Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Austin.
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Atlanta Georgia, May 4th 1997, but I moved to Houston with my family when I was 2. At heart I consider myself a Houstonian. I spent most of my years growing up off 249 and Antoine, and the majority of my schooling took place at the Aldine ISD schools in Acres Homes. This is where I discovered my passion for the arts, though I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do specifically. I dabbled in guitar, graphic design, and found myself to be pretty proficient at dancing. It wasn’t until I got to high school that I found my love for theatre and the performing arts. I went to G.W. Carver Magnet Highschool and under the Teachings of Roshunda Jones-Koumba and Jabari Collins I was able to grow and polish my skills as an actor and performer and truly grow into a well accomplished and talented young man. In 2015 I graduated from Carver and was accepted into Dillard University in New Orleans majoring in Theatre. Funnily enough this is where my story took a seemingly drastic turn, from an accumulation of life experiences and my exposure to some of my peers somehow I found the spark for music. I dropped out in 2016 and moved back to Houston, and in 2017 I decided to take my music career seriously. I gave myself the name Shonen J based on my love for anime and for the past 8 years music and Rapping have been my main creative outlets. I want to say it was around January 2024 that my theatre teacher from high school Jabari Collins reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in acting again, he told me he had a good friend of his who was working at the Ensemble Theatre and needed some extra actors for a project. At this point it had been quite a few years since I had been on the stage as an actor, but I was pretty interested in the idea. I was then introduced to Steve Scott at the Ensemble Theatre and started working with him and the Tour Education Program. Over the past year and a half I have been working on various projects with the program touring to different schools in the Houston area and showing them the magic of performing arts, and honestly it’s been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. We just wrapped up a performance of our show Don’t Worry Willy at the Hobby Center through Exxon Mobil’s Discovery series where over the course of a week we got to perform for over 3,000 5th graders. My music is still at the forefront of my creative endeavors, but working with the Ensemble and getting back into theatre has connected me to people and places I never would have been around otherwise so I am truly grateful for that. I’m an artist through and through, and Houston has been good to me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No it wasn’t always easy. The path of an artist is not clearly defined, and it looks different for everyone. One of the reasons I took such a step back from theatre and dove headfirst into my music career is because I felt like I was starting late. Looking back I was only 19 but to me that felt late considering most people who do music have been doing it since they were young. And one of the biggest challenges and lessons I had to learn was about confidence and self worth. On stage I was a superstar, but in my personal life there were many things that I let make me feel less than. I want to say my music was the biggest obstacle/training ground for me to learn self confidence. I spent a lot of my life looking for the approval of others, which obviously spilled over into my creative endeavors as I simple wanted to know “was it good enough?” It wasn’t until I learned that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, all that matters is that I feel good about the art I make and that at the end of the day I’m being the most authentic version of myself. I know that it was through music I was able to find my voice and my inner confidence.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I would say I specialize in the performing arts. I’m a Rapper, Singer/Songwriter and well as an actor, hip hop dancer and a little bit of an acrobat (I can do a backflip lol). My Stage Name is Shonen J, I have a lot of different styles but my main genres are hiphop/Trap/Hyperpop. I like to make music that makes you move your body. What I feel sets me apart from my peers is my background in theatre. I know how to project, emote, and work a stage very well.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
You and you alone are the one who decides your journey. Make sure you’re happy with the decisions you make in your life before you try to make anyone else happy. Lastly, above all else audacity will take you farther than most. Simply by having the courage to put yourself out there puts you ahead of 80% of the rest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/shonenj/ring-ring/?fbclid=PAdGRleAOBheZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafT34Ep5rUb_4KLh-2UuZl5NR97Jfbp_cofpkPqXDr_1ti6sOH4l9G94jcymQ_aem_qtSea9lWlOXzeBhdHXFD4g
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shonenj888?igsh=NDhuZGo1aWttMTlp&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17K9uGudf3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/40FRNH_bmxs?si=H87KwFkXChPQE9bY
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/TKhBjHYxu7HdUxE9XF
Image Credits
Edgar Rodriguez (Instagram: @edgarinfocus)
