Happy New Year!

2014 has been a wild year. To reuse a tired cliché from A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Rather than dwell on the ton of really bad things that happened, I'd rather focus on the positive. A lot of really cool firsts happened this year. I had my first solo performance. I had my artwork displayed and was part of an exhibit. I filmed my first music video. Had my first television interview. Appeared on live tv. Did improv on live television. Was part of a short film. Quit one of the worst jobs ever. Played a festival. Got a great new job. Overhauled my website. Directed and did camera work for television. Met some ridiculously talented people and made some amazing friends. None of this would have happened without the wonderful people in my life. Here's to looking towards 2015 and all of the awesome things that are ahead. Thank you friends, family and fans. I am excited about the new year.

Happy Holidays!

http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=d1ca75ce85ff8e01a98406c34&id=b10a3230b1

How I Spent my Birthday

I spent my birthday getting my acting thing on.  Here are some photos from the set of Roommate Wanted.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4172394/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1.   I had a great time and can't wait to see the finished product.

Fan Funding Has Been Enabled on My Youtube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/jaygerr

My Interview on Starving Artists on Nutmeg Television

http://nutmegtv.org/video-on-demand/single/?id=31012

Cigar Song - Brad Paisley covered by Jason Gerrish

God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton covered by Jason Gerrish

Android app available

Hey,Check out the Jason Gerrish mobile app I just used! http://7852c0f8-b6a0-43d7-86ab-698b52c67d36.mobapp.at Shared from my mobile app: http://7852c0f8-b6a0-43d7-86ab-698b52c67d36.mobapp.at Powered by Como: http://www.como.com

I added a donation (tip jar) button to the website.

I added a donation (tip jar) button to the website.  http://www.jaygerr.com  Once again, thank you in advance to my fans and God bless.

Daniel Taylor at the Reserve 10/3/2014

I still have a very limited number of tickets left for this show.  So, if you would like to go, contact me immediately.  https://www.facebook.com/events/325032340992139/

Don't

Get Rhythm - Johnny Cash covered by Jason Gerrish

October 3rd Show at the Reserve

Tickets to the October 3rd show at The Reserve are now available on my website http://www.jaygerr.com/ Just click on the "shows" button then click "Buy now". If you've already subscribed to receive emails via the website, you'll be receiving an email, shortly that also contains a link. Another option is that you next time you see me, ask to purchase a ticket. I have a stack of them that are just waiting for good homes.  Thanks and I look forward to seeing everyone, there. 

A Night With Daniel Taylor

A little taste of what October 3rd will be like.  I'll be opening up for Daniel Taylor at The Reserve in Meriden.  I have tickets for $10.

My Eyes - Blake Shelton covered by Jason Gerrish

Training Wheels

 I'm always interested in learning how songwriters are inspired to write the songs that they do and the meanings behind them. Sometimes the songs are autobiographical. Sometimes they aren't. Sometimes they have specific meanings. Sometimes they don't. This blog is about my song “Training Wheels”. This song is actually somewhat autobiographical. I wrote this song one night after volunteering to do sound for an event. That day, I had an intensely painful migraine. Somehow I managed to drag myself out of bed and do my part, but when I got home, I was too exhausted to go to sleep and my brain wouldn't shut off. I decided to write and get some of that energy out. This song came together very rapidly. Words just flowed logically together. It was one of the easiest bits of writing that I've ever done.

The inspiration for the song came from a conversation that I had had a few days earlier with a friend of mine. I explained that there seems to be a reoccurring pattern in my life. Every time that I invest time in anything whether it be a romantic relationship, a friendship, business venture, anything, once that person/project/whatever gets to a point where they are sustainable, functional, established, etc... They always leave my life. It seems like everything that I love gets taken from me or leaves. I said to this friend, “I'm not a set of training wheels.” Meaning that I'm tired of people using me to get where they want, then when I'm no longer needed, push me aside and someone else gets to benefit from my hard work. This situation has happened over and over again. Maybe it's my own fault for allowing myself to be used. Maybe it's my fault for not selecting the right people to associate with. I don't know. The answer still alludes me. What I do know is that it is absolutely exhausting emotionally and I have some serious trust issues because of this.

