Meet Jordan Ann Martone | Freelance Violinist & Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Ann Martone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan Ann, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance has always been of incredible importance to me in my life. As a freelance musician, it is nearly impossible to find balance unless you actively work on it and make it an intentional priority. It’s easy to get caught up in a lot of work and neglect self-care, friendships, etc. I am certainly not the master of balance, but it is something I deeply value. I first became aware of balance while growing up as a kid in the theatre, where balance does not exist! I thrive on being busy and having work to do. But when I have a weekend of no work, rather than freaking out about it like I used to, I try to soak in it. Be in the moment, feel everything, the good and the bad, because it’s an indicator of where I am. When I traveled through Italy a few summers ago, I noticed how much the Italians value balance. They don’t live to work like Americans do. They work to live and then they really live! Cin Cin!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a violinist that’s primarily passionate about film music has been a tricky road to navigate when it comes to my career. There’s no degree program for “Studio Violinist” so I had to get my degree in classical violin performance which was difficult for me. I ran into a lot of obstacles between my love for the instrument and my love for a specific genre of music. Additionally, I came into this career as it was crumbling in front of me. The way that film music is created and recorded has drastically changed from my childhood to now and I was trying to get jobs as everything was (and still is) changing every day. It’s forced me to be flexible with every job (not an easy thing for this stubborn taurus!). But, looking back, I’m so glad this industry has forced me out of my shell. It’s made me a stronger person and a better artist. Whenever I give talks to young musicians entering the field, I try to reassure them that, even though it seems like the world is against you, it’s really here to stretch you. Life is hard in any field, but pushing through and staying true to what you love will always pay off.

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.
Los Angeles has some of the best food in the world. You really can’t go wrong. I’ve lived here my whole life and don’t realize how good we have it until I travel elsewhere. I can grab a great diner breakfast at Paty’s in Toluca Lake, amazing street tacos anywhere, and splurge on Italian at Mozza every once in a while. But my ideal evening out in LA with a friend is catching a show at the Hollywood Bowl. Pack a picnic, a nice bottle of wine, and enjoy some beautiful music in the perfect weather. Gah, I love this city.

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?
I absolutely need to shoutout my dear friend Nima Fakhrara. Nima is an ultra talented and inspiring film composer that I have collaborated with for a few years now. He took a chance on me as a violinist and challenged me to stretch my creative skills into writing and arranging; something I never would’ve thought to try before. I have contracted multiple ensembles for Nima’s scores and it’s been a joy working with someone who is so daring and pushes me outside my comfort zone in order to create an amazing product. Our latest film, “Lou” came to Netflix on Sept 24th and it’s certainly unique how Nima used the vocals, electronic elements, and my solo tracks on Viola Da Gamba. Nima is on a stellar upward trajectory with his career and is definitely one to watch.

Website: jordanann.com

Instagram: @jordanannmartone

Youtube: Jordan Ann Martone

Other: TikTok: @jordanannmartone