Artist Spotilight: J-Darius
Q. Can you tell us about your journey to become a professional vocalist?
A. My music was birthed out of the pandemic and my desire to create original music. I’ve always had a love for music and grew up singing in choirs and gospel groups, but I felt it was important to start expressing myself through my own artistry.
Q. How has your music evolved since you first started making music?
A. When first starting out my goal genre was Neo-Soul and R&B. Over time I have been influenced by Hip-Hop and the Pop/Funk genre. So, I find my music is a fusion of many genres.
Q. Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest project?
A. My latest project in entitled, “No Time Wasted”. On this album, I wrote all the lyrics, sung vocal every part, including all background vocals. I wanted to display the range of my vocal ability and share concepts that were meaningful. Mostly importantly, I wanted to share how everything happens in its own time and you must be grateful for your past experiences because it molds you into the person you become.
Q. What sets your music apart from other male singers?
A. Hmm…I guess I think of it more as how my voice is interwoven into the stories and voice stylings of other male singers. I’m glad to be a part of the club and bring my own flavor to the genre.
Q. Can you tell us about any collaborations you have coming up?
A. I am currently collaborating with local musicians in the city of San Antonio to create original soul and R&B music. This is a venture I have been interested in and is finally starting to materialize.
Q. How do you stay motivated to create new music?
A. Music is my lifeline, my passion, and my mission. It is something that fills my days with joy and purpose. I am a creative and finding motivation to create music comes easy and is exciting for me.
Q. Can you share any funny or interesting stories from recording sessions?
A. One time while recording a session I was trying to purchase concert tickets at the same time. I was literally singing and scrolling through seat selections and fortunately I was able to accomplish both.
Q. How do you handle the pressure of being a successful singer?
A. I embrace pressure and try to funnel it to help give the best performance I can every time. I love what I do, so I try to give it my all.
Q. What advice would you give to your younger self about pursuing a career in music?
A. You’re right on time.
Q. Can you tell us about any charitable work you're involved in?
A. I am currently working with a non-profit organization, FWD Progress. The group provides local talent the platform to express their gifts and talents. I am the co-host on this season of the FWD Progress television show and I support many of their creative arts shows and performances.
Q. How do you handle creative differences with your collaborators?
Q. Patience…and understanding that I am not always right even if the creation is coming from me. Seeing the beauty of collaboration and allowing others to hold space even in my creations is key. I believe that you cross paths with people at the right time, so you must give people a voice to impart nuggets of wisdom at the proper time.
A. Can you talk about any particularly challenging songs you've written and how you overcame those challenges?
Q. A challenging song to write was, “Perfect Mystery”. The song is about the difficult realities of an ambiguous relationship. The song caused me to dive further into the experience to be able to share that story through the lyrics and emotion needed for the song.
Q. How do you balance your personal life with your music career?
A. I try to remember that the reason I’m blessed to perform is because of family. Loved ones keep me grounded while supporting me in my music career and that means so much.
Q. Can you talk about any exciting upcoming performances or tours?
A. I have an amazing opportunity to perform for the San Antonio Spurs! An hour set of music prior to the start of the game. It’s my first time working with the Spurs organization and looking for to a great show
Q. Can you tell us about any interesting places you've traveled to for music-related work?
A. Last year I had the great opportunity to travel to Hollywood, California, and record music. I was blessed to record at a studio the some of the most famous music Artist in history has also record at.
Q. What is your favorite song to perform live and why?
A. I love to perform song, “Love of My Life”. Usually, I end my set with this song mostly because it’s such a vulnerable and a difficulty song to sing. Also, it means a lot to me because it was a song a wrote specifically to and about my wife and the love we share.
Q. How do you stay connected with your fans?
A. I stay connected with fans through social media. Whether that chatting in comments or private messages, I do my best to communicate with those that support my dream.
Q. Can you talk about any particularly memorable fan encounters?
A. After a show, a fan shared with me how coming to my concert helped in a marriage disagreement with their spouse. It’s always nice to know that my music is helping people in some way.
Q. How do you handle the pressure of being in the public eye?
A. Being kind to be people and thoughtful about my actions helps a lot. Also understanding that I can only be myself and that I may not be for everybody and that’s ok.
Q. Can you talk about any particularly memorable moments in your music career so far?
A. Having the opportunity to perform at the Luminaria Contemporary Art Festival in November 2022 was definitely a highlight for me. Thousands of people attended this event and to be able to share my gift and original music with an amazing audience was such a gift.
Q. Can you tell us about any exciting projects you're working on outside of music?
A. I am currently co-hosting a local television show, The FWD Progress show. Also, over the past several months I performed in two musical theatre shows, “Rent” and “The Color Purple” so we’ll see if I get into any more theatre productions.
Q. Can you talk about any important lessons you've learned in your career so far?
A. Humility goes a long way, but naivety will prevent you from going further. Continue to learn and use discernment.
Q. How do you see your music evolving in the future?
A. I am a creative and an artist so it’s inevitable that my music will evolve along with me. I can’t be certain how it will change, but I’m sure that it will and that’s a good thing.
Q. Can you talk about any personal goals or aspirations you have for your music career?
A. My goal is to advance my career to the place that it can sustain my lifestyle and ultimately become my livelihood. A career in the music industry would be my long-term goal.
Q. How do you handle the business side of the music industry?
A. I handle it as best I can and ask for help where needed. I have no formal education in business, so where I can find partners and resources, I utilize that to advance my endeavors.
Q. What advice would you give to aspiring male singers?
A. Become comfortable with your voice. I know for me it took a long time to truly feel comfortable with my voice and tone. Don’t compare yourself to others, just express your gift.
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