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Born and raised in the northeastern part of New Jersey, Jason Cannata grew up believing that
anything was possible, so from a very early age, he dreamed big...very big! Music was always
around him in the form of records by such influences as Elvis, The Beatles, Billy Joel, and Tom
Jones. As he took in a diverse range of styles and sounds, his active involvement with music
began at the age of twelve when he began playing the drums during a Summer Music Program at
school. Jason continued with the drums, branching out to include a wide variety of percussion
instruments such as octavons and timpani. 1988 was a very important year for him as he got
his first drumset and took his playing up a level by taking private instruction from a personal
friend of Buddy Rich, who many feel was the best drummer that ever lived. Balancing the
challenging big band, solos driven style of players like Rich and Krupa with the more modern
beats of rock music such as groups like Bon Jovi gave Jason a great range to his playing.
anything was possible, so from a very early age, he dreamed big...very big! Music was always
around him in the form of records by such influences as Elvis, The Beatles, Billy Joel, and Tom
Jones. As he took in a diverse range of styles and sounds, his active involvement with music
began at the age of twelve when he began playing the drums during a Summer Music Program at
school. Jason continued with the drums, branching out to include a wide variety of percussion
instruments such as octavons and timpani. 1988 was a very important year for him as he got
his first drumset and took his playing up a level by taking private instruction from a personal
friend of Buddy Rich, who many feel was the best drummer that ever lived. Balancing the
challenging big band, solos driven style of players like Rich and Krupa with the more modern
beats of rock music such as groups like Bon Jovi gave Jason a great range to his playing.
During his High School years, he became very interested in learning the art of recording, so he
took night classes from one of New Jersey's top producers in a 24 track recording studio. The
recording course opened his musical world to new possibilities. Then, fate and destiny stepped
in with a move to the Midwest to start college. The move took Jason to an unfamiliar place and
caused him to look inside of himself to express his feelings. As a result, writing songs came
naturally, and songwriting quickly became his top priority. Attending a University for a
Creative Writing major and writing as many songs as possible took up much of Jason's time, and
he still managed to work full time jobs to support himself. After six years of writing songs, he
felt he was finally ready to send some of his songs to publishers, so in 1998, a song called "Two
Hearts" was the first to introduce him to the industry, and received a lot of positive feedback,
even getting put on hold by a publisher in Nashville and played for several top producers there.
took night classes from one of New Jersey's top producers in a 24 track recording studio. The
recording course opened his musical world to new possibilities. Then, fate and destiny stepped
in with a move to the Midwest to start college. The move took Jason to an unfamiliar place and
caused him to look inside of himself to express his feelings. As a result, writing songs came
naturally, and songwriting quickly became his top priority. Attending a University for a
Creative Writing major and writing as many songs as possible took up much of Jason's time, and
he still managed to work full time jobs to support himself. After six years of writing songs, he
felt he was finally ready to send some of his songs to publishers, so in 1998, a song called "Two
Hearts" was the first to introduce him to the industry, and received a lot of positive feedback,
even getting put on hold by a publisher in Nashville and played for several top producers there.
In 2000, the independent album, 'Time to Fly' was recorded. But it was the 2001 song, "I Can't
Find the Words", that landed on a Songwriter's Showcase Compilation CD and pitched around
the world. While pursuing his dream of a career in music, Jason supported himself by working
with one of the largest music retail chains in the country, selling everything from guitars and
drums to band instruments to recording equipment, which provided him with a valuable
education for all aspects of music. The next two years would prove to be tough ones personally
and the inspiration for the songs that made up the album, 'Everything Changes'. With the very
personal lead off single, "Hey Katherine", the album took a full year to record and was released
in 2004. Once again, Jason played all of the parts on the project, which caused the music world
to sit up and take notice. And, that same year, five of the songs from the album landed on the
radio, making a lifelong dream finally come true.
Find the Words", that landed on a Songwriter's Showcase Compilation CD and pitched around
the world. While pursuing his dream of a career in music, Jason supported himself by working
with one of the largest music retail chains in the country, selling everything from guitars and
drums to band instruments to recording equipment, which provided him with a valuable
education for all aspects of music. The next two years would prove to be tough ones personally
and the inspiration for the songs that made up the album, 'Everything Changes'. With the very
personal lead off single, "Hey Katherine", the album took a full year to record and was released
in 2004. Once again, Jason played all of the parts on the project, which caused the music world
to sit up and take notice. And, that same year, five of the songs from the album landed on the
radio, making a lifelong dream finally come true.
In 2005, Jason was asked to use his experience to write courses covering songwriting, recording,
and the music business. At the same time, he created Songs Revealed, the most original
songwriting website on the net, which quickly grew with the help of a huge following. The
courses took six months to finish and were designed to help songwriters/musicians of all levels
to enjoy their music more. Jason has said publicly that he has never been more proud or
honored to be a part of anything in his career. Taking things a step further, his company, Song
Warrior Music, began helping to promote and distribute other people's songs. The goal with the
Song warrior Music Promotion was to again use Jason's experience to help others avoid the
mistakes he had made and give them the edge and the best experience possible with their music
careers. These days, Jason enjoys working with people and helping them with their music
through consultations and promotion. And of course, he is still writing his own music, and very
much looking forward to recording his next album as soon as he finds the time!
and the music business. At the same time, he created Songs Revealed, the most original
songwriting website on the net, which quickly grew with the help of a huge following. The
courses took six months to finish and were designed to help songwriters/musicians of all levels
to enjoy their music more. Jason has said publicly that he has never been more proud or
honored to be a part of anything in his career. Taking things a step further, his company, Song
Warrior Music, began helping to promote and distribute other people's songs. The goal with the
Song warrior Music Promotion was to again use Jason's experience to help others avoid the
mistakes he had made and give them the edge and the best experience possible with their music
careers. These days, Jason enjoys working with people and helping them with their music
through consultations and promotion. And of course, he is still writing his own music, and very
much looking forward to recording his next album as soon as he finds the time!
