Meet JD McGibney | Musician & Mental Health Advocate

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

Hi JD, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I ended up pursuing a career in the entertainment industry because music was the one thing that spoke to me on my deepest emotional level. Ever since I was a teenager, music has helped me make sense of my emotions. It’s helped me navigate some of the most difficult occurrences of my life, and it’s helped me mitigate what I would later come to identify as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Music became such a powerful and influential thing in my life that I wanted to connect with others through it, and give back what had been so pivotal in my growth.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Pursuing a career in the music industry has definitely not been easy, but as it stands: I feel emotionally satisfied with my career.

As I mentioned earlier, music has been such an important part of my life, so it only made sense to me to build my career around it. I think anyone that has a strong calling for any kind of artistic outlet understands what I’m saying.

It did, however, take me a long time to have enough confidence to fully commit to pursuing avenues with an original project. I’ve come to see that facing that fear head one has lead to an avalanche of confidence and inner strength that has me wanting to continually grow, professionally and personally.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ah, man! There are SO many wonderful places in LA. Each part of the city has its own personality, so I’d want to show off as much of it as possible!

I absolutely love food, and one of my favorite things about traveling and visiting places is checking out the local cuisine. I’d definitely show off some of my favorite restaurants. For sushi, Sakura Japanese Restaurant, from breakfast, Bru’s Wiffle. For coffee, Groundwork Coffee.

For music, I would look for concerts and shows at some of my favorite venues: The WIltern, The Hollywood Bowl, and of course, thr world famous Whisky A Go Go!

Plus, a walk through Venice, Santa Monica, and maybe a trip to La Brea Tar Pits.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had a bunch of different mentors in my life; not just professionally, but personally. Though, I have come to believe that one’s professional life is very much intertwined in their personal life, and vice versa.

Probably the most influential mentor I’ve had in my life is my aunt. I’ve always looked up to her as an example of kindness, love, and generosity. She’s also one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known.

I’ve also had a bunch of mentors that taught me that being a musician is a viable career path as long as I treat it like a business. I’ve had mentors teach me the ins and outs of the business of entertainment, as well as the technical, artistic, and practical aspects.

I believe that we can all learn and teach one another because each of us has our own unique experiences in life. I want to list all of my mentors, but honestly there have been so many that I will just say “Thank You” to all of them at once for fear of missing listing someone!

Website: https://onthewingsofdragons.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JD_McGibney

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

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

Other: Angels on the Battlefield https://onthewingsofdragons.com/angels-on-the-battlefield/