ToneGym Hero: Jesse Lyons

A passionate artist who transitioned from performing to producing his own music after overcoming the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic while also perfecting his cheesecake-making skills on the side. Jesse Lyons is this month's ToneGym Hero.

How did you first find your way into making music?

I've been vocal since I was a kid. I started singing at the age of 3, and I've studied voice on and off since the age of 6. I auditioned for the reality TV show American Idol, Season XIV, and I went on to compete in Hollywood Week.

I've also had some other fantastic experiences over the years. One of my highlights was being mentored by Kenny G, Randy Jackson, Babyface, and Walter Afanasieff. I was doing a lot of writing during those years, working with various producers and songwriters.

I was making music under my given name, Jesse Lyons, in that period. I had a national tour in the works right as the Covid Pandemic hit and it put me out of work for a while. I almost entirely gave up music. I was devastated. Before the pandemic, I was selling Cheesecakes as a fundraising effort to cover some of the costs of the tour. Even though the tour was canceled because of the pandemic, I was still making Cheesecakes, and that kept my head above water. I also started dabbling in producing music because there wasn't much else to do during that period.

I discovered I loved it and flash forward to now. I think I'm still in a period of recovery, but I am emerging stronger than ever. It's amazing how the bad things that happen to us can expose us to new, exciting paths we wouldn't have been on otherwise. I'm happier than I have been in a long time.

Aside from music, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy?

Recently, I found myself enjoying the outdoors and being active, which is odd because I didn't enjoy those activities much in my twenties. I find my happy place is hiking or doing any activity with a natural body of water. It relaxes me. I spend so much time doing mental work and the perfect outlet to clear my head is a 10 minute walk, especially if I am trying to solve a complex problem.

My brain almost never stops. I must find ways to bring stillness to my restless and overactive mind.

What’s something you're surprisingly good at that has nothing to do with music?

Touching a bit on before, I make a tasty NY style cheesecake.

Most people who have eaten them say it's one of the best they have ever had. Other than music and baking cheesecakes, I'm not good at anything. I'm pretty average. I'm ok with that.

My life is vibrant, interesting, and happy. I believe that if I were good at many different things, it would be hard for me to stay focused on my true love, which is music.

If you could play or create with any artist, who would it be and why?

If I could create with any musician worldwide, my choice is Tobias Jesso Jr. His songwriting moves me in a way that most other songwriters have not, even if they are excellent at their craft.

What musical instrument do you love the most, and what makes it irreplaceable for you?

The instrument I love the most is the human voice. If you told me I had to make a record, and I could use only one instrument to produce all the melodic elements and chordal information, it would be the human voice. I could make a whole album with just my voice and percussion.

I can bend my voice in so many ways and use it creatively, and I'm more familiar with it than any other instrument I've pursued. I'm probably a little biased. Voice is my strongest instrument.

What daily or weekly habits do you have in place to keep you creating?

I start almost every single day by training with ToneGym and SoundGym. I also have been studying music theory heavily in my spare time. It might sound odd, but I have not created much over the last year. I took a hiatus from creating music to study and practice and get good at my craft.

It takes up a significant portion of my time, but my understanding of music and production has grown exponentially because of this. I look forward to the next creative season in my life... I feel like it's just around the corner, and I will also be better and more well-equipped than I have ever been.

What keeps you motivated to continue making music?

I love music so much. I'm also not good at anything else, nor is there anything else I want to do.

I couldn't imagine a life where I could not explore music. I think I would die without it, at least metaphorically. I find purpose in my life because of it.

What song would you choose as the soundtrack of your life?

If I had to pick one adjective to describe the kind of person I want to be remembered as, it would be the word "friend." For that reason, the soundtrack to my life would be "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins.

What's your favorite feature on ToneGym, and how has it helped you in your musical journey?

Rhythmania has been one of the most helpful exercises.

Reading notation has not been my strongest asset historically, so it has challenged me in a way that has brought rapid improvement in that area of my skill set. I have a new in-depth understanding of how rhythm works within music, and that part seemed alien to me before. I intuitively understood rhythm, but rhythm was not something I knew how to quantify. 

What’s something exciting you're working on or looking forward to?

Something I look forward to is being the artist, writer, producer, and musician I've always wanted to be.

I've always suffered from imposter syndrome... I was never good enough. Now I go above and beyond to put the work in daily so I will never have to suffer from that feeling again.

Thank you, ToneGym, for being a huge part in helping me to achieve my goals!

You can follow Jesse's work on Instagram and YouTube.

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