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The Braille Monitor

October,

2003

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Atlanta Entertains Its

Own Jewel

by

Empish Thomas

Jewel

Harness

From the Editor: Empish

Thomas is an active member of the South Fulton Chapter of the NFB of Georgia.

Here he writes about the life and work of another member of the chapter. This

is what he says:

Jewel Harness, president

of Jewel Entertainment, is no stranger to a challenge. He has been living with

blindness since he was a child growing up in Lansing, Michigan. "I noticed

something was wrong when I failed my school's eye exam," Harness said.

At the age of eleven he was diagnosed with the dry form of macular degeneration,

a disease that affects the central vision of the eye. At first Harness rejected

the idea of being blind but later accepted it.

From

the age of thirteen Harness was fascinated by music. It started when his mother

gave him a tape recorder. "I would walk around the house tape recording

everything," he said. His interest in music expanded, and he started spending

his Saturday mornings at a local recording studio. There Harness learned how

to do sound checks and set up microphones and sound boards. His confidence increased,

and he was soon a sought-after disc jockey for school events. He also worked

at a local radio station.

While

majoring in audiovisual communications at Ferris State University in Big Rapids,

Michigan, he continued to DJ and helped to establish the campus radio station.

Until that time Harness had faced very few challenges because of blindness in

pursuing his goals, but that soon changed. In 1995 he moved to Atlanta and worked

in the distribution department for Ichiban Records. This company promotes, advertises,

markets, and distributes music. In order to complete his duties, Harness had

to use magnifiers to read labels and other information. This was challenging

and motivated him to establish and operate his own recording studio. "That

experience was the pivotal point for me. I had to decide if I was going to do

this or not," Harness said.

Seven

years later, focused and determined at age thirty-two, Harness created Jewel

Entertainment, an all-in-one recording studio that allows artists to create,

produce, record, and replicate their own music. Jewel Entertainment has five

departments: an entertainment magazine, recording and replication studios, an

audio media area, graphic design, and photography. Harness decided to approach

his business from this angle to keep cost low and be competitive. "In order

for any successful company to get on its feet, it must have either all the finances

or all the resources. I decided to have all the resources," he said.

Once

the artist completes the recording, Jewel Entertainment Magazine highlights

him or her as a featured story, providing an opportunity for needed exposure.

In addition, the magazine includes valuable information about the music industry.

The Audio Media Department also provides opportunities for the blind community

by recording books and magazines on tape and CD. Harness says, "When you

are blind, you have to create your own environment." Other services he

provides include copyrighting, trademark registration, and legal advice supplied

by an entertainment attorney.

When

asked to list the most important things in starting a business, Harness said,

"First, decide how committed you are. Second, figure out how much you are

prepared to dedicate to the project, e.g., finances, time, energy, and other

resources. Last, be flexible and willing to improvise."

Harness

did not achieve his success by himself. He has received support from organizations

such as Project Exceed and Cobb County Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Project

Exceed is a nonprofit organization that gives financial assistance to people

with disabilities who are starting their own businesses. Cobb County Vocational

Rehabilitation Services is a state agency that offers training and financial

assistance to people with disabilities who want to be business owners. One of

Harness's most fervent supporters has been his mother. "My mother has been

a pillar of strength for my life. She would always say, `Take what you have

and do the best you can with it,'" Harness said.

Harness is a member of

the National Federation of the Blind, South Fulton Chapter in Atlanta. He currently

lives in Marietta, a suburb outside Atlanta, with his wife and two sons. For

more information about Jewel Entertainment, call (404) 255-6700 or e-mail him

at <[email protected]>.

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