Who I am. Here I am.

Hello World!

   Let's be honest here, alright?  I love to create music.  It's close to being a drug for me when inspiration takes over.  I will spend countless hours with my guitars playing chord progressions, searching for that dream original that absolutely everyone will love.  Sometimes my new songs grab hold of me and stay with me, while others just fade away once the music stops.  Lately I've been thinking about all my years I've spent writing songs and suddenly I took a hard look at myself and asked one very simple question about my love for music.  The question I asked myself is this:   "Why?"

   Why do I always find myself drawn to my guitars, keyboard and microphones so often?  Why do I love to create new music by myself for hours at a time, and yet feel completely uninterested in playing even a few chords of what happens to be the current hot rock track every radio DJ is playing on the air?  Why do I share my music online with both friends and strangers alike, opening myself up to feedback that is far more likely to be criticism and emotion evisceration than any positive feedback from new listeners and fans?

Because I am who I am.

   I am a songwriter.  A vocalist.  An artist.  I write and perform my new music because the creation process is what makes me feel alive.  I feel such a surge of adrenaline when I write a chorus for a new song that has that pure 'hook' quality to it.  I can't wait to finish the whole song and share it with anyone who will listen.

 This next part is the important message of the day, my own personal revelation if you will.  I've realized that it's the sharing that matters the most to me in the end, not the response I get.

   I have realized that it's okay if some random stranger from Ohio says in a forum that I will never amount to anything.  It's okay if Mike from Alberta says he hates my voice.   Or my choice of effects on my rhythm guitar.   If John from Florida thinks I'm lousy at something else, hey that's alright with me as well.   I figure there are builders and destroyers in this world, and while the builders are often too busy trying to create something worthwhile it just leaves the destroyers with nothing better to do than run other people down.   If I get insulted by fifty people online who say I have no talent, but also get praised by three people who said they loved my new song then I will always call that a success.   One fact that we all know is that you really can't please everyone.   I will always find people who don't like what I have to offer.  And I will always cherish every single person who does.

   Another fact we all know is that the only sure way to fail in life is not to try in the first place.  Too scared to put yourself out there?  That would be the majority of us.  Sadly that also leaves you with a 100% chance of never being heard.  I am not that guy.  You can like me, love me or hate me - I am okay with whatever you decide.   I am always going to put myself and my music out there so that you can choose.

   And on that note, I would like to invite you to listen to one of my latest songs, 'Jack's on Queen' on my page at Reverbnation.com .  I enjoy listening to it, there's a good chance you will to.  Also, on September 1st, 2013 I have a single that will release on iTunes and Amazon.com.  It is called 'Coming Home' and is a song that I wrote about an adorable little boy I personally know named Oscar.  Oscar is struggling with Leukemia and recently went on a trip to Disney World with the Make A Wish foundation.  In honor of Oscar I am donating all monies raised from sales of this song to charity.  If you, random stranger, happen to be reading this why not listen to some of  my songs and see if you enjoy them?  Any word of mouth always means a lot to me.  Heck, just write me a note to say hello, I love to communicate!

Best wishes to you.
Be well.
Be kind.
Be heard.    
...Definitely be heard.


Later, World!

Back by popular demand!

   After several years of collecting 'virtual dust' on the internet, Back Stage With Jay V resumes!
 
   Hello World!

   In the time since my last post a lot of life has happened including some highs, and some lows.  I've met a lot of great people already in 2013, and greatly expanded my circle of good friends. But today I'd like to talk a little about one new friend in particular.

   I'd like to tell you about a special little guy named Oscar.  Oscar is 4 years old, and comes from a good family with an older brother and two parents that love both their children immensely.  Oscar looks like any fun loving 4 year old you've seen before, but there is something about him that you wouldn't know most days from looking at him - Oscar has Leukemia.

