Jaïr takes the lead. "Greening is also necessary within the music industry."
- Music
Mental challenges, being queer in a heteronormative world, growing up in a time of crises; despite adversity, Jaïr stands tall and wants to contribute to a better world. Currently, Jaïr, a MediaMusic student, is working on a new EP in the studios of the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Enschede. It will be released on biodegradable and vegan vinyl.
Halfboi
"Halfboi, that used to be just me. Half boy, as I discovered that I am non-binary. The name Halfboi is an extension of who I am but also a character I wrote about in my latest EP. It's about a non-binary robot and Halfboi encountering AI. Since then, Halfboi has evolved into what it is now; a complete band. I met my other band members here at school. They all study at the Academy of Pop Music, and I myself pursue the profile of Electronic Artist & Producer within the MediaMusic course."
Bachelor MediaMusic
More or less by accident, Jaïr ended up auditioning for the MediaMusic program. They thought they had applied for the Pop Academy bachelor. When the examiner briefly explained what the MediaMusic program entails, Jaïr immediately liked the idea. "I can develop myself as a musician here and at the same time produce my own sound. It gives me the freedom to write music and also have complete control over the final product: the songs."
Entrepreneurship
"Whenever I think about my own music, I see a physical representation in front of me. Music videos, album covers, photography. I am very visually oriented. That's why I believe my own music should also take on a tangible form. It's not just about creating a product to sell and make money; it's also about wanting my listeners to hold the album artwork and experience it. To walk with it to their record player and place the needle on it. This way, they get a total experience, allowing me to tell my story even better."
When I began researching what it takes to release a vinyl record, I came to a disappointing conclusion. In the production of vinyl records, so many harmful substances are used that I didn't want to contribute to that pollution. I put the idea aside until I attended a lecture by Voordekunst at the Academy of Music in Enschede. Voordekunst is a crowdfunding platform founded to support artistic productions. When I realized that you can finance productions very effectively in this way, I conducted further research. In the depths of the internet, I found two small-scale production companies that produce almost climate-neutral biovinyl records without PVC. Financially, this is considerably more expensive than regular vinyl production, but thanks to my donators on voordekunst.nl, I can hopefully still realize my dream and release a physical record. As a musician, you're also an entrepreneur, and I feel good about being able to make my own choices in this way. Hopefully, it also inspires other musicians, labels, and producers.
Contributing to awareness
"When I started telling my own community about the harmful substances in PVC, I found out that almost no one is aware of this. People have their record collections filled with material that has caused damage to the planet during its production. Additionally, PVC releases substances that can be harmful to health. After some inquiries, I found that most people are willing to pay extra for a product that is produced almost climate-neutrally. That completes the business case for me. Marketing doesn't always have to have a capitalist goal. The story I want to tell in my music comes first, but I also want to take the opportunity to emphasize when selling my record that it is biovinyl. This way, I can contribute to awareness and at the same time sell a unique product."
