of the faith leaders last week, and something realized I was like this sponge, I could learn a during the services and high masses, all in
shifted in me. I had another breakthrough. song in a hurry and sing it, memorize it. He led Latin. So that was my first real taste of learning
There I was in this historical place leading me to some great music early on, and I started music, and that was church. Of course, I played
worship on the White House lawn, President to discover some Classical music later in life, the organ in different services and stuff.
Trump sat there and listened to us, it doesn’t but he was always there to encourage.
get any more surreal than that. Of course I was
surrounded by all of these amazing singers And of course, seeing my grandfather play the
from the Prestonwood Baptist Church Choir, fiddle! I don’t know if you know the story, but
ten voices all leading worship together. But I my family gave me my Great-Grandpas fiddle. I
picked the right song, you know, and we did have it… from Russia, the one he played when
great unto the Lord. You grow from that, and he came over and he and his brother played it.
the Lord was pleased that day. It’s a remarkable story. He told everybody he
was Czechoslovakian and it wasn’t until recently
[WM] I found a photo on your Instagram feed that I found out he was Russian. I guess maybe that really speaks to your family ties and the the whole thing with the Cold War back in the thread of music that was passed down through day, it wasn’t cool to say you were Russian the generations. Can you tell us a bit about (laughs), I don’t know. There’s something about the impact that your Dad had on your life as a the Eastern European movement that moves believer and as a musician? me, and now I understand why, you know. So coming back full circle to worshipping is
But yes, certainly having that heritage from my just a natural thing. And being around Paula
Grandfather and watching him play and have and her son Brad is a theologian. He’s quite a
a conversation. He was really an Appalachian new voice I tell you what. He’s a voice for the
fiddler, he had learned Gypsy music over there King. Being around great pastors and great
and he might as well have been a Gypsy. He preachers and great sermons really inspires
came over and settled down, tried to have a my imagination. I’m proud of my kids, my son
life, I think he started a sawmill with his brother, Weston is a budding EDM artist. He plays guitar
they were farmers originally. But music was and amazing drums and is working on his own
always part of what Grandpa did, he was a stuff. And of course, my daughter Madison is
renaissance guy, he did everything, invented moving on with her career trying to get down
stuff and made these gadgets, welding, and the road, I’m proud of what she’s done. She
always made time to play that fiddle. So it’s has an incredible new album that I’ve been
really cool that I have this fiddle, I made sure I trying to get released. If I had her talent I’d
learned how to play it, I can play a few hillbilly be knocking the doors down, she was so far
[Jonathan] My father was honestly such a songs on it. And I have a tremendous respect ahead of anything I could have done. When
prayerful man, not just in a religious sense, I for that legacy that my Dad passed on. He just she was fifteen, sixteen, she was killing it as
mean he was a diehard Catholic. I did some had such seriousness about the gift. a songwriter. And I don’t think she told her
research on where he grew up in Arkansas,
story right on The Voice, I thought she should
and low and behold there is a seminary not I started out wanting to be a priest, and they all have told the rejection story because she did
far from where he lived, and a church, and he kind of laughed at me, but you know, I was so get rejected hard in Nashville, to the point of
explained the whole thing to me. I mean he and deeply into the church at the time, before the giving up, anxiety, depression, they beat her
my mother had to take catechism classes to school fire happened, that whole perish was up pretty bad. It’s a tough town man. I couldn’t
get married, he was such a devout believer. pretty anointed, the priests were just wonderful do anything but just watch, you know. I built
He loved music, he didn’t really have the talent guys. But that was really important, and my first a studio so she could reinvent herself, and
necessarily, but he had the ear, he could hear. learned music as a kid was singing Latin music she did, I’m so glad that God had me do that
He turned me on to some great records early in a choir in church. I was in this real elite boys’ because we both went back there and sort of
on, Chet Atkins, Peter Nero, these wonderfully choir, we sang an octave up from how the reinvented ourselves, me in my Worship music
talented musicians, Hank Williams, Johnny monks sang it, no time signature, we would just and her and her Pop music. So she has this
Cash, he loved Johnny Cash. You know, I flow as we were directed. Then there was the incredible body of work sitting there, I’m hoping
started learning Hank Williams songs and he Latin in mass that we would answer the priest people get a chance to hear it. But you know,
24
June 2019
Subscribe for Free...