About-continued

First off, thank you for visiting the N-Sane Mixes (NSM) website. Just by you reading this, I am very appreciative. My name is Jason Miller, I am a “Freelancer” working out of Charlotte, NC. I know typically an “About” page on a website is about the business, and maybe a little background information about the founder(s) and staff. However I am my business; everything you read on this website is a direct result of who I am, and what I do. So this is more of an autobiography in terms of what I do to make a living. My opinions and views may be different than most, but that does not suggest that there has to be in loss or lack of respect. With that said, my morals and beliefs can be summed up with the golden rule, “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” In that, there is the answer to “Why do business with NSM?”

I’m going to go back to my childhood, because like anyone else that is the foundation of who I am. I was fortunate enough to have been raised at a turning point in technology. In the third grade, I was a part of a closed study involving children and computers. The first project that was assigned to myself and four other children in my school was to program and build, what I now know, was a website. This was right before “consumers” were able to have their own websites. We were to program and build a website that consisted of a home page, content, and a for buttons that made this page interactive; and we had to present this project to a room full of people. The objective was to make our project simple enough for anyone to follow. After this project, myself and one other student was then in charge of populating connecting, and maintaining our school’s first computer lab. So in hind-sight what does this mean? Well, at the age of eight, I had programmed my first website, and setup my first computer network. Here I am now, about 21 years later, doing what? Building computers, building websites, setting up networks and utilizing this technology to provide goods and services to other people.

In the fifth grade, at the same school, I began playing the trumpet in the school band. Under the instruction and direction of a great music teacher, I started to rapidly learn to read music notation and how to play my instrument accordingly. Being called out on every missed note, every note that was not held for its appropriate duration, and for every time my posture was slacking; my music instructor shaped me into her “Star pupil.” At the time I just saw her as being a perfectionist or maybe she just had it out for me. However towards the end of my sixth grade year, when she informed me that I would be playing the trumpet solo when we were invited to play with the Charlotte Symphony, I knew she was trying to unlock the potential she saw in me. But she was not done yet.

The first day in Middle School, I was surprised to see my Elementary School band teacher standing at the front of the class. At the conclusion of her “Welcome to Middle School Band” speech, she looked directly at me and said, “You’re going to play the tuba.” I will never forget the smile on her face when she said this. I remember thinking to myself, wow, that’s a little psychotic. It was Elementary School Band all over again, down to the end of my eighth grade year when I performed, yet another, solo. This time with the tuba. She wanted to see me go on to play in the high school marching band, but unfortunately I had my mind set on high school football. While disappointed, she understood and replied with, “Music will always be in your heart, never let that go. I doesn’t stay in the band rehearsal room, it doesn’t stay in your hours of practice at home. It is always with YOU.” She was absolutely right. I didn’t join the band in High School, instead I joined the Chorus.
For the next four years, I enrolled in a total of 10 credits of Choral Classes. That means on average, I was in two full year classes, and one one-semester class, every year I was in High School. Men’s Ensemble, Concert Choir, and the Chamber Choir. In four years between those three choirs we obtained seven State Superior Awards (The highest award for in state competition) and three Nation Superior Awards (Also the highest award but on a National level); and I was awarded the “Best Tenor Vocalist” award in 2001 and a national choral competition in Atlanta Georgia. My senior year I was voted President of the Chamber choir which involved a lot of decisions and organizing. I also became the Chorus Director’s assistant. I was like running a business. Upwards of 450 students, out of county and out of state trips, fund raisers, money management, parental legal documents, itineraries for these trips that my fellow students would enjoy, booking… the list goes on and on. But you know what? I was good at it, and I loved it. Let back track a bit, I said I was focused on football; and I was whole heartedly.

Before High School, I played in a independent football league that was started by a former NFL player. Not getting too deep into details, the last two years before the league was terminated I had two “Super Bowl” trophies, two “Pro Bowl” trophies, three MVP trophies(two team, one “Pro Bowl”) and my team had one undefeated season. I was the first lineman ever in that league to receive an MVP, let alone three in two seasons. Now I know it sounds like I’m gloating, but please understand, there is no arrogance intended. Am I proud of my accomplishments and accolades? Absolutely, but does that make me a better person than anyone else? No, it does not, by any means. I loved playing football. I’m not going to get into the childhood “psychological” reasons as to why, but I LOVED playing football.   When I got to High School, I was excited about playing football. The High School coach sort of “Scouted” me and visited with me and told me his plans for me to be a Fullback. He went on to tell me how a boy with my size, my strength, and my speed could and would be unstoppable in his game plan. And my dreams began. Just as I did when I played football before, I could showcase my athleticism, have fun and win; but this time I could be scouted by colleges where I could do the same thing, and eventually and potentially get into the NFL.

