Hey everyone! My name is Jay and I am an upcoming songwriter and music producer, currently completing my bachelor’s degree in audio engineering. I chose this career path because I am in love with music and have always been intrigued by the creative industries. So how did it all start?
When I was younger, and even ’til this day, I remember always looking up to my two older brothers. My eldest brother is a bit of a ”whiz kid”, and he was the genius of the family. My second eldest brother was more the “rebel” of us three, and though he may have been a pain in my neck at times, I always thought he was super cool. My second eldest brother is also a music fanatic. He started off learning guitar and playing Pop Punk styled music, but he has since grown from that. I remember he would make me memorize lyrics as a kid, and sometimes he’d take me into his room and point at posters, making me play the game “name that artist”. Because of this, he secretly instilled within me the desire to seek out music in my life.
When I was 15, my brother had to pick me up from school one time because my folks were out of town. We caught the train, and during the ride back to his suburb, he showed me this one song he had on his phone. He placed his headphones on my head, and started playing this track that I had never heard before. I didn’t realize, but in that moment…my whole life’s dreams and ambitions would forever change.
The first 10 seconds of this song had me going “…this is what I have been missing my entire life”. The song was ‘Zoom’ by the band Last Dinosaurs, and it has since become a part of my identity. At the time I was listening to it, I loved it for its musicality; it took me years ’til realize what the meaning of the song actually was. When I uncovered its significance, I was completely taken away by how personal and how relatable I felt it was to myself. I know people may often say that about their favourite songs, but there is reason why they do. The idea behind this song is that this band wants to write timeless music, but the difficulties of working in the industry can be quite disheartening; they wonder what the future would say about them, and if they’d write music that was truly worth remembering.
In a million years when we’re older, finally we can be part of history.
For my birthday that year, my brother gave me his cherished Squier Telecaster. I consider it to be my most sentimental possession. I still have a lot to learn, but I am shooting high. Now, I have dreams of writing and performing music that I’ll continue to pursue.
The Tokyo Jay Print. 