South Texas artist draws from personal life experiences to inspire others through music
SAN ANTONIO, TX – Imagine yourself standing in a painter’s studio, watching a master at work. The blank canvas is unlike any you’ve seen before – a random bit of discarded trash that might have once been a sign. As the artist starts to put brush to paint, he turns on some music and the atmosphere becomes electric.
This is the space in which San Antonio artist JaoT creates. A long-time painter who creates unique pieces of art out of found objects discarded in random places, he brings a different perspective to the idea of creation. This is true of his music, too. And that unique blend of sound, style and artistry is beginning to get noticed by fans all over the country.
More than anything, JaoT’s artistic creation reflects his love for telling stories. His way of telling stories is relatable to a lot of different types of people from all walks of life. And like true art, those who consume what he has created have a myriad smattering of reactions – from aggression to depression to joy and everything in between.
“I can make music for literally any type of beat or sound,” JaoT said. “I look at instrumentals like an art board. When I paint, I find random objects to paint on and I make the image I see work for the canvas I choose. It’s the same thing for music – no matter what instrumental or beat or sound that’s presented to me, I can fit a part of me onto it. That’s my whole thing when it comes to music. Painting was my first love and I fell in love with it really fast. But music has been equally as fulfilling for me because it’s another form of artistic expression where I can get my emotions out. Now when I find a different item that I come across and start drawing on them with markers or crayons or colored pencils, I usually do that while listening to my own music. I pick a song that I feel like goes with the item I’ve found and make the art go with the music.”
In most cases when JaoT writes new music, he tends to write about things he’s gone through in life. It always starts as an emotional outlet driven by an experience. Inspiration might strike while he’s at the grocery store, or while he’s driving in the car reflecting on his childhood growing up abandoned and left to different families and friends. He starts by putting himself in the moment and remembering the feelings he had at the time, and then writes from that emotion.
An upcoming single called “Cold Saki” is a perfect example of this process. He said the song was inspired by a dark time in his life earlier this year when he was mourning the loss of a friend who had taken his life by suicide.
“I immediately turned to drinking … copious amounts,” he said. “It was only when I was drinking that I felt happy – not when I was with my kids or when I was writing or anything. I only felt decent when I was drinking. I was on the verge of coming out of that when I realized it was something other people go through as well, but don’t talk about. There’s a stigma to talking about it. I wrote most of the song while I was still drinking, but I was coming out of it enough to start thinking about the dependency on the alcohol and how good I felt in those moments. I knew it was a problem, but I kept doing it. Alcohol was there for me in a time when I felt lonely. I needed it … even when the Saki got cold, I didn’t care. I was just gonna drink it.”
JaoT said he hopes his music doesn’t just entertain listeners but also helps them through whatever situations they might be facing. “Cold Saki” for instance, is a song that he said can inspire people to talk about their own pain and begin to take the first steps toward healthier lifestyles.
“Healing and help are really what I want my music and my art to be about,” he said. “I want people to hear what I have to say and know that they aren’t the only ones going through a certain situation. That’s what I got out of music growing up. I always tried to relate what other people were talking about in their music and apply it to my life. I want to do that for other people.”
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To listen to JaoT’s music or to follow him on social media, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/jaotmusic/
https://www.instagram.com/cultfam_jaotmusic/
https://twitter.com/MrJaoToReal
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