Musicians, Meaghan Smith and Jason Mingo, on success in the industry and in parenting.

In this exciting SPARK episode, we chat with the one of a kind duo, singer/songwriter Meaghan Smith and her producer husBAND, Jason Mingo.

It’s fascinating to hear about them starting out, living and working in LA with the likes of renowned producer Greg Kurstin (who also worked with Pink and Tegan), and how Jason found inspiration in his modest recording set up that still enabled him to produce stellar work. Jason’s work recently earned him the ECMA Musician Achievement Award.
But aside from the easy topic of success, Jason also speaks candidly about the complication of being a sensitive male in this culture.
One of his favourite phrases that he practices regularly is “You may be right”, a sharp departure from men’s prevelent need to be right and have all the answers.
They also speak about how they’ve both chosen to ignore traditional gender roles in order to equally contribute to their work and parenting.
Meaghan shares openly about when she became pregnant a decade ago and the rock bottom moment that followed when they lost their record label and management etc.

They both speak about the mental and physical toll that took on their health and eventually, how they rebuilt their lives to reflect both their love of music and family.
Ready for these precious words of wisdom? Meaghan explains how perfection affected her early creative years, which she now views as simply a fear of rejection. She now chooses to create from love, enabling her to be more honest and more herself.
Finally, as full-time residents of NS, they share how they compose custom songs for people and produce for the entertainment industry all over the world, allowing them to provide a consistent homelife for their two little ones.
What was so special for Sophia was when Meaghan spoke about her mentorship role with Sophia and how she wants to provide her with everything she didn’t have starting out. Jason agrees that the industry needs more mentorship for supporting the up and coming artists in the field of music and entertainment. Listen in to hear Meaghan’s candid response to a former manager who told her to be ‘realistic’.
And finally, Meaghan’s closing statements: “I want to see more of this tending to our spiritual and emotional needs. Afterall, we’re artists because we want to create an alternative reality, since so many of us are wounded. You can’t stay sick so you can keep creating music, there needs to be healing too. I believe it’s possible to have creativity and wellness co-exist.”