Who is Jaron M. LeGrair?
A native of Akron, Ohio, Jaron M. LeGrair grew up singing all over the city and beyond. A singer by nature, he is also a talented teacher, professor, researcher, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur by trade. He is the proud Founder & Director of the Jaron M. LeGrair Studio, a vocal studio that provides services and goods to singers, speakers, and professional voice users.
Through his unique style of teaching and bringing vocal awareness to all, his Studio has garnered over 1.2 million followers and millions of views across social media platforms. In addition to his teaching efforts and social media acclaim, he is a sought-after teacher and coach, conducting workshops and courses around the world, as well as maintaining a clientele of Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and Dove award-winning and nominated artists across various mediums. Jaron is also a published contributing author in various textbooks and a published researcher in various academic journals.
Aside from his Studio and artistic endeavors, Jaron is a teaching artist at Saint Mary’s College of California. He has also served as a Professor of Music, Voice, and/or Musical Theatre at Point Park University, Indiana Wesleyan University, and nearby at Youngstown State University.
As a lifelong supporter of the arts and arts education, he, along with his two older brothers Emmanuel and Durrell, founded the Flossye J. Bass Foundation for the Arts, a scholarship fund that provides money and resources to students of color pursuing the arts collegiately. This Foundation is affectionately named after his late maternal grandmother.
Jaron M. LeGrair’s 2024 TEDxAkron Talk - Coming Soon, after the event!
TEDxAkron Q&A with Jaron
Q: What do you love most about working/living in Akron?
The community. This is home to me. This is where I was raised. This is where my family is. This is where my extended family is; my "aunties", "mommas" "dads", "cousins" and all. I truly love the people here, and they have been immensely supportive of me in my endeavors down through the years, so I’m always happy to be immersed in the thick of the Akron community.
Q: What do you think you’re most known for and what might surprise people about you that most people wouldn’t know?
I would say I’m most known for my singing and my teaching (especially my teaching nowadays with the social media following I built through my private voice studio). But oddly enough, people are always surprised when they realize how introverted I really am. I can turn it on and talk in front of crowds and in front of the camera most times, but truth be told, I get rather nervous around people and tend to get quiet when I’m in crowds and places where I’m not comfortable or familiar.
Q: If you didn’t do what you did now, what would you do or how would you spend your time in an alternative universe?
That’s a great question. Something I’ve told my brothers is that I’d like to be a Toll Booth or something. So maybe I’d do something that wasn’t “stage-centric.” Something pretty opposite of what I do now.
Q: What's your favorite quote or mantra and why?
If I can use scripture, one of the scriptures I live by is Psalm 27:13-14 which says “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” To me, this just simply says that my days will be filled with good things because of my faith, what I believe, and what I have seen for myself. And the best part is that He isn’t done, and I’m done yet! Even on the days that seem to be harder than others, I will still see good things in spite of what’s around me.
Q: What is the one thing you’re looking forward to the most as a future TEDx speaker?
This is a twofold answer for me. The first thing I’m looking forward to is trying something new with this. A part of my vocation is talking in front of people, but it’s usually in front of a camera, and my talking is often coupled with my “singing.” But with TEDx, I’m going to be challenged to be able to speak without the crutch of “singing” attached to it. The second answer is that I will be able to help others think about their voice in a more tangible and unique way. We all have a story to tell and a sound identity attached to our voice and ourselves, so I’m honored to be able to shed light on this in a special way.