When I was seven years old: I’d come in here without thinking I need to do this, or I hope to gain something from this, it was just to be the music that you’re playing.
Jacob Collier
To Be the Music
Topic: Self-Cultivation & Health
One thing about this last year is that I had the feeling of making music without there being a point to making it. That’s what drew me in in the first place, when I was seven years old: I’d come in here without thinking I need to do this, or I hope to gain something from this, it was just to be the music that you’re playing.
Jacob Collier, born Jacob Moriarty on August 2, 1994, in London, England, was raised in a musically gifted family. His mother, Suzie Collier, is a violinist and educator at the Royal Academy of Music's Junior Academy, and his maternal grandfather, Derek Collier, was a noted violinist. From an early age, Collier was immersed in classical and choral music, performing in operas such as Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. These early experiences shaped his harmonic understanding. He attended Mill Hill County High School, then the Purcell School for Young Musicians, and briefly studied jazz piano at the Royal Academy of Music. His multicultural heritage, including Chinese ancestry through his maternal grandmother, reflects a background of musical and cultural diversity.
Collier gained international attention through YouTube videos beginning in 2011, with multi-instrumental arrangements like Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing.” These works showcased his approach to harmony and rhythm, drawing the attention of producer Quincy Jones. In 2016, he released his debut album, In My Room, recorded entirely in his family home. His solo performances incorporated looping stations and real-time harmonization tools developed with the MIT Media Lab. Collier's skill as an arranger was recognized with Grammy Awards for pieces such as “You and I” and “Flintstones,” starting a streak of awards across each of his first five albums.
In 2018, Collier launched the Djesse series, a four-volume, 50-song project exploring a wide range of musical styles, with contributions from artists and ensembles around the world. Each volume reflects a distinct musical approach, culminating in the release of Djesse Vol. 4 in 2024. Throughout, Collier has emphasized the importance of exploration and the creative process, both in interviews and live performances. His work blends jazz, classical, R&B, and experimental elements, offering both technical range and an openness to collaboration that continues to influence many younger musicians.
Holmes, Dave. “Jacob Collier Is Discovering the World Outside His Music Room.” Esquire, 10 Mar. 2021, https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a35786467/jacob-collier-grammys-2021-interview/.
Jacob Collier
Theme: Being in Self
About This Jacob Collier Quotation [Commentary]
Jacob Collier begins by recalling “the feeling of making music without there being a point to making it.” This brings Jacob Collier back to what “drew me in in the first place,” when he was seven years old and music was something to enter into freely, without concern for what it might accomplish. His words, “I need to do this” and “I hope to gain something from this,” express the expectations that can draw our attention away from the experience itself. Without those expectations, Jacob Collier remembers a simpler relationship with music, rooted in the freedom to create and the pleasure of being fully engaged in what he loves.
At the heart of Jacob Collier’s reflection is the desire “just to be the music that you’re playing.” This is more than making music for enjoyment; it is participating so completely that the activity no longer feels separate from the person experiencing it. When Jacob Collier describes coming into the room “without thinking” about what he needed to do or hoped to gain, he recalls a natural openness in which attention rests on the music rather than personal achievement. His words speak to Being in Self, where our sense of who we are is not dependent on what we accomplish, but can be experienced through our wholehearted presence in what we do.
Jacob Collier’s return to what “drew me in in the first place” reminds us that the freedom we knew as children need not be lost as we grow older. Making music “without there being a point to making it” does not deny the value of purpose or accomplishment. It restores the value of the experience itself, apart from any result. By letting go of the need to “gain something from this,” we become more available to what is happening within us and around us. Jacob Collier’s words, “just to be the music that you’re playing,” remind us that we can find a deeper sense of ourselves by being fully present in what we love.
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