“Don’t tell the story, be the story,” says Dr. Tiffany Renee Jackson, when asked to give the most important advice for being a performer. As an artistic force of nature and one of the newest and beloved editions to the Western Carolina University faculty, Jackson has spent her time on campus focusing on her craft, pushing her students’ musical limits and telling her story to those who are willing to receive it.
Jackson, a well-recognized jazz and classical singer, scholar, and vocal pedagogue, has been welcomed and embraced by the university’s staff and students alike. As she strives to share her art with those around her, Jackson continuously displays the importance that a connection to one’s culture and gaining the courage to “be your own authentic self” has in regard to personal growth.
With Jackson’s presence in an educational space, comes the showcasing and growth of her art and artistic process.
Since beginning her teaching at Western, Jackson has not shied away from the ‘tough’ subjects within the classroom.
Her one-woman show, “Rising of the Necessary Diva,” was a culmination of the two things Jackson does best: sing, and present an audience with a brand new perspective on how to navigate a space that may feel uncomfortable.
While the material that she presents to an audience may be extremely vulnerable, such as her experiences with racial profiling, sexual assault, and misogyny; Jackson feels that if her story is shared through her lens and area of expertise, an audience will be able to form a personal connection with her performance.
Here is an exclusive interview with Dr. Tiffany Jackson:
Jackson often uses a specific phrase, in and out of the classroom.
“Specificity breeds universality.”
This refers to telling a story or relaying an experience with all of its unique details, instead of expanding the reach of the story. By doing this, it allows for an audience to directly connect with specific details, rather than vaguely connect with a broad story.
Most individuals believe that the broader a story or experience is, the larger of a reach it has to those who view it; yet this is not the case with Jackson. She believes that the more specific an experience is described to another, it has a higher chance of impacting them personally.
This philosophy is a signature in the performance and process of Jackson’s art, whether it be a song performed in a faculty showcase or a solo display of her life and hardships.
Her show “Rise of a Necessary Diva” marked the start of Black History Month. Jackson made an effort to educate students and faculty alike, being one of very few black female members of WCU faculty. She spoke about her struggles with her racial identity, how she gradually built her confidence and the importance of putting oneself in uncomfortable situations in order to learn from others.
Jackson hosted an African-American community read-in at 5 p.m. on Feb. 28, and an exclusive Q&A for her one-woman show and its implications with Black History Month at 7 p.m. on Feb. 22.
“Without that [negative force from those who disagree], there is no real opportunity for growth,” said Jackson.
Jackson goes on to explain the growth of her craft. “Artistically, I’ve grown a lot, because the recitals that I have given since I’ve been at this school […] they have given me the freedom to be who I am as an artist.”
At WCU, Jackson has performed in various faculty showcases and solo recitals for the School of Music.
“I’ve grown in ways in which I desire for other people as well.”
With a space to demonstrate her growth through connection to her music and embody the tough, but rewarding situations that come with being a performer, Jackson has found a new home at Western Carolina.
Where students and faculty rally around her in a demonstration of love and camaraderie, Jackson feels her art will continue to thrive.
