Today we’d like to introduce you to Jarin Humphrey.
Hi Jarin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I was a little kid, I made up songs about everything, and that’s part of how I would entertain myself. When I was 3, I made a song called “Boyfriend, Girlfriend”, and the only lyrics are ‘boyfriend, girlfriend”, but it was a huge hit in my house, and my brother and I used to argue about who wrote it (don’t listen to anything my brother tells you, I’m the star around here). I also loved dressing up in my mom’s clothes and singing, and pretending to be the princesses in my favorite Disney movies. I did ballet for a short time when I was young, also cheer and other dance forms here and there. When I was 8, I started writing songs for real and formed a girl group with the girls in my apartment complex. We would practice the songs I wrote, songs from my favorite girl groups, and also choreography out in the gazebo in front of my apartment. When I was 12, my dad overheard me singing “Halo” by Beyonce and made me join the church choir. He didn’t know I could sing, and that was how he found out! I was not happy about it then, but without it, I’m not sure I would have ever grown to be comfortable singing publicly. In high school, I taught myself guitar, and my best friend and I practiced together every weekend. In 2018, I got my first paid acting gig and joined a talent agency! After Covid hit, I got heavily into baking and decided to enroll in culinary school for pastry arts. I’ve made dessert menus for award-winning chefs and even made chocolates for Jane Fonda, but working back-of-house jobs got pretty old, and I realized that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. Fast forward to the present, where I finally stopped ignoring the little tug to pursue music. I enrolled in ACC to study Music: Vocal Performance and Drama: Musical Theatre.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, the road has definitely been rigged with explosives. A lot of the delays in my life have been due to poverty. I stopped ballet and cheer because we had to move around so much when I was little. My mom died when I was 10, and then I had to live with my dad. It was a big shock. So much of what I was used to didn’t exist anymore, and it was hard having to suddenly live a completely different life. Hannah, hold the Montana. I was inevitably diagnosed with depression in my final semester of high school, and college following my graduation was ill-advised. The farther away I got from high school, I guess a part of me stopped believing that my dreams were even possible. That final year of high school was so hard for me psychologically that it really influenced everything else. I’m grateful to be back in school, though. So far, it feels like nothing ever happened.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I’m a full-time student. People close to me know me best as someone whose life is full of side missions. I’ve been a flight attendant, a pastry chef, an art instructor, a session singer and ghostwriter, a photographer, and an actress. What I’m most proud of is that I actually went for it and am studying music and theatre, as I always wanted. What sets me apart from others is that I have kept trying no matter what, even with all that I’ve gone through. This is my only life, and I don’t want to get to the end of my life and regret not doing what I loved.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is getting unexpected gifts! It’s my love language, and it’s always touching to know that I was on someone’s mind. Being considered by someone I care about for them to get me something they know I love makes me really happy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarinlily
