Interview with JAMIE MCROBERTS

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? 

1. My parents put me into piano lessons at a very young age. I took to it immediately and really enjoyed playing. From there, I joined the Toronto Children’s Choir, and then the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, all the while taking private voice lessons as well. I kept up with my piano lessons, taking not only classical piano but also jazz, pop and ensemble playing as well. I finished my Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music when I was 17 years old.

I never strayed from the path of being a musician/performer. There was never a doubt in my mind that that was what I wanted to do. At the end of high school, I briefly toyed with the idea of getting a degree in Kinesiology as I really enjoyed the classes I took throughout high school, but that was a fleeNng idea and I chose to go to George Brown Theatre School to train as an actor, all the while keeping up my piano playing and singing.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I enjoy going for walks, or being active. It keeps my mind calm. I also am a movie buff! Not in the sense that I know a ton of trivia or have seen ALL the classics, but that I really enjoy getting swept up in a story. I think our jobs as arNsts and musicians is story telling. Pulling ourselves in other peoples shoes, and challenging folks to see life from different perspecNves. Also encouraging a sense of community and connectedness. When the pandemic hit, we all turned to the arts (movies, tv, music, etc) to feel some sort of connecNon to the outside world. Watching movies or reading keeps me invested in storytelling and challenges my thoughts and opinions which in turn gives me more to say arNsNcally. It’s cyclical.

How long have you been making music?

I only just recently formally got into writing and creating music, basically during the pandemic as a means to feed that creative beast when I wasn’t able to perform as an actor. However, when I was younger, I was involved in a lot of community theatre and I was asked to create a soundscape/soundtrack for one of the shows I was performing in: The Laramie Project. I wrote a 4 minute solo piano piece that was used through the play, and I recently listened back to it and can sill say that I’m quite proud of it. After that, I wrote a few other piano pieces, but never tried my hand at lyrics or vocal pieces, until this album.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

I was raised in Oakville, but spend a lot of my Nme in Burlington, Hamilton and Toronto taking my various music lessons, dance lessons and performing in theatre. As a result I had access to fantastic teachers and musicians! Also, the GTA has a great live music scene. My parents always took me out to hear live music with them, even when I was really little. I was the baby strapped into the high chair, bopping to a blues band at a smoky bar. My parents, still to this day, see live music multple times a week and have gained a lot of musician friends as a result. Music has always been at the forefront of my life. I’ve been very lucky to grow up in an area where I’ve had access to live music!

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

I’m a theatre performer, so I have performed musical theatre all over Canada and internationally, but I have yet to perform live consistently with my own work! I will be playing live with my band in the fall once I’m back home from performing on the east-coast in a musical called Maggie, Co-written by Johnny Reid and Mat Murray.

Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?

I love an intimate venue! My hopes when I get started performing live in the fall is that I’m able to play smaller venues. I feed off an audience, and being so close to them and being able to see/feel their energy and reacNons to the music and my performance is what I’m excited about.

You also wouldn’t find me complaining if I had the opportunity to perform in a large venue. That’s the dream, isn’t it? I love seeing concerts at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, as it has a large capacity, but it’s also an outdoor venue. There’s something about playing music under the stars that would make me feel like I’ve won at life.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Speaking of outdoor venues, I would love to play The Sound of Music Festival that takes place in my current home town of Burlington, ON. It is a large outdoor music festival that’s setting is on our beautiful waterfront. Now, as for the line-up, if I HAD to choose: Alanis Morisette, The Chicks, Kasey Musgraves, Sarah Harmer (also a Burlington gal) and Ben folds. I could name soooo many musicians I would love the opportunity to perform with, these are just a few.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Listen to all music! Listen to all genres, even if it isn’t your favourite. And actively listen. Dissect, ask questions about what you are hearing, or what you are noticing even after the 100th time listening to that certain song or album. I think curiosity is what makes great artists great.

To my younger self: you ARE a musician. I always had a hard time accepting or believing in my ability as a musician, because it was often tied to a grade or an adjudicator’s comment on an exam or competion.

Being a musician is so much more than other people’s opinion of your skills. I think, ( and I’m even now doubling myself as a I say this, because old annoying voices/habits die hard) but I think that being a musician is inherent. It’s who you are. You can grow that skill and nurture it, but it’s in there. It’s who you are.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

This one is a hard one. Every song on my album is near and dear to me for very different reasons. Each one has some kind of connection to my life, my feelings, my family, my experiences etc. If I had to pick just one (and this changes depending on what day you ask me), I’d have to say Having One Of Those Days. That one has an earnestness to it beyond all the others. It ALWAYS rings true when I listen to it, or I sing it. I’ve struggled with anxiety for most of my adult life, and I’ve been lucky to find myself a patient partner/husband who gets it. That tune is my monologue to him when everything is getting the best of me. We actually quote it now in our daily life when someone is feeling a little crusty, or sensitive: Hey babe, I’m having one of those days!

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I’ve only had one opportunity so far to play live, as I have been busy performing in Maggie out east, but honestly, I think I’d be happy to perform any of the tunes! They all have a different vibe and are enjoyable for various reasons. I think it will be interesting to see what songs folks tend to gravitate towards when I’m performing live.

Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music? if so please tell me about them.

This may sound cheesy, but my music is the “I’m every woman vibe”. I write about what its like to be a wife, a mom, a sister, a daughter, a performer etc. I talked to my writing partner, Ross and discussed with him that I wasn’t interested in writing love songs. I wanted to talk about the “other” stuff. I write about the human experience, pulling back the curtains on the not so pretty stuff, and giving it a voice. Life isn’t always glamourous or romantic and there needs to be a voice for those Nmes as well. It reminds us that we aren’t alone in the things we experience daily. It keeps us connected! To me, that’s what the arts are about: connection and community. We discover that by exploring shared experiences.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I’m pulling together a band right now as we speak. Once I’m back from performing out east on PEI, I plan to start gigging. You can keep an eye out for dates and venues on my website: JamieMcRoberts.com

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

I’d love for you to give me a follow on Instagram @jamiemcroberts77

You can find me on facebook, as well as checking me out on my website (above) or my labels website: coaproductions.net