My favorite part of joining Ian’s vision has been the creativity itself. In the time leading up to Ian’s proposal landing in my inbox, I’d felt lost and empty due to externalities in my life, and the very thought of being artistic was far from my mind. Yet, when Ian asked me to join, I immediately said yes. I wanted to give a voice to those who had been silenced, just as Ian has, even though I had no idea how I was going to do it. I discovered my first creative spark with help from my producer, Ram Dass Khalsa. Once it was found, delving into that creative headspace was like therapy. Despite how heavy the subject matter is, the musical process and idea behind the project was inspiring and a lifeline I sorely needed at the time. 

In the past, the music I’ve written was born out of my own personal experiences. With this, I had to assume the role of an observer. Because many of these were not personal experiences, I had to lean on Ian’s detailed reporting as a foundation from which to build on and create an emotionally rich work of music. Through working on this project, I no longer see just the horizon line of the sea. Now, I look out at the ocean and see the invisible people and events happening beyond sight, things I used to be completely unaware of. That’s the power of projects like The Outlaw Ocean Music Project.

Jai-Jagdeesh