Today we’d like to introduce you to JM Stover.
Hi JM, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Music has always played a huge part of my life. Being a child of the 1970s in Ohio left an imprint on all of us growing up in that time period. Personal influences came from multiple sources from older siblings to independent radio. My musical journey began with a hand-me-down trumpet, playing in the 5th and 6th grade band, which was not at all my style. It was only much later in life when technology had come to a point that one could create music at home on a computer. I purchased an old Sony Acid Pro software package from Best Buy on a whim one day and later bought a Fender Stratocaster and amplifier. My first couple of albums, where I simply burned CDs and gave them to family and friends, were learning experiences to say the least and I am sure created doubts of sanity from everyone. As with anything in life though, the more you do something, improvements will take place. In 2019 I signed with the Publisher/Distributor CD Baby and released “Silver Star”, followed by “One Small Step” (a somewhat nod to Ohio) in 2022. I was living in Arizona at the time and life circumstances brought me back to Ohio, so music took a backseat for a while. Currently, I am working on the 3rd publicly-released album, which should come out in early 2026.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a musician these days is full of benefits and challenges. The ease at which anyone can access the technology to create music has never been so prevalent, and as long as you have the time and dedication, you can distribute your musical expressions to Spotify, Apple, and all other major platforms, with little problems. With that being said, these same platforms, along with the demise of radio, has created a fragmented culture where new music is disseminated through an algorithm and success is determined by how many clicks one can generate through social media, instead of being based on the music itself. Marketing oneself through social media is a requirement these days and I would rather focus my energy on creating music.
Artificial Intelligence is also out there looming like a dark cloud. People’s perception of music will no doubt be affected, if it hasn’t already. Every time new music comes out, one has to question….. is this real??
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Making a living as a musician is a difficult, near impossible career choice. I respect those that have taken that route and paid their dues to become successful. Starting my music career later in life, I had already been supporting myself through various positions in the accounting field and continue to do so to this day. I feel that my analytical skills and attention to detail has been extremely beneficial when mixing and mastering songs.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The music industry has probably gone through more changes within the last 25 years than any. How many times has one heard someone on TV or on a video mention an extremely successful artist and you say to yourself….. who?? This will unfortunately continue. Gone are the days where the world will know a band and its music. This result of this fragmented culture will lessen shared experiences and reduce concert sizes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will also replace the studio musician as people who are adept at writing good prompts will be/are cheaper than paying someone to play an instrument. Human musicians will therefore be relegated to live performances, playing the songs written by AI. I hope I am wrong about this bleak-sounding future, but I am afraid I will not be.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQMqDoHlg2-L3a5UdcnbpA
- Other: https://rumble.com/user/JMStover?e9s=src_v1_clr