I attended spring camp for the high school team, and everything was, well everything I hoped and thought it would be. I was referred to as “The Beast.” Cheesy I know, but it was fun. But also short lived. It was time for me to visit with the team doctor for my mandatory physical. he diagnosed me with having Osgood Schlatter Disease a form of Bilateral Patellar Tendonitis and could not clear me to play. I visited my physician, and went over every option I had for treatment, and there were only two. Surgery, which my insurance would not cover and my family could not afford, or the traditional treatments of icing, heating, and rest. I tried treating myself for the next month. That is when my doctor then informed me that I fell into the small percentage of people, I think it was like 8% or 9%, that cannot be treated; and competitive football was not in my future. Now I believe and always have believed that everything happens for a reason. So while it was very disappointed, I was not distraught; nor was I discouraged.  Every time I go through a rough time, my Mother tells me the same two things; “All things work together for the good for those who love the Lord.” and “…I’ll never forget when you were three years old, I was reading you a story, ‘The Greedy Ole Fat Man,’ and out of nowhere you stopped me and said to me ‘Mommy, the world is going to know Jason Miller in a good way.'” And I always, to this day reply with, “Yes, I know they do,” and “Yes Mama, it will.”

I started writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing my own music after that conversation with my Mother. By March of 2000 I had used my knowledge of computers and music to build my first home studio, and was making music for my friends and family and school. I graduated High School on the A B Honor Roll and with the Fine Arts Honor Society Honors. By October 2003 I legally started N-Sane Mixes providing music and audio services for several clients. Since 2003 I have attended College on three different occasions. I have a certifying degree in Auto mechanics specializing in Auto Body Repair, and I have a Continued Education degree in Audio Engineering and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) Engineering, and I have an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science specializing in Computer Networking Systems. In each College enrollment I completed my studies on the Dean’s List and graduated my Associate’s program as Salutatorian (I got one B and it was in Physics). Jumping back, again, to “I know it sounds like I am gloating.” I am not listing all of my achievements to “toot my own horn,” rather to prove a point; also to sort of give you an idea of my character, or better say, an idea of who I am. When I do something, it is always at 100%, and I set high expectations for myself and I achieve those expectations. Yet if I don’t, I do not give up, and I do not feel “defeated.”

All the things from my childhood I have mentioned are a few of things I can see as validation to who I am and what I do today. So why is this on my business website. Like I said before, I am my business, and maybe now the statement, “I’m not just selling my services, I’m selling myself,” makes sense. NSM does not follow what some would call, “The Standard Business Model.” I started this business to help people. Of course, in today’s society, you have to have money to live; so I do have to make some kind of income. The pay has never been great, because I refuse to charge “Industry Standard” prices to the people I am marketing to. Some consider me stupid for this (and I hate being called stupid), but what they fail to realize is; it is not about the money. It is about spreading happiness. It is about sharing the skills and talents that I obtained through people who believed in me and who wanted to see me better myself. It is about believing in that person who could reach their goal if the only had a little boost to get them going. I believe in my clients. If someone is starting a business but does not have the budget for Commercials that can compete with other businesses in their market, then I am going to give them that boost; and take satisfaction in the fact that I help someone reach their goal. Now how can I make a living doing this? So much time, not enough money, how can this work for me and my family? Well, I have found, when you invest in people, people invest in you. I believe that God put me here to help, guide, lead, and spread a message by example. Helping people is all I have ever done, it is all that I have ever known to do. And I cannot stray from God nor can I stray from who I am; and I am satisfied and happy knowing that I am living my purpose.

I thank you for taking the time to read about me, and I hope you have gotten an idea of who I am, what I do, and what I have to offer. I encourage you to browse through my website and see the things I can do. And hopefully there is something I can do for you. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please do not hesitate to send me an email. I would be more than happy to speak with you. Thank you again, and God Bless.

-Jason Miller