Sat, May 26th at the Flying Monkey. The Wicked Smart Horn Band and Jay Psaros

I’m really excited for this show!  The Flying Monkey is a 450 seat theater located just outside of the White Mountains in Plymouth New Hampshire.  I will be opening up the evening for the Wicked Smart Horn Band as we join together for a great cause!  Tickets start at $20 and all info can be found at www.FlyingMonkeyNH.com  Hurry up and make your reservations, rumor has it, it’s ALMOST SOLD OUT!

JP

Howdy folks,

This Sunday at 6PM I will be on air Co-Hosting the Cheap Seats with Cat Wilson!  This will be my first time on the show and I’m looking forward to it!  Make sure to check it on Cool 102 FM or online at www.TheCheapSeats.net!

Booking gigs and promoting shows is hard work.  I’m not complaining, but finding the time to write, create and experience life is something that needs to be found when in any creative field.  We need down time.  We need time to explore.  New experiences from which to pull inspiration.  This winter, I had little time for any of that.  This winter was all about getting the material from the last year out into the world and making sure I had a busy summer locally, since the last two were spent on the road.  It’s been a wild ride for the past couple years.  My inspiration was feeling a little drained.  New material wasn’t coming to me like it has been in the past.  This made me a little frightened.  New songs are the things that keep me playing and working as a musician.  When I write songs and am proud of the material, the songs become a great motivator.  It makes me feel as though I have something to offer, and regardless if the offer is accepted or not I need to make that offer.  To me, that is my way of saying “I can help, even if it’s just a little bit.”  It’s not much but it’s an important feeling to have and when the “help” is accepted, the motivation continues.

So with the inspiration well running dry, I started to get a little scared.  If I’m not writing like I used to how am I going to keep my head in the game?  Booking gigs starts to feel like a soul-less pursuit.  A musician’s gotta make their bread, but when the motivation isn’t there and it’s only for money the bread becomes burnt.  I’ve taken a lot of pride in original material.  Not just my own, but the material of my amazing friends and colleagues.  I wanted to create a way to stay involved.  I wanted to be surrounded by original work…even if mine had to be put on the back burner for a little while.  This became a daunting thought but in a strange way coming to this realization opened up a whole new world of options.  So this winter, that’s what I did.  I pursued this option.  Once the funding for my upcoming EP and Book were complete, I finally had some head space to get the ball rolling.  I decided to start a Record Label called PB and Jay Records.  PBJ are my initials backwards, and I’ve always loved a good PB & J sandwich so why not?  The record label would be a perfect way to stay creative, original and active.  It also provided a great roof for my friends and fellow musicians to potentially benefit from.

So winter was dark, winter was cold (er than fall) and winter was busy.  My book and EP are so close to getting pressed that it hurts, PB and Jay Records is up and running, and the two first artists to be released by the label (Jose Docen and Jackson Wetherbee) have their EP’s recorded and waiting for the design element.  Tony Cimino of Mojo Pro Audio and I have partnered up.  Awesome summer shows have been booked.  Everything was going well.  Myself and the people I work with were all working hard.  Things were falling into place…and then it happened.  Like I briefed over in the beginning of this article, winter has a way of aquiring many un-needed things.  Spring tends to struggle with the decision of what needs to be cleaned out…and the onset of Summer tends to work with a clean plate.  Things were going too well.  The universe wasn’t going to let me get off that easy.

