ArtHaus Interview: Jerrell Battle

Jerrell Battle is a seasoned music producer, educator, and multi-instrumentalist based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 30 years of experience in the music industry, he has established himself as a versatile artist, proficient in various aspects of music production, instruction and performance.

You’re a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, engineer and educator.  When someone asks you about your profession, which one of these things do you mention first, and why?   

I’m always a musician first. That’s what sent me down this path. I started early on composing almost as soon I begin playing. That in turn lead me to sound design, then producing and mixing. I have always shared my knowledge along the way for anyone who’s wanted to learn. 

What inspires you the most about teaching kids? 

It always reminds me of my first time I started. Discovering a whole new world of expression. The joy of creating and the sense of accomplishment and of course, it’s fun! 

Tell us a great story about one of your students during your teaching career? 

During class one of the kids started humming a song and I said it sounds familiar. The other began playing the beat on the Djembe and they all went it in concert mode! I was blown away because the song was in Japanese and they knew all the words. Perfectly synced. It was a song from a TV show 

What would you say your greatest achievement is as an artist?  

My greatest achievement would have to be learning the piano, which is still ongoing. I played every day for 8 hours a day when I was 12 for many years. I was blessed with an incredible amount of patience and attention to detail.  

What’s the best message you can share with young artists today?  

Be original. Use your inspiration for creation and not imitation. Pick 3-5 songs you love the most from different genres and figure out why you like them.  

You’ll be surprised how much they have in common. Listen for musicianship, lyrics, production, mixing, melody, and how the song makes you feel. Some songs have all these things you like and some only a few. 

You can use that as part of the process to create. Be very specific. For example, one of my favorite songs is Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd. As a musician, the chord progression is different. Creates tension. The production is way top notch. The vocal is simple but the tone of his voice and echos, makes the song- Hypnotic.