Victoria G Interviews Tina Jackson

Victoria G: What inspired you to become a singer?

Tina Jackson: My dad was always singing from the time I was born. I thought it to be the most beautiful thing ever a person could do. It was my destiny, my heritage, my heart.

VG: What is your favorite thing about singing?

TJ: I'm a storyteller at heart, so I sing stories about life, people, and love, (unrequited love is my specialty).

VG: Who are your musical Inspirations?

TJ: To name a few; Mahalia Jackson, Dina Washington, Billie Holiday, Rose Mallett, Debbi Ebert, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Arthur Prysock, and Teddy Pendergrass. In that order!

VG: What is your songwriting process?

TJ: First and foremost I embrace simplicity and authenticity and I am quite often gifted to receive lyrics and melody simultaneously. As a rule when a song is not flowing right out of the gate, I put it in what I call "the parking lot" and forget about it. When the perfect words or melodies come along I revisit the song I have parked to see if it's ready to hit the open road!

VG: What messages are important for you to express through your music?

TJ: I love the way you worded this question, Victoria. The important messages I wish to express is that music is an ideal path where expression, emotion, hope, and acceptance converge soul to soul with every passer-by and for about 3 minutes and 51 seconds, everything is right within and in the world around us.

VG: Do you play any instruments?

TJ: I play acoustic guitar, steel string slide guitar, piano, soprano recorder, some light percussion (tambourine, claves, & cabassa) but, voice is my primary instrument. Not everyone understands that a controlled voice is very much an instrument and is played as one. Not everyone knows how to produce a pleasant or desired effect with the voice. Just hold your ear to a couple of arbitrary shower doors and I'm sure you will concur.

VG: How would you describe yourself in three words?

TJ: Empathic, Loving, Determined!

VG: Do you have any hidden talents?

TJ: None I can talk about in mixed company. I'm a multidisciplinary entrepreneurial musical artist, producer and songwriter. As an indie, I'm the music dept, art dept, PR dept, recording, mixing, Mastering dept, A & R dept, Legal dept, Publisher, Label Exec, booking agent, research, training, accountant, webmaster, and MARKETING dept, photographer, videographer/editor, content creator, business mgr, artist mgr, road mgr, driver, travel agent, load in/out roady, sales, merch mgr, stage mgr, and personal assistant. Oh my I just thought of a HIDDEN talent. Hardly anyone knows that I TAP DANCE! Even I forgot for a second. I had a solo in a touring theater troupe. So there's my hidden talent.

VG: Where do you see yourself In ten years?

TJ: Ten years from now? I'm not much of a long term planner. Spontaneity is very much a part of what drives my creative spirit. Since I came of age, (I use that phrase because I'm still not quite "Adulting" yet) I have truly and deeply felt that my "journey" IS my DESTINATION. But at this point, I can see my publishing catalog generating a steady passive income and, my studio being 20 times the size it is now. And I envision myself, playing guitar, singing, and generating "code" controlled master after master just because I feel like it. And I also see myself drinking MUCH FINER WINE. And maybe, I'll have a weekly TV broadcast where I invite heavy hitting artists of all ages and genres to stop by and jam with.

VG: What are your social media handles?

TJ: Web- tinajackson.com IG- @tinajacksonmusic TikTok- @tinajacksonmusic

X/Twitter- @bluesandroots Facebook- @tinajacksonmusic YouTube- @Videosoftina

VG: What advice do you have for an aspiring songwriter?

TJ: That's an important question with a somewhat complex answer. I believe the most important thing for an aspiring songwriter is to 1st determine what kind of songwriter they want to be. In a world where the craft of songwriting is highly commercialized, writing styles can also be compartmentalized. There are jingle writers, sync writers, and staff writers who are under pressure to meet deadlines and the demands of specified briefs. There are songwriters who write for themselves and songwriters who write with others in mind. There are varying songwriter skill sets that apply to these different types of songwriters. However aside from basics such as music theory, song and poetry structure, I cannot over emphasize the benefits that daily sensory writing can bring to a songwriter. The processes of sitting with a pen and paper and allowing yourself, without a subject or fore thought other than allowing yourself to clear your mind and focus on a time, place, or object, and writing about what it is that you experience while visualizing. Describe in detail how it looks, what do you see around it, around you? What does it feel like when you touch it, does it respond, does it have life, does it communicate something to you? What sounds are you hearing? What do you smell, what do you taste? Where are you? What you feeling in that space and time, inwardly and outwardly. Keep writing all this down as is reveals itself to you. If a pattern starts to develop, go with it. If you find yourself writing a phrase more than three times, it is most likely your "hook" and the rest of your verses and bridge are right there among the other true and raw thoughts you scribbled down. You'll feel like a million bucks after a sensory writing session and you may have just written a million dollar song.

VG: What's next for you?

TJ: Next up for me? In a few weeks I will be releasing my first Blues single introducing and rebranding myself from a Full Lyric Operatic Soprano to a Blues & Roots Indie Music Artist! The full official video is already available on my official artist YouTube Channel @Videosoftina I'm happy to share the video link: https://youtu.be/6jmHPtc4noo?si=Smk5pChb0_Y-JVzT

VG: RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS What's your favorite genre of music?

TJ: OLD SCHOOL MOTOWN R&B

VG: What is your favorite pastime?

TJ: This may seem too obvious but, it really is PLAYING GUITAR & SINGING (at the same time of course!) Second favorite, eating a hot dog & popcorn, while sipping champagne and watching a movie AT HOME!

VG: Who's your favorite superhero?

TJ: Happiest Answer On Earth: A woman by the name of Lucille Jackson Lytle, a Renaissance woman born in the early 1900's whose talent, beauty, and superpowers were to be coveted by the Mythical Goddesses of Ancient Greece. She just so happened to also be my surrogate mom! Amazing Gospel Singer too I might add!

VG: What's your favorite candy?

TJ: Oh dark chocolate, baby! I like my chocolate like I like my men....bitter.

VG: What's your favorite movie?

TJ: Bridges Of MadisonCounty. (Eastwood & Streep)

VG: What is your biggest fear?

TJ: Drowning. Though I LOVE to swim.

VG: Do you have any pets?

TJ: I adore dogs and horses. I don't have any pets at the time, unless you want to count my 60 year old Victoria acoustic guitar. It sleeps on the foot of my bed at night so maybe that counts.