Today we’d like to introduce you to Jefferson Jay.
Hi Jefferson, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve spent my life building community through music and creativity. I started out as a songwriter and bandleader, but I quickly realized that what mattered most to me wasn’t just performing — it was helping people feel included, seen, and connected. That led me into teaching, hosting open mics, and creating spaces where anyone could show up and feel like they belonged.
Over the past two decades in San Diego, I’ve hosted over 1,000 open mics, curated 17 years of Acoustic Evenings at The Athenaeum, founded The San Diego Music Hall of Fame, and taught thousands of music and music-therapy classes throughout the region. The common thread has always been the same: bringing people together and helping them share their voice.
In 2014, I started working with a group of performers with disabilities to create an original holiday musical. That project grew into The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit — now a fully developed animated musical series featuring a full cast of actors with disabilities. It’s become the heart of my work: showing that creativity, talent, and joy come in every form, and that inclusion isn’t charity — it’s culture.
Today, I run Everybody One, a nonprofit dedicated to equality, justice, and uplifting community through music, storytelling, and love
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but roads, by their nature, can be bumpy. The path of making art, building community, and doing things that haven’t been done before is not for the faint of heart.
I’ve made music and released albums without knowing if anyone was really listening. I’ve released 15 records over the years — from the five-album Spring cycle to the three-album Winter cycle including my latest, Engagement. Each one represents a chapter of my soul, a moment in time I felt needed to be shared.
There were also moments of starting big projects from scratch — like 24 Hours of Free Music, where we brought musicians together for a nonstop day-long concert four times, or Operation 365, where I created and shared three videos and a blog every day for a year… twice. Projects like these require belief, stamina, and a willingness to keep going even when it feels impossible.
And of course, working in education and community arts means navigating funding, time, energy, and the emotional weight of showing up for people who rely on you. There has been personal loss along the way as well. My heroes always soldier on, and I try to emulate them every day — and impart those same values to my six-year-old son, my greatest pride and joy.
Every challenge has reinforced the same lesson: connection is the point. The moments where someone finds their voice at an open mic, or a student discovers joy in music, or a cast member in The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit shines in a way the world didn’t expect — that’s what keeps me moving forward. And of course, love.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At the heart of everything I do is a simple idea: everyone belongs. I use music, storytelling, and community-building to help people feel seen, valued, and connected. I’ve done this in many forms over the years — as a musician, educator, bandleader, event host, nonprofit founder, and creative collaborator.
I’ve hosted more than 1,000 open mics and curated 17 years of Acoustic Evenings at The Athenaeum, helping countless artists find their voice and their audience. I founded The San Diego Music Hall of Fame to honor the musicians who make this region special and to help San Diegans celebrate our rich musical legacy.
But the work I am most proud of is The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit, a groundbreaking animated holiday musical series starring a full cast of actors with disabilities. It began in 2014 as a community stage production and has grown into a fully developed, world-class series with original music, characters, and story arcs across 24 episodes. The show is joyful, funny, heartfelt, and inclusive at its core — a celebration of love, family, and the magic of being yourself.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just make art — I build community. I don’t just advocate for inclusion — I create spaces where inclusion is lived. I believe that creativity is for everyone, and that when we come together with love, we create culture — not just content.
This is what I care about. This is what I’m all about.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see a major shift happening in arts, music, and community work — one that places creativity back at the center of everyday life. More and more, we are recognizing that the arts aren’t just entertainment. They’re medicine. They’re connection. They’re how we heal, how we learn to be with one another, and how we remember who we are.
Here in San Diego, you can already see this shift taking shape. The City and organizations like the Prebys Foundation are investing deeply in reimagining how the arts support community health and belonging. I’ve been fortunate to be part of this through my recent music-based residencies with mothers in recovery and with adults with disabilities, supported in collaboration with Prebys and Art Pharmacy, who are working nationally to formalize the idea of prescribing the arts the same way we prescribe nutrition, medication, or therapy.
Over the next decade, I believe we’ll see arts and wellness fully integrated — in clinics, in schools, in public spaces, and in neighborhoods. Not as an add-on or a luxury, but as a core part of what makes a city healthy and connected.
This is also where inclusion becomes not just a value, but a norm. The work we are doing with The Hunt for the Holiday Spirit, featuring a full cast of actors with disabilities, is part of this cultural direction — telling stories where everybody belongs, not as a message, but as a lived reality.
I believe the future of our industry is creative, collaborative, community-rooted, and love-driven. And I feel grateful to be building toward that future here in San Diego.
Pricing:
- Pricing: • My work varies based on the project and the community I’m serving. • I always do my best to make sure cost is not a barrier to participation, especially for youth, families, and community partners. • Please feel welcome to reach out to discuss collaboration or upcoming programs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.thegoodvibe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffersonjay/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffersonjay/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegoodvibe
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/jeffersonjay/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thehuntfortheholidayspirit
