Living with a Passion

By: Jennifer Gardner

Working as a part-time musician and successfully juggling the demands of what all that entails doesn’t typically grace the daily to-do list of a full-time Ole Miss student, unless you’re Jay Patrick Marlar.

Sporting faded jeans, a broken-in button up shirt and the stereotypical, but misinterpreted ponytail, Marlar can often be found spending his daytime hours pretending to fully care about his double major. In reality, this care for school diminishes in comparison to his real passion: music. “I realized that maybe it will take a long time making a bigger name for myself, and a lot of money…so staying in school to have a good job is important to me while I wait on musical success,” said Marlar.

From the age of twelve, Marlar knew that his life would always include music. “When I started playing banjo, my first instrument, I called an instructor, Ernie Welch who taught the famous Bella Fleck to play. He told me after thirty minutes there was nothing else he could teach me,” said Marlar. That confidence booster was all he needed to realize that music was his calling and sticking with it would eventually pay off.

The self-taught musician casually rolled his eyes and chuckled at the idea of ever initially wanting or needing a music lesson. “A true, real musician would never need many lessons, if any,” stated Marlar. Over the past ten years, the cocky musician has mastered playing guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.

His accumulated musical talent and driving desire for recognition are just two reasons that this demanded artist is continually offered countless opportunities to play his music in and around the Oxford area. A childhood friend of his, Haley Huggins, isn’t surprised by how far his musical career has grown. “We all knew that when Jay started playing for local restaurants and bars that people would love him…we never complained when he would constantly be playing music for us either,” said Huggins.

Jay’s weekly Sunday night shows at Taylor Grocery have kept the customers going back for more, and I’m not talking about their infamous fried catfish. One repeat diner, Fred Vann, is able to round off his busy week while enjoying Marlar’s unique vocals paired with blue grass and classic hits. “Nothing I love more than relaxing at Taylor Grocery when Jay’s playing,” said Vann, “especially when he’s covering my classic rock favorites.”

Between write-ups about his music in The Local Voice, his highly demanded vocals, and constant offers to play his music around town, it’s very evident that Jay Patrick Marlar offers a variety of listeners an equal variety of great entertainment. “I want them [fans, listeners] to leave feeling like they’ve just heard there favorite band through my music…and me as an individual artist…when I cover some old hits,” replied Marlar after being asked what his he strives to instill within each fan after hearing him play music.

Sources

Jay Patrick Marlar, featured musician, jpmarlar@olemiss.edu

Fred Vann, frequent diner-Taylor Grocery, fredvann3@gmail.com

Haley Huggins, Jay’s friend, contact number (662)-808-2731