Jordan Siwek is a songwriter artist from New York, New York. Being known for turning dark into light and pain into music, we at Unheard Gems found Jordan fascinating and incredibly talented. Fresh off the release of his debut album, “Sun Inside You”, Jordan is becoming more and more well known around the world.We love his music and wish him the best!
Unheard Gems: I first want to say thank you for joining and working with us to create an amazing interview! Now, onto the questions.
UG: How did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in music? When did you first come to that realization?
JS: I was always drawn to music, singing, and playing piano, but it wasn’t until college that I really made the decision that this was what I was meant to do. I was studying music, psychology, and music therapy at SUNY New Paltz and it was actually one of my psych classes that really got me believing that I could turn the dream into reality. The class was called Psych of Motivation and for the term project we had to set goals for ourselves and then set mini goals along the way. My goal was to write songs, form a band, and record a demo. Much to my surprise, I achieved that goal and it really made an impact on me!
UG: When did you first become interested in music?
JS: I’ve loved music since I was very little. I started playing piano because my grandfather played and whenever we would visit him and there were no toys or video games, so I would just spend all my time figuring things out on piano, and expressing my emotions through music.
UG: What is your favorite genre of music to play, and what is your favorite genre of music to listen to?
JS: That’s a tough question, because I love all genres of music. My favorite genres to play are probably blues, pop, and rock and roll. My favorite genres to listen to are jazz, classic rock, R&B, 90’s hip hop, and classical nocturnes at night. I also try to listen to contemporary top 40 songs to stay up to date and analyze the songwriting.
UG: What artist (or artists) would you like to collaborate with?
JS: I’d love to write a melodic hook for one of my favorite hip hop artists, like Eminem, Common, or Jay-Z. I would also love to co-write with Ed Sheeran, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Alicia Keys.
UG: What was your favorite genre of music as a child? Who was your favorite artist (or artists) as a child?
JS: As a child in NYC, I grew up in the Broadway musical world and I was lucky enough to have played Gavroche in the 10th Anniversary Broadway Cast of Les Miserables. So, that incredible music was one of my biggest influences. When I was very little, Puff the Magic Dragon was the first song I was obsessed with, and from the moment I heard Stevie Wonder, I was hooked for life!
UG: Is anyone in your family a musician?
JS: Yes, my grandfather played piano in the army band in WWII. He had lots of sheet music of the jazz standards, the Great American Songbook, which I learned to play and became very inspired by.
UG: What/who inspired you to become a musician?
JS: Pure love for playing music! For awhile, music was the one thing that consistently made me happy. Playing piano was always a perfect way for me to create beauty, light, and joy, and once I figured that out, I never stopped playing.
UG: What is your favorite instrument to play?
JS: Piano, definitely. I always saw the eighty eight keys of the piano as a limitless canvas to paint infinite chords and melodies, to create a range of dynamics, and to express sadness and joy.
UG: If you were to recommend one unheard or up-and-coming musician for us to listen to, who would it be?
JS: I would recommend listening to Jeff Jacobs for the Singer/Songwriter genre and Nikhil Koparkar & Kunal Gunjal for World music. Both are innovative yet timeless.
UG: Who is an artist (or artists) that you look up to?
JS: John Legend and Stevie Wonder for their soulful and beautiful melodies and harmonies, as well as Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Kurt Cobain for their innovations in songwriting.
UG: Who is an artist (or artists) that you consider yourself to be like? Do you take any inspiration from this person/s?
JS: People have compared my music to Elton John, Billy Joel, and Cat Stevens. I take that as a high compliment. Those artists are classics! Yes, I was definitely inspired by those artists while making this album, Sun Inside You!
Interview by Zoe Steider
Edited by Hannah Schneider
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