Meet Jacob Khalil | Vocalist, Pianist, and Songwriter

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

Hi Jacob, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Once I hit the work force, I realized quickly that I could easily make a higher hourly rate if I worked for myself. Even in the very early days of playing music in small bars and piano lounges. I also realized that the major pull for people to get corporate jobs was the perceived benefits of health insurance time off, etc. But when I became my own boss, even with purchasing my own benefits, I still made more money, had better tax benefits, and got to determine when I would take time off.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Music was always a love and a passion of mine. It is my entire life. It’s how I have dealt with depression or anxiety, or how I have coped with difficulty. It’s also how I have been able to express myself, share joy with others, and make some of my most lasting friends. I met my wife performing in college. Even after a long gig “working,” I still walk over to the piano and play a little bit. Music is my constant, and my first love. That being said, being able to do what I do on the job as an entertainer, an improviser, and a collaborator has come through thousands of hours of putting myself in growth situations. I learned that if I was ever to become the kind of musician I wanted to be, I would need to be performing all of the time. Part of the decision to become a full-time musician was simply because of this. I knew that I would best develop if I had to continually rise to he occasion of the gigs I was hired to do. I am proud to say that I know how to work with any crowd. There is no such thing as a bad audience. My singular goal as a musician, whether I am hired to perform at a party, headline a festival, or sing back-up for an A-list artist, my singular goal is to always uplift and inspire those I perform for and with.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely bring them to my favorite open mic at Birdland Jazz Club on Monday night. I am friend with the host, the musicians, and I often frequent there. I would definitely take my friends to Katz’s Deli on the lower east side. I always say that this is the the single restaurant you should go to if you are only going to eat one place in New York. If the friends are broadway lovers, I would recommend either Hades Town or Sweeney Todd. If it really is a week long trip, then we have got to go up north and check out the immaculate Fort Tryon Park, and go to a legit deli to try a chop cheese — which is basically a Dominican version of a cheese burger. You have to go north of Harlem to have a really good one. If my guest was athletic, I would say that we should run a lap in central park, get a good 6 miles in! If they had never been to New York before, they would need to hit up the top of the rock to see views of the entire city. To see the best (and quickest) view of the Statue of Liberty, I recommend hopping on The Beast, which is a speed boat on the Hudson River. Within thirty minutes, you can see that statue and have a fun doing it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shoutout to my wife of 6 years, Victoria who was down to pack up our car with everything we owned and move to New York City for this dream of playing music for the world. She has been by me and has supported me every step of the way.

Website: https://www.jacobkhalil.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jkhalilmusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jacobkhalil

Image Credits
All Photos: Matt Baker