Jared Johnson, Contemporary Solo Pianist

Press

Radio Interview, KOSY 106.5 FM

Interviewed by John Hair, KOSY 196.5 FM

KOSY: In studio with us this morning is artist Jared Johnson. He has a compact disc out called Piano Pop. Jared, how did you first get started in the business?

JJ: Well, I first got started basically right after my [church] mission. I came home, and after a lot of friends and family encouraged me, I found out a friend of our family actually would record a demo for me for free. And so I used his help and got a CD out and sold enough copies of it to finance a real CD in the studio. That was Piano Pop. I recorded it last December, and we got it out about March of this year.

KOSY: Now you're using the title Piano Pop. I assume that it's just all instrumental?

JJ: It is; it's all instrumental, and the title Piano Pop came when I was trying to decide how to describe my music to people. It would often come across really vague, and soon enough I started using the term "piano pop" meaning something in between jazz and new age. It's right there in between; some of it was upbeat, some of it was more mellow. A lot of people compare it to Jon Schmidt.

KOSY: Okay, name a few of the songs on the album and maybe some of the inspiration that is behind some of those songs.

JJ: The one that usually sticks out the quickest is Snow Angels. It's the last song on the album, probably the most mellow and the most sentimental. I actually wrote it on my mission, one of the few times when a song's actually just popped in my head. There's a six-note main melody, and it just popped in my head in between appointments on my mission. A few days later, I found a piano and just cranked it out and wrote the whole song in a few minutes.

KOSY: Not too hard to do if you're anywhere near a chapel. Was it any specific experience on your mission, or was it something while you were out there working that came to you?

JJ: It was at the hardest time on my mission. It was at the hardest time, when I was struggling. It was about six months in; I was just really trying to do my best out there and keep all my memories and everything in context while still doing the work.

KOSY: Now I understand that you also go out and you do concerts with various LDS artists. And you did one just this past week; who was that with?

JJ: That was with Julie de Azevedo.

KOSY: How did that turn out?

JJ: It was spectacular...[lists concert dates and stores where Piano Pop is available]...


	Press Radio Interview, KOSY 106.5 FM Interviewed by John Hair, KOSY 196.5 FM KOSY: In studio with us this morning is artist Jared Johnson. He has a compact disc out called Piano Pop. Jared, how did you first get started in the business? JJ: Well, I first got started basically right after my [church] mission. I came home, and after a lot of friends and family encouraged me, I found out a friend of our family actually would record a demo for me for free. And so I used his help and got a CD out and sold enough copies of it to finance a real CD in the studio. That was Piano Pop. I recorded it last December, and we got it out about March of this year. KOSY: Now you're using the title Piano Pop. I assume that it's just all instrumental? JJ: It is; it's all instrumental, and the title Piano Pop came when I was trying to decide how to describe my music to people. It would often come across really vague, and soon enough I started using the term "piano pop" meaning something in between jazz and new age. It's right there in between; some of it was upbeat, some of it was more mellow. A lot of people compare it to Jon Schmidt. KOSY: Okay, name a few of the songs on the album and maybe some of the inspiration that is behind some of those songs. JJ: The one that usually sticks out the quickest is Snow Angels. It's the last song on the album, probably the most mellow and the most sentimental. I actually wrote it on my mission, one of the few times when a song's actually just popped in my head. There's a six-note main melody, and it just popped in my head in between appointments on my mission. A few days later, I found a piano and just cranked it out and wrote the whole song in a few minutes. KOSY: Not too hard to do if you're anywhere near a chapel. Was it any specific experience on your mission, or was it something while you were out there working that came to you? JJ: It was at the hardest time on my mission. It was at the hardest time, when I was struggling. It was about six months in; I was just really trying to do my best out there and keep all my memories and everything in context while still doing the work. KOSY: Now I understand that you also go out and you do concerts with various LDS artists. And you did one just this past week; who was that with? JJ: That was with Julie de Azevedo. KOSY: How did that turn out? JJ: It was spectacular...[lists concert dates and stores where Piano Pop is available]...