J.M. Long

They say immersion is the best way to learn a thing. If that is indeed true, then singer/songwriter Jeremy Long is continuing his education, hands-on and fully immersed.Long’s introduction to music began early in his childhood with a family tradition of sorts. “I started taking piano lessons when I was six or seven,” he said. “I guess my first tangible musical memory was my first piano lesson, learning at the keyboard. But at the time I was really into basketball so piano and violin lessons were kind of a drag. I guess I was 12 when I started writing my own songs and I realized it was my passion. I started spending more time in the living room than on the basketball court.”
Middle school saw the creation of his first original rock band alongside his three best friends but high school was a defining moment for the fledgling musician. “I took music classes in my high school in Portland and recorded a lot there and I was privileged to take lessons from a world-class guitar player (Tim Ellis) so, that was really cool.”
Long left Oregon after high school to study at L.A.’s Musician’s Institute, pursuing a program that encompassed the expanse of the music industry. “I knew that the two best cities in the US and probably world, for music were New York and L.A. So, I went with the warmer city,” he said. Songwriting and performance classes honed his lyrics and musicality, A&R reps gave him access to the ins and outs of record labels and his final project left him with his first EP, Torn and Restored.
The capstone of his education saw Long assuming the helm on the EP as artist, producer and sound engineer and gave him the myriad perspectives that come along with album creation from start to finish. “At MI our final project was to create an album so I decided to do an EP because it would be good to shop around to labels,” Long said. “Just three songs and I really wanted to focus on less material than try to cram as much as I could on the album. I recorded most of the instruments myself except for drums and some bass and I did a lot of the production, I got some help with the mixing and mastering. It was a really DIY approach and I learned a lot.”
“I definitely focused most of my energy on the actual songs themselves,” he continued. “Rather than recording an idea that say, isn’t really finished and then trying to fix it all later; I would rather have it really down and perfect before I even start that. So my focus was the writing to make them coherent within their context.”
Now post-graduation, Long is remaining in his new city, just off the boulevard in Hollywood and appropriately just down the road from another one of his initial musical goals: to play the House of Blues. Earlier this year the he was able to scratch that one off his L.A. bucket list.
Long is staying within the industry immersion and plunging headlong into his budding career, focusing on a new full-length he wants to complete in a year; he recently signed with a management company and continues to gig in his new hometown. It is refreshing to speak to someone who still has stars in his eyes in pursuit of his profession, so Jeremy…. Skope wishes much, much luck to you going forward.
You can find his pictures, music, bio, etc. at http://jmlongmusic.com/ or like him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jmlongmusic. Visit http://www.verylongmedia.com/ to see their official company website.
By: Christopher West – cwestlaz@gmail.com - Scope Magazine- Christopher West

Jeremy Long, 19, is making his way in Hollywood as a singer, songwriter and musician. He just graduated from the Musician’s Institute, recorded his first EP (extended play) of original music, released his first music video and is scheduled to perform a concert at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip May 16.
Jeremy, son of Lee and Sue Long of Tillamook, was raised in Tillamook, and started his music education as a youngster. “I have seven siblings, and all of us have taken piano lessons,” he said. “I’ve been playing violin since I was eight.”
He attended Portland Adventist Academy, where he played in the high school string orchestra. “I took lessons from a world-class guitarist, Tim Ellis, and there’s a recording studio at the school,” said Jeremy, where he practiced his craft.
Jeremy graduated in 2011 and moved to Hollywood with his friends, twin brothers Josh and Caleb Pryor, also of Tillamook, to attend the Musician’s Institute. The three had a band called Color Blind Soldiers.
“The Musician’s Institute was awesome,” he said, “complete immersion into the music industry. I took song writing and performance classes, met with A&R reps from record companies, and I got to record and produce an album.” Jeremy completed his EP, Torn and Restored, at the Musician’s Institute, which was released this spring.
“The twins have decided to go into acting,” said Jeremy, “which is really exciting. We still play together sometimes, and I’m pursuing a solo career.”
Jeremy and the Pryor twins and three friends from the Musician’s Institute, six young men in all, share an apartment “in the center of Hollywood, just off of the Boulevard, near the Hard Rock Café,” and they are having the time of their lives.
“Hollywood is crazy, “ Jeremy said, “it’s a cultural melting pot full of diverse people.”
Jeremy is at work on a full-length recording, and he’s very excited about playing at the House of Blues. “This is one of my dreams,” he said, “I can’t wait.”
The House of Blues concert is one on a list of Jeremy’s career goals.
“My first dream was to attend the Musician’s Institute, my second was to play the House of Blues. My next is to start performing at colleges, UCLA, USC, and get airtime on the college radio stations. I’m also working on getting my songs placed in movies and TV shows.”
His first music video for the single Love Strikes is up on YouTube. It was recorded and edited by his brothers, Joseph and Jonny Long, who have a Very Long Media company, in Vancouver. Joseph is flying down to Hollywood to see the show.
“I have great support,” he said. “I couldn’t do this without my family and my parents.”
Jeremy wants to “shout out” to Tillamook. “I’d like to pay homage to music teacher and mentor, Michael Simpson, and to my parents: thank you for teaching me everything I know about everything.”
Visit Jeremy Long’s website at: jmlongmusic.com - Headlight Herald- Mary Faith Bell

Raw emotion pounded into ivories so tormented you would think they were used as a drum set. “Alternative Rock”, “Indie Rock”, these are the familiar labels you seek, but J.M. Long's music is much more than that. It is running through the forest a billion times thinking you’re being chased by cougars, it is a single dance in an ill-lit park with the girl of your dreams and your favorite song amplified through a broken cell phone, it is leaving Oregon and arriving in Hollywood. All of this combined defines Jeremy as an artist; a glimmer of hope shining through complete brokenness (as evidenced by the title of his EP "Torn and Restored").

Before moving to Los Angeles in the fall of 2011, Long recorded and performed around the northwest with a multitude of composers and musicians as both a front man (vocals, keys, guitar), backing musician (keys, guitar, bass), and orchestra member (2nd violin). He was also privileged to take four years of guitar, performance and production classes from legendary guitarist and producer Tim Ellis (co-owner of Kung Fu Bakery Recording Studio). Currently, he is performing around Hollywood at places like House of Blues, The Mint, Genghis Cohen, and El Cid. His debut EP Torn and Restored is now available online for streaming and digital download, along with a music video for his single “Love Strikes”, released in late March. Visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jmlongmusic and his main website at www.jmlongmusic.com - Music Industry News Network