Meet Allyssa Jones | Music Creator, Educator & Placemaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allyssa Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allyssa, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The seeds of what would become Rising Tide Music Press came to me while I was working with an organization that has created enormous databases of works by composers , living and historical, from groups underrepresented in classical music. Toward the end of my time with the organization, I began to think about emerging composers. While the databases are a great resource for discovering repertoire, the focus is on established composers with significant commissions, performance history, publication, etc. While this helps to address the larger issue of awareness of works by these composers, it does not address the systemic issues that limit who gets to join their ranks. To be transparent, is was personal for me. My own experience made me realize that the work I need to do is in creating access to and for early-career composers that are locked out of the typical, traditional pathways. Specifically, I started Rising Tide Music Press to support Black Brown, Indigenous and Asian music makers, no matter their age or training.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up listening to, learning and performing a wide range of music because of the multiple (and vastly different) environments I experienced throughout my childhood. I love that I can find inspiration in anything I hear, but it makes my work difficult to define, making me a tough sell. As a student, there was this constant tug of war between my teachers’ expectations of me as a “trained” musician, and what the wants from Black female artists. It took decades to discover and embrace my true voice, which lies squarely between the BlackAmerican and Western European traditions. As a classically trained musician who identifies as a jazz vocalist and pop singer-songwriter, I found a home in Musical Theatre. My theatre community accepts and fully respects me as a creator, encouraging me to explore, play, try, fail and try again without having to pour my ideas into an ill-fitting mold. Granted, my eclectic, locally-focused career path hasn’t garnered a national following or industry attention. But when I finally let go of the fantasy of stadium tours and award shows, when I focused on why I make music, I realized that I’m here for a different purpose. What I do is meant for whom it’s meant. That’s it… and it’s enough. I no longer need to chase an idea of what a music career is supposed to be. My joy is in being true to my myself and creating ways to share my joy with others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My first time in LA, we went straight from the airport to Killer Shrimp in Marina del Ray. I fell in love. Chili My Soul in Encino was still open back then- that was life changing. We also did the Santa Monica Stairs (a must for anyone looking for a challenging workout).

Now, I keep a running list: Eso Won Books (Leimert Park), Post & Beam’s Black Pot Supper Club, Bluewhale jazz club, and Crenshaw Farmers Market.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our amazing composers, Ashley Killam (founding Managing Director), Brianna Owens (founding Marketing Coordinator), board members Denise Rivera and Chiho Feindler, The Sphinx Organization, Calypsus Brass, Lauren Rudzinskas and the International Women’s Brass Conference, Chromatic Brass Collective, Lynne Tuttle and the American String Teachers Association, Robyn Hilger and the American Choral Directors Association, Ashley Gordon and Castle of Our Skins, Anthony Beatrice and the Boston Public Schools Visual & Performing Arts Department, Brandi Waller-Pace at Decolonizing the Music Room, Dr. Cedric Dent at Middle Tennessee State University, Dr. Robert Deemer and the Institute for Composer Diversity

Website: https://www.risingtidemusicpress.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msallyssajones

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyssajones

Image Credits
Mel Taing Courtesy of Rising Tide Music & Arts, Inc.