November 17, 2025 • 43 mins
It is a pleasure to welcome singer-songwriter Jennifer Harper as a guest on the latest edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.
Raised in a musical family in Washington, D.C., Jennifer was drawn to the piano from a young age. Her early influences included the sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Joni Mitchell, which she taught herself to play by ear. This early passion for music set the stage for a lifelong journey of creative expression and healing. Jennifer’s artistry is both contemplative and assured, a blend of her classical training and deep connection to the healing power of music. Her album, Soul Alive, reflects this duality, offering a soothing, mantra-like sound that resonates with listeners on a profound level.
Created with the guidance of NY producer Matt Anthony, the album captures Jennifer’s personal transformation during the pandemic and channels themes of hope, healing, and positivity. Over the years, Jennifer’s work has gained recognition in notable outlets such as No Depression, BuzzFeed, and Songwriting Magazine. Her performances have graced legendary venues across the U.S., from Rockwood Music Hall and The Cutting Room in New York to The Mint in Los Angeles. Icon Roquel “Billy” Davis has mentored her, collaborated with and performed alongside world-renowned musicians, and appeared on large stages at March for Our Lives rallies, further solidifying her influence in the music world. But Jennifer’s journey isn’t confined to music alone.
After discovering Human Design and the Gene Keys, she spent two years studying them intensively. Now, she blends her musical talents with spiritual guidance to support women worldwide in reaching their full potential. Through her Soul Blueprint Activations and Sacred Frequency Recalibrations, Jennifer offers transformative experiences that merge frequency, sound, and energy work. Her Sacred Frequency Recalibrations are designed to amplify clarity, ground energy at the cellular level, activate DNA, clear ancestral blocks, and magnetize true potential.
A proud mother of three grown children, Jennifer finds joy in nature, healthy living, and inspiring others. As she continues to build momentum for Soul Alive, Jennifer remains committed to her mission of healing and empowerment through her music and spiritual work.
On this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Jennifer Harper revealed her musical influences, Soul Alive, and the stories behind her most-streamed Spotify songs.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
Raised in a musical family in Washington, D.C., Jennifer was drawn to the piano from a young age. Her early influences included the sounds of Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Joni Mitchell, which she taught herself to play by ear. This early passion for music set the stage for a lifelong journey of creative expression and healing. Jennifer’s artistry is both contemplative and assured, a blend of her classical training and deep connection to the healing power of music. Her album, Soul Alive, reflects this duality, offering a soothing, mantra-like sound that resonates with listeners on a profound level.
Created with the guidance of NY producer Matt Anthony, the album captures Jennifer’s personal transformation during the pandemic and channels themes of hope, healing, and positivity. Over the years, Jennifer’s work has gained recognition in notable outlets such as No Depression, BuzzFeed, and Songwriting Magazine. Her performances have graced legendary venues across the U.S., from Rockwood Music Hall and The Cutting Room in New York to The Mint in Los Angeles. Icon Roquel “Billy” Davis has mentored her, collaborated with and performed alongside world-renowned musicians, and appeared on large stages at March for Our Lives rallies, further solidifying her influence in the music world. But Jennifer’s journey isn’t confined to music alone.
After discovering Human Design and the Gene Keys, she spent two years studying them intensively. Now, she blends her musical talents with spiritual guidance to support women worldwide in reaching their full potential. Through her Soul Blueprint Activations and Sacred Frequency Recalibrations, Jennifer offers transformative experiences that merge frequency, sound, and energy work. Her Sacred Frequency Recalibrations are designed to amplify clarity, ground energy at the cellular level, activate DNA, clear ancestral blocks, and magnetize true potential.
A proud mother of three grown children, Jennifer finds joy in nature, healthy living, and inspiring others. As she continues to build momentum for Soul Alive, Jennifer remains committed to her mission of healing and empowerment through her music and spiritual work.
On this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Jennifer Harper revealed her musical influences, Soul Alive, and the stories behind her most-streamed Spotify songs.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Hello, Hello, everyone, and welcome to the late's episode of
the Jake's Sake with Jacob alis Star podcast. I'm your host,
Jacob Alis, Jad and chief concent recer and writer at
jakesik dot com, a pop culture entertainment news website. If
you're listening us to our audio platform, please give us
a five star rating, download this episode and check out
all the other episodes that that's been going on since
(00:42):
November twenty nineteen. It's a thrill to welcome my latest
guest today. She is a singer songwriter and as of
this recording, she has two point eight thousand Facebook followers
and two point eight thousand Instagram followers. Please help me
welcome and also she has a new album up Soul Live.
So please let me welcome Jennifer Harper to the pod podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much
for taking time out of your schedule the talking with
me today. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I'm so happy to be here. It's a pleasure. Thank
you for having me. You're so welcome.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
So, Jennifer, what I do every single time that I
have every single episode, I love to get my inside
talked about my guest's origin story. So, so, when did
you get interested in music and out of that passion
evolve and desire to pursue career in the recording industry.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Good question. So I always loved music. I gravitated very
young towards the piano, and that was really my love.
And you know, where I where I felt my gifts
most shine was when I was playing the piano. And
(02:00):
I would also sing songs, you know, make up songs
and things like that as a child, but it was
definitely the piano was was my thing. I got into
acting as well and doing musicals and things like that.
I never really, it never occurred to me that making
my own records or writing my own songs with something
(02:22):
that was in the realm of possibility for my life.
It was like a dream, you know. I had all
kinds of artists that I adored, particularly you know, starting
in teenage years, but it wasn't in my consciousness like
that's what I wanting to do someday. I mean it was,
but it wasn't in didn't seem in the realm of possibility.
(02:46):
So I just kind of put it to the side
and I got more involved in acting. Actually it was
a safer way for me to express myself, you know,
it wasn't I was could hide behind it character in
somebody else's words and script right and not as exposed
with my own experiences. And so I did that for
(03:11):
a long time. But it was actually it wasn't until
after college that I was in a musical in New
York City and someone was in the audience who was
an old time motown guy, and he had heard that
(03:31):
I sort of secretly wanted to write music and was
interested in that side though I you know, I guess
I had confided in one of the other people in
the show, and so they introduced me to him afterwards,
and he really took me under his wing and showed
me that it was something that I was good at
and it was something that was possible for me. So
(03:54):
that was really the first time that even entered my
consciousness like wow, could I really even do this? And
and I started writing songs, but it was a long
time until I started recording. And it was just an
evolution of my own confidence and you know, belief in
what was possible for my life and also my artistry developing,
(04:17):
you know, taking different classes or I think i've I
did some things with the Songwriters Hall of Fame early
on in New York City, and and that's when I
started developing some songs and you know, so different things
like that sort of gave me a little bit more confidence.
But I was never a real like go getter, you know,
(04:38):
after this, this is it, this is what I'm going
to do, And I had a lot of other interests
and things and and mostly just didn't have a lot
of confidence in my voice. So it took a long time,
a really long time.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Believe me. That's amazing. So I got to say this
choir kit from fifth grade to twelfth grade, either the
fifth grade twelfth grade, so I definitely have the performer
background that and I got to say this, it's very
interesting that you had. I'm very glad you had the
opportunity to work with someone that was affiliated with with
Motown and also the Songwriters Hall of Fame. So not
(05:15):
one but two per siege just musical or organizations.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yes, yes, definitely. And I also early on I got
involved with the New York Songwriter Circle as well, and
that was probably the first place that like really gave
me an opportunity to share the music that I had
written publicly. So that was a big step for me.
