Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, American Idol Finalist, On the Creative Process, Minimalism, and the Distraction of Attention

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Hilary sat down with one of her favorite local musicians turned American Idol finalist, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon. As of the airing of this episode, Jeremiah is in the thick of American Idol auditions as a Top 10 Finalist. Jeremiah shares how he is balancing all the American Idol craziness, the highlights of his experience, and what parameters he puts in his life to protect his creative process.

Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon is a singer-songwriter based in Baltimore, Maryland. He first started writing songs in Lynchburg Virginia, eventually performing them at the Lynchstock Music Festival for three consecutive years. Harmon's self-titled EP, released this year though Virginia based record label Harding Street Assembly Lab, is a psychadelic folk-jazz fusion project recorded in his old living room with producer Chris Schlarb who compared its sound to that of Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions." With a vocal ability that has been described as possessing "a cross between Jónsi, Jeff Buckley, and a soulfulness that is uncommon to his complexion," Harmon delivers a collection of uniquely crafted songs that are "simultaneously transcendent and reserved. Jeremiah's most recent projects include the release of his latest single "Learn to Love" recorded live at the Glass Village Studios in Lynchburg, VA, and as of this recording Jeremiah is in the Top 10 on Season 2 of American Idol on ABC. 

Hustle Hack: What are the things in your life that may not even be obviously related to your work that are cluttering up your mental space? For Jeremiah he has really experienced a calm and a renewed clarity in his creative process after diving into minimalism. What’s cluttering up your mental space? Do you need a clear and book-free desk to do your writing? Do you need to organize your schedule before you can sit down and problem solve? Do you need to organize your audition book before you can schedule a bunch of auditions for the week? Take a pause and look at what may be distracting you from getting in the zone with your work. 

Moment of Grace: I found it pretty fascinating that Jeremiah, after creating some really artsy, experimental, unusual music, decided that he would be open to the most commercial of music opportunities: American Idol. It’s such a reminder that we are constantly evolving. And it is a healthy and good thing to be open to change and new opportunities. To be open to things that maybe in the past we thought weren’t for us. So maybe for you, you ache to be original, but just like Jeremiah, remember you already are an original. You are uniquely you. You can approach your work and your life with confidence knowing that you have something unique and beautiful to give that only you can give. So open yourself up to that.

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This episode is sponsored by Get Your Dream Off the Ground.