Meet The Jas Sound | Vocal Artist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with The Jas Sound and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi The Jas, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When it comes to taking a risk, it is particularly important that you weigh all the pros and cons before making a final decision. Before I branched out as an “official” vocal artist I was working at AT&T as a customer service representative. My salary was great and although the job was a bit stressful it was worth it to me for a while. After working at AT&T for about 6 months I realized that I missed singing; I have been singing at events since I was six years old and went to college for Music: vocal performance. Although I was making a good paycheck, I soon realized that I was not satisfied, and that I wanted more than money; I wanted my purpose. I took off 3 days from work and prayed to God for direction. During this period God revealed to me a series of things. First, God revealed to me that I had placed myself in multiple toxic environments and friendships that were taking my energy and not pouring back into me. Second, I needed to take a risk and use all that I have learned for myself and build my brand and finally pursue music. So that is what I did. I set a date when I would send in my two weeks’ notice, and I left the toxic environments and released people from my life. Shortly after I did that, my sister told me about this opera company that was doing ‘Porgy and Bess’ auditions, I auditioned and was hired. I did not know at the time but from doing that show I met my now boyfriend and started booking multiple gigs. Overall, when you plan the right way, risk taking is beneficial and can lead you to your purpose.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a Vocal Artist, and my music is a blend of all the genres that I love, which combines to make a unique sound, The Jas Sound. I go by The Jas Sound because my name is Jasmine and I have my own sound which isn’t a set genre. I grew up in church and Gospel is my first love, but as I grew older, I fell in love with other genres such as Jazz, Neo-Soul, R&B, and Classical/Opera. When I left my job at AT&T I decided to take a huge leap of faith and focus on my music, developing my brand and building connections. This process was not easy, once I decided that I wanted to focus on my music I had to research and figure out how to get booked for performances. After a while I developed my own method, I began recording music covers and posting them on YouTube. I would search for event planners on social media day and night and then send them an email which contained a cover letter, and my YouTube video links. For about a month I would send out about 300 emails a day and I received no response. This was one of the hardest times for me because I had to fight myself to not be discouraged and give up. One morning I woke up and prayed to God, I said “God, you told me to take this risk and I did, I’m trying but I have no connections and I don’t know what to do, I need at least one person to respond, just one”. Later that day I got a response, and I was shocked because this wedding planner was so renowned, and she replied to me and invited me to perform at a bridal event she was planning. I couldn’t believe it, one minute I was crying out to God for help and the next minute I was on the phone speaking to Chioma Adure Nwogu-Johnson of Dure Events, and I was invited to perform at “Bellanaija Weddings Bridal Brunch”. I flew out to Houston,Texas, and as I performed I knew that all that I had gone through was worth it. From that performance I got booked for others and grew my following and clientele. The most important lesson that I have learned is to not give up, you must be completely dedicated to whatever it is that you are doing before you can expect others to believe in your vision. I want the world to be inspired by my music and be motivated to create their own sound in the earth.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First and foremost, I would book the hotel for our stay because I love planning and where we stay is the most important part of any trip. So, we would be staying at Kimpton Epic Miami Hotel, this hotel is beautiful and modern, and it is in the heart of Downtown Miami. As far as food is concerned, we would have to go to Yardbird which is in Miami Beach. Yardbird is a Southern restaurant, and the food is a whole experience, it is a must if you are visiting Miami. The next restaurant we would have to eat at is Jackson’s Ice Cream Parlor in Dania Beach. Jaxson’s was founded by Monroe Udell in 1956 and has been a South Florida landmark ever since. Everyone knows that Jackson’s has the best homemade ice cream in South Florida. People from all over drive down or fly to Miami just to enjoy their homemade ice cream and food. As an artist, I couldn’t let my friend leave without watching a live performance so we would have to watch a performance at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the performing arts. After watching a show, we would go to Miami design district to do some shopping and take some photos for memories. Finally, we would visit the Perez Art Museum in Miami which is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting international art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to Shoutout my dear sister Jemara Smith who is a wonderful Vocal Artist and business woman. Through our friendship I have grown as a woman and an artist, and I am grateful to have you in my life. I would also like to take the time to dedicate this Shoutout to my parents. From the moment my parents knew that I could sing they supported me and provided me with all the tools I needed to succeed. Their support is one of the main reasons that I have grown in music and as a woman. I am forever grateful for the countless hours they spent driving me back and forth, paying for lessons, helping me learn music, and ultimately sacrificing their time for me to excel. When I decided to take my music career to the next level and develop a brand I came to my mom and she became my assistant, photographer, and whatever I needed to achieve my goals. My dad took the time to send my music and YouTube videos to everyone and I do mean everyone he encountered, not to mention being my number one fan and watching my videos multiple times throughout the day. I am forever grateful to my parents for their love and sacrifice. I dedicate this to you mom and dad; I love you both.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_jas_sound/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheJasSound/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoNpbgdzv4EeNuBZ5_bGmew
Image Credits
S.O.A. Digital Imaging KG Pixels Fabio Lopez Photography