Housatonic — Jackson Whalan grew up in Berkshire County and moved around, living in Great Barrington, Housatonic, and West Stockbridge.
As his musical career gained traction, he spent six years in New York City, attending The New School and graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music.
However, he told The Berkshire Edge, no matter where he has toured or been, his heart has always been in Berkshire County.
“This area has always been so special to me,” Whalan said. “Touring around everywhere made me realize how special this area is. The Berkshires are also within reach of New York City, where I can connect with the music industry.”
Whalan, a 2009 graduate of Monument Mount Regional High School, has made several hip hop albums over his career.
“When I was eight years old, my older brother Adam left me a collection of CDs at the house when he moved away after he turned 18,” Whalan said. “All of the CDs in the collection were hip hop. All those songs and albums hit me at the right time in my life. If you have a calling, it kind of comes to you when you are young. And when you are young, you need a way to express yourself. And that is what moved me the most.”
Whalan said he has been inspired by musicians Nas, the late Notorious B.I.G., The Fugees, Eminem, and The Roots.
“Right now I’m working with Roots keyboard player Ray Angry,” he said. “He hosts this jam session in New York City called ‘Producer Mondays’, and I got to rap there with Questlove a couple of weeks ago, so for me it was a real full circle moment.”
Whalan said that, from a very early age, he fell in love with “the rawness, confidence, and rhyming aspects” of hip hop and rap.
“With this music, there is a storytelling aspect of speaking about your experiences and overcoming adversity,” he said. “It was something that I identified with as a kid. I feel like the goal with my music is to inspire others to start creating. To me, I feel like in this world of commodities you can buy everything, but you can’t buy inspiration.”
One year ago, Whalan opened a space at the MUSE (Multi-Use Studio Experiment) building in Housatonic.
Whalan shares his studio space with his wife, Amy, who operates Avida Love Photography.
“I’ve been orbiting the Housatonic River for decades now with other studios throughout the area,” he said. “I feel like it’s hard to find a place as an artist to create. I know MUSE Building Manager and artist Huckleberry Elling, along with others who have rented here, and my wife wanted a place where she could operate a photography studio outside of the house. The space is great, and there are so many great people here in this building because it’s a friendly vibe.”
Whalan is making his music at the studio, and he is also producing music by other musicians.
“I recently launched a VIP music membership service, because I’ve been trying to solve issues around music streaming services like Spotify and Apple,” Whalan said.
According to various music news websites, a musician makes approximately $0.003 to $0.005 per stream per song.
“It’s not possible to make a living as an independent artist with that kind of payment,” he said. “This is why I’m inviting my fans to subscribe to the VIP membership via Bandcamp. When they do, they will get everything I’ve ever made, future releases, and some goodies like unreleased music and demos.”
Whalan’s latest album is Vocal Points, which he released in May.
He will be performing once again at The Berkshire Busk! On Friday, Aug. 22, he will hold an open mic.
He will also hold a Berkshire Music Mixer event at MUSE on Tuesday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m.
For more information about Jackson Whalan, go to his website at this link.
For more information about recording in his studio, go to this link.
