Rising Music Star Zakk Jones of Beyond the Frets On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry
An Interview With Ming Zhao
“It’s okay to take a break!” — The older I get, the more I realize how important and vital it is to my physical and mental health to take breaks from my art and work. The “grind” and “hustle” of a self-employed artist is often a 24/7 endeavor, or at least it feels like it, and it can be difficult to allow yourself some breathing room. I have finally embraced scheduling days off in my calendar and enjoying time with my friends, cooking, and guilty pleasures like playing Runescape and binging X-Files.
As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Zakk Jones.
Zakk Jones is an Ohio based guitarist, bandleader, composer and educator. In 2022 he received his Master’s of Music in Jazz Studies from Bowling Green State University, and holds a B.M. in Jazz Studies from Capital University. He is currently an adjunct professor in the Conservatory of Music at Capital University, leading the big band, guitar ensembles, and teaching applied lessons. In addition he is an adjunct instructor of guitar at Truman State University. Since his emergence in the Midwest scene he has played and toured all over the country and world at such venues as the Amsterdam Blue Note, Bar Next Door (NYC), Bop Stop (CLE), Cliff Bell’s (Detroit), the Troubadour (LA), Bluebird Theatre (Denver), the Newport (Columbus) and many more. He can be seen frequently with Doc Robinson, the Tony Monaco Trio, Hoodoo Soul Band, Third Shore Collective, and the Zakk Jones Trio. In addition, he has played with The Coasters, The Midtown Men, Lou Marini Jr, Ryan Keberle, Jaleel Shaw, Dwight Adams and Bobby Floyd. In mid-2019 he released his debut trio record “Mise-en-scène”, produced and mixed by Grammy-winning professionals Jeff Ciampa and Rob Griffin, known for their long standing work with Wayne Shorter.
As an educator, Zakk has previously been on faculty at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, Bowling Green State University, and hosts online masterclasses for students from around the world. Outside of his busy gigging and teaching schedule, Zakk is an avid composer/arranger, writes educational articles for JazzGuitarToday.com and hosts the podcast “Beyond The Frets”.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Of course! I spent my formative years in Portland, OR, where I practically lived at my local library devouring fantasy & sci-fi books, riding my bike all over, and pretending to be a spy. When I was young, maybe 4 or 5, my parents noticed I would play melodies from ear on my grandpa’s piano and by the age of 6 I was taking lessons. I listened to so much different music growing up thanks to my dad, from Prince to the Beastie Boys to Stevie Wonder to Metallica to Miles Davis and much more. Once I was about 11, I got my first guitar and was immediately enamored with the instrument which has now been my main artistic tool ever since!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Ever since I was a kid I knew that I wanted to be a professional musician, but I had absolutely no idea what that meant or how to really become one. At that pivotal early high-school age I joined the Portland Youth Rock Orchestra (PYRO), a group that gave budding musicians a chance to rehearse, write, record, and play shows under the direction of professional guitarist and educator Brandon Cook. Having that hands on experience with someone in the business gave me an up close and personal look into the life of a working guitarist, and it was Brandon that encouraged me to pursue music school and a degree in Jazz guitar!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In Fall 2018 I spent almost a month on a nationwide tour playing with Doc Robinson, opening for Caamp. One of the most memorable shows in my life was playing a sold-out crowd at The Troubadour in LA, a historic venue that everyone from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, and James Taylor has played. I could truly feel and hear the history reverberating through the old walls, covered many times over with graffiti, band stickers, sweat, and spilled drinks. During the performance I was truly out of my body, enjoying every moment and feeling grateful that my love of music and years of dedication had brought me this opportunity.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I was in my undergrad years, my friends and I had a modern jazz group called Wake Fold. After lots of hard work, we finally got a gig at one of the best clubs in Columbus and we were ready to put on our best show possible. Unfortunately…after only a couple songs I broke the high E string on my guitar and didn’t have a replacement! I had to completely change what I was playing the rest of the night, and it totally caught me off guard. It taught me, firstly, to ALWAYS have extra strings!!! It also taught me to learn how to adapt in difficult situations and make the best of it.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I’m so lucky to be the head of Guitar Studies at two institutions–Capital University and Truman State University. Being a professor is always interesting and exciting and everyday I’m teaching private lessons, coaching ensembles, writing and arranging music, coordinating festivals and guest artists, or traveling to recruit. In addition to my university positions, I’m working hard to promote my latest EP “In My Life” which will hopefully include a summer 2023 European tour!
