Every creative has a different relationship with their art. For genre-bending artist YngSolomon (aka Jesse Schwartz), music, faith, and service are inextricably linked.
YngSolomon’s work comes, in part, from his Buddhist faith. He first got involved with Buddhism in 2013 when he joined Soka Gakkai International (SGI). “Their mission is to create world peace by helping individuals achieve their highest potential and become happy through the daily practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, helping others, and studying.”
He is well on his way. But, when YngSolomon first got involved with SGI, things didn’t look nearly as hopeful. “I had just gotten out of jail,” he says. “I was couchsurfing. I was racking up all kinds of debt experimenting with hard drugs, and my parents had to cut me off. I was in a pretty dark place.”
What led him to Buddhism and toward a better life? In the midst of hopelessness, his friend Mario Madrid continually reached out. “He invited me to chant the mantra Nam Myoho Renge Kyo to elevate my life condition. It worked, and that’s when I was like, alright, I’m just gonna say yes every time he invites me. That’s when my life really shifted,” he says.
Whereas many sects of Buddhism renounce earthly desires, he was attracted to Nichiren Buddhism’s philosophy because it encourages practitioners to chant for their dreams, “I chanted for the confidence to pursue music all out.” His daily practice helped create a life where he has the time to be creative, especially on nature walks, where his best song ideas manifest. He hikes armed with a mobile studio recording app (Voloco or BandLab) and hums melodies as they come to him.
These raw, stream-of-consciousness vocals are the basis of his writing process. After each walk, he says, “I’ll pick the best flows and figure out which words communicate the song’s message best. The result is a flow that’s beautiful because it came from a feeling, from a place of emotion.”
YngSolomon is committed to being of service. He credits these efforts as a launching point for his growth as an artist. As a volunteer leader within the SGI, inviting friends to meetings and helping behind the scenes, he gained invaluable training, which raised his confidence to set big musical goals. “Being of service is a cheat code to achieving your dreams because it raises your vibration, and the higher we vibrate, the easier we manifest our desires.”
He also volunteers with Klemmer & Associates, a personal development school, promoting a workshop called Personal Mastery. The class helped transform his life.
“I’m a totally different person from when I started attending their workshops in terms of my ability to create results,” he says. “I didn’t realize how my subconscious thought patterns were making excuses for not keeping my word to myself.” YngSolomon credits Klemmer for teaching him the mental tools to launch his musical career as of late. Part of the Personal Mastery workshop involves setting a specific goal with a deadline. During his first workshop in October of 2022, he made the goal to perform his music for a live crowd of 10,000 or more, and on May 17th, 2024, he will accomplish this at the Tacoma Dome opening for one of his childhood idols, Lil Wayne. He invites anyone interested in learning more about this course to reach him via social media or email.
