Today we’d like to introduce you to JoJo & Jonah Music.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Jonah and I found each other at an interesting point in our lives. We were both at a juncture where we were evaluating what it truly meant for us to pursue what we are passionate about while trying to balance the realities of everyday life.
Jonah had been managing a successful café for a number of years when he began to realize he was looking for something that gave him a greater sense of joy and purpose in life. He always had the desire to pursue music as a greater creative outlet. In the past, he played with music teams at churches, and he also formed a pop/punk band back in college. He gained a lot of experience in working with an A/V company, all the while working on his skills as a pianist, flutist, and audio engineer. While managing the café, there was always a sense of restlessness in wanting to get back to music somehow. It was a process to arrive at that decision, but he finally decided to take the plunge and pursue music full time.
For myself (JoJo), music has always been a huge part of my life since I was a child. I sang in choirs, led church music teams, performed at open-mics, and recorded background vocals for local artists, but making the jump to pursue music full time was always a terrifying and daunting prospect. The tragic passing of my sister in 2015 pushed me to reassess what it meant for me to find happiness and purpose in life – something she lived out every day despite many hurdles she faced. This was one of the most devastating things I had faced in my life, and it was and continues to be a learning journey. Grief forces me to look at life with a very sobering lens, and the fragility of life becomes very tangible. The phrase “life is too short” truly took on a new and weighty meaning for me, and I had to ask myself, “What brings me joy and what feeds my soul?” Pursuing my life’s joy in music is a way for me to honor the memory and legacy of my sister.
Serendipitously, Jonah and I met each other at church and worked together on music teams. We often had talks about our passion for pursuing music. I knew he was one hell of a piano player, so I approached him one day and asked him if he would be interested in starting a piano and vocal duo, and the rest is history.
Please tell us about your art.
Jonah and I currently do cover songs from R&B, pop and jazz genres. We are learning to find our own voice and style in the process, and it has been a lot of fun! We often take songs that we both love, and we try our best to put our own spin on it while honoring the integrity of the song. We hope to write our own original songs one day!
Music provides a beautiful canvas to creatively embrace a song with our own perspective and voice. Cover artists often get a bad rap, especially when social media has plenty of cover musicians. However, there is something powerful when musicians are able to reinterpret a song and bring a different lens to what it could sound like, or also simply spotlight a beautiful song by doing the best damn cover they can do.
At the heart of it, we hope people will enjoy the covers we create and walk away feeling moved and inspired by the music they hear. If we can do that with every video and performance, then we’ve done our job.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Take the plunge into music and do it with all you’ve got. Don’t let fear get in the way. We’ve learned the importance of continually honing in on our craft while leaning on our community of musicians to collaborate and support one another in the process. This includes getting out there and supporting other musicians in our local Houston community to be inspired yourself, and to further push you to keep working harder. Jonah and I continue to learn these things every day. It keeps us on our toes, so we stay focused and motivated in everything we do. Miguel said it best, “Accept what you desire and work towards that shit every day.”
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
We would love for more people to follow us on our social media platforms, so people can say tuned!
Contact Info:
- Email: jojoandjonahmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instragram.com/jojo.jonahmusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jojo.jonahmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsseX27du_d_-9513qbP7rA
Image Credit:
Felix Tang and Sabrina Tso
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
