A New Jersey native, Jake Thistle COM and JMS’26 has blazed his way across the global music scene. Having worked as a professional musician since he was nine years old, Thistle is currently signed to Golden Retriever Records and is one album into a three-album contract. Performing across Europe and North America at major music events, he is still able to make time for his double major in Communication and Journalism and Media Studies.

As a SC&I student, Thistle said the encouragement of his professors, who want to see their students succeed, has inspired him to throw himself head-first into his music career alongside his studies. Although he remains busy with his jam-packed schedule, he said many of his professors, who are also balancing teaching and professional careers, inspire him.

In our interview with Thistle, he describes what influences his music career, how he balances his workload, what he hopes to pursue with his SC&I degree, and advice he has for current and incoming SC&I students.

Thistle will perform with his band at the SC&I Communication Department’s #BeCOMM Campaign’s COMMchella Music Festival on April 2 from 2-5 p.m. at the Yard on College Avenue. See him then!

How has majoring in Communication and Journalism and Media studies at SC&I influenced your music career?
JT: SC&I has been a great asset to the foundation of my career. When I walked into Rutgers, I knew I wanted to do something within the SC&I fields. Professor Mark Beal encouraged me to do Communication, and Professor Steven Miller convinced me to do this alongside Journalism and Media Studies.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about it is the flexibility. So many of the professors that work at SC&I are professionals themselves in their own careers, and I’ve been really grateful that they understand when I say ‘hey, if it’s okay, I need to miss a week for this’ or ‘can I take this final virtually, or at least early?’ That’s something I’m not sure I would get in every major, and they’ve all been incredibly supportive and encouraging for me to be able to go out and do what I need to do.

How do you balance your schoolwork and music, and how does SC&I support you in this?
JT: The workload really helps, because I legitimately enjoy doing it. I consider myself a professional writer for the most part, because songwriting is what keeps me traveling and what my career thrives on. Because I like writing, it’s never a huge hassle to have to focus on schoolwork over my career. The nature of the work itself, too, having finals that are research and essay based, is a lot easier for me to do from the road or from the studio than if I had to sit down for three hours and take an exam. It encourages different critical thinking skills. That helps me sit down and work on my own time, which is really helpful.

What have been your favorite subjects at SC&I, and what do you hope to pursue with your degree?
JT: Principles of PR was a highlight of my time at SC&I. I made more friends in that one class than I had in any other, it was an incredibly communal aspect. Listening to the anecdotes of Mark Beal, having been in his career for so long, was really valuable.

I also enjoyed the earlier writing-based classes taught by Miller as I looked at it through the lens of what I could use it for in my career. The PR and media classes have been incredibly interesting.

I hope to go as head-first as I can at music. No matter what happens, I know that I want to be doing something within the industry. Even if the performing or songwriting dries up, I’m grateful for the journalism and communication skills I’ve gained from my time at SC&I to pivot that into a long-term career still centered around music, but instead working as a publicist or in public relations. SC&I has made me realize this was something I would enjoy doing.

What advice do you have for up-and-coming musicians studying at SC&I? JT: Don’t be afraid to reach out and get to know your professors. This has been incredibly valuable for me especially as everybody knows SC&I is such a small family. You have the same professors over and over again. It’s always incredibly comforting for me to walk in and be greeted with ‘Hey Jake, how are you doing?’ Once they get to know you, they’re more likely to trust that you’ll get the work done even if you miss a week. The quicker they can put a name to the face, the better advantage you have.

Learn more about the Communication and Journalism and Media Studies majors on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website. 

Photos: Courtesy of Jake Thistle