It all started two months ago.  With all the hustle and bustle that winter had me wrapped up in, I noticed my Spring gigs were getting a little low…as in barely enough to pay the bills even if I emptied my spare change jar.  I have been diligent all winter making sure to book better gigs.  Although they don’t always pay more they do more for your career and support original material.  Halfway through the Spring, things looked better than they ever have been for me.  This was a different reality for my wallet.  It was a weird in between time where the prospects from the fall had worn off and the hard work of the winter had not yet come to fruition.  So I panicked.  I went into gig booking mode, reaching out to just about every place that would have me to fill the calendar.  This is a very frustrating process and takes a solid month to build up a future calendar.  Now in the middle of March with hardly any gigs the thought of April was a hard one.  Somehow, I made it through March.  The April calendar promised to put me in good standings…but the universe had a different plan for me.  After the first week which was ok, the second week rolled in.  I had every single gig cancel on me for the week.  The first gig that cancelled gave me fair notice and I just had to suck it up.  It was the second gig that cancelled that really hurt.  I showed up to the bar and was approached by the owner asking me what I was doing here.  Apparently, they stopped having live music and did not notify me.  I told the owner I didn’t want to leave without some form of compensation.  Showing up with all of your equipment to work without any notice of a cancellation is just bad business.  The owner refused to offer me anything.  I admit, I lost my cool.  I went to the bar and ordered their most expensive shot and then took off with no intention of paying.  I was so upset at their lack of consideration that my soul wound’t let myself leave without some form of justice.  I admit, I handled it poorly and am upset with how it went down, but my attempt at thievery ended in a standoff between myself, the bartender, owner and some other guy.  They ran out after me, surrounded my car with traffic cones from the nearby roadwork and began threatening me.  As much as I don’t want to admit it, I ended up paying the tab.  This ruined my whole week.  I was broke as a joke, upset at their actions, and not pleased with my own.  My negative thought seemed to be collecting more negativity.

But I rebounded.  I tried to put it all behind me…and I did.  The following week I had a kick-ass session in the studio and a solid weekend of gigs.  After having some “artistic success” and with a little money rolling in I was back in good spirits.  Things jumped right back into being awesome as a Sunday gig at the House of Blues Foundation room went really well and I got to play with a couple local artists who I think are just amazing.  Later that night, I met up with my friend, who was also in celebration mode due some cool musical happenings in his life.  After meeting up at the local pub a small crew of us made it back to my place, where I then had $400  cash stolen from my house.  That was most of my pay from the past weekend of good gigs gone…right down the drain.  I was back to square one.  Broke as a joke and in bad spirits because of it.  ”When will this end?” I thought to myself.  It was one of those moments that makes you so down, untrusting, and disheartened that you begin to question everything.  ”Why am I doing this?  Will this all pay off in the long run?”

Then two days later, the phone rang.  It was a friend of mine asking me to cover his gig for him.  This particular gig pays a breezy $250 which is great for a solo guy.  I took the gig seeing as this was exactly what I needed.  I moped to the gig and set up completely un thrilled by music and life in general.  But the night started off great, and it continued that way.  Half way into my first set, a man came up to me and put a $40 tip in my pocket.  During the beginning of my last set, a couple made a tip jar and went to every table in the bar room asking the patrons for tips for me.  I couldn’t believe the night I was having.  During the last couple songs, I held up the tip jar and said “Guys you all have no idea how much this means to me.  I recently had a week where every gig cancelled and then I got robbed.”  I heard gasps of dis-approval from the audience.  I wasn’t trying to lay any pity line on them.  I was just so honest to God thankful for the evening that I had to share why it meant so much to me.  After the announcement, people pulled out their wallets once again and the guys who tipped me the $40 ran up to me and emptied all of the money in his wallet onto the floor as he held it upside down and shook it with a smile.  At the end of the evening. I made $390 dollars.  Just $10 short of what was stolen from my house.  I left that night in dis-belief.  I had the feeling that someone, somewhere was looking out for me.  I was tested.  Was this the sign that I passed?  There was something about this experience that thickened my skin.  I was able to keep going.  The grind didn’t seem so bad anymore.  The powers above were looking out for me…keeping me to keep at it.

So here I am, It’s Mid May and things have bounced back.  Summer is looking very promising and exciting.  I feel rejuvenated, moderately inspired, and curious to see what the next few months will bring.  I feel back on track, and no longer consumed by daunting tasks.  Most importantly, I can look back at all of the work from this Winter and say to myself “It was worth it.”  Come hell or high water…this is a ride I’m glad I am a part of.  This music thing is uncertain.  Stability is almost non-existent.  BUT, the experiences that come from any unique line of work (especially those fueled by passion)  are truly amazing.

