The Work That Made Me: Tarjas White
Tarjas White lives and breathes music and he’s turned that deep connection into a career that brings together sound and visuals. As a producer, he’s had his tracks in 400-500 TV shows and these days he’s pushing that passion in the world of advertising, working with the world’s biggest brands, agencies and media channels.
He’s a ‘tastemaker and culture curator in the current music entertainment scene’ - and that exquisite sensibility has been shaped over years of immersion in music. Here he outlines the music, ads and projects that have helped shape him into the influential figure he is today, where he’s focused on producing the best content and showcasing the best and most deserving emerging talent.
The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Tarjas> There was a carpet ad that aired regionally in Chicago, where I grew up, for a company called Empire. It had such a catchy theme song that really resonated with me as a child. When I think of a moment when I was actually aware of music in advertising, I always go back to that time and that jingle. I still remember the phone number today!
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Tarjas> I would say a big inspiration for me was TRL (Total Request Live, an MTV show that featured the top music videos for the uninitiated). It really was the culturally defining platform for my generation when it came to new exposure to music. It was my vessel to learn about the most popular artists in the world and was one of the reasons I wanted to move to NYC and start a career in music. I actually used to set up my drum set in the living room and play against the videos.
The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Tarjas> Sergio Mendes' "Timeless" album is something that I find myself revisiting often. It came out at a time when I was getting into the genre of Brazilian jazz. I always go back to that album and it reminds me of when my palate expanded musically.
My first professional project…
Tarjas> I sold my first beat when I was 16. Until then, I had no idea that I could make money off of my music. That was honestly a gift and a curse. It made me believe that this could be a real path. Before that, while everyone around me in Chicago knew I was producing music, I always looked at it as fun, a creative expression. From that day on, I was a producer.
The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Tarjas> I really try not to hate — I just find it unproductive. Instead, I try to take in as much inspiration that I can and build positive momentum for other people. I’ve been given a lot of breaks in my career and I hope that I’m able to do that for others.
The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Tarjas> Looking at the ad space, I've always loved the long-term partnership between AT&T and Milana Vayntrub. It's so genius to create a character that transcends the brand. She was effectively a vehicle to create her own "sitcom" that has carried across all these campaigns since 1995. It's really admirable to lock in a partnership and create a character that has been so enduring and that truly become a part of the brand.
The creative project that changed my career…
Tarjas> Back when I was in my final semester of college, I went to visit Los Angeles for the first time. I booked myself solid while I was there, trying to see as many things and squeeze in as much networking as I could. At one event, I met Toby Record and I told him that I produced tracks and he opened my eyes to the world of licensing for television and film. I sent him a bunch of tracks and tried not to get too disappointed when I didn't hear anything back. To my surprise, he hit me up nine months later and let me know that my tracks were appearing across various shows on MTV.
Now, I've had 400-500 placements in TV shows. It pivoted me to sync, which got me into music for advertising. I was able to land an internship at Sony for licensing--my experience having my music on shows opened the door to that opportunity. And all of that was from an awkward happenstance meeting at a networking event.
The work that I’m proudest of…
Tarjas> It's a really cool experience to work in this space as a musician, with the ability to give artists opportunities to work with brands that will become a launching pad for their personal success.
In my first music company gig, we repped indie artists for commercial projects. There was a band from New Zealand that we put into a McDonald's commercial that got over 4k views on YouTube. It ended up airing during the Olympics and that skyrocketed everything for them. They were an unknown band before and after this opportunity they signed with Columbia Records. It's a really exciting moment when you feel like you're able to offer that kind of visibility to an artist who is struggling to make their way onto the scene.
I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Tarjas> It’s important for me to learn from everything I do. Even though I may look back at older projects through the lens of modern technology or my own evolved creative POV, I’m always proud that I gave it my all at the time, and for all the people that collaborated to make a project come together.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Tarjas> I recently worked on a project for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It was a lot of work for all of the team, but the end result was very impactful. It was really cool to see something I worked really hard on out there serving the purpose of helping people and providing awareness.
