ORU Senior Jack Humphrey Making Noise in the Music Industry

Jack Humphrey

Hometown: Owasso, Oklahoma
Area of Study: Business Management

Music is a passion for most college students. Typically, it’s a passion for singing or performing or simply listening to music. This isn’t the case for Jack Humphrey.

ORU senior Jack Humphrey thinks deeply about music. What started as a love for guitar has developed into a love for writing about music. As a music writer for Country Central, Jack’s opinions are impacting bands and singers across America.

Taking a Detour from Nashville

Originally, college wasn’t part of Jack’s plan; his focus was on the business of music. After graduating from high school, he believed moving to Nashville was his best career path. A visit to ORU changed his direction.

“I fell in love with the culture and the campus diversity,” Jack said. “It’s a melting pot here. As a community, we have conversations about things that many of us don’t have experiences with. I’ve met students from so many other countries. My friend Naam is from Saudi Arabia, and I have another friend, Zech, from Singapore. With all the nuances and different perspectives, we have some exciting conversations on campus.”

When Jack, who was raised Catholic, visited ORU for the first time, he wasn’t sure what to expect. As an international university, 126 nations are represented in the student body, but this diversity isn’t limited to just people. ORU also brings together students from different Christian backgrounds. Over the last four years, Jack’s faith has grown because of the diversity that surrounds him.

“In high school,” Jack said, “I wasn’t exposed to people who are go-getters in their beliefs. Consequently, I didn’t think about pushing myself in my faith. But at this point, my life experience has developed around students who pray every day, who talk openly about their Christianity. These influences have definitely compelled me to be more open and appreciative of my faith.”

Transforming the Music World Through Words

Four years after arriving at ORU, Jack—a business management major—is still thinking about Nashville. Specifically, he’s thinking about a career in music publishing. Working in the music industry, Jack wants to protect the integrity of songwriting, oversee copyrights, and find new streams of music revenue.

“I play guitar,” Jack said, “but not everyone can make a living playing guitar. I also love marketing and doing things behind-the-scenes. So, I blended the creative and the practical, and that's where my passion for music publishing developed.”

While at ORU, Jack’s music career started much earlier than he’d expected. Last summer, Jack began writing for Play Too Much, a publication that showcases music, albums, and live shows. Soon after, Jack added a second music publication to his resume: Country Central, a music site currently hosted on Instagram.  

“I wanted to intern in Nashville,” Jack said, “but at the time, it wasn’t possible. So I started looking around, and I found some opportunities in music journalism. And It’s been a good thing for me. At Country Central, I’ve worked with writers from all over America ... places like Miami, Baltimore, Chicago, and Houston.”

After Jack started writing for Country Central, the publication began to grow. Today, more than 36K people follow Country Central for music news and reviews. And with the publication growing, Jack’s role has expanded into more than just writing about music. Today, he’s editor-in-chief.

“At Country Central,” Jack said, “we're about to launch a website and expand our platform. Even though I’m not in Nashville, I’m helping build a music brand, and I’m connecting with influential agents and talent managers. And as a music writer, I’m gaining notoriety because it’s not just music fans who are reading my work; it’s well-known artists too.”

Jack loves what he’s doing ... writing about music and influencing the industry through his words and views. Jack graduates this year, and afterward, he could make that move to Nashville. Whatever he does—music writer or music publisher—Jack says he owes a lot to ORU.

“You can take it for granted,” Jack said, “when you're in a distinctly Christian community. You forget the rest of the world, which at times, can be a little bit grittier. Going out into the world, I feel blessed for my time at such a special place. ORU has been a training grounds of sorts, and it’s empowered my voice to talk openly about and share my faith.”

Learn more about ORU, ranked Top 5 in America for Student Engagement by Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed.