too soon. On a personal level, I have to let go of control and know that I am bringing light into many dark places. I have seen many of my clients go from living in the bushes and being homeless, to gaining custody of their children because they have cleaned up their lives.
But as a human being, I can tend to focus on the lives that were lost instead of the ones that were saved. It’s natural for me to spend more time grieving the people I miss, and it takes the effort to get out of the darkness myself. I mean, I have not been cured of my own demons, I just have gotten stronger as life has gotten harder. It’s always a balancing act to honor the fallen, as well as come back to who is still with us.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am an intense person. I really do care about the clients I write songs with. Rock to Recovery has 10 employees that go to over 100 treatment centers per week. We all have our special qualities that make us unique. I think my uniqueness lies in my ability to meet people where that are as “listeners” of music, instead of where I am as a musician.
For instance, if teenagers want to make rap songs, I will learn what notes and rhythms go together to make their experience feel fresh. If I am working with a group of people that want to make mariachi songs, I will learn how to make that experience fresh too. I can squeeze an accordion in a pinch. I think this keeps my musical chops crisp and gives me more enthusiasm for every person I get to work with.
What were you like growing up?
I was raised by a single mom. She worked a lot. I’m also an only child so I learned how to entertain myself by writing lyrics down and taking apart people’s stereos so I could record them. In the 80’s we had cassette singles and on the B-side, there was always the instrumental of the song.
If you had a tape deck or a walkman with some extra wires, you could record yourself over these great slamming beats. I carried around a little microphone with me and was always writing raps. I was not very good, but this is how you did it before YouTube or any cloud-based services. I’m always working on my creative streak. It keeps me young.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rocktorecovery.org
- Email: brandonj@rocktorecovery.org
- Instagram: @brandonjordanla
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/roseindian
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