Project Description
Everything More
By Jacob McCalip
Jake Hodges, 18, has lived in Camden County for the entirety of his life. He spends most of his time at work, school and playing music. He graduates from Camden County High School on June 18th and will attend Appalachian State University in the fall.
Growing up, Jake felt like the odd one out. Everyone else his age was interested in sports, a hobby that Jake tried to take up in order to fit in. Since both his parents are musicians, he was constantly exposed to their art and eventually found his niche in songwriting. Once he writes a song, his feelings are captured within that piece, allowing him to make sense of them all. “Now it’s like I don’t have the problems that I did when I was trying to fit in,” Jake said.
He feels a certain degree of pressure to “make it” with music. His father, Chuck, was born and raised in the same town and has released two full-length albums. Music was never imposed on Jake, but he hopes to take his art to a higher level than that of his family. He loves his hometown but dreams of traveling, collaborating with artists and surrounding himself with unfamiliarity. Although he’s nervous about leaving the place that has shaped him so much, Jake understands that it’s time to take the next step. “I’ve been raised in a town this small where everybody knows me, everybody knows my parents,” he said. “If I’m going to get where I want to go, this is something that I have to conquer myself.”
“Small town, small kid, big dreams . . .” -Jake Hodges
