The first-ever song created by those with a disability for the greater disability community. Interview with James Ian

SPACES is a first-of-its-kind musical collaboration created for everyone with a disability by the SMA community. Each creative component of the program – song, music video and album art – was led by someone with SMA. It uses the universal language of music to elevate the many voices of this community and celebrate our individuality. We’re excited to share this with the world.

The song, which debuted November 9, is sung by James Ian, a 39-yr-old who has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease. Dominick Evans, who also has SMA, imagined and directed the music video, becoming the first person with a disability to direct a music video from their bed. Dominick is the founder of FilmDis and a disability consultant to Lionsgate, Netflix show creators and Selma Blair documentary.  James and Dominick, aided by support from a Grammy-nominated producer, were joined by others within the SMA community from concept to creation. Genentech has underwritten the program.

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

James – I grew up in southern Maryland, and I always just naturally connected to music. I was singing and dancing to songs on the radio at the age of 2, and whenever I heard music, it was impossible not to engage with it in some way. I wanted to become an artist because I felt like I wouldn’t be living truthfully if I wasn’t one. I was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 3 when I was 14, and music helped me process that diagnosis in many ways. As I got older and progressed further with music, I realized that music was a great vehicle for me to use to highlight SMA and disability. I knew that I could advocate through my artistry.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

James – My advice is to cast a wide net and reach out to as many venues/music bookers/musics events as you can. If you don’t get a response via email or phone, show up in-person. Be tenacious, and when you do start booking gigs, play every gig that you can, no matter how big or small. It’s excellent practice, and you never know where your next opportunity will come from. The same advice applies to looking to get airplay. There are a million internet radio stations, so reach out to those. Also reach out to college radio stations and small market/local stations. Every spin helps.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

James – Everyone makes mistakes during performances, and if they say they don’t, they are lying. I’ve made them, and when I do, I just keep going and I don’t make a big deal of it. I always play it cool. I’ve learned that 9 times out of 10, the crowd has no idea you’ve made a mistake.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

James – I do tour, and honestly, it’s hard to come up with just one interesting story because there are so many, but I’ll tell you about one that happened during a show we played at a college. I was in a band at the time, and we were playing an outdoor show on a Friday night at our guitarist’s alma mater. The vibe was perfect, and people were dancing and getting into the music. About halfway into the show, I see this frat bro in the front row start talking trash to me and some of my bandmates, but he’s directing his anger more toward me. He’s getting angrier as the night goes on to the point where he’s distracting me while I’m performing. This guy knows our guitarist, so after one of our songs ends, I ask the guitarist if he knows why this kid is angry. The guitarist says he doesn’t know, so we continue to play. Meanwhile, the kid just keeps on being aggressive, and now he’s distracting the entire band. Someone in the crowd finally notices what’s going on, and they escort the dude out. After the show, we are hanging out and talking to people, and the guitarist gets some intel about what went down. He tells me that, unbeknownst to me, there was a girl in the front row who the guy liked, and the guy thought she liked me. I don’t remember seeing the girl and I didn’t know her. Fast forward a few months later, my guitarist calls me up and says, “Hey, remember the show at my college and that guy who hated you because he thought the girl he liked liked you?” I said, “No, I do not.” I’m kidding, how could I forget that?! He then says, “Well, she had to submit her final senior art project for her art class, and her submission was a picture she drew of you performing that night.” I didn’t believe it, but I eventually saw the picture and my jaw dropped because it was real, and her drawing was beautiful. Life is strange y’all. 

Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

James – I always record at a proper studio, and I don’t have a home setup at the moment. 

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

James – I’m always trying to be creative with the ways I promote music, and I try to use other things I’m doing in life to promote my music (and vice versa). I’m constantly learning new ways of promotion. Thus far, I feel like promoting via Instagram has been most effective, but I also have gotten good results from live performances.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

James – I’d perform with my sister Ariel Josée because she’s the best singer, and my mom has been begging us to do a song together. I’d also love to perform with Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Al Green, Maxwell, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah, and Whitney Houston. These are some of my favorite artists, and it would be so cool to perform with the people I’ve looked up to. I’d also love to perform with Wale. I love his style, and like me, he’s from Maryland.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

James – I will be on a couple of new tracks coming out in the next few months. On one of them, I’ll be singing the hook and I’ll be dropping a hip-hop verse on it. I loved to freestyle when I was younger, so I’m excited to get back in the saddle and do hip-hop. Also, I’ll have my first published poem coming out next year that will be included in a book of disabled artists. The poem has a hip-hop vibe as well. I’m looking forward to it all. 

Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

James – I’m an actor and a writer as well, so if I wasn’t making music, I’d be acting, or writing a script or a novel.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?

James – I have a hard time with the word “fan,” so anyone that supports my music (I’m very grateful to have their support), I like to call them “friends in music.” So, friends in music can look forward to new songs, a poem, more writing, and some acting from me in the next year.

Exposed Vocals: Any Shout-outs?

James – I’d like to give a huge shout-out to Genentech for making the creation of the “Spaces” song and video possible, which you can find at spacessong.com. “Spaces” is a song created by the SMA community for people with disabilities, and those without disabilities. People with disabilities, including myself, sometimes don’t feel seen or considered by non-disabled people. I think that we all want to know that our existences are considered and remembered, and the “Spaces” is about just that. It shows the world that we who live with SMA and other disabilities are not only existing, but we are doing incredible things in all of the spaces we occupy, and we are improving these spaces immeasurably. I want to give shout-outs to Dominick Evans, Shane and Hannah Burcaw, Barry Weeks, Tom Roland, Zach Merck, Joe Labisi, the SMA community, and everyone who brought the song and video for “Spaces” to life. I also want to give shout-outs to my family and friends who always support me, my vocal coach Electra Barakos, and my sister Ariel Josée, who is my greatest musical influence.