Meet Jason Faust | Music Producer and Entrepneur

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

Hi Jason, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking has actually played a huge role in my life as a musician and further into my career as a producer and business owner. I started off my music career playing the trumpet, and due to unforseen dental issues, I had to stop permanently while studying jazz trumpet in school. I had to decide whether I wanted to continue playing music or switch career paths and I had 7 months to do so. Within those 7 months I decided to take a jump and teach myself how to play the piano and within that time period, I was accepted into the jazz piano program and graduated on time. The risk was well worth it in that situation.

Another time in my musical life when taking a large risk was beneficial for me was while I was in graduate school at the Berklee College of Music Master’s program in Valencia, Spain. For my thesis project, I gathered a 40 piece electric big band called Astral Voyage to perform a show of all original music. It was quite the challenge due to the fact that all of the band members were also in their master’s degree and we had very limited time and resources to make it happen. Jumping through many financial and political hoops, we managed to put on a great performance for a large crowd, plus two more performances after that for even larger crowds. This is experience showed me that when taking large risks with the proper intention, everything will work out as long as consistent effort is being brought forth and a sense of calmness within is present.

The third and most recent risk I have taken in my career is as of very recently. I took a job working at a Cash for Gold shop in Carson, CA. After two weeks, the owner decided not to continue due to lack of business, but asked if I wanted to turn the shop into a place where we can record music. A month later, we opened Astral Voyage Studios, a professional recording studio! With no other work or source of income, I have been slowly building the business of this studio and it acts as the headquarters for the organization I formed back in graduate school. While it has been extremely challenging, and every day is a mystery, the thrill of the unknown drives me to push through it towards my own success. This major life and career risk has taught me that taking that big jump is always worth while because we are beings that are meant to face resistance and challenges in our lives in order to grow, learn and evolve into better versions of ourselves. For anyone out there that is contemplating taking a major risk that can provide value to them in the long-run, I would say go for it because you never know when that opportunity will come up again.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artistic expression is a reflection of my past as a trumpet player in Jazz Big Bands. While I cannot play anymore, I am connected to my roots through writing for horns. I am deeply passionate about writing jazz influenced funk, soul & R&B with a full big band horn section. Bringing the past of the jazz tradition together with the modern groovy electronic sounds of 2021 is what I enjoy doing most. I don’t see the music creation process as labeling it into a specific genre, but rather creating based on feeling and combining musical worlds to create new sounds. I am releasing an album this year with Astral Voyage: The Big Electric Orchestra called ‘ Our Heart’ and it is based on the seven chakras of the human spirit. I am excited to share my first album with the world and express myself through this high-energy music with an international electric orchestra.

Getting to this point professionally was not easy and a wild ride. I stopped in many places along the way to landing in Los Angeles and gained many valuable influences from the American roots music of New Orleans, to the Flamenco of Spain and more. What I have learned through the many challenges I faced and this journey is to stay true to what I love doing and the universe will always be there as my guide. I also learned to be persistent even when faced with much rejection, because the never give-up spirit of the soul will eventually lead one to opening up doors of opportunity they might never expect.

Astral Voyage reflects what it means to be human. The Astral Voyage Community is a global environment that supports each other through the power of music without discrimination. As a collective, our primary goal is to spread messages of love and passion. We strive to connect with a global audience and act as a vehicle of healing for people around the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spots in this wild city of Los Angeles are Studio City, Pasadena, and Long Beach. While I enjoy the wild life of living in a big city, I enjoy these places because they are a bit quieter and more peaceful. There are many shops and restaurants with great food and tons of nature spots too! Anywhere you go in LA, there is so much creative energy in the air which is really refreshing and exciting. Some spots to check out are the Fryman Canyon Hike in Studio City, Downtown Pasadena for some great food, and the beaches in Long Beach for a relaxing day!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes to my team at Astral Voyage!!! It has always been and honor and pleasure to work and create alongside such an incredible and talented group of people. Our team is a diverse group of people from all around the world and I am so grateful for their deep loyalty and dedication every step of the way. It means a lot to be building something with a group of people that were friends first and now our friendships are growing stronger through our collaborations. Thank you for always being ready to create, hustle and express who you all truly are. Big shoutout to my Core Team, Brian Zani in Valencia, Spain, Michael Christie in New Orleans, Ray Ahmed in Dubai, and Sean Meade in Wilmington, NC. Everyone that has been apart of this project so far is greatly appreciated and this is only the beginning for all of us!!!

Website: astralvoyagestudios@gmail.com

Instagram: @jasonmfaust

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-faust-701565180/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMFeBcdgVYeLQR3XmrUdFoA

Image Credits
Paradox Unlocks Samir Janjua Photography