JT Maple

Critically-acclaimed independent project with Lumberjack Films.

Just one of the many reviews for this video.
- Lumberjack Films

Phoebe's Cafe
Brooklyn, NY - Go Folk Yourself

Hosted by Dr. Bob Lee
Directed by Chris Pusateri

Words & Music Written by JT Maple
"Flatline" - BronxNetOPEN

Written by Adam T. Rossi
Friday, 14 November 2008

Local singer/songwriter JT Maple is a musician on the rise.

The 20-year-old Gloversville native who left college after two semesters in order to further his music career seems as though his risky decision has paid off in recent months with an influx of gigs around the area at such well-known music venues as Gaffney's, Bailey's and It's Confidential.

Aside from the recent success of his performance career, Maple is also working on developing his songwriting. He previously released a five-track acoustic demo titled "In order of Appearance," which features his original music.

I spoke with him about his songwriting, live performances and what the future holds for this up-and-coming musician.


When did your passion for music first begin?

My parents tell me that my father used to play guitar to me when I was still in my mother's womb, but I didn't actually realize my passion for it until I got my first guitar when I was 14. I grew up listening to classic rock and then my tastes started to diversify when I entered school and now I have a much greater appreciation for music.

Who have been your biggest influences musically?

I am a big fan of the guitar players like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn. I am also a fan of soul and pop music and enjoy artists like Otis Redding and acoustic stuff like Jack Johnson and John Mayer. I have also developed an ear for jazz over the years.

How would you describe your sound?

If you were sitting in a room that I was playing in you would probably think there were a couple of guitars playing. I don't have a bass player but the rhythms I play on my guitar might make you think that I do. So I guess you could say my sound is that of a one-man band.

How do you approach writing a song?

I always try to write it while I am in a groove. My melodies usually come out of complete spontaneity, which could be anywhere from me walking down the street to me falling asleep to me waking up, so I always make sure I have something to record it .. I got the melody down, I'll come up with an idea for the song that resembles how the melody makes me feel.

What do like most about performing music live?

I really like the reaction from the audience the most. I have played for small crowds of five and much larger crowds, but nothing excites me more than when people compliment my music or give me feedback. Right now, I am trying to take it all in and cherish the fact that people I am playing in front of are paying attention to my music.

I read you dropped out of college to pursue your solo-music career. Why did you feel this was an important move for your career?

I loved being at school and having the opportunity to perform in bands like the jazz ensemble and guitar ensemble. It was also fun to perform with musicians from different areas who were at the same level I was at. I love playing, but I don't like learning about the relationships and mathematical side of music that is required out of a college level musician. I also felt like I was losing time to further my career, and since you only get one chance at life I decided to drop out in order to focus on my music career.

What is the biggest challenge for you as a young musician?

Right now, I am doing really well especially in the Saratoga region, but I have this desire of wanting more. I have been playing out for close to four months now, but it seems like it has already been an eternity for me. Although I am only 20, a lot of times I feel like I have some kind of biological musical clock ticking inside me. Sometimes I just have to take a deep breath and reinforce the fact that I am doing fine right now.

What are you currently working on?

I just finished a new song and am working on a couple of other new tunes. Other than that I am just continuing to develop my performance career.
- Saratoga Today

Saturday, September 27, 2008 3:00 AM EDT
Writen by Alyssa Franklin

Few singers claim to have rocked-out in the womb. But for 20-year-old singer/songwriter JT Maple, musical preparation began long before birth.


"My father is your basic campfire musician. And when I was in my mother's womb he would always play an easy tune and max it up to her stomach. I feel like I had the ultimate isolation headphones on," Maple said.

At the urging of his guitarist father, the Gloversville native began learning basic chords at age 14. Without the aid of formal instruction, Maple used his natural understanding of rhythm and melody to teach himself to play without reading music.

"I sort of picked it up listening to music," he said. "I figured out that if you can hum it, you can play it."

Heavily influenced by his parents, Maple soon acquired a sophisticated ear.

"When I was younger, I would just ride around with my dad and listen to a lot of blues, and a lot of classic rock stuff, so I got a really strong appreciation for music at an early age. I realized what kind of time and devotion go into making an instrument sound the way it does," Maple said.

In time, appreciation became infatuation, and the aspiring musician began composing and performing his own tunes.

Though Maple's early gigs consisted of one-man guitar solos at local pizzerias, a high school trip to New York City awakened his desire to perform at larger venues.

Chosen to represent his class in a songwriting contest, Maple found himself on the set of the Broadway musical "Rent," where he performed a piece he composed for an audience of 1,200.

"It ended up being a real experience," Maple said. "It was the best feeling in the world."

But with the end of high school and the beginning of college, the aspiring musician faced a new set of challenges. After only two semesters at SUNY Plattsburg, Maple withdrew from college to pursue his musical endeavors, a choice that, to his dismay, was met with cynicism and scorn.

"It's not easy to tell people that I dropped out of college, because I had made it there. And then I realized, I don't see the reason to fulfill the paradox. I was skipping music class because I was writing music.

"It's hard to get over that level of skepticism," he said. "There's this misconception that people who are musicians just drop out as a rebellion. But I look at it as: I can't take time out of an ATM. You can always pay back the tuition, but you can't get back the time. So I figure I have one life to live, why not make it worth it?"

So far, Maple's leap-of-faith has paid off. With a string of original songs and some old classics, Maple has become a performance regular at local venues like Gaffney's and It's Confidential on Caroline Street. The young musician also celebrates the release of "In order of Appearance," his first 5-track demo LP. With tracks like "Family Tree" and "Sail Away," the disc features original music and lyrics (available for free online at www.soundclick.com/jtmaple).

Maple impresses audiences with his soulful guitar melodies and inventive lyrics, a little like a younger version singer Jack Johnson.

"I like to consider myself an undeclared philosopher: I like to write structured lyrics, as opposed to just rhyming because it sounds good." Maple said. "I like to describe my guitar playing as sort of piano-esque. I play with my thumbs, and I play percussively so I can overcompensate for the fact that I don't have a band backing me up. It's just jazzy, with a lot of blues."

As Maple lifts his hand to the neck of his guitar, a colorful tattoo becomes visible on his inner-forearm - a testament to his creativity. Mimicking the traditional Japanese style, crashing blue-and-white waves rest within a dark, rectangular frame. A reflective silhouette sits facing the tide and strumming a guitar.

"The waves symbolize my music: It's chaotically controlled. The waves are crashing and destroying everything in their path, but they're still within that box," he said.

Though Maple has created a name for himself in the local and regional music scene, an increasingly penetrable wall continues to stand between the talented young musician and his dreams of stardom. "I think the only thing that can break that barrier is myself."
- Saratogian

Hosted by Dr. Bob Lee
Directed by Chris Pusateri

Words & Music Written by JT Maple
"Jewel"
"More Than Gorgeous" - BronxNetOPEN