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I absolutely agree! Art, in all its myriad forms, has existed ever since the dawn of man to express and internalize our most powerful emotions–from anger and grief to happiness and joy, to love and desire. No one can, or should, limit the ability of another person or groups of people to share these feelings through art. Unfortunately, the real world isn’t as quixotic as this sentiment, and we have a lot of work to do as a society to make the arts more accessible and equitable to all. Having diverse representation benefits both artist and audience–artists can feel empowered and seen when they are given a space and platform to share their work. On the receiving end, an audience will be consuming a product that portrays the diversity of our friends, neighbors, coworkers, while being careful not to tokenize and stereotype these roles. With this symbiotic relationship, we can aspire to have a culture that understands the challenges that marginalized groups face, while also respecting their own unique culture, tradition, religion, cuisine, and art.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
“It’s okay to take a break!” — The older I get, the more I realize how important and vital it is to my physical and mental health to take breaks from my art and work. The “grind” and “hustle” of a self-employed artist is often a 24/7 endeavor, or at least it feels like it, and it can be difficult to allow yourself some breathing room. I have finally embraced scheduling days off in my calendar and enjoying time with my friends, cooking, and guilty pleasures like playing Runescape and binging X-Files.
“Learn to use the word NO” — When you make your living from an artistic profession that is often far less secure than most other jobs, you really get in the habit of automatically saying “yes” to every opportunity that comes your way. This can be helpful when you’re first starting out as you’ll meet new people and get diverse experiences, but after a while it’s a really good idea to reevaluate what kinds of jobs/gigs you want to do vs. what you are doing.
“When to say YES” — I have heard a few different variations on this, but basically there are three factors to consider when an opportunity is presented to you and whether you should accept it. I like to shoot for 2/3, unless one of them is overwhelmingly great. If NONE of these apply…say NO!
- Is the money good and commensurate of your time and talent?
- Is it a good opportunity for the development of your career?
- Will it be with people you’ll have fun with and enjoy?
“Love your work!” — One of the hardest things to do is simply coming to love and respect your own artistry. While I’m aware of the inner critic inside all of us, it’s also incredibly vital to cultivate your inner cheerleader. Once I started to believe that I have something special and unique to offer the world, I’ve been more confident and willing to put myself out there. Of course I am always working on my craft as a musician and educator, but I can also sit back and be proud of what I have already accomplished.
“Have an emergency gig bag” — My story earlier about breaking a string and not having extras was an important cautionary tale for me. I now always have an emergency bag in my car with all sorts of things I could possibly need if disaster strikes. I also keep things around that other people might forget or need–cables, pencils, tape, tools, batteries…we’re all in this together!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Although a little worn out, having a sustainable life as an artist is truly a “marathon, not a race”. Progress is not linear and it’s important to remember that the fruits of your labor will not always be readily seen in obvious ways. Having a support system is integral to keeping your sanity too, whether it’s friends, mentors, family or a significant other. Refer to my above tips about taking breaks, and learning the power of NO !
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I want music education to be accessible, affordable, and equitable for everyone. While I can’t expect to make this a reality for the entire world, I can at least do everything I can to make it happen in my sphere of influence at the universities I teach, and the platform I have on social media. My hope is that my work will inspire others not only to be the best musicians they can be, but to approach education in a more personal, caring way.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Absolutely. My great friend and mentor Tony McClung, an incredible drummer in Columbus, OH, has done so much to inspire me and push me over the years. He leads about a half dozen of the area’s best bands, from funk and rock groups to straight ahead jazz to experimental fusion and more. When I was in my early 20’s I went almost every week across the street from Capital University (my alma mater) to see Birdshack, his jazz trio. After a while, I became friends with the guitarist in the group Josh Hill, and he eventually recommended me to sub for him when he was on tour. Ever since then, Tony has given me countless gigs, encouraged me, given me advice (about everything in life), and been a true friend. I’ve never seen someone else give %110 on stage no matter what the gig and situation is. He taught me to respect music and its traditions and history, while also having no fear of improvising and pursuing my own unique musical voice.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how you get out of them that separates great from good”
While I use this a lot as a musician and educator, it can really apply to everything in life. We are all human and can’t be expected to do everything perfectly (even though there’s a lot of pressure these days to do so). Instead of getting caught up in a mistake and beating yourself up over something you can’t change, why not embrace it as part of the process and use it as a learning opportunity?
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
David Duchovny!! I’ve always been a huge X-Files fan, and I’d love to talk about song-writing with him as well.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m most active on Instagram! @beyondthefrets — https://www.instagram.com/beyondthefrets/
For everything else, my linktree is the best place to find videos, educational material, my website, music, and more.
https://linktree.com/beyondthefrets
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
