Today we’d like to introduce you to Livva Jones.
Hi Livva, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My musical journey started before I could even remember or let alone speak for that matter. Do you know how every child has that one activity or thing they gravitate towards? Well, music was always mine.
Growing up in Staten Island, New York with my family, music was constantly around me and I got exposed to various genres and artists from my parents, grandpa, and siblings, some including pop, rap, hip-hop, R&B, country, Motown, 80’s music, 50’s rock, 60’s classics and so many more.
My family actually jokes around about how I would sing along to my walkman and iPod nano in the back seat of the car and sound absolutely horrendous. I think it is safe to say I have come a long way since then!
I joined the chorus in elementary, middle, and high school, did a cappella in college and started taking private voice and piano lessons when I was around 14/15 years old and never looked back. I have been singing since I was in diaper however, my songwriting career didn’t start until I was about 14 years old.
My great-grandma sadly passed away when I was a freshman in high school and I turned to music to help process my emotions. The first song I ever wrote was about this time period in my life, called “Broken Hearts”.
Shortly after, I met the most amazing team (Laura Monaco and Joey Martino of ET Studio Productions) that have and continue to till this day make my dreams a reality; writing and releasing my own music to inspire, heal, and help others. As I became older and thought about who I wanted to be as an artist, country music spoke to me and felt like home. I fell in love with the genre’s natural ability to tell a story through its intimate lyrics and intricately layered instrumentation. I have since then become the pop-country recording artist and songwriter Livva Jones, co-writing and releasing over 15 original songs, with my latest EP titled “Hidden Chapters”.
In the midst of this all, continuing my education was important to me. I am a nerd at heart y’all! I knew I wanted to go to college but I wasn’t sure what I should major in. I eventually decided to declare an Actuarial Science Major at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. The calculus nerd in me knew I was good at math and it would be a job I could financially support myself with while continuing to songwrite, gig, and record more music.
After 2 short months, I called my parents and told them my heart wasn’t in it. I couldn’t picture myself sitting behind a desk crunching numbers all day from 9-5. I had no passion for it. My dad once told me, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”. I also could hear my former high school chorus teacher Mrs. Nolemi in the back of my head saying,” we were given the gift of music not to keep to ourselves but to share it with others”.
I began talking to mom about what I could do career-wise within the music industry. Teaching and becoming a celebrity were the two routes in my mind and neither sounded appealing to me. My mom mentioned the field of music therapy to me, which was not something I had heard of before.
I researched the field and after watching a Youtube video of a girl singing to her baby brother with Down Syndrome, teaching him, through the music, the only vocabulary he had as a part of his speech, I became overwhelmed with emotion. This is just a glimpse of what music therapy can do for people and I just knew I had to become a music therapist. It combined my two goals in life, utilizing music and healing others.
I dropped my actuarial science major and declared a music major with a minor in music industry and psychology, graduating in May 2020 with my BA in music with a 4.0 GPA. I then went on to receive my Master of Arts in Music Therapy from New York University, graduating on May 2o22 with a 4.0 GPA.
These past 2 years have definitely been a whirlwind, to say the least.
From pandemics to grieving the loss of my grandfather, to starting and completing the most grueling yet rewarding music therapy program in the nation, interning at a children’s hospital in NYC working with oncology, hematology, cardiac, and ICU patients, working at ET Labz teaching piano to children with varying needs, all while receiving new personal medical diagnoses, struggling with my health, and going through two relationship breakups… music and my family have been the two things that have remained a constant in my life, helping me to overcome every one of these battles.
I am so grateful to have had them and my singing, my piano, my guitar, and songwriting to allow me to express myself and the surplus of emotion and weight I was carrying. Without music, I would definitely not be the woman I am today.
Life has many successes and setbacks and I am so grateful I have music to continue healing, growing, reflecting, and hopefully inspire others, even if it is just one person!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I touched on this in the previous question, but there have definitely been some struggles and challenges for sure! think anyone will tell you that being a part of the music industry is not synonymous with the word smooth haha
The biggest challenge for me has always been that internal battle of not thinking you’re good enough and constantly comparing yourself to others. What makes it harder to then believe in yourself and your abilities is getting involved in an industry that criticizes everything you release, do, wear, say, etc.
This standard of beauty and perfection is not healthy because it is unrealistic. What has helped me is working on changing my mindset from “I can’t play or write like XYZ”, “I can’t belt like XYZ”, “I don’t look like XYZ”, etc. to now saying “what I bring to the table is beautiful because it is imperfect and fully me”. Not one person is like the other and we all bring something different to the world.
Everyone has their own purpose, their own sound, their own look, and their own way of expressing themselves. That is what makes music so special in the first place! It is individualistic and embracing who you are is powerful. I actually wrote a song called “Battle Scars” back in 2019 with these feelings of self-doubt in mind.
Embracing and accepting who I am is still something I am working on but surrounding yourself with people who make you feel loved, important, and special is vital. I am so grateful and blessed to have the most amazing support system of people in my life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Right now, I currently wear multiple hats.
I am a music therapy graduate student completing her thesis and studying to pass her board exam, I am an employee of ET Labz where I teach kiddos piano and music theory, and I am a songwriter and recording artist currently working on a new single coming out in August, and I am a part of a band who I gig with and play keyboard (@dancoriomusic_offical). Busy is definitely my middle name haha
These past two years have been an uphill battle dealing with feelings of grief, anxiety, loss, sadness, stress, and heartbreak among others. I am most proud of myself for continuing to show up for myself even when it felt like life was throwing one battle and challenge after the next my way.
I dove into my music using it as an outlet, trying to not lose hope, keep my faith strong, and continue to spread kindness. I try and bring happiness and sunshine into the world even when I don’t feel entirely happy myself. Family and friends are the most important things in my life, along with the music of course, and making sure everyone I care about feels loved and is happy is a priority of mine.
I think one thing I am known for is my playful and bright energy, I am always smiling! My songwriting cap is also always on no matter where I am. I find myself constantly saying “oh that would be a great song lyric” or “I should write a song about that” even in the strangest places haha
One thing that I think sets me apart from others in this industry is that my passion is fueled by connecting with others. I was never interested in the fame or fortunes that come with being a superstar. The fact that I have the ability to write and release music that can connect to someone across the country or world is mind-boggling to me.
Hearing people tell me that my singing, writing, or playing has touched them, helped them heal, and has been relatable to what they were going through makes my heart so full. That is why I do what I do. And that is why I surround myself with people that push me to be a better person, musician, artist, and writer.
From growing up in a super loving and close family to having friends be by my side since childhood, to having a team at ET Studio Productions that helps me write, produce, record, and release original music, to gigging with my bandmates, and now being a part of my new NYU music therapy family, it is always about connection for me.
There is something so special about using music to feel something with other human beings. Not many things in life give you that sense of fullness and catharsis.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
One piece of advice my vocal coach, cowriter, boss, and mentor, Laura Monaco, told me was “Dare to suck” and that has always stuck with me.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to doing something you love and putting your all into your passions. Don’t let anyone tell you that your dream is too big. If your dream doesn’t scare you then it is definitely not big enough.
I say go for it because there is nothing worse than saying “what if?”. Everything happens for a reason and life is too short to be unhappy y’all. Let life unfold, trust yourself, and don’t look back!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livcentonza/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livvajonesmusic/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivCentonza
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ypj5KLvzDln69tGtAvHLL?si=S-0vWjJHQ2q9VRvbt2vI4Q
Image Credits
Gabriel Vasquez
