Meet Jeremy Burrows-Balka | Music Producer & Aspiring Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jeremy Burrows-Balka and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jeremy, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk is misunderstood as something that generally should be avoided, but it’s honestly an ever-present part of everyone’s life. You can’t do anything without putting yourself at some degree of risk, even walking out your front door has its associated risks and dangers; I think It’s not about avoiding risk, but deciding what risks are worth it for you. That threshold can be very different for different people, and that’s ok. Still, the highest rewards are often associated with the highest risk. So, if you want to do something outside of the status quo, you’re going to have to accept a little more risk than you may normally be comfortable with.

I moved to Los Angeles from a small town in Ontario, Canada, called Jackson’s Point. In Canada, I studied Mechanical Engineering and had a stable technical sales job with good career advancement opportunities. For a lot of people, staying at this job and working their way up in the company would be the option with the “least amount” of risk. For me, it was more the opposite. Staying at that job and not pursuing my dreams would be the riskiest thing of all; the risk of regretting not going for the life I truly want.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of the things I strive to foster in my listeners is a deep connection with life and awe of the present moment. It’s so easy to become distracted by the day-to-day issues of being a human being, and it’s far too common to ruin our own days with negative internal monologues. I want my music to help people forget that, and to remind everyone of the beauty and fragility of their time here. Immersion is really important to me. I want to create sonic worlds, with emotional melodies and powerful sound design. The goal is not just to create music, but an entire experience.

Creating any form of art is such a beautiful and painstaking process. The pressure we put on ourselves to be good at what we love is immense and can sometimes feel insurmountable. For me, it’s important to take everything in stride and just keep going. You don’t reach success overnight, and sometimes you don’t even realize how far you’ve come until you actually sit and reflect on it; each day it can feel like you’re not moving at all, but when you look back over the years, you really feel like you’re going somewhere.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I was fortunate enough to be able to live this! Some close friends from Canada came to visit me earlier this year, and my parents each came last year. I am an avid hiker and nature lover, so I would thoroughly recommend hiking in the Angeles National Forest, very beautiful and not too far from the rest of the city. Griffith Park is also a must, and the hike to the Hollywood sign is too Iconic to pass up. If you have a bit more time and want to venture a little farther, Skiing or renting a lodge by Big Bear Lake was beautiful and offered me a little taste of home.

The best places to eat are the random taco trucks and stands you find on the side of the road. I don’t know what it is about them, but the best taco I’ve ever had was from a street vendor outside of a networking event I attended near Culver City. If you ask any local here where their favorite taco truck is, they’ll each have a great and unique answer for you.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As cliche as it sounds, I wouldn’t be anywhere without my parents. Their love, kindness, and support have lifted me up in all aspects of life and helped me become the person I want to be. I am also forever grateful for my friends, who supported me every step of the way.

I try to remind myself every day how fortunate I am to have these people in my life. In any endeavor, the support of the people you love can be the difference between accomplishing what you’re striving for and falling short. At the end of the day, the connections we have with other human beings are quite possibly the most important and meaningful part of our lives. I think it’s important that we don’t forget that.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balka.music/

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/64CZOJuy73xdrVnNuWc9kC?si=k6Fk8J7jSNqXzEV-OHvuGg

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ba%C5%82ka/1719887553

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/42372059

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@balka.music_?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
Ky-Leigh Martinez
Nils Heinstedt
Paulo Manlapaz