Featured Artful and Talented Person of the Month

Welcome to the FIA featured artist post of the month, where we invite one artful and talented person to share their creative journey.

 

I met Jason at the 2019 National ACB convention. He was the first person who came to mind when we thought about launching this blog.  We hope you become a Jason fan once you read this and if you are not a fan, you are not only missing out on a beautiful vocalist and pianist but also the thoughtful and kind person behind the talent.

 

FIA: First, in your own words tell us a little about you.

 

JC: My name is Jason Castonguay. You may know me through my work with music, broadcasting, or in other arenas related to audio and technology including access technology. Music has been a huge part of my life beginning quite early at the age of three. It came naturally, with piano lessons beginning at age four. I discovered singing soon after and began blending piano and vocal since then. I’ve always been a curious person, exploring and learning, enjoying understanding how things work. These traits made themselves readily apparent in my mainstream schooling where, through the help of an aid and a consultant from the Board of Education and Services for the Blind, I quickly learned braille and learned about typewriters and computers. This is where technology made its way into my life. If it had buttons and did interesting things, I was there!

FIA: Tell us about your current interests.

JC: Over the years, I’ve discovered many more interests. As I sometimes write on my social media profiles, “I love good people and good food.” Nature and the great outdoors provide grounding for me and I meditate regularly. I also enjoy reading, cooking, word play and humor, and collecting old phones from the days of “Ma Bell”.

 

FIA: Where do you live?

JC: We live in a suburb of Hartford, CT in the eastern part of the state. I love it here because although we are on a quiet street, we are close to everything we need. There are plenty of events around town to keep the community engaged and I am particularly excited over the construction of an expanded public library building.

 

Another aspect I enjoy is that there is a nice balance between historic and modern elements of the town.

 

FIA: Who are the special people in your life?

JC: My spouse is such a dear companion and friend, supportive and ready to lend a hand. I also have a few friends with whom I speak regularly, savoring and appreciating the ways we contribute to each others’ lives.  Making lasting connections has always been an important consideration for me when meeting people. It may not always work out, but those I do make, I hold near and dear.

 

FIA: Do you have any pets?

JC: We have backyard hens that we consider to be pets. There were twelve of them in our latest flock and we gave names to each of them from characters on some favorite TV shows. They are fun as we interact with them, but they can be so nasty to one another. All and all, however, it has been a joy to learn about and care for them, not to mention the blessing of fresh eggs we get from them.

Fia:

What keeps you going? I mean, like what inspires you and keeps you moving forward in your work.

JC: Certainly, music has always inspired me. It paints pictures in my mind, uplifts my spirit, and colors every moment of my day, whether the music is being played or in my head. I also find being out in nature to be very inspiring. Observing life all around me, in all its balance and with its associated activity – birds twittering and flitting about, the sound of cicadas and crickets, the way bumblebees and butterflies go from flower to flower – provides such a feeling of peace when I need it. But I don’t sit still forever. I’ve got to explore, ask questions, seek answers, meditate, and grow spiritually.

 

FIA: What is your favorite song?

JC: Many people have asked me this. Due to the difficulty of narrowing the list down, I give a different answer each time. Songs like Old Cape Cod, Moonlight in Vermont, Fascinating Rhythm, and I’m in the Mood for Love come to mind due to my love of what is commonly referred to as “The Great American Songbook”, but I know I’m missing so many others in various other genres.

 

FIA: What is your favorite movie? Feel free to list multiple titles.

 

JC: The Sound of Music; Powder; Contact; The Bird Cage.

 

FIA: What is your favorite book? Feel free to list multiple titles.

JC: The Technology of God by Aleya Annaton; Any of the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell; The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler-Warner; probably more that I am forgetting in the moment

 

FIA: What is your favorite food? Feel free to elaborate on all your favorites.

JC: I love Asian and Indian food, Italian and Polish foods, and down home American traditional. As a kid, I was picky about taste and consistency, but I seem to have done away with all that and am willing to try anything new. And there’s no picking between savory or sweet foods, either. I have a sweet tooth, but appreciate the contrast with a zesty item. I didn’t always enjoy cooking, but that has changed over the past fifteen years as I began experimenting and gaining confidence.

 

FIA: What is your favorite quote?

JC: “People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.” By Søren Kierkegaard

 

FIA: What is your favorite affirmation? Does it in some way relate to your work.

 

JC: From the Abraham-Hicks teachings, “Nothing is more important than that I feel good.” It’s a reminder that I have better access to my personal power and much more to give from a better-feeling place than I do when I’m feeling low.

 

FIA: What is your biggest pet peeve?

JC: People who don’t listen or think

 

FIA: What do you think your best strengths are, and how do they help you in your work as a musician?

JC: My ability to listen and absorb music and information is so helpful. I’ve heard so much music through the years and all of it has influenced me in my creativity.

FIA: What are your weaknesses, do they hinder your work, and how are you making them stronger?

JC: My focus isn’t always what it should be and I can become easily distracted, whether it be emotionally or due to stray thoughts or other activity in my immediate surroundings. It is not so often an occurrence, but stress can bring it on, as well. The only thing I have found helpful to do when this happens is to take a break and come back to the work.

 

Fia: What is your dream for the future, and how does it relate to your work as a musician?

 

JC: I would love to be heard and discovered by a good producer and see where that leads. I learned quickly that in this industry, it’s more about who one knows rather than what one knows.

 

Listen to Jason discuss his musical career and perform a few treasured Holiday songs on this episode of The Art Parlor

 

FIA: What is your preferred way of communicating and how can someone best reach you if they wish to buy from you or work with you in some way?

 

JC: My e-mail address is jasonconcertmusician@gmail.com. I hesitate to mention my website as it is in major need of reconstruction, which process I’ll be undertaking in the next month or two. You can find it at jasoncastonguay.com, but know that there will be moments of inability to access it as it is being redesigned.

 

FIA: Before you go, is there anything you’d like to add about yourself, or your work that I’ve not asked?

JC: Recently, I acquired a beautiful Baldwin Model M grand piano. For the last twenty years, I’ve only played electronic keyboards and pianos at home. If a venue where I was to perform had a real, acoustic piano, it was a plus. Now that I have this Baldwin, it has impacted on my life more deeply than I could have imagined, inspiring creativity and giving me such joy over its sound, it’s even action, and the craftsmanship used in designing such an instrument.

Jason, we hope this new addition enhances your creative life, congratulations!