People tend to think that creativity alone makes an artist successful in music. While it is essential, it is not the only character a musician must have. People who want to thrive in the music industry must also have grit and resilience, two characteristics that Aria Jay undoubtedly possesses.
Aria Jay is a singer and composer from Brooklyn, New York. She began singing and studying at 11 years old. Her foundational experiences with music happened throughout middle and high school, when she participated in every musical she could. Additionally, she sang in a select choir, played clarinet in her school’s jazz band, and performed in an original funk band.
Aria continued to pursue her passion, studying jazz performance and composition at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in Manhattan. There, she worked with jazz legends like Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, and Rachel Z. But like many others, Aria’s path toward becoming a successful artist was not a walk in the park.
Through the years, Aria discovered that her vocal cords had a nodule, which set her back for a brief season. After overcoming this hurdle, Aria worked with opera expert Judy Hages on various projects. After some time, she could finally recuperate without surgery or voice rest after one year of training using the classical Bel Canto approach. The music artist collaborated with producer Cam Outlaw on her first EP, “Growth,” published in the spring of 2018, along with her debut music video for what she considers her most honest work, “He Said.”
The song is a collaboration with director and producer Janet S. Kim, the brain behind the moving music video’s plot. The work became Aria and Janet’s emotional channel. “He Said” describes the lowest and most challenging aspect of a breakup, a feeling that the song beautifully encapsulates despite the familiar melancholy these moments bring.
Aria greatly enjoys creating and producing music for herself and other artists, regularly participating in songwriting camps as both a writer and producer. Producing has given Aria a greater connection to her music, which is why it is now a part of her creative process. She recognized that while harmonies have always inspired her and been the driving force behind her composition, sounds and textures are, too, so it is just another tool to construct the song’s story.
When everything comes together, Aria wants to be involved in the production to reflect and enrich other artists’ work. In addition, the multifaceted musician wants to ensure that the visual work conveys the song’s expression. Shortly after the release of “He Said,” Holyrad Studio chose Aria to be a resident artist in Brooklyn. She developed a visual album for “Growth” with producer and director Janet S. Kim during that time.
Aria began making music for herself in her home studio in 2019, taking on the roles of producer and engineer. “Secrets,” the first of these recordings, was released the same year. The artist has also established her production company, Saint Morretta, over the past few years. Since her firm’s founding, the artist has collaborated with artists like Torna. Together, they created an EP of her original self-produced work titled “When the Sun Comes Up.” Her upcoming release is a StoneBridge remix of her song “Cried All On My Own.”