But that wasn't until I was already I think I
(05:42):
was pregnant with my second child at that point. When
I first got on stage and performed my music. You know,
it was at the Bitter End in New York City,
Tina Schaeffer, who's an old time you know, I think
she's been doing it for thirty years now, at the
Songwriter Circle, and she really gave me at first opportunity
(06:04):
to perform. So she means a lot to me, and
that that circle means a lot to me. So there's
some really special people that saw something in me that
I couldn't see in me and lifted me up and
gave me a stage and gave me an opportunity. Like
Billy Davis, the Motown Ezach and he was a songwriter,
(06:28):
his songwriter and became an ad exac later as well.
And he, I mean he had I would go to
his office and show him what I was working on
and he would give me some feedback, and I made
my first demo in his studio. You know. So a
lot of a lot of people really extended opportunities to
me and that made all the difference.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So and having those people back you is an incredible thing.
And then that just reminds me so much of all
of the when when I was working with See You,
when my college media See You Boulders news team and
also see Sportsmac and also the See You and Pennant
and along with the internships I've had I had over
(07:12):
over the years.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It's like, well, I didn't know you were at see
You because my son is now at CEO. So there
you go, Boulder, shout out to THEE You Buffalo's family
and alumni and current students. It's that I love that school.
Yeah yeah, but what a place. Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing.
(07:32):
So I can see, you know how important it is
to really give young people opportunities to you know, exercise
their gifts right to not just sort of you know,
to really give them tangible opportunities to express their gifts
and try try things out.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
So yeah, and it could lead you a lot of
people with different things in like next year twenty twenty six,
mark's my fifteenth year as a content creator and journalist.
So it let me along. It's a long winding road.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
It is a long winding road, and I've had a
long winding road as well. For sure, I understand that.
And I think the important thing for any young people
who are listening is that, you know, I think when
you're young, you have you can have this vision of
like a timeline, like you know, by the time I'm thirty,
I have to achieve X, Y Z or you know whatever,
it may be right, and you have these big dreams
(08:29):
and sometimes life, you know, knocks you with a few things,
or or you take an unexpected route, or you get
an opportunity that leads you in a different direction. And
I think that being open to life and paying attention
to the opportunities that come your way, and learning how
to be in alignment with your own energy and in
(08:49):
alignment with your own you know, what your highest what's
really for your highest good. You know, sometimes our ego
can get in the way, and sometimes we can try
to control too much what we think is the right path.
(09:09):
You know, I think giving it all some grace and
some surrender and allowing yourself evolution and opportunities to explore.
And you know, it's so important. I never thought that
I would end up doing what I'm doing, to be honest,
(09:34):
but as a certain point it became clear that this
was truly the highest expression of my gifts and it
made sense to do to not give up and to
keep pursuing and evolving as in my creative expression at
the piano and singing and writing. But yeah, so if
(09:59):
that's a bit of a advice hopefully landed in there
somewhere for some people.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Jennifer, And that reminds me a lot of because a
lot of with this generation, they see what happens with
the Ludivia Rodrigo, a Justin Bieber or any or someone
on TikTok like Zamilia's and they've gone and they had
these viral moments and success and there are grass and
they think the grass is always green. On the other side,
like I've even said that when I look at my
(10:26):
podcasting colleagues who've had bigger names on and I have
or have done better better things like go on like
anchor a show on CNN or something like that. But
at the same time, it's like, do you rather be
someone like your heroes like Red just filming or Barbara
Walters who've been around for fifty years, or someone.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
That's going to be like a where are they now yeah, yes, yeah,
And the important thing is to constantly improve yourself and
right and to evolve and to do better than you
did yesterday and to look back and say, wow, you know,
look where I've come from and and not I think,
always be so focused on where you got to get to,
(11:06):
you know, because you never know what life is going
to throw at you. But if you're always evolving and
you're always improving, and you're working on your craft, and
you're you're going after the things you love and really
most desire to do and feel that you're most suited
to do in life, and you can't help but just
(11:26):
get better and better at it as you go along,
you know. So yeah, you have to be in it
for the long, long haul, I think absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And speaking of long haul, I want to talk to
you about your recent album, So Live. It's your first
studio album in a decade. So what went through your
mind throughout this recording process, because the thing is it
must have taken a long road, as we discussed, to
get to the release date.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah. Well, it's interesting because I've very I finished my
last album, which was All the Love. I spent a
good two years I would say, performing sharing those songs
and a lot of different venues around the country and
really enjoying that and then started writing new material a
(12:19):
little bit, but nothing was really landing. Nothing was feeling like, yes,
this is what I want to do. I'm like ready
to bring this into the studio. It just wasn't It
wasn't quite finding my voice. And it was started to
be tumultuous times in this country. And I grew up
in Washington, d C. And I was really raised with
(12:41):
a lot of social consciousness, and one of the things
that influenced me the most as a child actually was
seeing how music was used for social change. You know.
I attended a lot of protests and and things where
you know, very famous musicians Joni Mitchell and Jackson Brown,
different people are out there playing their songs for a cause.
And that was when I think, I first as a teenager,
(13:03):
was like, oh, I could do that with my life,
Like how amazing that would be? You know. So, as
there was a lot of turmoil in this country and
a lot of divisions starting to happen, and it was
it was really the discord was wehed really heavy on
(13:24):
my heart, and I felt this responsibility as an artist
to like do something meaningful and say something, write a
song that was going to like have some impact, and
it almost it felt like pressure and nothing was coming
because of it, because there's too much pressure and control
on things and then creative Jesus just don't really flow.
I did write a song called Unison, which I never recorded,
(13:46):
but I performed it at March for the March for
Our Lives. I don't know if you remember that whole movement.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Oh yeah, I remember those, that one that was definitely,
I believe after the Parkland if I remember correctly.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yes, So I got very involved in that. We had
a huge demonstration here in the Live and I was
a music coordinator for that and I performed there and
actually Paul Simon showed up, which was really cool and
saying sound of Silence.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
At that time, that must have been insane to be. Yeah, incredible.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, he's one of my major heroes and that song
as well, like one of the biggest influences on my life.
So yeah, so that was incredible. But I and then
I was, you know, I was invited to a lot
of events in my city to do to sing at
vigils and things to do with the whole issue around
(14:37):
gun control and for the mayor. There was an event
for the mayor. So I was doing different things like that,
but I wasn't writing anything that felt like, yes, I've
got to get to the studio. So then the pandemic comes.
So that's like a whole other world opened up, right, and.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I imagine being in the wash. Like for me, I
was in New York City at the height of it,
March Swaying twenty, all the way too, base War reopening,
August Swayne twenty, my books. Let's just say that. Shout
out to my mom and dad. I love you, Mom, Gloria, Matphew,
Father Matthew. They when they were lived, they were terrified
(15:18):
and my mom was livid.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah. Yeah, it was tough time. There was so much
going on I had. I had three teenagers at the time,
so I had three kids home and going through various
things with you know, the isolation. It was intense and
to kind of bring some joy into my life, I
(15:43):
decided to join different things online. I joined. I was
invited into a songwriter circle, so that was really wonderful
with a bunch of other women that I knew, songwriters
like myself, and the Weekly Accountability, you know, showing up
every week with a new songs. So that was great
and that really got me going again. And I really
(16:03):
found unlocked my voice in the way that I desired,
and I knew that I was onto something different and new.
I was also in like women's circles online, more spiritual
groups and personal development type groups and really tuning into
the energies and what people were going through. There's a
(16:26):
lot of common themes as women that I knew I
experienced and also just hearing it repeated over and over
by all the other women. And these were women, you know,
ages in their twenties up till their seventies. I mean
there was a whole you know, and some very very
successful entrepreneurs and other people knewer to business, some creative,
(16:47):
some not you know, whine array, but all women. And
it was really really interesting hearing people's stories and tapping
into all of that. So coupled with my own songwriter
circle weekly and then being in these other circles, it
was just there was so much for me to think
about and write about and explore. And I also started,
(17:13):
you know, using the music more for healing. You know,
it was soothing and healing and going over these themes
in a way to kind of almost like I was
writing the remedies. That's how it felt like I was.
