Meet the writer behind the sleep story: Greg Thomas

Part of the magic infused into Calm’s Sleep Stories comes from the writer. In our Meet the Writer interview series, we’re offering you a window into the brilliant hearts and minds crafting the stories that help millions of people around the world fall asleep each night.

We’re pleased to introduce the writer behind For the Love of Jazz, Greg Thomas. In this case, Greg also narrated the story!

Tell us about your career as a writer.

I’ve been a professional writer for over 25 years, primarily as a professional journalist. My byline has been seen in publications ranging from the New York Daily News a decade ago as a jazz columnist, to local and national publications of note. My full-time job is as CEO of the Jazz Leadership Project (JLP); I write almost exclusively now for our weekly blog at Tuneintoleadership.com. I also have a book under publishing consideration tentatively titled, Cultural Intelligence: Transcending Race, Embracing Cosmos. 

Do you have a favorite piece of work that you are especially proud of and want to highlight?

I’m proud of my work at Tune In to Leadership. Of particular interest are pieces on heroes of my cultural idiom such as Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Albert Murray, and Ralph Ellison. 

Of the writing you have done for Calm, is there anything you’d like to share about the work itself, or the creative process you took to complete it?

I very much enjoyed the challenge of adapting my Calm Story, For the Love of Jazz, to the style of a Sleep story, which I consider a new genre. The tone and tempo were similar to a jazz ballad, yet the poetic descriptions and literary nonfiction could be rich. I enjoyed this challenge and took pleasure in going to a professional studio in NYC for the voiceover. Also, working closely with Chris Advansun and his colleagues was a joy. Finally, I appreciate my daughter Kaya Thomas for recommending me to Calm in the first place!