SALISBURY — On March 9, Salisbury-based musical artist Jayland Sanders performed at the Spectrum Center in downtown Charlotte as part of “Charlotte Hornets Music Industry Night.”

Sanders once described the event as the “biggest and most important performance of my music career.” Even with that hanging over his head, he didn’t let the pressure get to him when the time finally came for him to showcase his talents.
“I wasn’t nervous going into it because anytime a microphone is in my hand, it doesn’t matter how big or how small the crowd is, I just feel at home,” Sanders said. “It was definitely one of the most impactful and best experiences that I’ve had performing in my career thus far. It was a lot of fun.”

Sanders chose to sing his song, “Takes Time” to a crowd of over 100 people, including his parents and girlfriend, mainly for its message of perseverance and overcoming obstacles.
“I led off with saying, ‘Don’t allow self-doubt to sabotage your dreams.’ and ‘Bet on yourself, and it’s the best decision that you’ll ever make in your life,’” Sanders said.

When it came to the performance itself, Sanders had a live band with him, which was something he was unfamiliar with going into his set.

“They were playing along as I was performing, too. So that was really neat because I’ve never had a live band play during any of my music before. That was a good experience,” Sanders said. “I don’t have any type of critiques of how it went.”

After he finished, people pulled him aside to compliment him on his pre-song message.

“No matter how far along you are in your career and your life, you don’t need to use other people’s progress or success as a measuring stick of your own. Run your own race,” Sanders said.

Sanders also met with record label executives like Moses Davis of Columbia Records, DJs, radio personnel, and other independent artists that included fellow Salisbury artist Travy Tantino.

To put a cap on the festivities, Sanders said he and a few artists had dinner at Midnight Diner after music industry night was over.

Sanders said he also put out flyers with a QR code that directed people to his social media pages. He’s hoping to stay connected with his fans and to inspire them with his music.
“If I can encourage one person to continue pursuing their dreams no matter what it is that they look like or what field they’re in, I want to have the opportunity to do that not only in person, but through my music as well,” Sanders said.

Sanders’ next big concert will be at the Salisbury Civic Center on Saturday, April 13. He said he wants to build off music industry night by returning to the Spectrum Center in the near future. In the meantime, Sanders is going to try to stay as busy as he can.

“This year, the plans are to perform a lot, release some more new music, release some more new music videos, network with more artists, collaborate and expand my reach,” Sanders said. “I want to do that while retaining my authenticity. I’m just going to take it one day at a time and see where things lead me.”