“Loving the Game We’re In”: How Jeff Lurie Stumbled Upon a Meaningful Creative Career

For Jeff Lurie, music and sports are home - but this now former athlete has chosen to go all-in on the audio game. 

“As a kid I turned away from music, mostly because I kept having temper tantrums at the piano” he recalls, in a scene likely familiar to anyone who attempted to master musicianship as a young child. But fate wasn’t about to keep Jeff away from the world of audio for long. Looking back, it probably couldn’t have happened any other way. 

“I was surrounded by music growing up. My mom played piano by reading the notes. But my dad - although a drummer - was able to pick up music by gut and by ear. That’s an ability I’ve been able to pick up”, he says. “It wasn’t his day job, but it was enough to show me that music could have a truly meaningful impact on life if I let it”. 

Jeff’s father spent his musical career sitting behind the drums but, like his son, he was able to pick up a handful of different instruments through sheer intuition. That joyfully experimental streak - a gut-level ability to simply pick up, play, and worry about the details later - has proven to be a defining theme of Jeff’s own career. “One moment that really stands out in my memory is picking up a guitar when I was in grade six, and I was able to just sort of work out the melody to The Eagles’ Hotel California by feeling it out on one string”, he says. “I felt like I’d hit this new paradigm of musical enlightenment”. 

In our conversation, Jeff jumps from stories to concepts with the infectious curiosity of a kid who can’t decide what to bring to class for show-and-tell. But what unites it all is that underlying joyful approach to creativity. Speaking to Jeff serves as a reminder that, really, music isn’t about temper tantrums at the piano. It’s about playing. 

But don’t get him wrong - Jeff is resolutely serious about his work as an audio director. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to add work with household-name brands like Mercedes-Benz, Budweiser, and CIBC to his portfolio. But, when asked to reflect about the work that truly stands out as significant in his career, it’s the more meaningful projects which have truly left their mark. 

“One project that stands out in my memory is some work we did for Swiss Chalet through TA2”, he recalls. “I love storytelling through music. This new neighbours commercial was a great example of being able to work with the agency to tell a beautiful story. In this spot I got to write the music, sing, and direct the voiceover talent and audio for the final spot. Having my hands in many of the production pots is very fun, and allows me to create meaningful content in a few ways”. 

Above: Jeff’s work for the Canadian restaurant chain Swiss Chalet offered an opportunity for brand storytelling through music and vocals. 

Along the way, Jeff hasn’t forgotten how to have fun. A standout example is his voice acting work in a campaign for Rice Krispies, in which he was Crackle - from the iconic ‘Snap, Crackle, and Pop’ trio competing in ‘Rice Krispies Idol’, a spinoff from popular TV shows. “That was a blast, and in 2007 it was pretty forward-looking in how it invited kids to vote for their favourite performance and interact with an ad campaign”, he recalls. 

“Of course, it helped my enjoyment that Crackle was often the winner - especially given I was competing against Snap who was Ryan Malcolm, Canada’s actual first Canadian Idol!”. Fortunately, that sense of competition was no barrier to friendship between Ryan and Jeff, with the pair quickly becoming roommates. 

Above: ‘Singing With The Bars’ saw the beloved Snap, Crackle, and Pop competing for votes in an American Idol-style singing contest. 

Fast forward to today, and Jeff can be found lending his talent to the team at TA2 Sound + Music. “When Steve [Gadsden, TA2’s company president] asked me to come over I couldn’t resist, because it felt like the chance to become part of TA2’s amazing story, returning to the first studio that I ever walked into”, reflects Jeff. “Not to mention the fact we’re the first Canadian studio to win Gold at the One Show for Top Music & Sound Studio. That, and the fact I get to voice direct, compose, and work alongside some of the most talented people anywhere in the business”. 

Above: Another example of Jeff’s compositional work with TA2 is this uplifting spot for the soft drink brand Canada Dry. 

And TA2’s studios quickly became the perfect home for Jeff’s unique blend of talent and enthusiasm. “Our culture is to love and respect the game that we’re in. I love welcoming people into our home for the final days of their production”, he says. “Our guests are agency creatives who’ve spent the past four or five months working with clients and nurturing their own ideas, and then they come to us and we treat them to a creative and special day. I love helping these folks to feel like they’ve truly accomplished something at the end of a project because, ultimately, we all have”. 

Outside of the day job, however, Jeff has no intention of letting his creativity lay dormant. For proof, look no further than Jaime Jangles - a passion project brought to life during the height of the pandemic in 2020 which has now taken on a life of its own. The project is a series of books and animated read-alongs voiced by Jeff alongside his daughter Jaime, and heavily inspired by their own adventures.

“It was only supposed to be a birthday present for Jaime, but when the idea started taking shape one thing just led to another”, says Jeff. “We’re now working on book three, where we travel around the world. For the animations, we’ve been able to collaborate with eighteen different musicians - one from each country we visit. That includes the musical legend that is Fred Penner to represent the Canadian page”. 

Above: Jaime and Jeff proudly hold aloft two entries in the Jaime Jangles series. 

The project also represents another example of Jeff’s work as a voice actor. As well as Jaime Jangles, TA2’s audio director and composer has previously lent his voice to beer and car brands to help their ads cut through the noise. 

But for Jeff, it’s just another way of finding fun challenges in the game he’s in. It’s that same search for a deeper meaning that’s always been there throughout his career, and which only seems set to continue manifesting itself moving forward.

“If you conduct yourself with respect and skill, opportunities are always going to come your way”, suggests Jeff. For the sake of his clients and audiences alike, it’s a good thing they do.