Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Horton.
Hi Jon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I was 10 years old, my dad gave me my first guitar as a Christmas gift. He started teaching me everything he knew, and I eventually started joining various musical groups like the middle school concert band and the church band. I was getting experience not only in playing guitar but also learning music theory and how it works, how to play with other instruments, how to actually play those instruments, and just how music is made in general. In 2005, I joined the US Navy Band as percussionist and drummer. After six years, I left the service to pursue my own musical path. I tried so many things: a couple of Indie rock bands, my own original instrumental music, and even eventually attending Full Sail university here in Florida to pursue audio engineering.
But then I unexpectedly found myself growing in skill as a solo performer and entertainer. I attended open mic nights often (mainly at Austin’s Coffee) and started getting feedback that I could pursue a career as a singing guitarist. So, in 2018, I started calling venues to try and get my foot in the door for performances. I got in! As I kept looking for gigs and finding work, my career continued to grow. Now I’m performing full-time as a musician for private events and for DTOLive! while also performing charitably for my church. I’m so thankful for all of those who inspired me, to those who helped me grow, and to the God of Heaven who gave me this gift according to His perfect counsel and abundant grace.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The hardest struggles for me personally or two things: a diligent work ethic, and embracing cringe.
Consistent is definitely a shared struggle among musicians. The allure of the industry’s promise of fame and fortune can attract those who just want to have an easy life of very little work and high pay. That includes me. The truth about the music industry is that it requires lots of work just like any other job. Very rarely does someone get launched into an easy life of stardom. Success is almost always backed up by hard work on your craft and making connections. That is something I had to come to terms with, and I’m in a much better place now of committing to this kind of work.
Embracing cringe goes hand-in-hand with hard work. Not only do you have to labor consistently, but you must be willing to make mistakes in your art. And on a public scale, no less. It must be restated that the industry is not easy, and part of that reason is because it takes a long time of trial and error to get better and find out what works for you as an artist. That means putting out the imperfect recording. That means performing when you don’t sound like the ideal singer. You must embrace the cringe of those mistakes in order to get the end results you want. This has been a very recent lesson of mine, which is why you don’t see any of my original music online yet. But I hope to share soon!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty in my work is a wide variety of genres spanning from the 60s to today. I’m known for being able to play just the right music for basically any crowd.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey, or at least one of them, is that I don’t have to have a music career. I simply choose to have one. That means I don’t have to fit into any specific mold. That also means that if something tragic happened to me where I lose my ability to play music, that doesn’t mean my purpose in life is gone. Music is a gift from God, but it is not a god to be worshiped. I do not trust in music to satisfy my soul or to give me what I need. I only trust in God who has blessed me with every spiritual blessing and adopted me as His own for His own purposes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thejonhorton.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/jonhortonmusic
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/jonhortonmusic
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/jonhortonmusic
Image Credits
Formal Attire images by The Tattooed Bride
Casual Attire images by Chris Quevedo
