Inside my head...

My Letter to John Williams

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:03:18 -0800

It’s an interesting thing, what I get inspired to do every now and then. I have been reading the Harry Potter books lately, and after each one, watching the movies. I am way into film scores, but I’m noticing that they are evolving in to something much less than what they once were, and it’s very sad to me. John Williams’ music always has a definite intent and a life to affect. Where will that all be when he, and people like him, are gone? This is my letter to him, thanking him for how he has inspired me.

Thursday, January 27, 2011
Dear Mr. Williams,
I am writing to you in a desperate cry for help! I hope with all my heart that this reaches you, as I am not sure where to turn if it does not. I have been a fervent fan and disciple of your work ever since I was a teenager, and even in writing this, I’m finding myself becoming so emotionally overwhelmed. I’m no sure that I can convey what fully what is going on inside me, but I will try. I must first give you a short background on myself.

I am an aspiring young musician about to celebrate his 33rd birthday next week. I do have a B.M. in classical piano performance, but attended various universities, including the ever-prestigious USC, studying a mix of jazz and classical performance, as well as composition and arranging over quite a few years. I was also privately trained in all of these areas since I was the age of six, which was already two or three years after having showed that I could pick out tunes by ear on the piano or organ without having had any experience nor having even looked at a keyboard before. My family couldn’t afford lessons until later. The only reason I share this is not to gloat, but to emphasize that I may have a unique perspective. This unique perspective has caused me a lot of problems throughout my “studies”, and I found myself over the years in university butting heads with my professors. However, when I was much younger, a teenager, I found myself to be so much more prolific, free, following my heart. This is where you come in, Mr. Williams.

About six or seven years into my private piano lessons, learning technique and the classics, picking up some jazz here and there (actually I was starting to gig around town as a jazz pianist at 13), and having a complete disregard for music theory (I understood it, but it didn’t matter to me), I saw Jurassic Park. It was not the first time that I had noticed the music in a film before, but it was the first time that I noticed that I was noticing the music more and more. Needless to say, I loved it, and it was the first score that I purchased on CD. Of course, I took notice of your name right away, and it kept popping up in films that I had already seen or owned on video. Soon, my exclamations went from “WOW, he wrote the music for Star Wars?!” to “Ok, that music from Amazing Stories must be him!” I was very much affected, and I immediately became obsessed with film scores, but particularly your work because of the way it has always affected me. I was buying CD after CD of everything I could get my hands on, not just to listen, but to study. I was transcribing as best I could into a little archaic MIDI sequencing program to check how well I was doing. As I went, I became more interested in how you strip away the extraneous to arrive at something that is just perfect for your themes. Textures were also big with me. I studied excerpts from older movies, new movies, olympic fanfares. I learned a great deal. I don’t even know where the sequences are anymore, it was such a long time ago, and that software is obsolete now. The point is that I wanted to study how to be a film composer, and there was no way that I knew of to do that, except to do what I was doing. I was also looking at some of the composers that may have inspired you as well: Wagner, Holst, Bartok, etc...

Heading into college to “study” the classics, jazz, and composition, I learned the names of the things that I already understood. And looking back on it, none of it seems to matter. I spent most of my time saying things like, “Yes, I understand the form of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, but why does it sound so optimistic?” As you can easily guess, I never received any answers. Composition yielded a bunch of junk of which I’m ashamed to call my own because it was only written to satisfy them. I am looking for a higher purpose in all of this.

In the last 15 years, I have spent my time traveling the United States and Canada as a jazz pianist, keeping up with my technique at home (I received my B.M. and don’t ever want to go back to school because it is expensive and a waste on someone like me), and in the summers I teach teenagers at a jazz camp to unleash their inner creativity and follow their hearts like I once did, just as you have taught me through your music.

So, essentially you have taught me more about music than anyone I can think of. I was thinking the other day about some of the more recent films that I have seen. I have become increasingly worried about the life and evolution of the film score. I’m finding that scores are becoming more and more texture-based, with less and less life. Dramatically sweeping scores are giving way to what could be deemed as “film muzak”, defined as a harmonorhytmically driven, underlying pulse. I saw the recent Academy Award nominations for best score, and I was appalled.

