Our Spotlight on the Arts for October 2024 shines brightly on dancer and musician Justin Myles!
As a lifelong performing artist (his mother is Grace Myles of Gracie’s Guys & Gals Dance Studio), Justin is a multi-talented dancer, drummer, and also a small business owner of Mylestone Studios.
Justin and his band HydraFX recently produced a new album in August 2024, which was featured at a sold-out release party at The Rex in Leonardtown!
Photo credit: Stark Photo Productions
How long have you been involved with participation in your art form?
I started dancing at the age of three. My mom was teaching recreational dance classes and she couldn’t always get a sitter, so I was titter-tottering around and always watching what she was doing. As soon as I was the accepted age to begin formally learning how to tap dance, I did!
When I was seven, I picked up my first set of drumsticks and I never looked back. I’ve toured around the world in professional roles both as a dancer and as a musician.
How long have you been a member of HydraFX?
I have been playing drums with HydraFX since May 2022. I have known the members since the mid-2000’s. I ran sound for them years before I was invited to become a member of the band. Any time I was home from either college or touring, I would go see them play.
I would also play music around town, so we would run into each other and we became good friends. I would fill in sometimes when they needed a drummer, so we already had a working relationship prior to them calling me to join the band. We are high-energy and like a lot of the same music, so it was a natural fit.
What (and/or who) have been your past and present inspirations?
Gregory Hines is the artist that inspires me the most in dance. Of course, I admire Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly too, but Gregory Hines’ form and the way he captivates his audience is truly astonishing. Sometimes when I’m dancing, I’ll move in a certain way that reminds me of a “Gregory move”.
In music, I pull a lot of inspiration from the Dave Mathews Band. I have dissected each member’s role and what they bring to the music they create together. Carter Beaufort is my favorite drummer. I came to find out that Beaufort was inspired by Buddy Rich and Stewart Copeland, which are two other drummers that I also draw inspiration from.
Do you have a favorite style or creative process of your artistry?
I like feeling good about anything I create. We do what we do because we’re passionate about it. I’ll come up with a choreography and I’ll present it to my students and I challenge them, but they work it out and that’s a satisfying feeling.
In music, we play what feels good. When we create art, any kind of art, it’s almost always improvisation until it becomes something substantial. We mess around and come up with a groove or a move or a riff and we improve upon it. My favorite part is that thing that sticks when you’re feeling that moment and you lay it out on a timeline and it just fits with what you’re trying to accomplish.
Tell use more about your recording studio!
I built a recording studio in Lusby, Maryland (Mylestone Studios), which is where HydraFX recorded their recent album Here & Now. I have also been fortunate to record other local artists such as shallowDeep, Ocean King, Amateur Hour, MOLLDYER and Tabby Spell, to name a few.
Mylestone Studios is easily accessible for bands to come through and unleash their creativity and I give the artist the highest quality possible. It is a creative space where bands do not feel the pressure of having to clock in and clock out.
Producing for other artists becomes another realm of the occupation. Sometimes I’m hired to be an engineer and other times, I’m involved in molding songs and pulled in to the creative process. I enjoy doing it because artists are bestowing their trust in me to be able to help them make a song. It’s very humbling being that steward or caregiver for their songs.
What are some of your other interests and projects?
Outside of being a local resident teacher and choreographer, I play solo acoustic gigs. I have a duo with my HydraFX bandmate Greg Barrick. I currently have a side project dubbed Side Peace with some fantastic local musicians like The Prophessor, Rich Smith, and Jerry Couser. I write music and have recorded and published my own solo projects, as well.
I also travel nationally and internationally to choreograph residencies at other studios across the nation for competitive programs. I teach tap classes to hundreds of students across the country. Last winter, I was asked to come back to my alma mater, Point Park University, and was commissioned to choreograph a tap piece performed by the Pittsburgh Playhouse Dance Company. This past summer I toured with an international production company around the world paying tribute to some of the icons of music such as Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson.
Thank you, Justin, for being a valuable part of our creative community! Congratulations to you and HydraFX on the release of the new album!
Links of interest:
Website: Justin Myles (https://justinmyles.net)
Facebook: @justinmylesmusic (www.facebook.com/justinmylesmusic/)
Instagram: @justinmylesmusic (https://www.instagram.com/justinmylesmusic/)
Website – HydraFX: https://hfxmusic.com