Few Small Fish – the longer story. 

Hi there.  Thank you very much for your interest in this Few Small Fish thing.  I will attempt now to share some Jonas history and give more details about what it is I do and why I do it:

In a nutshell, through a wacky journey of ups and down, God has made me a fulltime presenter of music and insights.   I share them in concert settings, teaching settings, retreats, small group gatherings, services, etc.  I present the music in recorded formats also.

It’s tough to pinpoint when I started writing music really.  My school journal books were always filled with songs or (mostly rhyming) poems of some sort.  If there was free-writing time, I was writing songs - rock songs, rap songs, emotion-venting songs, silly songs, goofing around with words and ideas - really a big mix of stuff when you think about it.  Seems I was always pounding stuff out on the piano from an early age.  I’m quite certain the writing and pounding helped keep me sane through high school. 

I remember for a decade or so, I got into compulsive (almost) habits of hitting 'record' on the cassette player with songs I liked from the radio, and then I'd jot down lyrics and quickly figure out chords so I could play my favorites.  That was all back when you couldn't find every chord and every lyric on the magical internet.  In large part, those were my music lessons, giving me lots of time in lyrical places and honing my brain to chord structures and transferring those to instruments.  I have to give a "shout out" here to my piano teacher, Mrs. V, for that one year of piano lessons in my life (I was 12) where she tried to teach me what all those black notes on the paper were.  Though I didn't care for them much, nor the year of lessons, she assured me that we (me and the notes) would form a strong relationship. 

My mom’s acoustic guitar caught my attention sometime in middle school.  It wasn’t exactly ‘garage band inspiration,’ but it did enable me to use the guitar for backing songs and vocals instead of the piano.  It expanded my song styles also.   

I don’t think I actually identified any of my music stuff as actually being something necessarily noteworthy (about me) until later on in high school.  Junior year of high school, you might say I entered into formal music education (if you will), getting into all these fun singing groups leading into rock band, barber shop quartet, traveling all over the place, and many fun accomplishments.  That continued on through college and afterwards.     

I could go on and on with growing details of how music continues to mesh into who I am.  Some of it seems snazzy on paper.  There is some joy in a lot of the memories and accomplishments – you might even recognize names or groups associated with some of my experiences.  But I must admit, there is tons of major emptiness and even bitter places I’ve found myself in, with the music writing and singing alongside.  I’ve often gone through phases where I’ve wanted to ‘chuck’ the whole songwriting and expressional communication bug that churns inside me.  But now with some hindsight perspective, reviewing those chronicles of stories and songs found in my spiral notebooks of original music, I’m amazed by the truth and beauty God reveals in that journey of ups and downs.    

Many years ago, a song called “Warm But Blind” chronicles a tangible acknowledgment of the Spirit of the living God actually finding room for real and genuine penetration into my heart.  I really couldn’t explain it as that at the time.  All that to say….a very new season of song writing began for me then.  I believe the Lord, through a continuing process, began enabling me to write songs with His fresh insight, encouragement, faith-sharpening, focus, directive, etc.   

There is plenty of hardship and difficulty and sob stories to share on this continuing journey but they are upstaged by the real and powerful victory that exists.  It turns out, all the music playing in so many different settings, from rock bands, to rap groups, to choral and musical settings, to oldies bands, to piano bars, to barbershop quartets, to high school musicals, to worship bands, to many more…..purposefully leads me to THIS place – I am a sharer of God’s truth, a sharer of the journey, the struggle, the hardship, and the greatest joy I have ever known.  I speak of joy not like I once thought joy could be, or like I once thought joy should be but ‘REAL JOY.’   Naturally, that also includes so many relationships, a vibrant body with which to engage, and life partners to journey with towards Christ.  Few Small Fish is an expression of much.      

I have a degree in Physical Education and am an ACSM certified Personal Trainer.  I find it a bit amusing (now) that God is always pressing me and pushing me to consider the layers of the physical things we may desire and the spiritual things we require and how those interplay with one another.  There are lots of variables and elements associated with physical well-being.  There are lots of variables and elements associated with spiritual well-being.  God challenges me in my music, while considering real physical elements and circumstances, to consider what a “Kingdomvision Goggled” perspective might look like, or how we can continually move that direction.      

There are so many stories associated with contrasting a human perspective with that of God.  Few Small Fish events reveal a growing number of stories surrounding the conception and presentation of these songs in my heart and on my lips.   I am overwhelmed with what the Lord shares with me at times.  He compels me to continue recording, sharing, and presenting this music and these stories.  He compels me to share even my own relevant personal struggles with you.     

In a few places in the Bible, you can find Jesus taking the few small fish and using them in conjunction with something major.  That’s where the title of what I do comes from.  Many years ago, God gave me a vision of some fish morphing into the instruments I play to represent what I do – hence, the logo.  I initially never fathomed there’d be basketfuls of songs and insights that God would invite me to share.  I leave all impact that these ‘few small fish’ may have up to Him at this point. 

I am extremely thankful to be able to do this and I thank you for your interest and support of any and all aspects of Few Small Fish!!  May God be with you!!