After honing his musical gifts in church, Just D.C. began to discover his true artistic identity once he started producing and songwriting.
He opens up about the journey to tap into his vulnerability, find his voice, overcome pressures to seem “deep,” and above all, embrace the joy of creating.
Topics Covered In This Interview:
- Growing up in a musical family.
- Learning to play by ear.
- Coming up as a church musician.
- Beginning a solo music career as a contemporary R&B artist.
- Keeping production simple for beats/tracks.
- Why all music makers should spend time creating with other musicians.
Interview Highlights
Finding His Voice as a Songwriter
“Man, it was… It was difficult I think only because I, I’ve always been more of just a music guy, you know, I’m all about the instrumentation and all that.
And so the writing, trying to figure out…do I want to be vulnerable and speak on things that I’ve experienced or gone through.
Or do I want to write from another perspective of looking, looking in from the outside or outside looking inside? So at first it was kind of difficult.”
Using Vocals as an Instrument
“I definitely use the voice like an instrument. So I try, sometimes, I get a little excited, but I try to make the track as simple as possible, meaning as few instruments as possible.
And then that already creates the space for the vocal….So when I write, now I’m thinking of the voice as multiple instruments because it’s carrying melody, but it also is carrying rhythm.”
Cultivating Strong Listening as a Musician
“It was in the house, baby. Listen, we…communication is, is, was huge. But no, honestly I’ve always, I was, well, I used to be really quiet and shy or whatever when I was really little. And then as I grew, I just kind of grew out of that, but just…being a good listener, musicians, we should be the best listeners.”
Just D.C.'s Bio & Music
Just D.C is a multi- disciplined artist, and musician from Chicago, Il. Growing up in a musical family equipped D.C with a vast musical vocabulary and an irresistible attraction to all things music.
While he quickly learned to play different instruments by ear which allowed him to play in his grandfather’s church. He is also a classically trained saxophonist which gave him the great opportunity to be a part of the Chicago Symphony Hall Youth Orchestra for 4 years. He has been fortunate enough to play a variety of genres which range from Gospel, R&B, Hip Hop/Rap, Classical, and many others.
He has recently began venturing into new waters by starting a solo career as an artist. With well over a decade of music experience it is his mission and passion to share his knowledge of the beauty and power that music holds without the compromise of integrity.
D.C.'s Music & Social Media
Music: https://linktr.ee/JustD.C
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_d.c/
