Music has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. From singing to my dolls at age two, to teaching myself how to play “Flashlight” by Parliament at ten, to arranging my first instrumental piece at twelve, I can honestly say that music is equal parts who I am and what I do. Over the past several years, I’ve been blessed to work with many talented artists, songwriters, and creatives alike, from Eric Benet to Lyle Lovett to Meghan Trainor, just to name a few. Most recently, I had the opportunity to tour as part of the opening act with Jordan McGraw on The Jonas Brothers "Happiness Begins" tour, which ran from August through December (2019). The experience was, by far, one of the most memorable of my career.
Anyone who has been on tour will tell you that touring is, indeed, not for the faint of heart. The ever-changing time zones and lack of sleep are enough to drive most people bonkers, but the upside is the masses of people, full of excitement and joy, reminding you just how fortunate you are to do what you love each night. For every moment of exhaustion, there’s a friendly face somewhere in the crowd cheering you on and that’s the balance that keeps the magic going. And, thanks to technology, there’s FaceTime and Google Duo for the days when family and friends feel further away than you’d like.
Sometimes, though, things happen that we are not prepared for and cannot quickly remedy. For me, this was being diagnosed with a large ovarian cyst and Endometriosis (a condition in which tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside of the uterus on other organs, sometimes causing them to become attached), all before the start of my last tour. I remember feeling perfectly healthy, then one morning waking up in excruciating pain and barely able to move the left side of my body. I was terrified. I couldn’t imagine what could have possibly changed so drastically in a 24-hour period, and everything I did consider made me all the more concerned. I was rushed to the hospital and given a series of tests, all of which initially provided inconclusive results. After a few days of additional lab work, I was finally given a formal diagnosis and informed that surgery would be necessary to address my condition.
The idea of being operated on didn’t scare me, but knowing that I’d have to wait nearly six months for the procedure was another story. Each day, the pain grew more severe and over-the-counter medication would no longer be strong enough to address it. At one point, I had to go to the hospital for injections of pain medication multiple times each week. It was miserable, and I could feel the quality of my life diminishing. But then, seemingly out of the blue, I got a text message from a friend that read, “Hey. Are you free to tour right now? It’s opening for The Jonas Brothers with Jordan McGraw...and you have 2 days to decide.”
I laughed. It was a natural reaction to an offer that couldn’t have come at an odder time. I had been praying for some relief for several months by then, though, and decided that this was just the type of positive change I needed. I accepted the tour, not sharing any concerns with anyone except my doctor, who agreed that my body could handle what my mind allowed it to. And so, I went.
Though I was physically challenged on a level I had never been before, I truly had an amazing time. There were days that were more painful than others, many sleepless nights, a few trips to the ER and a terrible reaction to Morphine, but it was worth every bit. Because of this tour, I was able to travel across North America and connect with new fans from all walks of life. During each meet-and-greet, I took pictures and exchanged social handles with as many people as possible and many of those people became new followers and fans of my music. In one instance, “taking pictures” actually led to a young woman in need of a kidney transplant finding a willing donor in a matter of minutes, simply because I shared our picture along with her story on Instagram! It’s not very often that an artist offers so much space for his/her band members to be individuals, and it is something that I will always remember and appreciate about Jordan McGraw.
By now, many people have seen me on various television programs and tours as a background vocalist and may also have heard the handful of singles I’ve released. What many people do not know, however, is that I have been recording a body of work over the last year in addition to composing music for other artists and brands – all while on that Jonas Brothers tour. With the help of MXL Microphones and the Kaotica Eyeball, I was able to capture fantastic audio while creating remotely without ever skipping a beat. It was often a nice change of pace and quick break in my daily routine, just me and my laptop, favorite DAW, interface, and headphones. Sure, scheduling “me time” to get things done was sometimes more difficult than others, but I took advantage of as many off days as possible and created a system that allowed me to have fun and get the work done.
Three months into 2020, and it’s been quite restful since the end of tour. My surgery was successful and recovering has allowed me to spend much needed time with friends and family, particularly my nephew, Leo, who is now almost eight months old. I’m excited for what the year ahead will bring, speaking great things into existence as I prepare to dive right back into the music. So, in the words of Alicia Keys, stay tuned – there’s more to see.
Jessica Jolia is a singer, songwriter, producer who was on Episode 159 of “Now Hear This Entertainment.” She is currently up for Artist of the Year, Best Live Performer, and Best Singer/Songwriter in the Sacramento Music Awards. (Vote for her in the Sammies here.) Learn more about Jessica on her official website and/or on her social media (links on her website).
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Jessica Jolia singing