Meet Derek Dennis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Dennis.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. My family has always been deeply invested in the arts. Whether through song, writing books, visual arts, or photography. I never fully picked up on this because I was always jumping from visual arts to music to photography. And there was a time when singing for me wasn’t even a second thought. But I think I realized how much I loved using my voice as a form of art when I got into high school. Its always been something I come back to. Especially in the many different seasons I’ve gone through (and will go through) in life. Making and writing music for me is like having your best friend with you all the time every hour of the day cheering you on and inspiring you. And I just think that’s such a really raw thing to have. Instead of my actual first and last name, I decided to go by Mar. Which is half of my middle name La’Mar (it’s still growing on me).

Please tell us about your art.
Well, I am a songwriter, singer, and producer. I make all my own music (with some samples at times) and write everything. I tend to write 90% of my songs in my song notes. I try to hand write more cause I think its better in some way… but I hardly actually do it. I produce and record everything in FL (Fruity Loops) Studio. I grew up with my dad teaching me the ends and outs of it. So I’m more comfortable with it cause I’ve seen it develop over the years. I don’t have any really crazy reason I do it. I just do it because I want to. The way certain sounds in the voice and instruments go together excites me. I do what I love to do. And that for me is music. And that’s what I feel my message. Do what you know you’ll love. Do something in your life you won’t regret. Don’t let others project their misconstrued ideas of success onto you. Do what you love.

Something should definitely know about my music is that a lot of it is inspired by my best friend India’s intellect. I catch a lot of my ideas in some of the simplest things she says, and I love her soo much.

What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think everything been sort of back and forth. Because even when an artist is prospering, there are still gonna be seasons of drought. There will be times when the conditions for the artist aren’t what’s preferred. Sometimes artists from different communities everywhere will thrive for a time. And sometimes they won’t. Cities have gotten better with encouraging and helping artist thrive, but there’s always even more to be done. Making sure local artist are getting the traction they need through spreading the word is just the beginning. Staying involved, pouring into the events they are either hosting or performing in around cities. Even financially being a blessing to an artist because creation comes with a cost. And being CONSISTENTLY supportive.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my work on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and a bunch of other streaming platforms. You’d be surprised how many people go by Mar as an artist name. So I tend to keep links to my music on my Instagram @jstmaar (two a’s cause ya know… you’d be surprised) also my twitter @jstmaar. Your can support by not only downloading, saving, and sharing my music, but also by telling me if you like it! I like to know when and if my music helped uplift someone.

Contact Info:

• Email: jstmarmusic@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jstmaar/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jstmaar

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.