I was hearing the problems, processing the problems, and then
(17:33):
the songs became the remedies. And at the same time,
I was studying human design and gene keys. So that's
a whole other world, but it's a I did a
certification online and I was I got very deep into
this study, which is basically, in a nutshell, it's a
(17:56):
way a system of looking at your birth chart, you know,
the the aligned energies of your birth chart, and understanding
various things about yourself, your your energy and how you
make decisions. And you know different centers that you know
(18:21):
the way the way the energy and different centers work,
and and it's very involved the geneky's going to frequencies
like shadow frequencies and your gift frequencies. So I spent
a year very immersed in this with this group, and
that started influencing as well my music. Uh So it
(18:46):
was kind of like everything just came together in the
most beautiful way, and the songs just some of them
were just really effortless. They felt channeled. Almost several of
them just came through, like in water, and I was
(19:08):
contemplating something, and the next thing I knew, I would
hear a melody and and the lyrics would come out,
and and then I would just bring it to the
piano what had come through and sort of reshape it
at the piano into something that I felt would land
(19:30):
for other people, so other people could receive the gift
of it in the way I had received the gift
of it. If that makes any sense whatsoever, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It does it does? It does? Like basically, it's a lot.
That's a long way to lead. That's a long way
to lead to a project. And like sometimes I agree
with you, if you don't have the best music now,
don't put it out Basically save for rainy save for
a rainy day, or save it for like if you
do a B sign B side album, go for the
(20:01):
B sides.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, yes, and definitely. I mean. The other thing I'll
say about that, though, is it's really valuable to be
in community, because had I just been on my own,
I would have put a lot of those songs by
the wayside. I would have thought, this isn't this is
a mantra, or this is a this isn't a song,
(20:23):
you know, but because I was in community, because I
was able to share what I had written and what
had come through with the community and receive them feedback,
you know, and see the impact that it had directly
when I shared. Sometimes women were crying, you know, when
(20:46):
I played my songs and I knew, wow, Okay, this
one is really landing with people, and I might not
have done anything with it had I been on my own.
So I just kind of want to emphasize how important
I think community is as an artist to be able
to be in a place where you have other people
(21:07):
that you can that you really trust and feel comfortable
and safe with that you can share your ideas because
sometimes we are our harshest critic, so yes, we want
to put out the best of what we have. But
also sometimes something is really amazing and you might not
(21:27):
recognize it, and it really truly helps to have a
community reflect back to you.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
A community is all it's important. I'm like, even in
my role in my podcasting world, they are creators I
really admire and really like, especially within the challenge in
America's Got Talent communities. Shout out to my friends HT
time pod and also my friend Agt Insider a lot
up on the eight America's Got Talent Side, and also
(21:55):
my friends Drew Angelman and Mike Lewis and and Oscar
Heart and also Scott Jaeger and Dylan and Dylan Deckert
and my friend Paige and most likely because they and
also Pierre McCall of sack Nicol's podcast. Because I bounce
out and my ideas to them all the time. Let's
(22:15):
time to say this.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Yeah, that's awesome, so important, so.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Important, absolutely absolutely, So I would love for you to
talk to you. So I would love for you to
talk about some of the songs that are some of
the most stream your stream spot most stream Spotify songs
and the story behind.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Each of them. Oh gosh.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Okay, So we're gonna start from the five figures and
we're growing up to the six figures, if you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Okay, all right, so let's start with this.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So the title track Soul Live as of this recording
and has over eighty four thousand and five eighty four thousand,
five hundred Spotify streams.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
That song had a real evolution and there's actually a
big story to tell with it. So I'll try to
figure out how to be concise. It started out as
the chorus was I decide and the Universe provides, instead
(23:17):
of soul Alive, which I decide, And I kept singing
this and this iteration of the song I de said
and the Universe provised, and I was like, yeah, I
was so into that. I was like, yes, this is it.
I decide, and I was into that whole frequency of
like knowing my power, knowing how I can decide things,
(23:39):
I can choose things and there and the universe is
gonna respond and this is how, you know, we make
it happen. So I was like into that whole vibe
in this, in this, but it just wasn't. I was like, Okay,
I got the vibe, I've got the idea, this is it,
but these are not the lyrics. This is just I
don't it's just not happening. But it wasn't landing. It
(24:03):
just wasn't landing, and I so I put it to
the side for a long time. I was recording the
album and I put it to the side, so it
wasn't even necessarily in consideration. And then once it landed
and it became Soul Alive, it happened when I was
(24:26):
on a walk actually with my son, and I was
just like letting that feeling flow through me as I
was walking, I was actually kind of dancing down the street,
and I was like, what is this? What is this feeling?
It's soul live. It's so alive. It's so alive. It's
soul alive, you know. So that's kind of how it
(24:48):
came out. And then I really wanted to capture that
that feeling of thriving, that feeling of just everything's working
out in the best way possible for me. I'm ready
kind of a feeling. And I captured the lyrics on
that walk and then put them put them into the song,
(25:12):
and there was there was another verse that actually changed
in the song as well, but we might not have time.
It's it's more of a story about uh, well, I'll
just I'll say it quickly. But it had to do
with the woman's womb being like a place of creation.
(25:33):
And this is an idea and something that I've worked
with a lot, and I help women connect their womb
to their throat and express themselves. And this is the
kind of work that I do with women, and it
was really embedded in this song that power coming from
that that source within, and but it didn't again, it
(25:59):
didn't fit the song. I was like, yes, this is
the this is the subtext, this is this is what's underneath,
this is what's powering this song. Is that truth of
the power of the womb and like the ability to
create my life and manifest a life of thriving. But
(26:19):
the lyrics didn't belong in the song, so I rewrote
that part too. So that song had a really interesting evolution,
and once it kind of popped and I had it,
then I was like, this song needs my old producer.
On my last album, All the Love, one of it
was co produced by Tall Bergman, who's an outstanding drummer
(26:42):
in LA and I was like, I have to have
tell on this song. I need to have his drumming
on there. So he laid down some drum tracks for it,
and then it really Then it really popped.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So I gotta say this, maybe you put that energy
from Soul Alive of those songs that didn't be in there,
and put that energy towards I Am a Queen, which
basically as if this recording has over ninety eight eight
hundred Spotify streets.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah, that's that I Am a Queen. Yes, that song
had more of the energy of surrender and really learning
how to soften into feminine power. And that was another
(27:35):
song that was like a mantra for me for a
long time. So it's funny both of those two songs,
this one was also a mantra for me. I played
it over and over, just this reverie that I just
fell in love with, and I couldn't stop playing the
piano parts. Is how it came in. Was that with
the piano parts, and then the only lyrics that came
(27:56):
were so sparse, and it was, you know, I Am
a Queen surrendering. I just kept singing that over and
over and receiving, you know, and releasing these kinds of things.
And I said to my producer, I was like, I
love this, but it just doesn't have the lyrics, Like
it's just not the lyrics aren't coming. He's like, well,
(28:17):
maybe those are the lyrics, So like maybe that's all it.