After I wrote this song, I was spending some time with my friend. I played this song for them. I was told that they enjoyed it very much and it was really good and I shouldn't change a thing with it. That made me feel great. I hadn't written music in about eight years. To hear someone that I care about and respect say complimentary things meant the world to me. I don't know if this individual even remembered the previous conversation (their memory sucks). It was still one of those moments that I live for. When you share a little piece of yourself and someone who is dear to you approves.

The truly heartbreaking thing about this whole thing is that the very person that I had this discussion with did just what I described. They managed to effectively push me out of their lives. The even sadder thing is that I don't even think that they realized that they were doing it. At least that's what I keep telling myself. I refuse to believe that they would maliciously plot to hurt me. I'm going to continue to believe that it was just a matter of miscommunication and two stressed out individuals that were at their absolute limits. That's what I keep telling myself. Either way, purposely or not; it happened and it hurt like hell. So, here are the lyrics to the song:

I'm just an old set of training wheels sitting on the shelf

no longer useful I was left here by myself

figure she's outgrown me and moved on to someone else

no longer needs me and said her farewells

I'm just an old broken toy perched up on this rack

waiting for my owner to come back

(chorus)

outdated and obsolete

busted and incomplete

shelf life expired

quickly retired

holey and rusted

broken and busted

(verse)

I'm just an old faded picture matted in this frame

tepid and cold burned out old flame

I'm just that old worn out mitt hanging on the wall

seen its last it's game caught its last ball

(chorus)

outdated and obsolete

busted and incomplete

shelf life expired

quickly retired

holey and rusted

broken and busted

I'm just an old old set of training wheels sitting on the shelf

I Am Still Here

Even though you push me asjde

I am the truth that cannot be denied

Even when you open yourself to all that harms

And you welcome the demons charms

I am still here

When you've told yourself lies

And pulled the wool over your own eyes

I am still here

Even when you've rejected me

When you've refused to see

I am still here

When the world around you crumbles

When false prophets stumble

I am still here

When you've hid behind your masks

When you've refused all that I ask

I am still here

When all else has failed

And evil has prevailed

I am still here

Even when you yell at me

And we disagree

I am still here

When everyone is gone

and your last breath drawn

I will still love you

And I am still here

Folsom Prison Blues - By Johnny Cash Covered By Jason Gerrish

Patreon

Please, check out my Patreon site that I created. Patreon is an innovative crowdfunding site that was started by Jack Conte (half of Pamplamoose). It is different from other crowdfunding sites because instead of working towards a final objective or product. Patreon provides recurring revenue for the artist. Patrons can pledge any dollar amount (in increments of a dollar) starting at a dollar per creation. In my case, these are videos. If you were to pledge one dollar, I would receive a dollar for every new video that I publish. You can also set monthly limits for yourself so that if the artist creates more than your willing to spend, your monthly amount is capped. You can also quit at any given time. This site will greatly help me in pursuing my artistic aspirations and I greatly appreciate any support that you can give me. Thank you.

http://www.patreon.com/jaygerr

Poem Blog

When I started this blog, I had planned to post entries on a regular basis. Unfortunately, this has proven to be more of a challenge than I had originally anticipated, so I have been contemplating digging into the archives and posting some of my older writing. Looking back at some my previous writings reinforced my belief that any of my writing whether it be in the form of fiction, poetry, essay or song, is a snapshot of my life at that specific point in time. It also served to remind me of a few things.

Anything that I write is simply a snapshot of any given moment in time. If is an essay or blog, it doesn't necessarily reflect my current opinion or feelings. This especially applies to poetry. Often I would write about an intense emotional experience. I have difficulty verbalizing many of my feelings and thoughts. This is my therapy. This is my form of communication.

