Rising Stars: Meet Jazmine White of Long Beach, California

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazmine White.

Hi Jazmine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I released my first three songs the summer of 2020, (the COVID year). These three songs are not released anymore, but served to help me through that time period in my life, working through feelings, and figuring out my style for music and songwriting. I then went away to college where I felt so drained of any creativity, and so after two years I left to study abroad in Florence, Italy. This is where I feel like I really started to find myself again and pursue some of my creative passions like music, art, and photography. I was so inspired by my environment and the people around me, and knew this was the start of something that would forever change me. After this year I left my university and drove across the country trying to figure out what to do next. I was writing tons of songs but had no real goal of what to do with them. I then heard about this camp for creatives that was held for a week in Oregon, so I drove there and met a producer and a songwriter. Together, we decided after only a few days of knowing each other to move to a cabin in the woods in rural Idaho, where we lived for two months and recorded my debut album, “Innocence of Youth”. After these two months, I was low on money and was forced to move back to my childhood roots in Texas for almost a year. This was very hard for me and a lot of remote production work was done between me and my producer to get this album ready for release. This past October, I saved enough money to move to California, where I have been working, finishing my degree online, and booking gigs for myself ever since. My producer and I were finally able to complete the album for release in March of this year, and we had a release show with a lot of our friends to celebrate our hard work.

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?
Has it ever been a smooth road for musicians? I don’t know of any, but also I know that some of the best success stories come from struggle. I think it is really beautiful to be able to see all of your goals coming to life after for so long feeling like they weren’t possible. I think with struggle and grit comes high reward when you accomplish what you set out to do. I already said some of this, but I had to move back to Texas for most of 2024 and I lived in some rough conditions. I just felt like I was in survival mode all the time. I had to even move out of a family member’s house because I did not feel safe there anymore, which was so sad because they were family. Feeling like my dreams were out of reach during that time was really hard and not having the money I needed to move somewhere else also made me feel really stuck. But I worked really hard to move past that phase, and it feels really good to see where I am now compared to last year. I know that moving to California doesn’t solve everything, but I have been able to meet so many more people out here who are doing the same thing as me and trying to pursue a creative dream which feels really good when for a lot of my life I was told to find a “real career” instead of an unconventional path. I think now the biggest challenge is learning how to make my voice heard among the many people who are pursuing the same thing as me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a music artist! I write and sing my own original songs, mainly in the style I like to refer to as “Cinematic Indie Folk”. I just recently released my debut album called “Innocence of Youth”, which released this past March. My ability to utilize storytelling and relatability leaves a lasting impact on my audience. I think all of the time that I have spent traveling and in nature has influenced and inspired my style to be raw, acoustic leaning, and honest. Most recently I have been traveling to different national parks around California and writing songs about them while reflecting on my current life and feelings. I value authenticity above everything, and make sure that is reflected in my music as well.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As someone in their 20s, authenticity matters to me the most. Whether that is in a job, roommate, or creative setting, I think it is important to surround yourself with people that are not afraid to be themselves. Not only that, but the honesty and communication that goes along with being authentic. These are important factors in friendships and relationships to me, and is also reflected in my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/jazminewhitemusic
• Instagram: @jazminewhitemusic
• Youtube: @jazminewhitemusic

Image Credits
Chris Kellogg, Luis Iguaran, Jaleigh Garmon, Chloe Jean, Bo Raquelsantos