Meet Jacob George | Singer Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacob George and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacob, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
I believe that there are more than a few contributing factors that have aided in my success so far. Some of which I was privileged enough to be born into. Like winning the lottery by having two artistic parents that fully supported my creative endeavors when I was first developing as an artist and getting to grow up a cultural mecca like Miami, Florida. I’ve been very lucky to have great mentors in my life and to have a chance to put to practice habits which I learned from them. Here are a few:

Keeping Perspective: It is easy to get overwhelmed by comparing oneself to other peoples success or ideas of what ones success should look like. I try to always look at the big picture as much as possible and take things one step at a time keeping goal oriented.

Building Community: Make an effort to spread positivity in ones own community and pay it forward. My science teacher in high school taught me that everything is part of everything else. It clicked for me that a music scene is just that, connected. Made up of your local creatives making art, putting it out and making an effort to support and include one another.

Persistence: A career in music is like surfing. You keep paddling out catching small waves, eventually if you keep at it you will catch a larger wave and sometimes it will take you all the way to shore. It may take a long time for another large wave to come along but you have to keep paddling out to have to chance to catch another one and if you keep at it you eventually will.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Nothing worth having in life is easy. In my professional career I have been met by more than a few trials a tribulations. Throughout all of my achievements I had to learn how to wear many different hats and operate in many different spaces to be successful. I learned how important it is to build a team and cultivate community. By staying true to myself and the lessons I have learned along the way I have been able to navigate through the multifaceted profession that is being a performing artist. I’ve been writing and producing songs since I was 15 years old. I started a band and began breaking in to the local music scene while in high school. It was that time I started cutting my teeth as a performing artist, jumping headfirst into the music business. Soon after I was the musical director for PAN, Performing Arts Network and Voices United, with whom I toured South Africa, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Greece, and Turkey performing original music. During my tenure with Voices United I began honing in on my skills as a songwriter. I got into to Berklee College of Music and moved to Boston right after High school. While attending, I was offered an opportunity to work with Joe James, the head of the school’s A&R Dept. , and recorded my first full length album. During my senior year I traveled to Austin, TX for SxSW Music Festival with Grammy Award winner Bonnie Hayes where I performed my original compositions while representing Berklee’s Songwriting Dept. After attending a master class with touring artist Patty Larkin, I was invited to open for her at The Spire Center in Plymouth, MA. I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2015 where I majored in songwriting. I moved back to Miami and in 2016 I released my debut album, Fight the Feeling. The album received positive reviews and it’s single, Cold Machine, was given a regular rotation on internet & college radio. Following the release of Fight the Feeling, I restructured my band in Miami, Florida, and began performing regularly throughout South Florida. I was featured on BalconyTV, WLRN Folk and Acoustic, Good Morning Emmerson and Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF). I released my first official music video for my recent single “Mama’s Girl” in 2021. In 2022 the Mama’s Girl music video was selected to be included in Richmond International Film Festival.
If I had to to tell the world one thing about my brand and story it is that creating music has had an immeasurable impact on my life. It has lead to making life long relationships and has lead to the realization that life is fleeting and must be lived thoughtfully and to the fullest.

I currently teach music, and perform with Jacob George Band and plan to release new music later this year.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I eat my way around places I travel! Here are my favorite spots!

Food:
Luna Star Cafe (Miami
Little Saigon (NMB),
King Palace (NMB),
The Taco Stand (Wynwood),
Zak the Baker (Wynwood),
Sicilian Oven (Aventura),
Rosetta Bakery (Aventura),
Go Bistro (Hollywood)
La Sandwicherie (Miami Beach),
The Big Apple Deli (NMiami)
El Bagel (Miami)
Naomi’s Garden (Miami)
Chef Creole (Miami)
Little Havana (Miami)
Jaxons Ice cream parlor and restaurant (Hollywood)
Ricky Thai Bistro (Hollywood)

Eat, drink, hang:
The Cleat (Key Biscayne)
Luna Star Cafe (Miami)
Shuckers Waterfront Grill (Miami Beach)
5Oclock Somewhere (Hollywood)
Las Rosas (Miami)
Center for Subtropical Affairs (Miami)
Naomis Garden (Miami)
The Anderson(Miami)
J Wakefeild Brewing(Wynwood)
Walt Grace Vintage (Wynwood)
Linoln’s Beard Brewery (SMiami)
Tea &Poets (SMiami)

Check out any shows these folks do: Rick Moon, Nick County, Daniel Milewski, Cory Perez, Swivvel, Timothy Laroque, Alejandro Elizando, Ballet Flamenco La Rosa, Jacob George Band.

PAN, Performing Art Network offers an amazing huge range of classes from guitar to flamenco to acting.

Greynolds Park, Matheson Hammock, Fairchild Tropical Gardens are all great natural beauties.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shout out to Ilisa Rosal, my mom. Without her love and support I wouldn’t be the person or professional I am today. I would also like to recognize the late great John J. Martin who took me and countless other local musicians under his wing.

Website: http://www.jacobgeorgeband.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacob.george.band/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-george-band-447733212/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jac0bge0rgeband

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacobGeorgeBand

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCtAPPv8yPI

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jacobgeorgeband

Image Credits
Bianca Gilfoy Enrique Jimeno