Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Haller.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My dad was one of my biggest inspirations for me and my musical journey. He played every instrument you could think of and would make me practice playing the guitar and piano for countless hours every single time I was with him. I picked up electronic dance music around 12-13 years old, and my biggest inspirations were names like Skrillex and Flux Pavilion. I was super interested in producing, so I started making beats in high school. I worked with big names like Taz Taylor and Nick Mira. I also began to learn and practice DJing in high school. I preferred to DJ EDM music, though, instead of hip-hop. Once I became confident enough in myself doing that, I began to DJ all of my high school’s proms and events. After graduating high school, I had some struggles with my health. Thankfully, I pulled through began to take EDM very seriously, and dove headfirst into the scene. I started my JUZTJAKE project shortly after graduation, and since then, I have played at venues like Kemba Live!, Skully’s Music Diner, and Forum in Columbus. Some venues that I have been thankful to play at outside of the Columbus area are Prysm in Chicago and Good Room in New York. I am also playing at Breakaway Music Festival in Columbus at The Old Crew Stadium. I have also had the privilege to open for many talented artists along the way, such as Dillon Francis Virtual Riot, Eliminate, VLCN, and AlienPark.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was working an entry-level sales job after graduating. My chest was hurting more and more each day. Everyone was telling me that it was things like anxiety or heartburn, but I was very skeptical. I was at one of my lunch breaks and it was really bothering me, so I decided to go see a doctor. I went in, and they first did an EKG of my heart, and everything was normal. They also did a chest X-ray before I left, and they said they would let me know what the results were as soon as they had them. I went back to work, and my chest continued to hurt very badly. Very shortly after, I got a call from the doctor saying that I needed to go to the emergency room as soon as possible, but they wouldn’t say why. I went to the emergency room, and they did so much bloodwork and scanning. It was very overwhelming for me, and there were people running around all over the place. After all of the scanning took place, they let me know that there were a bunch of tumors and swollen lymph nodes in my chest next to my heart and lungs, and they were going to do a biopsy and give me pain medication in the meantime. Me and my family knew the direction that this was heading, so we transferred to the Ohio State University Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. Once I got there, I had a lot more tests ran on me, and the biopsy took place. They moved me up to the cancer diagnostic floor, where they ultimately diagnosed me with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma. From that point forward, my whole world was flipped upside down. I had no idea what was going to happen to me or what my future was going to look like from there. My plans were to attend Full Sail University in Florida, but with a diagnosis like this, I had made the decision not to go to school, and I had to unfortunately cancel those plans. After that, the doctors gave some medications to take home, and we were going to start cancer treatment very soon. I was soon going to have to fight the hardest battle I have ever fought in my entire life. My family then went and took a trip to Lake Cumberland on a houseboat to relax and take the edge off to gear up for this fight I was about to undergo. Once I returned, I went to my first appointment and started my first chemo treatment. I was also offered a state-of-the-art clinical trial that A City of Hope was testing for a new cancer drug. The doctors had said it had great success with other patients, Me and my family made the decision to opt into this trial. Chemo treatment is by far the hardest experience I have ever been through in my life. What you see or hear about doesn’t even come close to what it is actually like firsthand. Things like nausea, vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite were the majority of things that I was feeling on a regular basis. Three months into my battle of going through chemo, my doctors did my next scan to see the progress of where I was at with treatment. I will never forget the feeling of me anxiously waiting in that room to see if all the pain and suffering was paying off. The doctors came in and told me that the results were phenomenal and the cancer was going away after just three months. We scheduled more chemo and decided on another date to recap the progress a second time. The doctors warned me that the more chemo I underwent, the worse that it would become. It definitely got so much worse; my body felt like I was dying, but I was also getting better simultaneously. My next consult with the doctor was to see where my progress was, and it was more great news. They told me that with a couple more rounds of chemo, I could be in remission. I was so hopeful that I could finally beat this horrible disease that has consumed my life for a half of a year now. During this time was also when COVID-19 started to hit and get really detrimental for people everywhere. Throughout this, I was getting those continuous chemo treatments. I felt horrible, and it was unrelenting, but I knew I was getting better each time. The day of my final chemo treatment is a day I will never forget. I was getting my chemo treatment, and everything was normal. And I was violently awoken from a nap with my throat closed, my heart rate was racing, and I was covered in hives. I had a terrible reaction to my medication, and my blood pressure had plummeted, so they gave me another medication to bring me back up to normal levels. The next week after that incident was the worst week for me when it came to pain and suffering. It was on an unimaginable level. I remember going to my progress appointment after getting my final cancer scans, and the doctor came in and finally reassured me that I was officially cancer-free. My family was overwhelmed with joy, and my friends were all congratulating me for winning this long fight with cancer. It was the best I have ever felt in my entire life. My journey isn’t just about my own success; it’s an inspiration for those going through tough times. The goals I set aren’t only for me to succeed individually; they’re like little sparks that can ignite hope in the hearts of others facing their own battles. I hope my music goes beyond mere entertainment; I want it to be a positive force that can bring healing, uplift spirits, and make a positive impact on lives, just like it did for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a dubstep/trap DJ and producer. I specialize in incorporating both dubstep and trap elements into each one of my sets to make them stand out to every audience that I play in front of. I am known for my very high-energy sets and performances, as well as mixing in styles and tracks that nobody would expect. My passion, high energy, and work ethic sets me apart from others. I am also continuously working on my brand and pushing myself to always be reaching new goals and become the best version of myself that I can be. I’m most proud of my long and strenuous battle with cancer and how I have excelled through my hardships after that.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
For me personally being a DJ/producer during the crisis, I feel that it benefitted me a lot even though it was a very trying time for most. From an artist perspective, I was able to build my brand through social media, livestreams, and platforms like Discord. I was able to utilize online platforms to grow my fanbase and make the necessary connections with other growing artists and producers. I was also able to use this downtime to hone in on my production skills as well and bring out the best version of my sound design. Doing this would enhance the quality of my music and make me stand out from other artists at the time.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juztjakemusic?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/7By8W
