NMG Musicians Spotlight - Jason Fitz

©2007 By Bronson Herrmuth

You can listen to this "Live Interview" (4.4 MB)

Bronson: Where are you from Jason and what year did you move to Nashville?
Jason Fitz: I'm originally from Las Vegas but I moved around a lot as a kid so I've kind of lived everywhere. I came to Nashville just under 10 years ago. This is my 10 year anniversary.

Bronson: I know your first instrument was the piano and then you switched to violin at a very young age. Tell me about that and your first performances as a young musician.
Jason Fitz: When I was little I wanted to take piano lessons and they didn't have any teachers. So even though that's what I was trying to play, they couldn't help me so they referred me over to the violin just to kind of hold me over and I loved it. From the first time I played it, it was all I wanted to play.

Bronson: How old were you?
Jason Fitz: I was 4 and I knew when I was 4 that I was going to be a violinist for the rest of my life.

Bronson: I have to ask you this Jason, you played Carnegie Hall at 10 years old?
Jason Fitz: (smiling) I was really fortunate, I had great teachers and really supportive parents. Something like that doesn't happen unless a lot of people put you in a position to be successful and I was very blessed to have that.

Bronson: Talk about being a member of the Nashville String Machine and name some of the artists who's records you've played on.
Jason Fitz: The String Machine is awesome, I've never seen anything like it. They walk in and they sight read songs straight to record. It's intense and it's the most education I've ever had, just playing these things on the fly and you have to have to play it perfect 'cause it's going straight down to tape. I've played on everything from Matchbox 20 to Alan Jackson, Josh Grogan. I mean it's really been a amazing experience because I've gotten to play in every genre and I've got to learn a lot more about myself as a player, in the process.

Bronson: Which do you prefer, performing live or in the studio and why?
Jason Fitz: They're two totally different beasts. As a performer I prefer to be live but as a writer, therešs a thrill of being in the studio and watching your little "babies" come to life in front of you that you can't explain.

Bronson: You are a former member of the group Shiloh and now you've struck out on your own and released your first solo album as an artist. Tell me about your new CD, entitled "Brand New".
Jason Fitz: "Brand New" is the most exciting thing I've ever done. I had the chance to write with a lot of different people when I left Shiloh and really find my voice and find that sound that I think identifies me, and the record identifies me. There's parts of the record that are more rock, more aggressive, when I first came out of Shiloh, and then the more recent stuff that was written is very sort of Keith Urban style happy. You can see my life in the last year on that record. It's really amazing.

Bronson: I was at your CD release party last week at 12th & Porter and you have a fantastic voice, great songs and a sizzlin' hot band. Is a tour to expose your new record in the works?
Jason Fitz: First of all thank you and yes. Later this year we'll start working in this region to try and build a buzz here and Shiloh was really blessed to have some great connections in Los Angeles, so I'll reach out to them now that the record is done. Išll just kind of take it one building block at a time.

Bronson: What advise do you have for someone new to town that might help them find work as a musician in Nashville?
Jason Fitz: Put yourself out there, that's the biggest thing. You've got to get out there and get to know people on a personal level. There's a million great players in this town. There are a hundred great fiddle players that I know. You get gigs and you get opportunities based on personal relationships more than anything so you've got to get out there and really get to know people and get people to trust you as a person and a player.

Visit jasonfitz.com for more information and to purchase "Brand New".

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