{"id":1800,"date":"2019-11-14T11:30:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-14T11:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/"},"modified":"2022-01-18T17:06:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T17:06:01","slug":"jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[16,37,38,39],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track "That Voice In Your Head" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour." She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right." Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track "That Voice In Your Head" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour." She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right." Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Julie's Bicycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-14T11:30:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-01-18T17:06:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"teamSP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"teamSP\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/\",\"name\":\"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-11-14T11:30:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-01-18T17:06:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8e8c4187e59bbd62d4ec6ec69e02e285\"},\"description\":\"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track \\\"That Voice In Your Head\\\" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour.\\\" She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right.\\\" Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/\",\"name\":\"Julie's Bicycle\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8e8c4187e59bbd62d4ec6ec69e02e285\",\"name\":\"teamSP\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3efcead95f14adae78d8037098dd2920?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3efcead95f14adae78d8037098dd2920?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"teamSP\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle","description":"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track \"That Voice In Your Head\" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour.\" She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right.\" Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle","og_description":"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track \"That Voice In Your Head\" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour.\" She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right.\" Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh","og_url":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/","og_site_name":"Julie's Bicycle","article_published_time":"2019-11-14T11:30:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-01-18T17:06:01+00:00","author":"teamSP","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"teamSP"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/","url":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/","name":"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music - Julie's Bicycle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-11-14T11:30:34+00:00","dateModified":"2022-01-18T17:06:01+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8e8c4187e59bbd62d4ec6ec69e02e285"},"description":"- Interviewed and written by Yingbi Lee Jayda G\u2019s and Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s paths first crossed when her track \"That Voice In Your Head\" opened the Stamp The Wax Charity Advent Calendar in support our Green Riders campaign. Her participation in the calendar comes as no surprise, as the Canadian music producer and DJ has dedicated over ten years of her life to the environmental sciences. Growing up in the mountains and forests of Grand Forks, British Columbia, Jayda has always loved being outside and in the outdoors, and from an early age knew she wanted to work in biology. Following her undergrad in biology and ecology, she\u2019s most recently completed a masters in Resource and Environmental Management, specializing in environmental toxicology. Jayda is also an advocate for Music Declares Emergency. While the environmental sciences and dance music may seem like completely separate areas of focus \u2013 and are, in many ways, distinct \u2013 music is actually a big way for Jayda to open her musical audience up to her environmental concerns. \u201cWhen people are interviewing me about the album I can talk about the environmental work as well, because a lot of songs have been influenced by my scientific work\u201d she explains. On her debut album, Significant Changes, released on 22nd March 2019 via Ninja Tune, the title itself was the most-used phrase in her recently completed master\u2019s thesis on the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales, or orcas, of Vancouver. Jayda explains that while making the album, things bled over from her scientific work to her musical work very easily. As an artist, her work speaks to her experiences, which has seen her work in science far longer than she has been in music. \u201cYou\u2019re spending all day researching about orcas, and the clip (of orca sounds) is just sitting on your desktop and then you\u2019re making music and you\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, what happens when I put this in here? It\u2019s actually quite musical!\u2019\u201d She laughs. \u201cSo it was an organic process to incorporate my scientific background into my music.\u201d She cites a lifelong love for marine biology as the factor behind her research focus on killer whales. \u201cThe research projects are few and far between,\u201d she elaborates, \u201cso when the project (her masters research) presented itself I was so excited.\u201d It was an opportunity that was, in part, indebted to a landmark Canadian court case for the protection of the whales \u2013 a case which 'Missy Knows What\u2019s Up' samples, using the voice of Misty MacDuffee, biologist at Rainforest Conservation Foundation. Meanwhile, 'Orca\u2019s Reprise' samples sounds of orcas alongside an instrumental that is at once mournful but hopeful. The melancholy of the track echoes the depressing nature of Guy\u2019s work in environmental science, which has led many to experience environmental depression. \u201cIt\u2019s not something I\u2019ve necessarily experienced, but it\u2019s definitely something that people do experience,\u201d she explains. \u201cEspecially when you\u2019re working so closely on a subject where there\u2019s a lot of not great things happening. It has a lot of doom and gloom around it, and around you, and it can definitely be an issue for some people.\u201d But she tells us that music has been a cathartic process, both in dealing with the gloominess and intensity of environmental research, as well as in general. \u201cMaking music is something that really helps me process things. Just being creative in general is something that, for me, is really important. It\u2019s very therapeutic for me,\u201d she says. \u201cSo when I was working very heavily on my research, making music was a great release, in a lot of ways.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s all about building empathy, right? If we have empathy for the research that\u2019s happening, and understanding what\u2019s happening in the world around us, then people have more empathy for our environment as a whole, and make more clear choices when it comes to that.