(I= Interviewer, and J= Jason Cannata)
I: How has your involvement with Songs Revealed, the courses, and the Song Warrior Music Promotion affected
you and your life?
J: All of them have been a very rewarding experience for me. When I was just writing and recording my songs, I would get
emails from people telling me about how certain songs helped them deal with things in their lives and made them feel better.
That was a truly amazing thing and now I get to actually talk to the people we are helping personally with the consultations,
which for me, is the best part.
you and your life?
J: All of them have been a very rewarding experience for me. When I was just writing and recording my songs, I would get
emails from people telling me about how certain songs helped them deal with things in their lives and made them feel better.
That was a truly amazing thing and now I get to actually talk to the people we are helping personally with the consultations,
which for me, is the best part.
I: Why was it so important for you to include the consultations with those projects?
J: Unlimited consultation will always be there with anything I am involved in, there's just no other way to do it. I want to be
able to talk to people and see how their music is going. For the courses, I want to be there to answer any and all questions
people may have specifically about their own music. And for the Promotion Package, it's awesome to work with people and
hear about their musical dreams and ambitions. They are all inspiring to me and remind me of why I wanted a career in
music to begin with. The other reason I believe in the consultation so much is because whenever I would buy a book on
songwriting/music and I had a question, I would try and contact them, and would never hear back from them, only to find out
that they would be happy to answer my question for $200 an hour or something outrageous like that. So, when I was
approached to do the courses originally, I wanted it to be more than just a great course, and I knew that the consultation had
to be there in order to do it right.
J: Unlimited consultation will always be there with anything I am involved in, there's just no other way to do it. I want to be
able to talk to people and see how their music is going. For the courses, I want to be there to answer any and all questions
people may have specifically about their own music. And for the Promotion Package, it's awesome to work with people and
hear about their musical dreams and ambitions. They are all inspiring to me and remind me of why I wanted a career in
music to begin with. The other reason I believe in the consultation so much is because whenever I would buy a book on
songwriting/music and I had a question, I would try and contact them, and would never hear back from them, only to find out
that they would be happy to answer my question for $200 an hour or something outrageous like that. So, when I was
approached to do the courses originally, I wanted it to be more than just a great course, and I knew that the consultation had
to be there in order to do it right.
I: How are the courses different from other ones and from books that are already available?
J: It's a whole new way to look at things, and it's all about enjoying music more. They were written in a way that helps
people apply the things in them to their own musical styles. Not every technique works for everyone and the trick is to find
out which ones will work best for you. The courses help you do that, and they also have ones that work well for everyone.
I have never seen anything else like them and I am so grateful to be involved with them.
J: It's a whole new way to look at things, and it's all about enjoying music more. They were written in a way that helps
people apply the things in them to their own musical styles. Not every technique works for everyone and the trick is to find
out which ones will work best for you. The courses help you do that, and they also have ones that work well for everyone.
I have never seen anything else like them and I am so grateful to be involved with them.
I: What caused you to start the Song Warrior Music Promotion?
J: After we launched Songs Revealed, I got a lot of emails from songwriters/musicians, and the most popular thing they
wanted help with was how to promote their music, how to send songs to publishers, etc. So, we put together a package
that basically did all of the work for them, but in a way that gave their music the best chance possible of being signed by
the way it was presented to publishers, producers, and record labels. The best part about it is that it is customized to each
person based on their music and their goals. So far, I have had the chance to help a lot of people and a lot of bands, and
it's been such a great honor. I definitely wish there was a package like this when I was sending my songs!
J: After we launched Songs Revealed, I got a lot of emails from songwriters/musicians, and the most popular thing they
wanted help with was how to promote their music, how to send songs to publishers, etc. So, we put together a package
that basically did all of the work for them, but in a way that gave their music the best chance possible of being signed by
the way it was presented to publishers, producers, and record labels. The best part about it is that it is customized to each
person based on their music and their goals. So far, I have had the chance to help a lot of people and a lot of bands, and
it's been such a great honor. I definitely wish there was a package like this when I was sending my songs!
I: What's next for you? Any new songs/albums in the works?
J: Right now, I'm really focused on all the things I've got going on, and I'm enjoying them so much. The consultations
and the Promotion Package keep me busy and I wouldn't trade that for anything. But, to be totally honest with you, I've
still been writing and I have been working on several new songs that I can't wait to finish. That's always going to be a
part of me and I will never stop writing. Now, it's just a matter of working things out so that the time is there to record
again. I like to have a lot of things going at once, I'm a workaholic like that, and it keeps me going. One of the things I'm
looking forward to is collaborating with some different artists in the future. Stay tuned!
J: Right now, I'm really focused on all the things I've got going on, and I'm enjoying them so much. The consultations
and the Promotion Package keep me busy and I wouldn't trade that for anything. But, to be totally honest with you, I've
still been writing and I have been working on several new songs that I can't wait to finish. That's always going to be a
part of me and I will never stop writing. Now, it's just a matter of working things out so that the time is there to record
again. I like to have a lot of things going at once, I'm a workaholic like that, and it keeps me going. One of the things I'm
looking forward to is collaborating with some different artists in the future. Stay tuned!
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