We had the good fortune of connecting with Ali Jay Stinehour and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ali Jay, what makes you happy? Why?
Well, that is a bold question, isn’t it?

There are a lot of things that make me happy. Personally, I love my family, Bernese mountain dog, my pickup truck, taking photos at concerts, my partner, and seeing the people I have grown with in the Denver music scene on odd nights of the week. As of late… throwing charitable events and managing different realms of the music industry has been especially rewarding. I have never really felt a place, to truly be in any sense, outside of the musical or artistic world. So, even though a person that abides by typical professionalism would probably disagree, my professionalism is just personal as it is professional. I care about my clients & I care about my music family.

What makes me happy professionally… There are a lot of things that make me happy. The first thing that has always made me happy is a sense of community within the arts. I think there are a lot of people who have felt some kind of displacement within their families, social circles, and personal relationships. They or we, always have this yearning to do something great or at least to make an impact. The thing to admire most about having a creative community on your side is that the community allows you to express yourself no matter how you create new perspectives of life, that sometimes some don’t even want to see. The most important of those “things” is how it feels to have a safe haven just to feel understood, forgiven, and inspired, by your community. There are, of course, downfalls in the creative world. For example, we make a piece of art or write a song, and it gets criticized… but the most beautiful thing about the creative Denver scene is that there is always SOMEONE who appreciates you for even trying in the first place; someone who will push you to do better and to not give up.

Denver brings that challenge that pushes you towards happiness. So, I guess I would have to say Denver makes me happy.

As bold of a question it is to ask, I am glad someone is asking me, because this is a hard industry, amongst all the amazing experiences, that I am in. It is easy to lose hope. It is nice to be reminded.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I chose “other” because, during my time in Denver, I have become a jack of all trades. I am educated in all forms of digital design, and many forms of business with my communications degree. Amongst me running things on the business side of the industry, I am also capable of branding, graphic design, photography, animation, videography, social media marketing, interface design, and more. This is what sets me apart, no matter what my thesis professor and UCD, Brian DeLevie, used to say to me in my branding degree thesis madness (shout out to the man who made my schooling hell but also helped shape me into who I am today). I have been in this game since I first got my license at 16.

So, I know it’s hard to sound special, but I also know that when a client meets me, they know I am special. I believe that every living thing on this planet is special. You just have to remind yourself of that before taking on any new adventure, or you won’t feel special.

(P.S. This sounds dumb but… I have Vitruvius from Lego Movie tattooed on my forearm, don’t forget: “You are special.”)

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Unfortunately, a lot of my favorite places closed during covid (RIP El Chapultepec), but I will recommend a few favorites I still have left.

In the city of Denver, I love Cervantes, Your Mom’s House, Mission Ballroom, and Knew Conscious for music. For food, I love il Posto, Marco’s Coal Fired, and my most favorite Bon Ami. Bon Ami has an amazing Beef Bourguignon. For experiences, well it has been a while since the pandemic, but I always loved Jazz in the Park near Capitol Hill. For experience recommendations, the MCA is my favorite place in every city. & I would like to recommend Meow Wolf, but I have been on the road for so long I haven’t actually gotten to see it yet. Someday soon I will though I hope.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I will list my shoutouts in a semi-chronological order:

1. My mother, Kathy Stinehour. She was a female pioneer of the radio industry and threw me into the music industry at the age of 16. I will never not show her appreciation for helping me find my way when I was a rebellious young girl.

2. Every band who had ever hired me for concert photography; firstly the Magic Beans, Cycles, and in particular, Evan Marks who now works at Cervantes.

3. Mile High Spirits Distillery, who took a chance on me a couple of months into my internship and made me their full-time booking agent pretty quickly. I created some of my favorite musical events in that big old distillery.

4. Marcus Rezak, for putting me on a gig where I met my partner, Kris Myers. He is the drummer of Umphrey’s McGee. He is an amazing man. I love him dearly.

5. Marcus Rezak again, because on that same gig, I got to meet my talented best friend, Courtney Scout, who is a very talented photographer. That weekend I also met Emily Vanderwiel who made me the Director of Digital Media for Loose Leaf Talent Agency.

I know there are others… but they know who they are. I love the entire community for believing in me.

Website: Alijaymultimedia.com

Instagram: @alijaymultimedia

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alijaymultimedia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alijaymedia

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.