Maybe that's all it needs, you know, Maybe that's what
it is. And I really appreciated that feedback. And then
I was like, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
And here's the thing. Some of the best some of
the best songs can be are direct to the point,
and however, if we have a lot of lovely, flowery language,
it could really derail it.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah. Yes, it was just more sparse than anything had
been before, and it was repetitive. And then I decided
to speak in it, which was the first time I'd
ever done that, so it was more of a like
an affirmations almost, and I was experimenting with that. Super
happy with how it came out, and it really does
(29:02):
land for a lot of people as being very therapeutic.
I've actually had I haven't put it out yet, but
I haven't an extraordinary experience with women in Africa who
have been through extreme abuse and very traumatic situations. Took
(29:24):
this song and worked with it for the day. What
they worked with the energies of the song and recorded
themselves singing, and it's so beautiful and just a reminder
that music really is medicine. And I'm very excited to
share that soon. That'll be coming out soon and their organization.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, well, thank you for giving Jake's take with jacob
Ell your star little exclusive sneak peek with that.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
I love it when people do sneak peak on their steps.
So I got to move on to Beautiful Earth as
is recording two hundred and twenty one thousand spotifyed Dreams.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, that that's one of those songs that the feedback
of other people really helped me a lot, because again,
I thought, this is sort of it was just a
very unconventional song for me at the time when I
wrote it, but it was certainly written with a lot
(30:28):
of devotion and clear intention. You know, I've always been
very concerned about the environment. I was really raised with
a lot of environmental consciousness and involved in various projects
throughout my life and also with the kids and the
(30:49):
school system got very involved in different things, teaching and
doing art projects with the kids around Earth Day, things
like that. And I had never really written a song with,
you know, real really expressing that devotion to the earth.
(31:14):
And when this song came through, it was more of
a tapping into It was tapping into desires, like what
what are your greatest desires? What do you want to
call in? That's what it was. It was a new
moon when I wrote the song, and I was writing it,
(31:36):
I was in a like a new moon circle or something,
and it was like, that's calling in what we desire,
and there was a sense of, well, I have my desires,
but like, what's just for the greater good? What is
for the highest good? What do I really want, like
beyond what I want for myself? And I was exploring
that and what just landed was like the Earth, the
(31:58):
healing of the earth, connect with the Earth, and so
I was playing around with that, and I also really
allowed myself to experiment on the piano in a way
that I hadn't before in this song and just played
(32:19):
around and came up with almost some dark sounds, but
for me, it was like the Earth, the sounds of
the Earth's cries. That's how it felt as I was
writing it. And then when I was in the studio,
I layered some of these piano parts and felt really
really good about what I had created because I had
(32:44):
let myself go someplace creatively that I had never gone before,
and I felt it was really all in an effort
to create something beautiful to illuminate the need for healing
of the earth. So that's how that song came together.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Yeah, absolutely, it was very beautiful. And one of my
favorite ones is Rememberance. I was listening to that on
the way form on the way to my on the
way back to my apartment today from a workout, and
there was some course that remind me so much. And
I know even this may be interesting of remembrance, but
like the thing is, it reminds me a little bit
of like night changes from one direction, where a little
(33:29):
bit of the core change, like guitars, Like I've heard
the da da da da da da da da. There's
like some kind of some kind of similarity between notes. Huh.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't even know that song well enough to even
know exactly what you're talking about, Like I have to
go listen, but I well, you know, there's only a
certain amount of cores and notes, so they end up
sounding that similar. Yeah, but it's all.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But it's good. It's good. I like that song. It's like, yeah,
the thing is like that as this recording two hundred
and thirty thousand.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah. I have to say when that song came out,
that was when I wrote that song. I've instantly fell
in love with it and I still love still that's
one of my favorites. I just love it. It felt
the most true to who I am and just flowed
so effortlessly out of me. It was related to what
(34:28):
I was when I was I mentioned I was studying
the human design and gene keys, and it was related
to understanding my own energy what's called a projector in
human design, and understanding that my energy, my access to
my energy is not as consistent as it is with
(34:50):
some other designs, and how important it is to rest.
And at the same time, my husband was winding down
on his career and about to change his his work
as well, and it was just so obvious this like
how much we'd push, push, pushed, you know, to get
through a lot of life, raising three kids. And uh,
(35:13):
it was just like permission to rest this song. And
also the connection to the elements, like just deep connection
like that listening listening to the trees and listening to
the wind and listening to the water and the stars
and and then to rest, you know, and know that
(35:33):
that's okay. So that's sort of how that that song
it came to be very effortlessly, and I had a
wonderful time again with the piano parts and layering piano
parts and experimenting and and really enjoyed the whole process
of creation and the idea of remembrance that's in there,
(35:58):
is that a lot of a lot of the way
modern society is set up is really gives us amnesia
to our true state, you know, our true state of being,
and certainly uh disconnects us from our power and our
(36:22):
ability to connect to nature and create the most beautiful
lives you know, and healthful you know, connection to our
bodies and our ability to heal ourselves and all of
all of that. So it was like a nod to
(36:46):
you the remembrance of ancient times, remembrance of maybe even
other lands, who knows, even other galaxies, other experiences that
we may not remember, you know, that this multi dimensionality
of existence and the remembrance, the remembrance. So it's just
(37:08):
like a singing that almost like a little lullaby to remember,
like a little active not a lullabi, like an activation,
an activation to remember, remember your power, remember who you are.
Remember and rest. It's okay to slow down and rest,
you know. So that's what that song was about.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Oh yeah, I've learned a lot about I definitely need
to listen to like over the past couple of weeks.
I definitely definitely need to use that mantra.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Yeah release, I think it's rest your head, breathe out
regret and that's yeah, that's a big one for me.
That was a big that the whole idea of releasing
regret and living a life of no regrets is really
what led me to pursue music. And finally it was
(38:05):
I knew that if I didn't, I would always have regrets.
So that threat is in there as well. And you know,
the best is yet to come as in there so
absolutely hopeful, a hopeful, relaxing, activating song. And that's a
power in it. There's a lot in it, and I
think that's why people like it so much.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yeah, all right, so you guys start winding down a conversation.
So have you thought about any dream collaborations like the singers,
the songwriters, producers, musicians and how that you want to
work with and how they enhance your sound your sound?
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Oh oh so interesting. Well, you know, maybe I haven't
given that enough thought because I've always been pretty solo.
Like I've I write all my own songs and it's
my own process and I I basically have sought out
(39:07):
producers that I felt were a good match for the
material that I was writing. And it's I'm gonna take
this as a really good opportunity to think about who
would be dream people to collaborate with, because I guess
I haven't really dared to think so much about that.
(39:29):
I mean, I have all kinds of people who have
influenced me, you know, musicians who have influenced me growing up,
and of course some of these iconic people would be
a dream to ever do anything with them. Oh yeah,
but I think that a lot of times, you know,
(39:53):
I don't. I don't know. I have to say I'm
a little stumped, which maybe isn't a great answer.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
But here's the thing, Jennifer, the next time you're on
my podcast, yeah, I hope you have that answer, prepare
because I will ask you again.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Yeah. No, it's important. You know, I've always been so solo.
I've just been kind of doing my own thing, and
haven't I guess I never really thought again, it's like
that that's sort of the way I operate, where it's
like I didn't really think that's possible. So I don't
really like think about it. But maybe it is, and
it's time to start thinking a little bit more about
(40:30):
who are some dream people to call in?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Absolutely absolutely and same with me. That's what I'm a
one man band, but sometimes I need to have some
good collaborators.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yeah. I love listening to Rick Rubens. That is am
I saying his last time right now? Oh yeah, yeah,
I always loved listening to him. I mean, he's always
so wise and he just says it straight and I
think he really understands what it means to be an
artist and creat art. So I always love listening to him.
(41:04):
That's one person that I definitely connect with.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
And who knows, Jennifer, maybe you and recrubit and could
do another could do a record.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well I will put that out there into the universe.
