A Little About Me


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The following is a brief history of my life as a performer and teacher of music.


I grew up in Manhattan Beach, Ca, and have lived near the beach for virtually all of my life
I began singing when my mother noticed me singing along with children's music and thought I had some talent. She suggested I sing at my aunt's wedding in Washington D.C. that year.
I sang "Tomorrow" from Annie (imitating the wide girl vibrato on the cast album)
It was a big hit! (I since elimanated the vibrato)

Once I had a taste of singing I was hooked..

I then had the first experience of something I would have many more times in my life...

The Audition!

I tried out to join the California Boys Choir and was accepted. It was there that I received the training and performing experience that would shape and define my future. The following are some pictures from those early days.

After participating in the boy's choir for three years, I continued my performing
in opera, musicals, and some film/tv work as a boy soprano.
The following are some pictures from those shows.

Oliver! Program... The Coorination of Poppea Program Song of Norway Picture





Oliver and Dodger Poppea Punk Cupid

I continued on through high school performing in school with drama and really found my passion when I got cast in Little Shop of Horrors and attended the California State Summer School for the Arts for two summers..




After High School I already knew that a career in the arts was really the only path for me. I attended Caifonia State University Long Beach receiving a degree in Choral/Vocal music in 1995. Being a reinaissance man I almost received a degree in Theater and several other areas before I was done!



While in College I performed in various musicals and began to get my feet wet with various professional companies in town while simulaneouly studying choral conducting, singing in chamber singers, vocal jazz, and performing in school productions.

Oliver! With Civic
Light Opera of South
Bay Cities


Matt in
The Fantasticks
(Yes that is how it's spelled)

Pirates with CLOSBC

Motel in Fiddler on the Roof

My Senior Voice Recital


After college things began to really take off, and I began persuing and getting professional work. I began traveling around to do theater and also decided to expand my horizons by backpacking in Europe various times. I also began to sing a regular gig in the chorus at Opera Pacific and have been singing there off and on for ten years.

Here are some pictures from my theater experiences out of town


Utah! The Musical
(Yeah, I was a bareback horse riding Indian)
St. George, Utah.
The Fantasticks and other cornball
shows at "The Great American Melodrama"
Oceano (SLO County), California


It was perhaps the next place I lived that had the most profound effect on my life. I was fortunate to get cast in Forever Plaid in Carmel, California, and live a beautiful, simple life two blocks from the beautiful white sand beaches of Carmel. Not only did I love this show and feel a real sense of family, the Monterey Peninsula and Big Sur ares became my heart's home, and a spiritual center for me. I continue to return there often to visit and attend the Esalen institute for workshops and renewal.


The Plaid's in Cartoon My friend, The Carmel Beach The Plaid's in Picture My Still Small Voice


After finishing "Plaid" I returned home and quickly began singing with Opera Pacific, and picking up more classical vocal gigs with the Pacific Choral, Various Churches and also performed in various other professional productions while still keeping a conection to Carmel by returning for various Plaid incarnations, Master Class, and ultimately many trips to Esalen which really fostered my love for ethnic music and drumming. While doing these various perfomances I began substitute teaching which was preparing me for the next step in my evolution as a musician, passing along my passions to others.


A progam from one of the
seventeen productions
with Opera Pacific



Master Class
Pacific Repertory Theater, Carmel

The Mikado
Nanki-Po, Riverside CLO

La Calisto at CSULB Opera

Mendel in Fiddler on the Roof with
Theater League


Fredrick in Pirates of Penzance
Mammoth Lakes, California

Children of Eden
Music Theater West
I'm the Alligator



It was at this point in my life that I would be involved in the most important "production" of my life. The arrival of my beautiful daughter Emily! Once I knew I was going be a father I felt like I wanted to do some things in my life that would make more of a difference. I took a full time teaching job with Long Beach Unified School District teaching elementary school music. I have been doing this job for six years now, and find great satisfaction in sharing my passion for music with others. I have also branched out in other directions using my conductng training to direct adult choirs, give private voice lessons, and musical direct. I began to get known around town and got calls for classical singing gigs and many teaching opportunities. Even with all these changes I find time to do some of my best peforming as well.

Here are some pictures from that time of my life until the present.



The Fakir, The Secret Garden
Civic Light Opera
South Bay Cities		 Younger Brother, Dead Man Walking
(Fredericka von Stade
played my mom!)		 Smudge (The Bass??) Forever Plaid
Westend Dinner Theater


My Greatest Production Hmm.. Think there is a little
"ham" in her?
Birney Elementary
X-Mas Concert		 Minnie Gant
Talent Show		 Minnie Gant Kids


And there we have it. A virtual portfolio of much of my performing experience throughout the years. I hope you enjoyed reading this and invite you to check out my other pages for more photos, sounds, and more.




Jonas