And then, this morning, I was listening to the theme you wrote for Fawkes, the phoenix from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. And either the second bar or the third and fourth (depending upon how you count it), I keep finding myself getting choked up. The melody goes 1-8-5 and the harmony goes vi - iii. I keep wondering to myself, how is it that the essence of loyalty, mystery, empathy, flying, tenderness, and about a hundred other adjectives that describe that character, how are they all conveyed so well in something so simple? I understand the concept of having dramatic instinct, but why do I always find myself saying, “Well of course! That is exactly how that is musically conveyed!” when I hear your work? This, and the way film scores are evolving, is killing me! I, myself, have always wanted to involve myself in the process, but haven’t found an outlet to do so, and as I get older, I seem to want it more and more, just so that some form of the dramatic, sweeping scores will still remain, when the kings have left this world. There is so much more that I want to learn, but there are fewer and fewer from whom to do so.

And that, Mr. Williams, is why I felt compelled to write to you. I wanted to express my vast appreciation for your work, and what you’ve done for me thus far without even knowing you have. For that, you have my utmost gratitude. But I do believe, and very deeply I might add, that you can help me find the answers that I am looking for. Music is my life, and no amount of techno-babble is going to satisfy my lust to understand it on a much deeper level than just notes and relationships between notes flowing through time. I don’t care about any of that. I want to know how to create music that makes people FEEL things. You have showed me how that is, above all, the most important force in art.

Sincerely yours,

Jason Wanner

I'm on iTunes Ping!!!

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:49:27 -0700

Ok here’s a couple of tidbits... My new album: Just You, Just Me is now on iTunes!! I’m so excited! And in addition to that, I now have an artist’s profile on iTunes PING!! Come follow me please! It’ll be just another place where I can post things and let you all know what’s going on with me!

I put up some of my favorite recordings so check those out as well! Of course I didn’t put any of mine, because I’m so small in the grand scheme of things... Things just keep coming together, so check back at Ping for updates. I’ll be there a lot!

Another Sun Valley came and went!

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:34:39 -0700

I love Sun Valley! It was great to see everyone again, and I want to thank everyone for all their support of my new CD: Just You, Just Me!! It was a very well-received release, and I think it will continue to do well! I got to meet up with Miss Idaho again through my fantastic friend, DE. That is always a treat, especially because most Miss Idahos are pretty down to earth, and not pageant-crazy! This year, she was quite a talented soprano. Talent always scores points with me.

The picture above, is of my solo “pianorama set”. Yes, it was a filled-to-capacity event! Happy stuff! Although, I did an idiot thing, by forgetting to promote my indiegogo donation site... oh well... nerves sure make me forget things easily.

Another memorable moment was the Classical Renegades set. They put me on last!! That gave me over an hour to sit and stew and be more nervous as I listened to everyone else play. I played two Chopin Etudes, the “Aeolian Harp” and the “Black Key”. The people seemed to really go for it! I always think there can be room for improvement!

Overall, Sun Valley was a good time, with great music, and great friends!

Hanging in Medford

Wed, 6 Oct 2010 22:01:07 -0700

Well I’ve been up here in Oregon since Sunday night. We’ve been doing school shows all week, both elementary and middle. It’s been a fun experience! These kids are some of the best audience members I’ve ever had! They’re just excited about everything.... ALL THE TIME! And, best of all, they just love what you’re doing, even when it’s not so good. They are just happy that you’re there and that they get to be out of class.

We’ve been illustrating the origins of jazz and how it grew out of multiple cultures and musics from those cultures. We did 4 schools on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, and 4 today. We have 3 more to do tomorrow, and I’m exhausted already. I also have the festival to do this weekend, and then off to Sun Valley... I dunno how I’m going to survive, especially since next week is going to be even busier than this week!