   I met Oscar and his family and it affected me right away.  I saw two parents coping with a stress most of us will never see, and yet they still were incredibly outgoing and uplifting, while they immediately made me feel right at home in their house.  It's an uncommon sight, to see people who can carry themselves with such grace while coping with stressful circumstances beyond their control.

   After that day was over I felt an overwhelming urge to do something nice for them, even if only as a gesture to show them that someone else has noticed how kind they are, and how special little Oscar is.  That's what lead me to write a song for Oscar, something fun and uplifting - much like the family themselves.  They had told me about the stress of having to leave Oscar in the hospital so many nights, and the anxiety that it would bring.  So I wrote a song for Oscar simply titled:   'Coming Home (Oscar's Song)'.

   I am not content with stopping there though.  After working on the song over a couple months I finally had a finished mix that was not just ready for Oscar and his family, but was ready for the world.  And so with a lot of excitement I can announce that on September 1st, 2013 'Coming Home (Oscar's Song)' is releasing on Amazon.com, iTunes, and other major online retailers.   For example, you can already find the Amazon listing for the new single located here.  I will be sure to add more links to other retailers in the next few weeks as September 1st approaches.

After consulting with Oscar's parents on this, I am happy to reveal that I will be donating ALL of the proceeds from this release directly to a charity that has been very supportive to Oscar's family  - Candlelighters, a childhood cancer support program that does important work and provides real help for families coping with childhood cancer.

I have so much more to talk about over the next few weeks as September 1st approaches, and I hope to share this story with many more people as it grows.   In the meantime, why not like my page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jayvmarshall  and stop by to listen to some other songs of mine at www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall

Later World!

New single hits the 'Net this Saturday and more!

Lots of valuable info coming your way today!

First off I'd like to remind everyone that I'll have two of my songs airing on a radio station in Waterloo, Ontario this Monday, March 17th (on St. Patrick's Day!). 'Waiting' and 'Devil On My Shoulder' will both be featured as new music on The Rock Show which airs from 3-5pm on CKMS FM (click www.ckmsfm.ca for the webcast!) They'll be airing during a call-in segment where people call in and vote whether or not the songs should keep getting more airtime! If you're around a PC on Monday afternoon you could call in at 1 519 884 2567 and tell them that you heard Jay V on the show and think it rocks!

Secondly I'm pleased to announce that I will be uploading 'Devil On My Shoulder' on all my websites this Saturday to help spread the word more in advance of the radio show. Make sure to check it out, it's a great guitar rockin tune! This Saturday is the first day that anyone outside of band members and select radio hosts will have ever heard it!

Which brings me to another topic, most people may know of one or two places where they can get some info on Jay V, but I've never made one big list of my websites and profiles, so here we go!

Jay V. Marshall on ReverbNation - The first place that Jay V's songs appear!

Jay V. Marshall has a blog - A peek backstage at everything Jay V behind the scenes

Jay V. Marshall on MySpace - Want to network? Just dig the songs? Send a friend request!

Jay V. Marshall is on artistopia.com - This profile will be finished after the songs hit the radio

Jay V. Marshall has a profile at CBC Radio3 - in progress for now

Jay V. Marshall is on Garageband.com Rate indy music and discover new artists!

I'm On the Radio March 17th, so call in!

It's big news and good times for me lately! My first two singles "Waiting" and "Devil On My Shoulder" will both be making their radiowaves debut in Waterloo, Ontario on March 17th (3pm to 5pm) as they are featured in CKMS FM's weekly 2 hour indy music show "The Rock Show". The Rock Show hits the air every Monday from 3pm to 5pm, and people with an internet connection can listen to the show from just about anywhere on the planet via their webcast at http://www.ckmsfm.ca/

I've been told now that when every new song debuts in their programming they put it through a call-in show titled "Does It Rock, Or Should It Roll?" during The Rock Show. With a positive first showing on the 17th it should open the way for me to get quite a bit of radio airplay all over southern Ontario, since Waterloo and it's surrounding area have a population of over 500,000 alone, which means there will be a lot of potential listeners!

