Meet Jon Mohr | Composer & Producer

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

Hi Jon, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued a career in music because, when I started making songs in early 2016, I realized right away that this was the medium for me. And because of that, I used the internet to help expand my network of friends and colleagues and have worked with them on various projects that are fulfilling for them and myself. It’s to the point now that if I did not have music, I think I would be considerably unhappy. Life can be very mundane and not feel ‘enriching’ so being able to encapsulate all my emotions into different kinds of music is both enriching and a way to keep myself mentally healthy. Getting some income from that work is a very nice cherry on top as well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I do music for a lot of things—films, trailers for tv shows/films/games, music for businesses, etc., etc. I feel like the music I do strictly for myself has kinda aligned itself toward a specific objective: to figure out who the hell I am. Even now I’m still not 100% sure who I really am. I have a lot of personal meanings/perspectives on life but they’ve changed so much in my 20s that I almost constantly wonder, “is this really what I believe?” Putting these emotions into music helps me feel like I can better understand what’s going on in my head and have a proper two-way conversation. I’m stupid, and writing music is me working on becoming not-stupid.

I got to where I am today in large part thanks to the internet. I’ve met so many insanely talented people—way beyond me—and have worked with such people so I am very lucky and grateful to be where I am and know the people I know. It was not an easy process. I’ve been doing music for 8 and a half years. It’s a long, arduous process, but I think I’m getting to the point where I find at least a few things to be very satisfying each year. I usually have at least 1 collaboration going each year, and at least in 2023 and 2024, with Arcane Skies and Bioluminescent Soundwaves respectively, I had a massive, very fulfilling project going on. Regarding lessons I’ve learned along the way…

• Be genuine in the music you write and the interactions you have with people. So many people in the industry try to sell you things, or try to play up their accomplishments way beyond what they actually are, and just all this self-aggrandizing stuff. Just be real, and be humble. People respect that.
• Don’t write music for other composers. You know, music intended to impress other composers in your field. If you’re writing production/trailer music for example with an intended goal to impress editors or other music industry people who can get it in front of the right people, that’s one thing. But if it’s ALL you write, if everything you write is meant to impress people… it’s a very easy trap to get stuck in. It’s why I was really happy to work on Bioluminescent Soundwaves. I wasn’t writing to impress anyone on that project. I was writing stuff because I wanted to, and I liked how it sounded. Don’t bother impressing people. Make yourself happy, and if others like it, that’s a nice bonus.
• You will die one day, so apply for that workshop. Apply for that mentorship. Apply for that program. Reach out to that singer you really respect and ask if they’d wanna sing on your track. Reach out to people you think you’d have NO chance ever working with. They might just reply. And whether you do or do not, time will pass, and your time will come. So light-hearted, right?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh, probably one of the first things I’d take my friend to go do is go to Hocking Hills. The parks there are gorgeous, particularly Ash Cave and the Rock House. Another cool place for me is John Bryant State Park, primarily for the views and also just because I have a lot of nice memories associated with that park. For a non-nature related place like the previous two, COSI is really sick. I’ve been meaning to go back there recently but all the science exhibits are so cool to look at and interact with.

Honestly I need to go out more- I mostly go for walks outside and visit nature parks and not much else. I’m definitely a homebody.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a massive shoutout to the Ohio Arts Council for awarding me the grant that brought my latest project—Bioluminescent Soundwaves—to fruition. The funds were extremely helpful in bringing my vision to life, but through working on this project I learned a lot about who I am as an artist, where my priorities lie, and where my true happiness in music is. And as the big cherry-on-top, I honestly think the music I wrote for that project is some of the greatest music I’ve written to date. The OAC does amazing work for the artists of Ohio and I’m again so grateful that they helped fund some of my work.

Website: https://jonrmohr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonrmohr/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-r-mohr-1612881a9/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrmohrmus

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonRMohr/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jonrmohr