You heard it here first? Why not? Yeah? Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
I've had the moments where I put stuff out of
the universe and they have come true.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
I love it. Well, that's fantastic, that's it works absolutely
so alrighty, So last question, are you ready? I guess? So?
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Where can my audience find your music? And also where
can to connect with you on social media?
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Ah? Well, I'm on all streaming platforms Jennifer Harper and
the latest album is Soul Alive. I am also at
Jennifer harpermusic dot com. So that's a great place to
connect to everything, including a lot of different ways that
I work with clients one on one and groups and
(42:08):
meditations and different things that I offer, and I'll find
that on my website. And in terms of socials on Instagram,
I'm I am Jennifer Harper. That's probably the easiest.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
Yeah, alrighty, good guys. If you miss an episode of
the Jake sac j L Shar podcast, busit our channels
on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Spreaker Jake Sako,
Jacob l A shr j c O b e o
y A c h e R. Now you on social
medi because I'm on social media to Facebook, Instagram, threads, Twitter, Yeah,
and YouTube jacb l a hr j A c O
(42:45):
b e ol y A c h R. Want to
find out my takes on new music? Who want America's
got talent? I want to go back for almost fifteen
years of content. Well, visit Jake sash Chak dot com.
Let's get Jake Sashchek dot com. And I'm thrill in
Jake stick with Jacobal Sari is thrilled to announced that
we are a twenty twenty five American Business Award winner.
(43:06):
I want to thank the Stevie Awards. Staff, who awarded
me a Silver STEVIEE for the for the Best Interview
to a Talk Show category INDIANAPOAL Podcasting Division. Jennifer, it
was such a pleasure to talk with you. I had
such a great time.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Thank you me too, absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
You're so welcome, and guys, thank you so much for
listening to our conversation today and until next time, have agreement, everybody.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Good Bye,
Hello, Hello, everyone, and welcome to the late's episode of
the Jake's Sake with Jacob alis Star podcast. I'm your host,
Jacob Alis, Jad and chief concent recer and writer at
jakesik dot com, a pop culture entertainment news website. If
you're listening us to our audio platform, please give us
a five star rating, download this episode and check out
all the other episodes that that's been going on since
(00:42):
November twenty nineteen. It's a thrill to welcome my latest
guest today. She is a singer songwriter and as of
this recording, she has two point eight thousand Facebook followers
and two point eight thousand Instagram followers. Please help me
welcome and also she has a new album up Soul Live.
So please let me welcome Jennifer Harper to the pod podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much
for taking time out of your schedule the talking with
me today. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
I'm so happy to be here. It's a pleasure. Thank
you for having me. You're so welcome.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
So, Jennifer, what I do every single time that I
have every single episode, I love to get my inside
talked about my guest's origin story. So, so, when did
you get interested in music and out of that passion
evolve and desire to pursue career in the recording industry.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Good question. So I always loved music. I gravitated very
young towards the piano, and that was really my love.
And you know, where I where I felt my gifts
most shine was when I was playing the piano. And
(02:00):
I would also sing songs, you know, make up songs
and things like that as a child, but it was
definitely the piano was was my thing. I got into
acting as well and doing musicals and things like that.
I never really, it never occurred to me that making
my own records or writing my own songs with something
(02:22):
that was in the realm of possibility for my life.
It was like a dream, you know. I had all
kinds of artists that I adored, particularly you know, starting
in teenage years, but it wasn't in my consciousness like
that's what I wanting to do someday. I mean it was,
but it wasn't in didn't seem in the realm of possibility.
(02:46):
So I just kind of put it to the side
and I got more involved in acting. Actually it was
a safer way for me to express myself, you know,
it wasn't I was could hide behind it character in
somebody else's words and script right and not as exposed
with my own experiences. And so I did that for
(03:11):
a long time. But it was actually it wasn't until
after college that I was in a musical in New
York City and someone was in the audience who was
an old time motown guy, and he had heard that
(03:31):
I sort of secretly wanted to write music and was
interested in that side though I you know, I guess
I had confided in one of the other people in
the show, and so they introduced me to him afterwards,
and he really took me under his wing and showed
me that it was something that I was good at
and it was something that was possible for me. So
(03:54):
that was really the first time that even entered my
consciousness like wow, could I really even do this? And
and I started writing songs, but it was a long
time until I started recording. And it was just an
evolution of my own confidence and you know, belief in
what was possible for my life and also my artistry developing,
(04:17):
you know, taking different classes or I think i've I
did some things with the Songwriters Hall of Fame early
on in New York City, and and that's when I
started developing some songs and you know, so different things
like that sort of gave me a little bit more confidence.
But I was never a real like go getter, you know,
(04:38):
after this, this is it, this is what I'm going
to do, And I had a lot of other interests
and things and and mostly just didn't have a lot
of confidence in my voice. So it took a long time,
a really long time.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Believe me. That's amazing. So I got to say this
choir kit from fifth grade to twelfth grade, either the
fifth grade twelfth grade, so I definitely have the performer
background that and I got to say this, it's very
interesting that you had. I'm very glad you had the
opportunity to work with someone that was affiliated with with
Motown and also the Songwriters Hall of Fame. So not
(05:15):
one but two per siege just musical or organizations.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yes, yes, definitely. And I also early on I got
involved with the New York Songwriter Circle as well, and
that was probably the first place that like really gave
me an opportunity to share the music that I had
written publicly. So that was a big step for me.
But that wasn't until I was already I think I
(05:42):
was pregnant with my second child at that point. When
I first got on stage and performed my music. You know,
it was at the Bitter End in New York City,
Tina Schaeffer, who's an old time you know, I think
she's been doing it for thirty years now, at the
Songwriter Circle, and she really gave me at first opportunity
(06:04):
to perform. So she means a lot to me, and
that that circle means a lot to me. So there's
some really special people that saw something in me that
I couldn't see in me and lifted me up and
gave me a stage and gave me an opportunity. Like
Billy Davis, the Motown Ezach and he was a songwriter,
(06:28):
his songwriter and became an ad exac later as well.
And he, I mean he had I would go to
his office and show him what I was working on
and he would give me some feedback, and I made
my first demo in his studio. You know. So a
lot of a lot of people really extended opportunities to
me and that made all the difference.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
So and having those people back you is an incredible thing.
And then that just reminds me so much of all
of the when when I was working with See You,
when my college media See You Boulders news team and
also see Sportsmac and also the See You and Pennant
and along with the internships I've had I had over
(07:12):
over the years.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It's like, well, I didn't know you were at see
You because my son is now at CEO. So there
you go, Boulder, shout out to THEE You Buffalo's family
and alumni and current students. It's that I love that school.
Yeah yeah, but what a place. Yeah, it's amazing. It's amazing.
(07:32):
So I can see, you know how important it is
to really give young people opportunities to you know, exercise
their gifts right to not just sort of you know,
to really give them tangible opportunities to express their gifts
and try try things out.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
So yeah, and it could lead you a lot of
people with different things in like next year twenty twenty six,
mark's my fifteenth year as a content creator and journalist.
So it let me along. It's a long winding road.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
It is a long winding road, and I've had a
long winding road as well. For sure, I understand that.
And I think the important thing for any young people
who are listening is that, you know, I think when
you're young, you have you can have this vision of
like a timeline, like you know, by the time I'm thirty,
I have to achieve X, Y Z or you know whatever,
it may be right, and you have these big dreams
(08:29):
and sometimes life, you know, knocks you with a few things,
or or you take an unexpected route, or you get
an opportunity that leads you in a different direction. And
I think that being open to life and paying attention
to the opportunities that come your way, and learning how
to be in alignment with your own energy and in
(08:49):
alignment with your own you know, what your highest what's
really for your highest good. You know, sometimes our ego
can get in the way, and sometimes we can try
to control too much what we think is the right path.