I’m anxious to start selling my CD this weekend! I hope it doesn’t flop, that would ruin my whole year. I think it’ll do well though! Anyway, I gotta get to sleep soon. Early start in the morning.

They're Here! They're Here!

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:21:12 -0700

My CDs arrived today!!! It’s sooo exciting! Pick one up before they’re gone! Actually that’s not very easy just yet. I still have to get them available online. That should happen in the next week. But if you want one NOW and CAN’T WAIT, find out how to get one HERE!

I’m doing a little bit of promotion on FACEBOOK as well, so you can make sure to get a free track if you follow the directions. Also, don’t forget to GET INVOLVED!! I have to get ready for Medford and Sun Valley! If you’re going to either of those places, or both, I’ll have them there too! See you on the flip side! Lots of work to do! Bye for now!

It’s all coming together!

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:42:49 -0700

So it looks like my new album, “Just You, Just Me”, is slated for arrival at my house tomorrow! Wow that was fast! If any of you are making a CD, I highly recommend DiscMakers as they get the job done quickly and painlessly. I can’t wait to see how the new album looks, and I REALLY can’t wait to get it into all of your hot little hands!

That being said, you may have also noticed that I made a little addition in the menu bar at the top of the site. See the section labeled “GET INVOLVED”? That is a link to my next adventure! I’m really trying to be a good planner, and now that my current CD is finished, I’m already looking to the future! I have decided, though, that my future is going to involve all of you! You see, I understand that you all are wanting my next CD to come out as soon as you get your hands on the latest one. I know this because when I sell at shows, even if my CD is brand spankin’ new, people buying it always ask, “So when’s the next one coming? I’ll be sure to buy it!” Well it takes a lot of time and effort (and $$$$$) to put these recordings together. And rather than take a ton of time gathering up my own funds here and there multiple times, and taking 3 years or more to make a new recording, and in the process make a bunch of you very upset...... INSTEAD!!! I have decided to get you all involved in the process!

I love my fans! And I want to give you all what you want! But I need your help! It actually doesn’t require much from you. At the very least you could pretty much pre-order my next CD whilst helping me to fund its production! That much is only $20, which is what I charge for my CDs ANYWAY! Sure there are other perks if you really want to get heavily involved. Things like having your name in the CD liner notes, being able to request a song, or I’ll even put on a private concert in your home if you wanna get crazy!

Trust me, it’ll be a WIN-WIN for us all! So be sure to GET INVOLVED and we’ll make this next adventure one for all of us!

Busy Week

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:07:13 -0700

So this past week has been SOOOO busy! Actually the last FEW weeks have been. I finalized production on my new CD, “Just You, Just Me” last thursday. Then on friday, I got up super early and headed to Canada to play with a paired down Blue Street Jazz Band for 3 days. I had a wonderful time! Got back Sunday night. Monday I gave a lesson. Tuesday, I headed up to Corona Del Mar to play my usual annual gig with the Professors. It was a time and a half! Christmas has nothing on playing with those guys. Wednesday, I had off. :) All the while, I’ve been taking care of CD post-production business and gearing up for a very busy month of October. The CD should be finished on the 28th of September; at least that’s what my inside sources tell me.

Last night I played a 60-year high school reunion up in Oceanside. Fun fun fun! Thank you Flip Oakes and Mike Massessa for having me! I hope we can play together some more in the future.

Today, I’m going up to Disneyland for the weekend! I think I earned it! I’m looking forward to just chilling out and having a good time! Busy days ahead!

Up in Canada...

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 11:18:36 -0700

Well I made it up to Canada! I really enjoy being here. Penticton is beautiful, being right on the lake, the people are nice, and I don’t have to be in the United States for a September 11th Anniversary. What with all the talk of the mosque being relocated and people hating on others, all in the name of September 11th, the whole situation has turned me cold to it. Seriously, I’ll always remember that day, and I’ll always remember exactly where I was when it all happened, but if Americans are going to surround and overshadow the event with more drama in the name of just needing more drama, I’m done with September 11th. You guys can all have it to do with it what you want.