For anyone who's able to catch the webcast on March 17th, if you could call in (at 1 519 884 2567) and let them know that YOU think the new songs from Jay V.Marshall rule that'd be too sweet!

I'm still not sure which of the two songs will be the most popular immediately but once they've been on the air I'll also be posting both of them up at my ReverbNation profile as well(www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall) where they will be available for preview and purchase (gotta buy them all!). Look for that and other cool developments in the coming month!

Later World!

"Waiting" to be on radio stations soon

Things are really starting to come together! The first two songs for the upcoming CD are now finished and we are moving on to our next two tracks in the recording studio. I've heard from two radio stations (in Central and Southern Ontario) already that are interested in playing the first single "Waiting" on their 'Indy Music Hour' shows. And I have put up a 60 second long preview from the actual CD version of "Waiting" (the full length song is 4 minutes, 5 seconds) so that anyone can have a sneak peek. It's available through www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall and it's player embedded at http://jayvmarshall.blogspot.com

As a result of that interest I've decided that I may not have been setting my goals high enough. Previously I had just been looking forward to hearing my song on one radio station in Southern Ontario and seeing how that works out, but now that the interest in the music is growing I'm thinking that I should take the time to put some extra effort into making sure I have enough demo packages ready to go that I can mail out 10 to 20 of them at once to ensure a much wider scope 'radio release' day. (Anyone know any good radio stations that are airing new artists?)

So now as I prepare to mail out demo packages and .mp3's I will be focusing on getting my name out there so that people are listening for when my new single "Waiting" hits soon. Give the 60 second clip of "Waiting" a listen, and if (or when) you like it (or love it) tell someone else you know about it so that they can check it out too. This song in particular has always been special to me since it was written to be a song that would help give strength to people who are coping with Cancer in their lives or the lives of their loved ones.

Later World,

Jay V.

80%Rock, 20%Talk - A Radio Single Is Almost Done

Hello World,


A friend of mine asked me for an update about how much progress is being made now that recording sessions for the album are in full swing. I'm pleased to announce that the recording sessions have been going incredibly well, with two songs already around 80% recorded and ready.

What do I mean "80% done" you ask? Well it's like this. The lyrics and chord progressions are written by me before anyone else is involved. This is, after all, a solo album that is being produced and released independently in my own name (Jay V.Marshall). Once the basis for the songs is finished then it's time for me to bring in the rest of the crew to take things to another level.

So next I brought in Darryl G (drummer) to replace my computer synthesized beats with the actual drum tracks for the album. Darryl has a sweet 10-piece drum kit put together in my studio right now for recording. He and I spent a couple days together speeding things up and slowing parts down, plus adding and removing different drum rolls and fills. Definitely a lot of fun jamming in the studio.

Once that was done I had to take a couple more days isolating myself in the studio re-recording all of the rhythm guitar tracks and vocals I had previously layed out to match the new rhythm and pacing that we'd created. It was actually a couple weeks before I was satisfied with my vocals again.

Next came the background vocals. I brought in Christine F, an excellent singer who I've heard perform dozens of times in front of large crowds at bars and taverns all over. She's pretty much a "Karaoke Diva" but I think that's mostly because she's been too busy living her life to try to find a more serious venue to show her vocal talents in. Fortunately the background vocals for the first two songs have only involved some singing of key notes and a few lines of lyrics during the chorus' so there wasn't much in the way for her to stress about. A true professional, she was able to perform excellent takes again and again, right up to the point that I was certain she had nailed her parts exactly.

And so now I am at the point where I just need the bass guitar recorded and the songs will be done. But much the way that life always goes, my close friend Dave M who performed Bass for me the last time I was in a band has moved on in life and started a family with his (gorgeous) new wife Jennifer. Which brings me to my new bass guitarist Chris B who I have asked to finish up his tracks and bring these first two songs on the album to the finish line. I've given Chris a CD with the rest of our tracks mixed down already so that he can relax with it and get some practice in with the final recordings so that when he comes to record his tracks things should go extra smooth with no surprises.