When writing poetry or music, you are limited in your time/space to express yourself within a confined structure. Sometimes this can spawn more creativity. You have find the exact right words, in as few as possible to express what you are trying to say. Sometimes, the medium that you are using isn't adequate for what you are trying to express and you need to explore other formats. Here is an example of something that I wrote about ten years ago called Staring at Boxes:

Staring at boxes and praying for hope
Trying everything that I can to cope
When I look out the window
Many tears start to flow 
There's something missing
All my time, spent reminiscing
I love her more than my life
I love her as my wife
At the table there are two chairs
Yet, my only company are prayers

Boxes are all I have of our dreams,
All of our precious schemes
One box has clothes that you wore
Some are scattered on the floor
Like the shards of my life 
Cutting my soul like a knife
I light a single candle, still
On the kitchen window sill
A lone beacon in the night
To guide you to my plight

Am I fool to go on like this?
Anxiously awaiting one last kiss
Burned in my memory forever
Is the last time we were together
So close we were to making it
You knew that I would never quit
Alas, the only remnants of you
Are boxes that are piled askew

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, I'll be posting more new material, soon. God bless.

Live Music & Southern Food

Come by for some Southern Food & Great Thymes with Jason Gerrish on guitar....Reservations are strongly recommended.

https://www.facebook.com/events/683931371656184/

New gig announcement

New gig announcement

New gig at 457 Mason Jar in Bristol, CT coming up on the 22nd of August at 6PM.  https://www.facebook.com/457MasonJar

New facebook page is up

https://www.facebook.com/JasonMatthewGerrish

Wild West in the West End of Bristol.  I'll be playing a set and displaying some of my artwork.  Check the link out:

https://www.facebook.com/events/692208874161051/?ref=22

Training Wheels - original by Jason Gerrish

Evanescence - Forgive me lyrics

And So it Goes - By Billie Joel - covered by Jason Gerrish

My disdain for dislike

In a previous blog, I expressed my concerns regarding trolls, negativity in general, its effect on society and individuals. In some ways, this blog is a followup to that blog. This is my diatribe concerning the "dislike" button on Youtube. I'm probably being overly sensitive. But, social media sites seem to encourage and facilitate an urge to be judgemental of other individuals. I'm guessing that "reality" television is also contributing to this phenomenon. Through such programming we are being acclimated to a concept that people are here for our entertainment. It's almost like a learned sociopathy. It's easy for us to be detached viewing these individuals through our computers or televisions. Where previously, dramas and sitcoms were the norm for entertainment. At least with these types of shows, there was a realization that the characters that we were viewing were just that, fictional characters.

All of this brings me to the sociological ramifications of the "dislike" button in Youtube. It's quite possible that I'm being overly dramatic about this subject and blowing things way out of proportion. But, it seems to me that change is usually brought about through a slow progression. What once appeared to be a minute and harmless issue progressively becomes a much larger inherent global character flaw that is universally shared and embraced by society through slow acclimation. Groupthink comes into play. If everyone is doing it, it becomes socially and ethically acceptable. Sometimes this can be a good thing. They can bring about positive social change, such as in the case of women's rights or racial equality. Sometimes this can be a bad thing such as the increasing lack of respect shown for human life in general and the declining ability to empathize with other individuals. "They're not really like me. They were put here for the sake of my amusement. I'm what really matters." Once we egocentrically accept ourselves as the center of the universe, we begin see everything as if it was a video game or a program to entertain ourselves. There is an apathy and detachment that occurs. People getting hurt on a Youtube clip amuses us because it's not us. We've been conditioned to accept other people's suffering as our entertainment. The more we partake in these activities, the more we become acclimated to accepting this situation as the norm. I was a little shocked when I was on a trip to a paintball tournament with some much younger members of my team. They were commenting on the Kanye West and Taylor Swift incident that occurred on the 2009 MTV video awards. They viewed it as being very humorous with no regard for the feelings of the individuals involved. One of the teenagers said that he just liked that sort of humor. As if it was just a dramatization that was put on for his amusement. This really bothered me. Here was an otherwise normal kid that saw nothing negative or damaging about this incident. I'm guessing that if he was actually the recipient of the abuse he'd feel differently.

