Before I ever knew the term creative director, I was already doing the work—shaping vision, building worlds, directing talent, designing systems, and shepherding ideas from instinct to execution. Erica Joy Music was a multi-year, artist-led project where I served as creative director, producer, visual strategist, musical collaborator, marketer, and documentarian.

Across eight years, I developed an artist from dorm-room covers to radio play, festival recognition, sold-out shows, and a fully realized brand ecosystem—overseeing everything from sound and performance to visuals, merch, video, live experience, and audience growth. This project is the backbone of my creative practice and the clearest proof of my ability to think holistically, lead intuitively, and execute across disciplines.

Each year below represents a chapter in long-form creative direction, supported by a scrapbook of original visuals from that era.

Role: Creative Director · Musical Director · Director · Designer

• Transitioned Erica Joy Music into a full-band project by recruiting top local musicians through my photography network.

• Served as musical director—running rehearsals and shaping arrangements.

• Shot and launched new website imagery in a secret garden location.

• Catalogued hundreds of EJ’s voice memos, structured them via spreadsheet, and co-developed songs for an EP.

• Co-wrote and developed Happy Villain with EJ and Britt Wild.

Single Rollout: “Happy Villain”

• Curated artist styling and visual identity

• Shot promo photography in an abandoned church

• Designed digital + physical releases

• Handmade CD singles and merch buttons

• Concepted, directed, shot, and edited a 10-minute narrative music video

Recognition

• Airplay on 96.5 The Buzz & 90.9 The Bridge

• Exclusive video premiere via 90.9 The Bridge

• Homegrown Buzz Showcase performance

• 1st place, HRC’s Battle of the Bands (again)

• Named to 90.9 The Bridge’s Best of 2016

Creative Direction Lens:
Scaling vision, directing across mediums, and maintaining cohesion through growth.

Role: Creative Director · Producer · Photographer · Strategist

• Began photographing local bands, building relationships within the Kansas City music scene.

• Directed music videos and shot album covers, expanding my visual storytelling skillset.

• Officially launched Erica Joy Music as an artist brand (intentionally not a band name to preserve flexibility and long-term integrity).

• Created and managed Facebook and Instagram accounts for the artist.

• Produced a 9-part cover series:

  • Filmed and recorded performances

  • Designed cover art

  • Distributed content across social platforms and SoundCloud

Key Milestones

• Won 1st place (Acoustic Division), HRC’s Battle of the Bands

• Performed for the Anti-Violence Project

• Commissioned logo emblem by illustrator Ty Terry

• Designed and produced business cards

Creative Direction Lens:
Brand architecture, platform strategy, content pipelines, and long-term artist positioning.

Role: Creative Director · Producer · Documentarian · Merch Designer

• Identified “Fun to Hold You” as the debut single.

• Sourced and managed first professional recording experience with producer Kyle Ward.

• Oversaw recording process despite no prior studio experience.

• Directed cover art, stickers, prints, koozies, and t-shirts.

• Created The Summer of Joy, a two-part behind-the-scenes YouTube series documenting the journey.

Impact

• Single received airplay on 96.5 The Buzz

• Performed at Kansas City’s top venues and record shops

• Played Porchfest

• Nominated by The Deli Magazine for Kansas City’s Favorite Emerging Artist

Creative Direction Lens:
Narrative-driven rollouts, merch as storytelling, and audience intimacy through documentation.

Role: Performer · Arranger · Experience builder

• Performed at talent shows, open mics, and cafes throughout undergrad.

• Experimented with percussionists to add depth and dimension to live sets.

• Learned how audience, environment, and arrangement affect performance energy.

Creative Direction Lens:
Iterating in public, refining live experiences, and learning how small production choices impact emotional reception.

Role: Strategist · Producer · Advocate

• As part of the Activity Program Council, managed semester budgets to program campus events.

• Booked ZZ Ward for the spring concert and negotiated with her management to allow a student opener.

• Devised the submission strategy, encouraged EJ to apply, and successfully secured the opening slot—selected by ZZ Ward herself.

Creative Direction Lens:
Using systems, access, and persuasion to create opportunities for emerging talent.

Role: Musical collaborator · Early creative direction

• Met EJ freshman year of college and formed an immediate creative bond rooted in shared musical taste (Brandi Carlile, Patty Griffin, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks).

• Developed a complementary creative dynamic: EJ’s ethereal vocal style anchored by my rhythm guitar sensibility.

• Practiced and arranged covers collaboratively in my childhood garage—an early exercise in sound, structure, and emotional tone.

Creative Direction Lens:
Identifying talent, understanding instinctual artistry, and shaping raw creative energy into something cohesive.