Perhaps the quiet back corner of the school library isn’t the best place to discuss music, never the less, Jonathan Jurek’s eyes light up when he's asked how he first discovered his musical talent.
“In 5th grade, I heard the 2005 middle school band play, “The Great Locomotive Chase” at Hickory Creek. I was the first person on the gym floor after they played, and I was the first to get the paperwork necessary to sign up to play in the band. As soon as band started in 6th grade, I got it. It was like music opened up to me. I understood it.”
In 6th grade, Jurek started out playing clarinet, but in the years between 7th and 9th grade, he switched instruments three times. Each time, he picked his new instrument up as easily as the last. Jurek is no longer a member of the band, though.
“The greatest mistake I ever made was to quit band to play football,” he regretfully shared.
He couldn’t just let go his love of music though. Picking up an acoustic guitar, he began to play for himself.
“Every day I try to learn a new song. I write my own music and lyrics. My lyrics are very important. They mean so much in my songs. My favorite song I’ve written is titled, “I’m Missing You Bad” and I play it on piano. From the lyrics, it sounds like it’s about a girl…but its not. It’s about my dog.”
Though you may be anxious to hear him play, that isn’t something that may happen very soon.
“I have terrible stage fright when it comes to Warren County.”
Jurek has never played for a crowd in Warren County, though on Oct. 26, he played for a very large crowd at a Catholic church in Nashville. It isn’t the number of faces looking back at him that is so scary. It’s the people behind the faces.
“I’m scared. Here, everyone knows me. But in Nashville or Sparta, I don’t know them. I don’t take destructive criticism well.”
But, it might not be too long until those of us in Warren County do get to hear Jurek play. He promised that he is auditioning for the talent show this year with hopes to overcome his stage fright of his hometown. He isn’t quite sure what he plans to play, but he hinted that it might be an acoustic cover of The Sick Puppies’, “All The Same.”
Jurek closed off the interview with a piece of wisdom he wished to share.
“For the people that don’t think they can sing, you’re 100 percent wrong. All you have to do is sing from your heart. Everyone used to think I was a bad singer, and I was. But one day, I finally just used my heart, and everyone loved it.”