(09:09):
You know, I think giving it all some grace and
some surrender and allowing yourself evolution and opportunities to explore.
And you know, it's so important. I never thought that
I would end up doing what I'm doing, to be honest,
(09:34):
but as a certain point it became clear that this
was truly the highest expression of my gifts and it
made sense to do to not give up and to
keep pursuing and evolving as in my creative expression at
the piano and singing and writing. But yeah, so if
(09:59):
that's a bit of a advice hopefully landed in there
somewhere for some people.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Jennifer, And that reminds me a lot of because a
lot of with this generation, they see what happens with
the Ludivia Rodrigo, a Justin Bieber or any or someone
on TikTok like Zamilia's and they've gone and they had
these viral moments and success and there are grass and
they think the grass is always green. On the other side,
like I've even said that when I look at my
(10:26):
podcasting colleagues who've had bigger names on and I have
or have done better better things like go on like
anchor a show on CNN or something like that. But
at the same time, it's like, do you rather be
someone like your heroes like Red just filming or Barbara
Walters who've been around for fifty years, or someone.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
That's going to be like a where are they now yeah, yes, yeah,
And the important thing is to constantly improve yourself and
right and to evolve and to do better than you
did yesterday and to look back and say, wow, you know,
look where I've come from and and not I think,
always be so focused on where you got to get to,
(11:06):
you know, because you never know what life is going
to throw at you. But if you're always evolving and
you're always improving, and you're working on your craft, and
you're you're going after the things you love and really
most desire to do and feel that you're most suited
to do in life, and you can't help but just
(11:26):
get better and better at it as you go along,
you know. So yeah, you have to be in it
for the long, long haul, I think absolutely.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And speaking of long haul, I want to talk to
you about your recent album, So Live. It's your first
studio album in a decade. So what went through your
mind throughout this recording process, because the thing is it
must have taken a long road, as we discussed, to
get to the release date.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah. Well, it's interesting because I've very I finished my
last album, which was All the Love. I spent a
good two years I would say, performing sharing those songs
and a lot of different venues around the country and
really enjoying that and then started writing new material a
(12:19):
little bit, but nothing was really landing. Nothing was feeling like, yes,
this is what I want to do. I'm like ready
to bring this into the studio. It just wasn't It
wasn't quite finding my voice. And it was started to
be tumultuous times in this country. And I grew up
in Washington, d C. And I was really raised with
(12:41):
a lot of social consciousness, and one of the things
that influenced me the most as a child actually was
seeing how music was used for social change. You know.
I attended a lot of protests and and things where
you know, very famous musicians Joni Mitchell and Jackson Brown,
different people are out there playing their songs for a cause.
And that was when I think, I first as a teenager,
(13:03):
was like, oh, I could do that with my life,
Like how amazing that would be? You know. So, as
there was a lot of turmoil in this country and
a lot of divisions starting to happen, and it was
it was really the discord was wehed really heavy on
(13:24):
my heart, and I felt this responsibility as an artist
to like do something meaningful and say something, write a
song that was going to like have some impact, and
it almost it felt like pressure and nothing was coming
because of it, because there's too much pressure and control
on things and then creative Jesus just don't really flow.
I did write a song called Unison, which I never recorded,
(13:46):
but I performed it at March for the March for
Our Lives. I don't know if you remember that whole movement.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Oh yeah, I remember those, that one that was definitely,
I believe after the Parkland if I remember correctly.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yes, So I got very involved in that. We had
a huge demonstration here in the Live and I was
a music coordinator for that and I performed there and
actually Paul Simon showed up, which was really cool and
saying sound of Silence.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
At that time, that must have been insane to be. Yeah, incredible.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Yeah, he's one of my major heroes and that song
as well, like one of the biggest influences on my life.
So yeah, so that was incredible. But I and then
I was, you know, I was invited to a lot
of events in my city to do to sing at
vigils and things to do with the whole issue around
(14:37):
gun control and for the mayor. There was an event
for the mayor. So I was doing different things like that,
but I wasn't writing anything that felt like, yes, I've
got to get to the studio. So then the pandemic comes.
So that's like a whole other world opened up, right, and.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
I imagine being in the wash. Like for me, I
was in New York City at the height of it,
March Swaying twenty, all the way too, base War reopening,
August Swayne twenty, my books. Let's just say that. Shout
out to my mom and dad. I love you, Mom, Gloria, Matphew,
Father Matthew. They when they were lived, they were terrified
(15:18):
and my mom was livid.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah. Yeah, it was tough time. There was so much
going on I had. I had three teenagers at the time,
so I had three kids home and going through various
things with you know, the isolation. It was intense and
to kind of bring some joy into my life, I
(15:43):
decided to join different things online. I joined. I was
invited into a songwriter circle, so that was really wonderful
with a bunch of other women that I knew, songwriters
like myself, and the Weekly Accountability, you know, showing up
every week with a new songs. So that was great
and that really got me going again. And I really
(16:03):
found unlocked my voice in the way that I desired,
and I knew that I was onto something different and new.
I was also in like women's circles online, more spiritual
groups and personal development type groups and really tuning into
the energies and what people were going through. There's a
(16:26):
lot of common themes as women that I knew I
experienced and also just hearing it repeated over and over
by all the other women. And these were women, you know,
ages in their twenties up till their seventies. I mean
there was a whole you know, and some very very
successful entrepreneurs and other people knewer to business, some creative,
(16:47):
some not you know, whine array, but all women. And
it was really really interesting hearing people's stories and tapping
into all of that. So coupled with my own songwriter
circle weekly and then being in these other circles, it
was just there was so much for me to think
about and write about and explore. And I also started,
(17:13):
you know, using the music more for healing. You know,
it was soothing and healing and going over these themes
in a way to kind of almost like I was
writing the remedies. That's how it felt like I was.
I was hearing the problems, processing the problems, and then
(17:33):
the songs became the remedies. And at the same time,
I was studying human design and gene keys. So that's
a whole other world, but it's a I did a
certification online and I was I got very deep into
this study, which is basically, in a nutshell, it's a
(17:56):
way a system of looking at your birth chart, you know,
the the aligned energies of your birth chart, and understanding
various things about yourself, your your energy and how you
make decisions. And you know different centers that you know
(18:21):
the way the way the energy and different centers work,
and and it's very involved the geneky's going to frequencies
like shadow frequencies and your gift frequencies. So I spent
a year very immersed in this with this group, and
that started influencing as well my music. Uh So it
(18:46):
was kind of like everything just came together in the
most beautiful way, and the songs just some of them
were just really effortless. They felt channeled. Almost several of
them just came through, like in water, and I was
(19:08):
contemplating something, and the next thing I knew, I would
hear a melody and and the lyrics would come out,
and and then I would just bring it to the
piano what had come through and sort of reshape it
at the piano into something that I felt would land
(19:30):
for other people, so other people could receive the gift
of it in the way I had received the gift
of it. If that makes any sense whatsoever, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
It does it does? It does? Like basically, it's a lot.
That's a long way to lead. That's a long way
to lead to a project. And like sometimes I agree
with you, if you don't have the best music now,
don't put it out Basically save for rainy save for
a rainy day, or save it for like if you
do a B sign B side album, go for the
(20:01):
B sides.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Yeah, yes, and definitely. I mean. The other thing I'll
say about that, though, is it's really valuable to be
in community, because had I just been on my own,
I would have put a lot of those songs by
the wayside. I would have thought, this isn't this is
a mantra, or this is a this isn't a song,
(20:23):
you know, but because I was in community, because I
was able to share what I had written and what
had come through with the community and receive them feedback,
you know, and see the impact that it had directly
when I shared. Sometimes women were crying, you know, when
(20:46):
I played my songs and I knew, wow, Okay, this
one is really landing with people, and I might not
have done anything with it had I been on my own.