I almost find it ironic that I'm seeing an emphasis on anti-bullying campaigns. Is this a knee-jerk response to the increasing number of cases of bullying that we're seeing? From what I've seen these campaigns don't address the actual causes of bullying. They treat the symptoms after the act occurs. They're a bandage.

Now, getting back to the "dislike" button. The dislike button is not without it's merit. It can be a good thing and it can be a bad thing. In terms of marketing research I can see some validity in having this option available. It can give immediate feedback to the youtube partner as to what their viewers like and dislike. It allows you to tailor future videos for your target audience. It can help the performer work on weak areas or choose to eliminate some things from their repertoire. This can be helpful for other videomakers to see what's popular and help them decide what topics to choose for their upcoming videos. It can also help persuade third parties to invest in and/or choose to advertise with those media contributors.

My problems with the "dislike" button is that I'm not sure that it's a valid indication of the number of people that actually like the content of the video. The demographic for Youtube is dominated by less than 18 and 18 to 24 age range. This age group might not be your target audience, but it might be the majority of views that it receives might fall between that age range. Probability is that you're not being judged by your target audience. Is this a good indication of the quality of your work? For instance, if you are a rap artist and you perform in front of an audience that is dominated by country fans. They are two totally different genres. Would the audiences critique of the performers' performance even be valid? Chances are very good that the vast majority of the audience will dislike the performance. Does this mean that the artist did not give a good and entertaining concert?

Another issue that I have with the "dislike" button is that individuals are more likely express their displeasure with something than if they liked it. How many of you that are reading this now have watched a video, liked a video and not clicked the "like" button? I would be willing to guess that's the majority of readers. When viewing a video, we expect to be entertained. When that doesn't happen, we are displeased and express ourselves. When we enjoy a video, unless that video stands out as being spectacular, we got what we expect and the video met the requirements. We do nothing. This is human nature. I do the same thing.

The other thing about the "dislike" button is that once the first "dislike" appears, it's almost as if someone gave the rest of the viewers permission to react. It has a domino or virus like chain reaction. I almost wish that Youtube required the person clicking the "dislike" button to give a detailed critique before being allowed to dislike the video. This would at least allow the contributor of the video to accept something constructive and determine whether it is a valid criticism or not. The only problem that see with this is that it open up new avenues for abuse and bullying. But, at least that would be traceable. That person could blocked and/or reported for abuse and their account would be shut down.

After reading all of this, I don't want to give the reader the impression that I'm completely pointing the finger outwards. I am just as guilty of these transgressions as anyone else. My hope is that this raises awareness to an often overlooked issue and starts a dialogue that leads to positive change.

In summary, I think the problem needs to addressed at the ground level. Parents need to educate themselves and be well versed in the latest technology. I know that this is extremely difficult, but an attempt must be made. There needs to be a much closer eye on children when they are using social media. I really like the idea of having a centralized computer in a family room that the children are only allowed to use with an adult present. Reinforce the concept that everything that they post online can be seen by billions of people. It is not a private conversation. The person that you are responding to is just that, a person with feelings the same as your own. To borrow from the world of role-playing games, it is not an AI(artificial intelligence) controlled NPC(Non Player Character). I know that we're all stressed out and I know that time in this current era is at an absolute premium, but take a second to click the "like" button. Post a nice comment. Create a positive environment. Maybe we can mute the shouts of a few negative naysayers with a cacophonous roar of positivity.

Ask yourself, "Would I like to be judged by the same standards that I judge others? Do I hold myself to those same standards?"

P.S. As a side note, I would like to mention one video where the amount of dislikes astounds me. This is the video "Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation!". As of the writing of this article, this video has 1296 dislikes Someone please explain to me how someone could dislike this video? Are we really that jaded as a culture?

Jen Hill Kickstarter campaign

Just a reminder that Jen Hill is at the midpoint of her Kickstarter campaign to produce her first full length CD.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jenniferhill/jennifer-hill-and-co-recording-new-album

https://www.facebook.com/events/1380023762236365/

http://bristolobserver.com/2014/02/04/ginger-grant-exhibits-at-artist-tree/