Today we’d like to introduce you to James Talambas.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a composer, producer, and artist based in Fort Worth. I run New Media Recordings. We are a production house, venue, imprint/record label, incubator, and most recently an avenue for visual and multimedia art. I have always been involved in art and music throughout my life to one degree or another. I began improvising on the piano as a child and began in the school’s music program as soon as I could, learning the cello, trumpet, and bass. My home life and school were always pretty difficult for me, so music was a way for me to escape to a better place. I went to college for audio engineering and music composition. I began collaborating with other artists and helping them create their art and finding my own voice at the same time. New Media Recordings is an umbrella for these projects of all mediums. Being surrounded by such talented and inspiring artists is probably the best part of this venture.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have been struggles along the way, as there is for everyone. It really started at a young age. At 15, I was working 2-3 jobs. At seventeen, I became homeless and sleeping where I could, but when winter came, I began living in a rehearsal space working for my rent. Persistent mental health issues like severe depression and psychosis have created significant barriers to “normality”, let alone achieving my goals as an artist. But now I own my own business through New Media Recordings that has enabled me to creatively talk about issues that need to be talked about, including issues that I’ve gone through that others still suffer with. Throughout all of this, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by talented and successful people from around the world that have been an inspiration to keep working and creating. Focusing on those positive elements is very important to continually moving forward.
Please tell us about New Media Recordings.
As a creative, I focus on progressive, inclusive, and unique ideas. We had a lot of success recently with being increasingly fluid with types of media. This means that we can focus on the best way to convey an artistic idea regardless of medium. From sculpture to music to video etc., whatever the commission requires we can usually find a way to express it in an interesting way.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think like many creatives, I got caught up too often with telling myself “no.” There were so many options or ideas that I just never started because I decided they would never work for this reason or that. I’ve found that one of the differences between those who succeed and those who do not is the consistency of completion. So, I started saying yes to completing my ideas. Sometimes it’s a drudge, sometimes it ends up being totally different than what I thought it would be, but the accomplishment is in the actualization. Even if you don’t feel fully confident in your work, bring it to fruition and move to the next thing. Over time, you will start to see more and more of your ideas working out. If I could do anything differently, I would give myself permission to experiment more.
Contact Info:
- Website: NewMediaRecordings.com
- Phone: 6825586214
- Email: NewMediaRecordings@gmail.com
- Instagram: @NewMediaRecordings @James.Talambas
- Facebook: @JTalambas @NewmediaRecordings
- Twitter: @JTalambas
Image Credit:
Kathleen Forrest
Galveston Art Center
Gerardo Contreras
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