So I just kind of want to emphasize how important
I think community is as an artist to be able
to be in a place where you have other people
(21:07):
that you can that you really trust and feel comfortable
and safe with that you can share your ideas because
sometimes we are our harshest critic, so yes, we want
to put out the best of what we have. But
also sometimes something is really amazing and you might not
(21:27):
recognize it, and it really truly helps to have a
community reflect back to you.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
A community is all it's important. I'm like, even in
my role in my podcasting world, they are creators I
really admire and really like, especially within the challenge in
America's Got Talent communities. Shout out to my friends HT
time pod and also my friend Agt Insider a lot
up on the eight America's Got Talent Side, and also
(21:55):
my friends Drew Angelman and Mike Lewis and and Oscar
Heart and also Scott Jaeger and Dylan and Dylan Deckert
and my friend Paige and most likely because they and
also Pierre McCall of sack Nicol's podcast. Because I bounce
out and my ideas to them all the time. Let's
(22:15):
time to say this.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Yeah, that's awesome, so important, so.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Important, absolutely absolutely, So I would love for you to
talk to you. So I would love for you to
talk about some of the songs that are some of
the most stream your stream spot most stream Spotify songs
and the story behind.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Each of them. Oh gosh.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
Okay, So we're gonna start from the five figures and
we're growing up to the six figures, if you know
what I mean.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
Okay, all right, so let's start with this.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
So the title track Soul Live as of this recording
and has over eighty four thousand and five eighty four thousand,
five hundred Spotify streams.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
That song had a real evolution and there's actually a
big story to tell with it. So I'll try to
figure out how to be concise. It started out as
the chorus was I decide and the Universe provides, instead
(23:17):
of soul Alive, which I decide, And I kept singing
this and this iteration of the song I de said
and the Universe provised, and I was like, yeah, I
was so into that. I was like, yes, this is it.
I decide, and I was into that whole frequency of
like knowing my power, knowing how I can decide things,
(23:39):
I can choose things and there and the universe is
gonna respond and this is how, you know, we make
it happen. So I was like into that whole vibe
in this, in this, but it just wasn't. I was like, Okay,
I got the vibe, I've got the idea, this is it,
but these are not the lyrics. This is just I
don't it's just not happening. But it wasn't landing. It
(24:03):
just wasn't landing, and I so I put it to
the side for a long time. I was recording the
album and I put it to the side, so it
wasn't even necessarily in consideration. And then once it landed
and it became Soul Alive, it happened when I was
(24:26):
on a walk actually with my son, and I was
just like letting that feeling flow through me as I
was walking, I was actually kind of dancing down the street,
and I was like, what is this? What is this feeling?
It's soul live. It's so alive. It's so alive. It's
soul alive, you know. So that's kind of how it
(24:48):
came out. And then I really wanted to capture that
that feeling of thriving, that feeling of just everything's working
out in the best way possible for me. I'm ready
kind of a feeling. And I captured the lyrics on
that walk and then put them put them into the song,
(25:12):
and there was there was another verse that actually changed
in the song as well, but we might not have time.
It's it's more of a story about uh, well, I'll
just I'll say it quickly. But it had to do
with the woman's womb being like a place of creation.
(25:33):
And this is an idea and something that I've worked
with a lot, and I help women connect their womb
to their throat and express themselves. And this is the
kind of work that I do with women, and it
was really embedded in this song that power coming from
that that source within, and but it didn't again, it
(25:59):
didn't fit the song. I was like, yes, this is
the this is the subtext, this is this is what's underneath,
this is what's powering this song. Is that truth of
the power of the womb and like the ability to
create my life and manifest a life of thriving. But
(26:19):
the lyrics didn't belong in the song, so I rewrote
that part too. So that song had a really interesting evolution,
and once it kind of popped and I had it,
then I was like, this song needs my old producer.
On my last album, All the Love, one of it
was co produced by Tall Bergman, who's an outstanding drummer
(26:42):
in LA and I was like, I have to have
tell on this song. I need to have his drumming
on there. So he laid down some drum tracks for it,
and then it really Then it really popped.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
So I gotta say this, maybe you put that energy
from Soul Alive of those songs that didn't be in there,
and put that energy towards I Am a Queen, which
basically as if this recording has over ninety eight eight
hundred Spotify streets.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
Yeah, that's that I Am a Queen. Yes, that song
had more of the energy of surrender and really learning
how to soften into feminine power. And that was another
(27:35):
song that was like a mantra for me for a
long time. So it's funny both of those two songs,
this one was also a mantra for me. I played
it over and over, just this reverie that I just
fell in love with, and I couldn't stop playing the
piano parts. Is how it came in. Was that with
the piano parts, and then the only lyrics that came
(27:56):
were so sparse, and it was, you know, I Am
a Queen surrendering. I just kept singing that over and
over and receiving, you know, and releasing these kinds of things.
And I said to my producer, I was like, I
love this, but it just doesn't have the lyrics, Like
it's just not the lyrics aren't coming. He's like, well,
(28:17):
maybe those are the lyrics, So like maybe that's all it.
Maybe that's all it needs, you know, Maybe that's what
it is. And I really appreciated that feedback. And then
I was like, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
And here's the thing. Some of the best some of
the best songs can be are direct to the point,
and however, if we have a lot of lovely, flowery language,
it could really derail it.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Yeah. Yes, it was just more sparse than anything had
been before, and it was repetitive. And then I decided
to speak in it, which was the first time I'd
ever done that, so it was more of a like
an affirmations almost, and I was experimenting with that. Super
happy with how it came out, and it really does
(29:02):
land for a lot of people as being very therapeutic.
I've actually had I haven't put it out yet, but
I haven't an extraordinary experience with women in Africa who
have been through extreme abuse and very traumatic situations. Took
(29:24):
this song and worked with it for the day. What
they worked with the energies of the song and recorded
themselves singing, and it's so beautiful and just a reminder
that music really is medicine. And I'm very excited to
share that soon. That'll be coming out soon and their organization.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, well, thank you for giving Jake's take with jacob
Ell your star little exclusive sneak peek with that.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
I love it when people do sneak peak on their steps.
So I got to move on to Beautiful Earth as
is recording two hundred and twenty one thousand spotifyed Dreams.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, that that's one of those songs that the feedback
of other people really helped me a lot, because again,
I thought, this is sort of it was just a
very unconventional song for me at the time when I
wrote it, but it was certainly written with a lot
(30:28):
of devotion and clear intention. You know, I've always been
very concerned about the environment. I was really raised with
a lot of environmental consciousness and involved in various projects
throughout my life and also with the kids and the
(30:49):
school system got very involved in different things, teaching and
doing art projects with the kids around Earth Day, things
like that. And I had never really written a song with,
you know, real really expressing that devotion to the earth.