\u201d Incorporating her research into her music isn\u2019t the only way Guy is bridging her love for the environment and for music. In February, she launched JMG Talks, a London-based talk series platforming young scientists\u2019 academic work and personal journeys \u2013 a passion project which she finds engages her brain in a very different way from her regular work in music. Seeing the importance of bridging academia with the rest of the world, Guy\u2019s intention behind these talks is to make these critical conversations more accessible. \u201cDoing the talks was always something I\u2019ve wanted to do,\u201d she shares. On academia, she explains \u201cIt\u2019s a very insular community and if you\u2019re not in that community you\u2019re not privy to a lot of information that is happening when it comes to working on the environment.\u201d The choice to talk to young scientists, and to discuss their personal struggles and experiences, are deliberate. Besides deciding to speak to researchers she knows and feels comfortable with, Guy is also challenging herself to effectively communicate topics she\u2019s not as familiar with. With Dr. Lindsay Veazey, who works in oceanography and mainly works with computers, Guy felt the need to make these more abstract concepts accessible, as \u201cthat\u2019s where a lot of the majority of the work is happening.\u201d For her, it\u2019s all about building empathy for the research that\u2019s happening and the people behind it. \u201cI saw that when people write articles about scientists, they really mostly talk about their scientific research, they don\u2019t talk so much about the person behind the research unless it\u2019s like, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or David Attenborough \u2013 if you\u2019re really famous or a celebrity of some sort...If people understand the personal stories that are behind that research, maybe they\u2019ll be interested in the research outcome a bit more.\u201d What was less deliberate, but still outstanding \u2013 to us at least \u2013 was that the two instalments of JMG Talks so far have both featured women, one of which (Dr. Lily Zeng) is a woman of colour. Guy explains that that wasn\u2019t the main goal of the talks at all \u2013 \u201cit\u2019s really about the science and it\u2019s really about communicating and engaging people \u2013 it\u2019s true that it happens to be because a lot of people I know (in the sciences) are women and of colour.\" She contemplates that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s because we can relate in so many other ways.\u201d One of these ways is how isolating it can be, being a woman of colour in the sciences. \u201cI think the biggest challenge is not very direct things that happen to you. I think it\u2019s the constant underrepresentation you see around you. Like you just don\u2019t see yourself, period. I\u2019m speaking for the scientific world,\u201d she tells us. \u201cSo that wears on you, and you start questioning your ability in very subversive ways.\u201d Dr. Zeng has been the only person of colour Guy has actually worked with, and she can only think of two women she has worked with in her entire academic career. Jayda is interested in Julie\u2019s Bicycle\u2019s forthcoming podcast exploring the links between climate justice and social justice in the UK, and contrasts her experiences working in academia and in music. While underrepresentation in academia was something that she says you unfortunately get used to, she tells us that \u201cit wasn\u2019t until I started working in music that it\u2019s [being a woman of colour] become more of something I\u2019ve had to deal with on a day to day basis. In music, I think it\u2019s definitely more vocalised.\u201d Aside from more people talking about race and gender in music, Guy has also had to deal with people saying \u201creally careless things\u201d to her \u201cthat are just really offensive on a very deep level,\u201d and not having her perspective understood. \u201cIt\u2019s something that I\u2019m really conscious of, and I really try and speak to it when the time is right.\" Part of being a DJ is also having keen awareness of the environmental impact of how she makes a living. \u201cI definitely don\u2019t shy away from that I\u2019m impacting the environment as much as everyone else,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I try and give back by just informing people and talking about things that people may not have been talking about in the past.\u201d She notes the high cost festivals have on the environment, down to the small things like always receiving straws when getting a drink, and wants to see more festivals working on their sustainability and environmental impact. \u201cThe festival has its own infrastructure. The artist isn\u2019t part of that. You\u2019re just being booked.\u201d DJing, she says, is a very insular bubble. While there are DJs who recognise their environmental impact or have concerns about the environment, Jayda thinks they feel like they\u2019re not as empowered to do something about it and may feel overwhelmed. \u201cI think if there was an easier way for DJs to see, like, these are the top three things you can do \u2013 and I think that\u2019s what you Jaydas do, you help bridge that gap between the music community and the environmental community \u2013 I think people would be really down for that.\u201d For Jayda, travelling is probably the most environmentally impactful aspect of an artist\u2019s activity, and it\u2019s not one of those things that can be changed as easily. But small things like requesting green riders, specifically not asking for straws, and asking for certain products that are sustainable or sustainably packaged, all add up and are really helpful. It\u2019s a perspective that really speaks to what we\u2019re trying to do with the Music Declares Emergency initiative, which as well as making a public declaration and pledging to take action towards making music businesses ecologically sustainable, will provide tools, resources, and a community for artists and their teams to add green requests to their artist riders. So, what\u2019s Jayda G\u2019s final advice for artists who want to make a difference but don\u2019t know where to start? \u201cI think it\u2019s just reading up on things. Getting involved, especially within your local community because that\u2019s where it\u2019s the most impactful in the end. Understanding what it is you can do within your local community. And it\u2019s small things, whether it\u2019s getting involved in your community garden, and knowing where your food comes from. Understanding what kind of work is happening out there... it\u2019s not about getting on a podium and preaching what you think is right or wrong. That\u2019s why I really stress that it\u2019s about making that information available to people. So that they can also make their own choices.\u201d If you\u2019re an artist \u2013 or booking agent, manager, tour manager, or other music industry professional \u2013 and are interested in finding out more about how you can green your gigs, tours, and business, visit the Music Declares Emergency website for resources and how you can get involved. To find out about Jayda's upcoming UK gigs, please check here. Banner image: Photo \u00a9 Farah Nosh","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/news-opinion\/jayda-g-where-environmental-science-meets-music\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Jayda G: Where Environmental Science Meets Music"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/","name":"Julie's Bicycle","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/8e8c4187e59bbd62d4ec6ec69e02e285","name":"teamSP","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3efcead95f14adae78d8037098dd2920?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3efcead95f14adae78d8037098dd2920?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"teamSP"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1800"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2281,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1800\/revisions\/2281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliesbicycle.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}