Perfect Pitch (more about Jonathan, continued from the About page)

They say the moment I was born, I screamed in the pitch of a perfect C and that the nurse said in a hushed tone to those in the room, "Surely we are witnessing the birth of musical genius!"

OK, I made that up.

My love for creating music did start early though. My mom started playing piano for ballet recitals to earn extra money when she was very young. Due to her love of music from classical to ragtime, music was one of the constants in our household. I was five when my older brother got his first drum-set and I remember knowing exactly what to do with my arms and legs; I was hooked.

A few years later in 1977, I discovered the film composer John Williams. I would sit for hours with my record player and air organ working out the parts to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars and in 1978, Superman. All the while, I was performing as an instrumentalist in church with all of the various choirs and vocal groups.

Church was a great and encouraging environment to learn and grow as a musician. As I got older, I was honored perform with members of the Atlanta Symphony as many of them subbed in our large orchestra.

Around 15 of age, a family member lent me one of his electric guitars and it was then that I really started creating my own songs, instrumentals and recording them. I figured out a way to sync two tape decks together so that I could record on two tracks and "overdub" one track on top of another. Never leaving my beloved drum-set, I went on the road, right out of high school with Dove Award Nominee Carol Vincent and Innocence while continuing to play sessions and rock gigs with my band. We were, Queensryche meets Stryper and had a child named Kansas- and dude, WE ROCKED!

The bands, sessions and private instruction continued and I have been honored to play with some truly great artists though the years; Barry Richmond, Christopher Nix, and The Bowen Brothers to name a few.

My Uncle Bill was famed arranger/producer/songwriter/film composer Bill Justis, and his records and personal stories were always a big influence on my listening habits and thought process. Much of the music coming out of Memphis and Nashville in the 50's, 60's and 70's had his stamp on it. I think it was his ability to arrange for so many different styles of music that germinated idea that I didn't want to only play in support of others music, I wanted to create my own as well! The four-track became my best friend and any instrument I could get my hands on became my tool for creation. I feel fortunate to have an affinity for many different kinds of instruments and I love them all for their unique voice. This skill serves me well as a composer during those times when the music budget is a bit too "lean" to hire a full compliment of musicians.

In 2003, I decided to return full force to the very thing that captured my soul at nine-years-old, composing for Visual Media. It may have been that memorable motif that John Williams wrote for the Alien-Scientist conversation in Close Encounters that got me: re-me-do-do-so (l).

The awesome thing about the change in technology from the days of those great films is the power we now have to command an orchestra at our fingertips.

The modern composer must not only be comfortable with sitting down and writing at the piano or guitar but also adept at the technology end of composing. This is crucial for working in film, television or multimedia today. This is why I felt it was important to gain high level certification in technology like Pro Tools. The cutting edge is where it’s at!

Since then I have been working on any and every project imaginable from film to PSA's to video games. It’s a ton of fun and I love it dearly.

Give me a ring and tell me about any project you have that may need music. I promise to not to scream a perfect C in your ear.

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