Arts Directory

About

Artist Bio

Born in Chicago, Billy Jonas honed his craft at Oberlin College, where he obtained a B.A. with a minor in music. Billy is a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Asheville, NC. He performs his original songs, stories and improvisations with voice, guitar and ‘industrial re-percussion’ – instruments made from found, foraged and recycled objects. Billy is known internationally for highly engaging and energetic performances. With a focus on his creative percussion and song writing, Billy’s concerts have entertained folks of all ages. Billy presents his work solo or as a trio with The Billy Jonas Band. Billy’s CDs and DVDs have garnered honors and critical acclaim, including a New York Times “Best” listing, a First Place Gold from the American Federation of Independent Musicians and multiple Parents’ Choice Gold Awards. Billy and his band were invited to play at the White House.
Billy Jonas believes that creating a bright future starts with kids. His goal is to plant musical seeds that will help grow creative, open-minded, engaged and open-hearted citizens. Using homemade and re-cyclable “re-percussion” instruments, songs that celebrate community, as well as personal and planetary ecology, his think-outside-the-box educational performances occur at schools, colleges, universities and libraries around the country.
Some ask: “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” Billy Jonas asks: “What is the sound of 600 sets of keys jingling on the downbeat? And how shall we inspire the audience to do it?”

Artist Statement

I strive for my teaching programs to inspire, inform, and enlighten students. I believe that creating a bright future starts with kids, and my goal is to plant musical seeds that help grow creative, open-minded, engaged and open-hearted citizens. My work is born out of respect and reverence, seeking to honor the creative energy in everyone. Using homemade and recyclable “re-percussion” instruments, songs that celebrate community, as well as personal and planetary ecology, I hope to prove to each student that they are indeed, a musician. I ask the question “Who’s gonna make our music?” And the students answer, “We’re gonna make our music!” Then: “What’ll we do? Bang and sing! What’ll we use? Everything!” Whether in my assembly programs or student workshops, I work to help students discover the music within common items and within themselves. My work inspires students to be aware of the environment around them, including one another, as they actively participate in each song with rhythm, movement, and singing.
I design my concerts to be a musical invitation, a song-filled conversation that sparks creativity. Elementary shows include sing-a-longs, bang-a-longs and an improvised song with original ideas from the student audience. This requires students to consider divergent ideas, refine and articulate their own ideas, collaborate as a group, and to communicate with each other and me through music and language.
In my workshops, whether students are making instruments from recycled objects, acquiring skills to play songs and rhythms, or making an original song, they are learning to explore a group creative process. And through this, more importantly, they are honing their social awareness and relationship skills as they refine their ability to listen, speak their mind, and work together. In my songwriting workshop, students will experience individual and collective artistic expression, improvisation, critical thinking through brainstorming, and refining a raw composition into a performance piece.
All of my programs are rich in language and vocabulary, whether the focus is ecology and planet-care, civic engagement, or simply the joy of music. At the heart of my work is community, and the notion that every student belongs and is part of a greater whole, with a responsibility to the earth and to each other. As I sing in my opening song for school events, “Did you put more love in the world today?”