So PLEASE!  Stay tuned!  I’m looking forward to an awesome summer and I hope to share it with all of you!

-Jay

There’s been so much going on that I am hardly finding any time to sleep!  I’ve been mixing, mastering, doing photo shoots, editing my book and getting my record label PB and Jay Records up and running.  I’ve also been cleaning out my YouTube account and getting everything ready for the release of my EP Simply.  It never ends…but busy is good!

Also, please take a moment to subscribe to me on YouTube!  Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/jaypsaros?feature=mhee

And please check out PB and Jay Records at www.PBandJayRecords.com

The first and most important part is to have the material.  In this case, the book was written while on the road and the songs for the CD are a collection of songs written before, during and after the tour.  Once all of the material is in one place it is time to move forward.  For me the first step is funding.  Without the funds to take on a project like this the project is at a stand still.  It is also important to have alternative means of funding should your funding run out.  I had two options.  My first option was to fund it myself, which would mean putting myself into debt and praying that I don’t break an arm and lose work.  My second option was to fan fund the album and book before the production.  This would take the financial strain off of the product and allow a sure fire way to know that I had the means.  I was fortunate enough to raise close to $3,000 from fans, friends and family before the creation of the project.  With the material and funding in place it was time to line up the troops.  Each person below takes on specific tasks that all come together as a finished product in the end.  After many edits, lots of meetings, phone calls emails and coffee, everything gets ready to send out for pressing.  The process from start to finish usually takes around 9 months.  With all the experience we have gained together it is possible to take a project from start to finish in as little as three.  Most of the time is consumed with the recording of fresh ideas.

MEET THE TEAM!

 TONY CIMINO:  SOUND ENGINEER, DRUMS and PERCUSSION

Tony is the backbone of the audio aspect.  I take the collection of songs to Tony in New Hampshire and we sit down over a beer and play through the tunes.  He drums while I sing and play.  We toy with different beats, melodies and play with song structure.  Once we have a general idea of what direction the songs should go in we start recording.  I usually do three to four day runs at the studio over the course of a few months.  Once the songs are tracked we move on to mixing and mastering.  This is a process of mixing and listening over and over again on different speakers.  Once we settle on a mix we are happy with, we master the disc and get it ready for duplication.

    DEREK LUCIANI:  GRAPHIC DESIGNER, DIRECTOR OF ART AND MEDIA  

              Derek is the reason that all the CD’s enter the “real world” as a physical, tangible item.  Derek and I have known each other for quite some time which is essential to creating a personal and cohesive theme.  When the recording is near completion, I send Derek the songs, lyrics and an overview.  What is the album about?  What period of time does it represent?  What does it represent in general?  Not only does Derek create the themes for album design, he brands the product with small details that stay consistent throughout all of the projects.  His role is central to communicating with the CD duplication company and making sure the final product looks and feels like it was designed to.

   AL BERG: DIRECTOR OF  PHOTOGRAPHY

It is important to supply Derek with many forms of media to work with.  The music is just one contributing factor to the vibe of a CD.  Al Berg supplies Derek with up-to-date photos that are incorporated into the albums.  Al is a longtime friend of mine and truly understands my vision.  Throughout any given year Al and I arrange not only specific photo shoots to serve specific needs but he supplies Derek with lots of candid photos of my life taken through everyday activities and adventures with each other and our group of friends

GABRIEL DESIGN GROUP:  BOOK LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN

Gabriel Design Group is a team of dedicated design professionals with experience in graphic design and company branding.  I’m pleased to have them on board as they help with the layout of the book and oversee the functionality, design, and graphic aspects of “What the Folk Are We Doing.”  Once the content of the book is complete, it is sent to Gabriel Design Group to be put into a format that is at the industry standard and ready for publishing