(31:14):
And when this song came through, it was more of
a tapping into It was tapping into desires, like what
what are your greatest desires? What do you want to
call in? That's what it was. It was a new
moon when I wrote the song, and I was writing it,
(31:36):
I was in a like a new moon circle or something,
and it was like, that's calling in what we desire,
and there was a sense of, well, I have my desires,
but like, what's just for the greater good? What is
for the highest good? What do I really want, like
beyond what I want for myself? And I was exploring
that and what just landed was like the Earth, the
(31:58):
healing of the earth, connect with the Earth, and so
I was playing around with that, and I also really
allowed myself to experiment on the piano in a way
that I hadn't before in this song and just played
(32:19):
around and came up with almost some dark sounds, but
for me, it was like the Earth, the sounds of
the Earth's cries. That's how it felt as I was
writing it. And then when I was in the studio,
I layered some of these piano parts and felt really
really good about what I had created because I had
(32:44):
let myself go someplace creatively that I had never gone before,
and I felt it was really all in an effort
to create something beautiful to illuminate the need for healing
of the earth. So that's how that song came together.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Yeah, absolutely, it was very beautiful. And one of my
favorite ones is Rememberance. I was listening to that on
the way form on the way to my on the
way back to my apartment today from a workout, and
there was some course that remind me so much. And
I know even this may be interesting of remembrance, but
like the thing is, it reminds me a little bit
of like night changes from one direction, where a little
(33:29):
bit of the core change, like guitars, Like I've heard
the da da da da da da da da. There's
like some kind of some kind of similarity between notes. Huh.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I don't even know that song well enough to even
know exactly what you're talking about, Like I have to
go listen, but I well, you know, there's only a
certain amount of cores and notes, so they end up
sounding that similar. Yeah, but it's all.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
But it's good. It's good. I like that song. It's like, yeah,
the thing is like that as this recording two hundred
and thirty thousand.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah. I have to say when that song came out,
that was when I wrote that song. I've instantly fell
in love with it and I still love still that's
one of my favorites. I just love it. It felt
the most true to who I am and just flowed
so effortlessly out of me. It was related to what
(34:28):
I was when I was I mentioned I was studying
the human design and gene keys, and it was related
to understanding my own energy what's called a projector in
human design, and understanding that my energy, my access to
my energy is not as consistent as it is with
(34:50):
some other designs, and how important it is to rest.
And at the same time, my husband was winding down
on his career and about to change his his work
as well, and it was just so obvious this like
how much we'd push, push, pushed, you know, to get
through a lot of life, raising three kids. And uh,
(35:13):
it was just like permission to rest this song. And
also the connection to the elements, like just deep connection
like that listening listening to the trees and listening to
the wind and listening to the water and the stars
and and then to rest, you know, and know that
(35:33):
that's okay. So that's sort of how that that song
it came to be very effortlessly, and I had a
wonderful time again with the piano parts and layering piano
parts and experimenting and and really enjoyed the whole process
of creation and the idea of remembrance that's in there,
(35:58):
is that a lot of a lot of the way
modern society is set up is really gives us amnesia
to our true state, you know, our true state of being,
and certainly uh disconnects us from our power and our
(36:22):
ability to connect to nature and create the most beautiful
lives you know, and healthful you know, connection to our
bodies and our ability to heal ourselves and all of
all of that. So it was like a nod to
(36:46):
you the remembrance of ancient times, remembrance of maybe even
other lands, who knows, even other galaxies, other experiences that
we may not remember, you know, that this multi dimensionality
of existence and the remembrance, the remembrance. So it's just
(37:08):
like a singing that almost like a little lullaby to remember,
like a little active not a lullabi, like an activation,
an activation to remember, remember your power, remember who you are.
Remember and rest. It's okay to slow down and rest,
you know. So that's what that song was about.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Oh yeah, I've learned a lot about I definitely need
to listen to like over the past couple of weeks.
I definitely definitely need to use that mantra.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Yeah release, I think it's rest your head, breathe out
regret and that's yeah, that's a big one for me.
That was a big that the whole idea of releasing
regret and living a life of no regrets is really
what led me to pursue music. And finally it was
(38:05):
I knew that if I didn't, I would always have regrets.
So that threat is in there as well. And you know,
the best is yet to come as in there so
absolutely hopeful, a hopeful, relaxing, activating song. And that's a
power in it. There's a lot in it, and I
think that's why people like it so much.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
Yeah, all right, so you guys start winding down a conversation.
So have you thought about any dream collaborations like the singers,
the songwriters, producers, musicians and how that you want to
work with and how they enhance your sound your sound?
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Oh oh so interesting. Well, you know, maybe I haven't
given that enough thought because I've always been pretty solo.
Like I've I write all my own songs and it's
my own process and I I basically have sought out
(39:07):
producers that I felt were a good match for the
material that I was writing. And it's I'm gonna take
this as a really good opportunity to think about who
would be dream people to collaborate with, because I guess
I haven't really dared to think so much about that.
(39:29):
I mean, I have all kinds of people who have
influenced me, you know, musicians who have influenced me growing up,
and of course some of these iconic people would be
a dream to ever do anything with them. Oh yeah,
but I think that a lot of times, you know,
(39:53):
I don't. I don't know. I have to say I'm
a little stumped, which maybe isn't a great answer.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
But here's the thing, Jennifer, the next time you're on
my podcast, yeah, I hope you have that answer, prepare
because I will ask you again.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
Yeah. No, it's important. You know, I've always been so solo.
I've just been kind of doing my own thing, and
haven't I guess I never really thought again, it's like
that that's sort of the way I operate, where it's
like I didn't really think that's possible. So I don't
really like think about it. But maybe it is, and
it's time to start thinking a little bit more about
(40:30):
who are some dream people to call in?
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Absolutely absolutely and same with me. That's what I'm a
one man band, but sometimes I need to have some
good collaborators.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yeah. I love listening to Rick Rubens. That is am
I saying his last time right now? Oh yeah, yeah,
I always loved listening to him. I mean, he's always
so wise and he just says it straight and I
think he really understands what it means to be an
artist and creat art. So I always love listening to him.
(41:04):
That's one person that I definitely connect with.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
And who knows, Jennifer, maybe you and recrubit and could
do another could do a record.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Well I will put that out there into the universe.
You heard it here first? Why not? Yeah? Absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
I've had the moments where I put stuff out of
the universe and they have come true.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
I love it. Well, that's fantastic, that's it works absolutely
so alrighty, So last question, are you ready? I guess? So?
Speaker 1 (41:40):
Where can my audience find your music? And also where
can to connect with you on social media?
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Ah? Well, I'm on all streaming platforms Jennifer Harper and
the latest album is Soul Alive. I am also at
Jennifer harpermusic dot com. So that's a great place to
connect to everything, including a lot of different ways that
I work with clients one on one and groups and
(42:08):
meditations and different things that I offer, and I'll find
that on my website. And in terms of socials on Instagram,
I'm I am Jennifer Harper. That's probably the easiest.
Speaker 1 (42:25):
Yeah, alrighty, good guys. If you miss an episode of
the Jake sac j L Shar podcast, busit our channels
on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify and Spreaker Jake Sako,
Jacob l A shr j c O b e o
y A c h e R. Now you on social
medi because I'm on social media to Facebook, Instagram, threads, Twitter, Yeah,
and YouTube jacb l a hr j A c O
(42:45):
b e ol y A c h R. Want to
find out my takes on new music? Who want America's
got talent? I want to go back for almost fifteen
years of content. Well, visit Jake sash Chak dot com.
Let's get Jake Sashchek dot com. And I'm thrill in
Jake stick with Jacobal Sari is thrilled to announced that
we are a twenty twenty five American Business Award winner.
(43:06):
I want to thank the Stevie Awards. Staff, who awarded
me a Silver STEVIEE for the for the Best Interview
to a Talk Show category INDIANAPOAL Podcasting Division. Jennifer, it
was such a pleasure to talk with you. I had
such a great time.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Thank you me too, absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much
for having me.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
You're so welcome, and guys, thank you so much for
listening to our conversation today and until next time, have agreement, everybody.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Good Bye,
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