On a lighter note, my CD is finished! I sent it off for pressing on thursday! The wonders of modern technology allowed me to not even have to use a snail carrier to do so. Everything was submitted online! WOW! That should help a lot with the waiting game. I’ll put some samples up soon if I get the time, and when I start feeling better. Yes I have a cold btw. It always seems to happen this time of year because it aligns with kids starting school again. As soon as the kids start interacting with other kids again, BAM, everyone starts getting sick. I should have prepared myself better, but I was too busy.

Anyway, I’m not going to let that bother me. I’m going to enjoy Canada as much as I can while I’m here. You never really know when you’ll be coming back again in this business. Every day is to be enjoyed!

Recording...

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 08:55:39 -0700

So, what have I been up to lately? I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my next album! I’m recording the vocals today....... blech!! I hate hearing myself sing! Especially when it’s all dry and not doctored up. I will be doing plenty of doctoring, make no mistake about that. When I have the CD finalized and ready for replication, I’ll put some previews up.

This recording has some deadlines because I want it available soon, so I’ll keep this short! Time to get to work! Here’s hoping for a quick and painless release!

Updating the Site a Bit.....

Wed, 7 Jul 2010 14:15:28 -0700

Yup, it’s true... It’s been a long time since an update. A whole lot has happened, but not a lot has changed. I have since found a very interesting way to keep track of my goings-on with little pictures and text-snippets. Thanks to a little doo-dad called “Whrrl”, I have been able to allow you all to track me via FaceBook and Twitter. However, I haven’t been hipping you all to it on the website, so I’ve decided to add a bunch to the blog. You can check out my adventures over the past year or so, and there are even more on my Whrrl Profile. I only wanted to include relevant events on the site, so if you want to check out the other stuff, click the link. The best part about it is that other people who are there can add their side of the story, so someimtes not only will you get my words, but others’ as well.

Anyway, it’s been a fun year. I’ve been living in a brand new condo here in San Diego since June 2009, thanks to my amazing girlfriend, Denise (starving artists like me can’t accomplish such tasks without people like her). I lost my grandmother in March, right before her 92nd birthday. She was a fantastic woman, about whom I am still finding out many things. Let’s see, the Traditional Jazz Youth Band Festival up in Sacramento had me as its featured guest in February, and through the very serious pressure of my words from the stage, I managed to get another young group of musicians visible on the Jazz Circuit. Check them out at their snazzy website!

I’ve also been pondering putting together a video podcast of beginning jazz piano lessons on the site and for YouTube. It will have to wait a little while, but hopefully I can tackle that in the Fall. What do you guys think? Leave me a comment below.

The usual suspects of festivals were in full swing again this year. Check the rest of the blog entries for that. Another interesting thing in my world also happened this year: Bob Draga left the Titan Hot Seven, and is striking out on his own. Guess who he brought with him to Victoria, BC? ME! :) Hope he keeps calling me, because I had a great time there.

Did I mention that Disneyland laid me off in March? Well they did. It’s really too bad, as I would have loved to have done some work for them. As a sub I was inactive because no one was subbing out. I guess it costs them too much money to have someone on their system that they aren’t paying. Huh?

What else.... Oh Molly Ringwald came back to the Sacramento Jubilee this year. I went to talk to her, and she actually remembered me from when she subbed for the singer in my camp band years ago. She’s really cool, and just wrote a new book called Getting the Pretty Back. It’s probably not my kind of a read, but I had to buy one in order to go up and talk to her. It really is unbelievable how famous people are pinned down by the people surrounding them. I’m sure that she and I would have had plenty to talk about, but due to her entourage there was no way it could have happened. I don’t think I would ever want that for myself, as it would take all the fun out of being well-known. The only reason I would want to be well-known is so that I could connect with lots of people, and if that’s not a possibility..... no thank you.

All in all, it’s been a great year so far, and right now, I’m looking forward to teaching kids for a week up at Mammoth, and then for 2 weeks up at my 2nd home, Sly Park. Hope to see you all around the horn! Bye Bye for now..... Oh and don’t forget to leave comments!