Jay Harren Thinks It's Time For A Change: Catching up with the Downtime Founder

The brainchild of music industry professional, Jay Harren, Downtime is an organization that connects artists with worthy causes that they can support while on or off the road...or in their downtime. This rapidly growing movement has garnered attention nationwide, with bands such as Winter Park's own Anberlin signing on to support causes like Habitat for Humanity.

Coupling artists with these relevant organizations brings a great amount of attention and fan support to causes that need all the backing they can get. Downtime began with a simple idea: Get bands involved with causes that interest them while they have free time. Harren, having been around plenty of bands throughout his career, knew that bands do indeed have a lot of free time. Through their connection with Downtime, bands can promote the cause(s) they choose via Facebook pages, during concerts and by spreading the word to their fan base while on the road. They can also volunteer when they are not touring. Downtime allows artists to use their power for good.

We had the chance to catch up with Downtime founder Jay Harren and ask him a few questions about his impactful creation. Meet the man who started the movement.

Examiner: How did you get involved in the music industry?

JH: When I graduated from college I was playing in a band, and wanted my music to get heard, so I volunteered at my favorite radio station at the time (99X Atlanta) with the hopes that someone there would either play my demo, or pass it on to someone in the record label community, then I would of course become a massive star and the rest would be history....instead of becoming a massive star, however, I became a full-time employee at the radio station, eventually becoming the music director and hosting my own new-music program. I learned that I was much better at being on THAT side of the mic, rather than the singing side. During that time I started managing artists and got a taste for the art of artist development. Eventually, I left radio and became A&R manager at Columbia Records where I signed a couple of bands that I loved, and I got to help them develop as artists as well as help make their albums.

Examiner: How did you come up with the idea for Downtime?

JH: I was in London touring with one of the bands I signed to Columbia, and I noticed how bored they seemed when they were in between shows (traveling between venues, waiting for soundcheck, waiting for their set time etc.). It occurred to me then that perhaps an impact for social good could be made if these artists used some of that downtime to help a cause they wanted to support. I sat on the idea for a couple of years while gaging interest from various artists and managers, and then I finally made the move from Columbia to pursuing Downtime full-time.
It's me and my two partners. We each bring a different specialty to the table, and it's woking out great.

Examiner: Who are the powers that be behind Downtime? Is it just you or is it a team?

JH: It's me and my two partners. We each bring a different specialty to the table, and it's woking out great.

Examiner: Why did you choose to partner with musicians?

JH: I spent fifteen years in the music business so it's a world I know well. The relationships I've built over the years enabled me to get Downtime off the ground, but we plan on moving into other channels of entertainment as well.

Examiner: How do you couple certain bands with certain charities? Or do the artists decide/come to you with the charity of their choice?

JH: We start by asking artists if they have a cause they're passionate about. If they do, then we pair them with a charity that fits that cause. If they don't, then we try to find something that might resonate with them a bit, and then we pair them with the right charity.

Examiner: What is the main goal behind Downtime?

JH: It's three-part goal: 1. Give artists something good to do while on or off the road--something to fill their Downtime, 2. To make a difference for whatever cause they've been paired with, and 3. To encourage and mobilize fans towards action--to try to get them to go from hearing about a cause, to actually participating in whatever it is the artist is doing.

Examiner: The idea will undoubtedly get youth involved in helping others and standing up for a cause. Did you feel this was something that was missing or needed in today's society?

JH: I think there's a big need out there for a multitude of causes, and it's encouraging to see how many people respond to the needs. This generation definitely seems more inclined towards helping and volunteering then most, and it's great.

Examiner: Was that a goal when you created Downtime?

JH: The goal was to help artists fill their time and engage fans and hopefully make a difference. There are a lot of good organizations out there, and hopefully we're adding to the pot and making a difference.

Examiner: Have you ever thought of doing a concert event ala Live Aid/Farm Aid?

JH: We would love to do that! The plan is to start having a presence at existing festivals and events (CMJ, SXSW etc), and eventually have our own--one step at a time!

Examiner: In terms of the big picture, where do you see Downtime in a few years?

JH: We have a lot in store including some custom merch items that will benefit the causes our artists are involved with. We also plan on moving into other channels of entertainment such as film and tv, sports and others---we're thinking big!

Examiner: This idea (or this movement, if you will) is so inspiring. Is there one particular Downtime event or charity that has stood out and inspired you over the last few years?

JH: I've always seen Downtime as my cause of choice as it helps multiple causes with their various needs, but recently I've been really drawn towards The Pablove Foundation (http://pablove.org/) which helps fund pediatric cancer research. As a father of two young children, that one really gets me.

Examiner: Do you feel that social media, which is so vital in today's world, is a key piece in helping you get the word out about Downtime?

JH: It's absolutely vital to what we do. In reality, most bands can't do a lot of hands-on activity while on the road. They all have access to their computers and smart phones though, so we've structured Downtime around social networking (tweets, Facebook updates, video messaging etc) to make it as simple, practical, and as impactful as possible.

With a head full of ideas and a heart focused on changing the world for the better, it is obvious that Jay Harren and Downtime have no plans for stopping any time soon.There is no time for that, there is only time for a change.