"I CAN REALLY BRING IT BACK BY SAYING THAT MUSIC IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ALWAYS IN MY DNA."

Jay Glavany is a longtime No Diploma student, sharing our vision of knowledge of self and empowering others through connection and creation. We met on our first trip to Toronto in 2018, and now we sit down again to delve deeper into his evolution as an artist, but even more so as a person.

His latest EP Look What You’ve Done, released in 2021, represents some of his best work yet. His velvet-like voice paired with soulful and melodic beats evokes a beautiful nostalgia. But beyond the music itself, Jay doesn’t shy away from preaching for inner growth and introspection. Learning about himself in more profound ways only elevates the messages weaved into his work.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC?

I can really bring it back by saying that music is something that was always in my DNA. When I was young, I always had a big imagination. I used to just kind of like murmur melodies and listen to some of these producers at the time, like DJ Premier, Kanye, Timbo... I was so amazed at how they were making their beats or how the production used to sound because I never heard anything like that, especially the sample chops. So then, you know, when I got to high school, my music teacher had a music program. From there, I begged him to give it to me so that I can bring it home because we were only allowed to use it in the classrooms. Yeah, I was like 'Please can I bring it home?'. He eventually gave me a copy. So from there, I sort of practice a little bit more, doing loops and whatnot. Keep in mind, I'm probably like, 12-13.

HOW DID YOUR MUSIC TRANSITION INTO WHAT IT IS NOW?

Well, I felt like I always wanted to do music. But in terms of getting better, I had an idea of what I saw as a producer. I had ideas of making beats for people and whatnot. I wanted to make beats for this person and that person. When I went to Metalworks, my goal was to meet new people so that I can just give them my beats. But as I was studying there, I realized I wanted to do more. So I started exploring my voice. I met people along the way, some of the people I work with to this day. And we would just chat all the time, go into the studio, and record a bunch of times. That's how we were getting better. This started in 2015…that's when I really decided to take this seriously and became Jay Glavany.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO EXPRESS THROUGH YOUR MUSIC?

I want to encourage people to think outside the box and have their own train of thought. And with my music, I feel like I'm still discovering that. I want people to understand that it's okay to be human because you're going through these different situations in your life, everybody has unique stories, right? So I'm using music as a way to express that. I do want my listener to walk in my shoes a little bit. I want my listeners to think about an alternative world and be in their own space, maybe reflect with my music or my lyrics differently. I don't necessarily want people to understand exactly fully what it is for me, but I do want them to create a version of their own. Hopefully, I’m able to help them in whichever way and empower them.

IS MUSIC THERAPEUTIC TO YOU?

Yeah of course. but I don't think that's really what my focus is. I use it as an outlet for creativity. I tell people all the time that music is like a time capsule. That's how I treat it because I'm able to go back to some songs that I made at a certain time, I could tell you exactly what was happening and what I was going through…that's the most beautiful thing. I love that I’ll be able to look back when I’m older and pinpoint those changes.

HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANY FULL CIRCLE MOMENTS?

Recently actually. What happened was, I had just put out my latest EP, Look what you've done. Randomly, I checked my DMs on Instagram and I see this representative for Metalworks reached out. They were like, ‘Hey, we want to include you in the alumni’, but I didn't even graduate. Crazy, how it comes back, you know. (...) It was just proof that my hard work is paying off. And someone actually reached out and they’re clearly still watching. It was a great moment. But obviously, I don't let that define me. It was just great when it happened. Truthfully, I knew that was gonna happen.

"PRACTICE THAT HUMBLENESS, PRACTICE THAT GRATITUDE, REMAIN GROUNDED."

WALK US THROUGH THE INNER WORK YOU'VE DONE AS A PERSON.

That's the keyword right there: as a person. Music is one thing, It's what I want to do, But I am not my music. (...) First of all, I’m a highly positive person. I feel like it was just given by the blessings of my parents. So I'm able to kind of look at life in a very optimistic way. And because of that, I think it encourages me to see the brighter side of things. So if I'm ever stuck, maybe I shouldn't be making anything creative, because I ran out of the creative fuel and juices that I had. What do I need to do? I just need to live, I just need to live in the moment. Enjoy the moments that I'm in right now. you know, practice that humbleness, practice that gratitude, and remain grounded. I think being in different spaces also helps. If you discover different environments, you obviously get inspiration from different things, or even talking to people right now. Like, this is inspiring right now. Right? I am hoping to inspire others with this conversation, Someone in the world probably needs to hear this right now.

WHAT DOES KNOWLEDGE OF SELF MEAN TO YOU?

For me, knowledge of self is to know yourself better to start with. I think it is really important to understand how we act, how we react to things and how we engage with different people in different settings. Because once you learn more about yourself, you know how to go about certain things. When you have a better understanding of who you are, know what you like, know what you don't like, soon as you know that, you just know how to carry yourself for yourself, not for other people. Also, when you know yourself, it rubs on people. People can tell when your intentions are pure or not. Knowledge of self is almost like a yin and yang, a good and a bad. It's understanding what are your bad traits and your good traits. (...) When you become wiser, you could become a guide for someone, could help them grow inside and within so that they're able to carry themselves better.