Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Warman
Jillian, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Some people find music, but I like to think music found me. I don’t come from a musical family, so I didn’t grow up around musical influence or the sound of instruments being played throughout the house. Yet somehow, I knew at a very young age that I was supposed to make music. I still remember sitting at the piano for the first time, my little 5 year old fingers touching the keys, and knowing in my heart, this is the beginning of a great adventure.
As I said, my family wasn’t musical, but they were very supportive of my musical aspirations. My mom spent countless hours driving me to music lessons, piano and violin competitions, and rehearsals. She always believed in me and would do whatever she could to help me succeed, Like when I was 12 and told her I wanted to audition for a professional symphony, she didn’t hesitate to call the conductor and set up my audition (and I got the job!).
Because I know first hand the difference it makes when you have someone in your corner, I wanted to do the same for others through music. So I decided to start teaching music as a way in which I could not only share the gift of music, but also (and perhaps more importantly) help people to realize how strong and capable they are and how much they matter. After teaching at a university for a few semesters, I decided to teach privately and eventually founded my music school, JW Lessons, LLC. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I had to transition from teaching out of my home studio to teaching online. The transition to online teaching became an unexpected blessing because I was then able to teach not only my local students in San Antonio, but also students in other parts of the country and even the world (I now teach students as far away as New Zealand!). When teaching in person became possible again, I remained online and thus operate JW Lessons, LLC as an exclusively online music school.
In addition to teaching music, I lead worship at churches across San Antonio and Austin and am a singer/songwriter with music available on all streaming platforms.
Music is so much more than a career for me–it’s a way in which I can give back and bless others. As I always tell my students, music is a gift to be shared. So whether I’m teaching, performing, or composing, my goal is always to empower, uplift, and encourage. Music found me…so now it’s my job to pay it forward. And THAT is the great adventure!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My life’s road has had plenty of potholes and detours, but I’m thankful for it because I believe growth happens in the valleys, not the mountaintops.
A couple years into teaching, I noticed my voice felt strange. I had next to no vocal endurance when I talked or sang and it hurt to use my voice for long periods. After a visit with an ENT specialist, I found out that my vocal folds were extremely inflamed and susceptible to further complications and possible injury, so I was put on vocal rest for the foreseeable future. I left the doctor’s appointment without knowing if/when I’d sing again and not knowing how I was going to teach. I found myself thinking, “without my voice, who am I?” That season made me dig deep and answer that question head on. The answer I found was life changing. Through that struggle, I realized what had been true all along: My value isn’t found in my voice or anything that I “do”; my value is intrinsic. That realization not only transformed me, but also impacted my teaching in such a powerful way. I made it my goal to make sure students knew that music, as important as it is, is not where their value comes from. We matter not because of anything we do, but simply for being who we are.
Through lots of prayer and making my health a priority, I was able to finally talk and sing again after 3 long months of vocal rest. I’ll never forget singing at church after being silent for so long. It was the most amazing feeling and will forever be etched in my memory.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Playing multiple instruments + singing has made my life nothing if not a creative one! Although I was classically trained from the beginning, I began wanting to expand my musical borders once I got to high school. So I started writing songs as well as leading worship at my youth group. I didn’t know where singing and songwriting would lead, but when my youth group advertised a talent show, I didn’t hesitate to enter with one of my original songs. I remember singing my song on that stage and having the same epiphany from when I was 5 years old…this is the beginning of a great adventure.
Fast forward to today: I’ve now been leading worship for several years and travel back and forth to Nashville to write and record my music. But as exhilarating as it is to sing in front of people and release my music for the world to hear, the most important part of it all for me is the message communicated through my music. When people hear me sing, I want them to feel hope. I want them to feel encouraged.
One of the most powerful things anyone ever said to me about my music came from a little girl who was terminally ill. She wrote me a long letter and in it she said, “When you sing, I feel better. Thank you for helping me.” That’s why I do what I do; that’s the only reason I do what I do–to be a helper. If something I sing gives someone hope and helps them feel better, then I’ve done what I set out to do.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was the kind of kid who loved learning and thrived on challenges. If there was a task to be done, I would sit and work on it until it was finished, no matter how long it took. But fitting in was never something I was “good at”. I had my circle of friends, but I always felt like I colored outside the lines. And to be honest, I loved being different–still do! For example, for my pre-school Halloween party, I asked my mom if she would make me a clown costume, so she made me the most colorful clown outfit, got me a big red nose, and I topped it off with a giant balloon hat I made myself. When I showed up at the party, every (and I mean EVERY) little girl was dressed up as a bride. You can imagine how much I stood out as a clown! But I loved it. Mission accomplished.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jwlessons.online
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jillianwarmanmusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JillianWarmanMusic
- Other: https://linktr.ee/jillianwarman
Image Credits
Michael Diamante
Jason Bollenbacher
