I grew up in a musical family. My mother had taught piano and at age 7, I was thrust into the life of competitive piano that would last for over a decade. As college approached, so did the intrigue of another instrument. This one being the guitar, an instrument also played by my sister previously.
I began to learn and teach myself the classical guitar. I ended up studying classical guitar at the University of North Texas, graduating in 1997. There, I also began a rock band where I began honing my 'chops' while composing all the instrumentation, including the drums which had also become a passion. Eventually, this feeling grew so strongly that I decided to switch to playing the drums in the band. The band played the club scene, off and on, for a few years and recorded a couple of projects over that time in Dallas.
In the meantime, upon college graduation, I had found interest in composing music for picture and I found my way to the door of Juniper Music in Dallas. A company which had only a few years earlier began its commercial path in the music and sound design field, it could be argued that Juniper dominates locally and nationally today. They allowed me to really build my compositional and production abilities in a relationship that's so far lasted nearly 12 years. During this time, I have composed and produced music for television and radio advertisements, music libraries, and independent movies and documentaries. I have also composed many works for Listening Chair, another highly respected advertising music house in Dallas.
In 2001, after much encouragement from my future wife, I set out to compose my first 'instrumental' album called 'In Awe of It All.' It would be a collection of tracks that featured the instruments naturally familiar to me, along with a few tracks that would show a symbiotic relationship between the ethereal and the slow groove. It was a fun experience which pushed me to record a second album which would eventually be known to the world as 'Under the Bodhi Tree'. The album picked up where the previous had left off, and began to incorporate subtle vocals, thematic passages, intricate percussion, and signature complex meters in the music. The album was picked up by the UK's New World Music label in 2005 and released world wide in 2006. Since then,'Under the Bodhi Tree' has won the
Independent Music Award for Best New Age Album and the New Age Album of the Year from the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR).
Kindah Mardam Bey of A&E Vibe says of Under the Bodhi Tree "Still's songs have a universal quality with hints of specific international influences layered in. He seems a seasoned musician far beyond his years, which is probably one of the reasons why this collection won an Independent Music Award." Debbie Bebbington of Melliflua says "Under the Bodhi Tree is one of the best new age albums I've heard recently... it often seamlessly blends spirituality into damn good tunes." And Peter Manzi of New Age Retailer says "(Jonathan) ...is on par with the best musical veterans and presents ideal music for self-discovery and reflection."
In 2007, 'The Awakening' was released worldwide, again by New World Music. Retail giants Barnes and Noble and Borders each did in-store promotions of the album in early 2008 for which I am very thankful. I am now about to release a third album through the same record label titled Euphoria. I hope that I am a part of the movement within my genre that is leaving behind the stigma of the old school 'new age' artists and embarking upon the path that will lead to a larger mainstream existence within the industry.
My long term goals include feature film scoring. But for now, you can find my cds at all online stores including iTunes, Amazon, etc, and in many Barnes and Noble and Borders stores. Thank you!
