Meet JT Hillier | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with JT Hillier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi JT, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I think a lot of non-musicians would assume that my profession must be very different from theirs and because of that, they’re often hesitant to relate to what I do on a personal level. In reality, there is usually more common ground from job to job than most people care to realize.

Oftentimes, the tasks that keep this thing afloat aren’t getting posted on anyone’s social media pages. And while I am so grateful that I get to play my guitar and make music for a living, a lot of work is going on in the details that’s not necessarily glamorous or sexy. Over the years, I’ve come to learn that my ability to embrace the boring stuff, ultimately allows me to continue doing more creative work, professionally. It’s all kind of part of the same whole in that sense.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I really enjoy being an independent artist and everything that comes with that. I take pride in it. I love being in control of this little operation I have going on: creating my own content, booking my own shows, maintaining an online presence that excites me, writing, producing, mixing and releasing my own music without interference. Steve Jobs called it “end to end control.” Don’t get me wrong, I love collaboration. But it feels really great to have reached a point in my career where I don’t necessarily have to anymore.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Columbus is a cool town. I’ve never been much of a nightlife, Night at the Roxbury type, so i’d probably lean towards activities that are more my speed.

Lunch at Katzinger’s Deli, the Book Loft in German Village and a couple of record stores. I’ve always loved Used Kids and Lost Weekend Records. Go see a show at The Basement or The Newport, grab some pizza at Hounddog’s and get a beer at a local dive like Woodland’s Tavern or Tree Bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family was always an inspiration to me. I grew up listening to my cousins play guitar and I just wanted to be part of that community. There’s something about growing up in a musical family and having instruments around that demystifies the whole thing. The music becomes something more tangible, more real, more accessible. It gets inside of you and becomes part of you.

Website: www.jthilliermusic.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jthilliermusic

Facebook: facebook.com/jthilliermusic

Youtube: youtube.com/jthilliermusic

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/04MWzQNB3TCZCiprH03ZlD Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jthilliermusic