It is my philosophy that everyone is trying their best all of the time AND that expanding our version of 'best' can be accomplished through the processing of suppressed emotions. The following biography shares many of the twists and turns that led me to this world view and to my place in Chicago’s sound movement.

I moved to Chicago in 2005 after graduating from Kalamazoo College and found a job at Neiman Marcus on Michigan Ave stocking ladies shoes. While working at Neiman’s I fell in love with writing songs and making music. Within in a year I began taking classes at DePaul University which culminated in 2008 with a Masters of Education. Soon there after I took a job at Carlos Fuentes Elementary as the schools’ sole Special Education teacher and Case Manager. Over 8 years I helped build the school’s Special Education Department from 1 position to a team of 11.

As the special education program expanded so to did my music, I began producing more complex compositions through the use of computer software and drum machines and I also launched an after school program called Rhythms of Youth which taught struggling students how to build drums from scratch. Oh, and I began to meditate after taking a training in Transcendental Meditation (TM).

In 2016 I decided to leave my job as a Special Education teacher and was given the opportunity to revamp my school’s Physical Education program and I developed a curriculum focused on fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness. The development of this program coincided with my continued personal/spiritual growth and my exploration of a modality known as Core Shamanism in which drums and rattles are used for meditation, spiritual connection, and healing.

In 2017 budget cuts drastically impacted my school resulting in me teaching 37 classes per week. Some of the new class periods took place when the “gym”, which doubled as a cafeteria, was occupied. Thus, I was required to teach one PE class each day in a classroom with students at desks. For these classes I decided to dive deeper into the world of mindfulness designing lessons to expose students to a wider range of techniques focusing on breathing and meditation, the use of sound and music from an indigenous perspective, and the study of intention and it’s roll in healing.

Around this time I started hosting weekly gatherings in my home for friends and family in which I played the frame drum to support in meditation. Not long after I was invited to my first “sound bath” which was completely eye opening. As a result of this experience I signed up for a workshop taught by musician/gong player Preston Klik and was inspired to purchase a gong and crystal bowls. Soon these new instruments found their way into my weekly gatherings inspiring further exploration in the modality of sound meditation.

In June of 2018 I left my school of 10 years to become a full time sound meditation faciliator. I hit the ground running and began reaching out to yoga studios and wellness centers. Challenges quickly emerged as I struggled to draw folks to my offerings. There were many times when a ticketed event at a yoga studio would sell only 1 ticket or none at all. Attempting to make a living off of ticket sales led to a lot of uncertainty and fear. In the face of fear I made a deal with myself, anytime I worried about money I would donate a meditation. And I worried about it a lot, so I donated a lot. Over the first few years of my sound meditation career I donated over 300 sound mediations. Playing for patients at addiction centers and hospitals, folks transitioning out of homelessness, and those impacted by cancer exposed me to groups of people that often had no experience with meditation. I realized early on that the power of my work was about more than just the sound, it was about the context that I could create through educating people about meditation before the sound began. The introduction itself became the most important component of my offerings and served to reduce barriers of entry to the experience.

In 2020 I partnered with the Ahimsa Yoga Studios to Co-Found the Ahimsa School of Sound Healing. The school is based off of my experience as a meditation facilitator, musician, sonic explorer, and educator. As the Director I have built a roster of meditation facilitators who serve in Ahimsa’s Oak Park, Evanston, and Wicker Park locations. I have also developed a curriculum comprised of 2 trainings, Foundations in Vibration and Foundations in Facilitation. Finally, I have sourced instruments from all over the world and offer 1-on-1 appointments so folks can find instruments they resonate with.

Despite the initial challenges, the fears, and the curve ball of covid, I am 8 years into this beautiful exploration. Since that first meditation I offered in my home I have facilitated over 2,000 meditation experiences and I am so grateful to say that I love what I do. I firmly believe that sound is the most accessible form of meditation and an essential tool in supporting people in processing experiences and emotions as a means of creating space for supreme levels of health, communication, creativity, and compassion. I truly appreciate your support and interest in my work and look forward to seeing where it all leads.

Peace and Love,

Jay

Podcast Interviews

“In this episode of The Best People Podcast, we meet Jay Taylor, sound meditation facilitator and musical mystic. Jay shares the path that led him from stocking shoes in a Chicago department store to discovering the transformative power of sound. We explore how improvisation shapes his work, why he resists the title of “healer,” and how music became his way of helping others reconnect with themselves—one vibration at a time. “