So basically if you made of list of all the steps it takes to record music in a studio for an album like this, the checklist for my first two songs would look something like this:


Lyrics & Music: done
Lead Vocals: done
Rhythm Guitar: done
Drums: done
Backing Vocals: done
Bass guitar: pending


The goal by the way, is to record 15 songs in total and release the album using the top 12. Assuming that things get wrapped up with these songs in the next two weeks, I should be able to send out the first single as part of a promotional package to several radio stations sometime in early March. In the meantime I ask people to just keep checking in at www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall and at http://jayvmarshall.blogspot.com/ for the latest news.

Remember, I still have an old demo of Waiting available to listen to at reverbnation which was recorded using sythesized (fake) drums and bass. The music was created solely by myself as a preview copy which I gave to the rest of the group to familiarize themselves with the song before we got into the studio. If nothing else, it offers a chance for you to preview what kind of lyrics to expect from the CD later. But of course remember that the music you will hear on that cut is nothing like what you'll be hearing from me soon (after all, I'm no drummer or bassist!) and the vocals were not something I cared about at that point. I just like to let people see a little bit of the creative process as we go along, as a Back Stage Pass if you will.


Later World!

Are You Ready?

Originally Posted on January 23, 2008
(This is the third and final re-posted entry)


It's a new year now, and time for another update. Things have been delayed and pushed aside during the winter months as we all had family matters and other issues to deal with, and as a result the recording of my new CD has been delayed over and over again.

...until now. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter, and the dawn of a NEW DAY. As I look across my living space behind me I can see a metallic glint in the darkness. I see a full set of drums waiting there, waiting for the chance to scream out loud as Darryl brings forth beats and rhythms to drive our new sound.

I've had a preview copy of one of my songs ( Waiting in case you're unsure) available to listen to at various internet sites that I've been keeping updated for a while now. I picked Waiting as the one to use as a public preview for two reasons, one being that it's a decent song with a strong message that people can relate to, and two - it may be a great song, but it's not one of my ultimate songs. No, those songs are still here, being kept locked safely away until the time is right to unleash them. Truthfully, Waiting wouldn't be my choice for the first song to use as a single. But I felt that it is good enough to get people to notice us beforehand and raise a little interest in what's going down here.

I'm pleased to tell you that I was right about that as well. The host of a weekly radio broadcast music show of new artists has expressed interest in featuring my music on an upcoming show after listening to my songs posted here. This basically served as the catalyst we all needed to get us focused again on making great music NOW. If all goes well I should be mailing a package down to the radio station in just another week with our first single from the upcoming album!

Who knows, a couple months from now you might be at work on a friday, waiting for the weekend to start and listening to the radio when you hear these words "....coming up next, a new song from a Canadian artist, here's Jay V. Marshall with his new hot single..."



You can believe now or you can believe later. Either way you better get ready. I'm going to be lighting this fuse up real soon.


Later world.

Welcome to the Back Stage Area

Hello World, and welcome to Back Stage With Jay V.

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jason and I am in the process of establishing a new career for myself as a musician. I write all my own original song material which I then sing as well as perform on guitar, something that I've been doing for well over a decade now.

My full name when I'm performing is Jay V. Marshall and this new Blog is your back stage pass to read about the on going journey that I have begun, as I establish myself as a new musician. Think of it as a chance to start reading the diary of your favorite rock star before they became one.

I had been using another blog previously however I've found the options and features of that website to be lacking, and so I'm starting over again here. First I'll be re-posting a couple of my key blog entries from the old site to here, so that you can get the jist of what has happened so far with my quest.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this "Diary of an undiscovered rock star" as much as I enjoy sharing my experiences with all of you.

I'm Jay V. Marshall, thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy your Back Stage Pass.