Hello! Welcome to Broken City Artists. I don't know how you got here, but I'm glad you made it! 

BCA was born of the belief that an artist's life and work thrives when no stone is left unturned in his or her artistic pursuit; that if the entire self is brought to what we create, our work will have greater depth, we will be more energized and fulfilled in the process, and the world around us will be better for it.

Broken City Artists' purpose and mission is rooted in sharing an approach I've used throughout my life (long before I had a name for it). Now called "A Holistic Approach to the Arts," I've spent yearsdeveloping it into a detailed, multi-dimensional and highly individualized approach that can greatly accelerate your progress as an artist.

We're surrounded by art and creativity. Whether it's in the raw beauty of nature, or the functional and/or expressionistic creations of man, creativity's manifestation is the foundation of our shared reality. It drives us forward and enriches life in countless ways. I believe an artist is someone who puts the act of self-expression-via-creation on their short list of basic needs in life: Air, Water, Food, Love and Art.

Though I recoil at sharing my own credits in the first person, it's all a part of the artist's life when it comes to the career aspect of things (we want creative/artistic fulfillment and we want to make money so we can keep doing it!), so I'd be remiss if I didn't share with you that this holistic approach has been the key factor to in my own career success, contributing (as a songwriter/producer-engineer etc.) to over 50 million albums sold globally, including over a dozen number #1's across multiple genres, as well as work in visual arts (photography, film, screenwriting, fine arts). 

Over time, this has equated to both financial security and, more importantly, a rich and constantly evolving artistic life. It's not all roses of course. Nothing worth anything is. Therehas always been the layer of it marked by countless bumps and bruises, ups and downs, and a lot of learning the hard way. 

All of this has allowed me to hone in on an approach that can focus in on an artist's unique identity while empowering them to navigate this crazy and ever-changing world around us. 

Over 25 years of being an artist and working alongside artists of nearly every mediums, talent levels, personality types and ages, I've discovered that to create our best, most personal and meaningful work, we must navigate both the internal and the external mazes of the heart, mind and body.

Sometimes the artistic process is seemingly transcendent, taking almost no effort at all, while other times, it couldn't be more tedious, emotional, frustrating, difficult and confusing! I wouldn't be surprised if some of you are finding yourselves nodding your heads reading this. We've all been there.

Our approach is more than just a step-by-step method or a 2-dimensional technique, but rather, it's an all encompassing process that takes the fulness of being human into account. Our collective aim, as a team here at BCA, is to bring the artist and their work into harmony for the purpose of self-expression, human connection and, if the desire exists, to give you the best chance possible at enjoying a fulfilling career in the arts.

Each one of us is a one-of-a-kind individual. From the perspective of our own unique combination of nature and nurture (i.e. Genetic Makeup and Life Experience), we each look out the window of our own private room. As artists, our work is a key means of communicatingour inner experience to the outside world. It's as if we can't live... or feel alive... without it. To me, these are some of the defining characteristics of an artist. I don't see "artist" as a pretentious title, it's just a way of referring to those of us who were born with this desire to Express + Connect via what we create. 

By the time I was about 11 years old, I started to feel this need to express myself. First it was piano and drums... then a lot more drums... then this need quickly expanded into a life of recording, producing and especially singing and songwriting (for myself as a solo artist and others) and more recently, visual arts. I'm now 39 and it's been quite a ride.... everything from a joyride to an all out war as I've battled through my own internal list of paradoxes... insecurities, lack of confidence, real confidence, over-confidence, talent, lack of talent, my faults, my desire to be good, my selfishness, selflessness and on and on and on... to create art is to look both inside and out... to embrace the seen and the unseen and to tell our own story in a way that someone else can experience it too.

This process is incredible... and incredibly complicated! 

I've been mentored, taken private lessons, classes/courses (in high school, 

college and through independent organizations), attended seminars, read books, bought books I didn't read (ha!), learned "on the gig,", learned the hard way... All of it... but in the end I've found that something intrinsically important was missing.

As I look back now, I see that if someone would've asked me the right questions, really looked at me, the human being, and nudged me in the right place at the right time in the right way, I could've been saved literally years of beating my head against the wall and been propelled more swiftly through to better work and a more fulfilling process. 

This is why I've developed this approach and why I'm writing to you now.

As I've reflected on my own journey and process and studied the way the great artists in history (and the ones around me) did what they did, it became clear to me that the self-taught aspect was has always been there, in spades. Some might say that those who are successful or make great work are just talented, got lucky, or just never gave up, but I have a different view. I believe that the pathway to doing great work and progressing quickly lies in an approach that is fashioned from a special blend of self-awareness, focus and commitment.

This process of self-awareness involves navigating our creative life by looking at the entire picture. To take into account our own emotions and thoughts (psychology), our sense of instinct, the unseen mysteries of life and the higher self (spirituality), the underlying concepts involved in all of it (philosophy), and our actual technical abilities and craft (physiology).

These are what I call "The Four Pillars" of the human experience.  I believe that virtually every obstacle, every bout of writers block, & every compromised or mediocre work, can be overcome, made better, & more pure, and even more commercially viable (if that's your goal) by navigating our artistic process in a holistic way that addresses all of these "Four Pillars."

So it's become my life's work, not only create work of meaning myself, but, also, to come alongside other artists, to help guide and share my approach to the "why, what and how" of expressing their truth.

Consider this your invitation to be that artist and dive into this with us here at Broken City Artists. 

- Adam

Mike Jackson has, for over two decades, been writing, teaching & designing shows for some of the most widely recognized Percussion programs in the U.S. Jackson, a Winter Guard International (WGI) Hall Of Fame inductee & current board member, has played a key role in leading his ensembles to a staggering seven World Championships. 

Jackson is a co-founder and current board member for the Southern California Percussion Alliance (SCPA) and is currently the Percussion Composer & Arranger for the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps. In addition, Jackson has a long-standing artist partnership with Yamaha and his own signature drumstick with Vic Firth Company. 

His extraordinary reputation in Education, and specifically his visionary approach to the art of Percussion, has earned Jackson an unprecedented level of respect and admiration around the world.