Live Streamer Cafe – a Community-Minded Online Concert Platform

Like my fellow performing musicians, I’ve felt the sting of losing in-person concerts to the COVID-19 pandemic, emotionally and financially. I work a full-time job and music supplements my family’s income. We feel the difference when the library and school gigs dry up. Musicians the world over who perform full-time are feeling it far more.

Fortunately, technology provides another option, one you’ve likely encountered in your personal and work life – virtual live concerts. These events offer the opportunity to get wildly creative in interacting with an audience and forming a community. In a streaming concert, an artist can create an alternate version of the night out her audience has been craving since spring 2020.

Jason Didner, singer/songwriter and live, online performer — Jason Didner, singer-songwriter and live, online performer

Making Ends Meet

The ability to perform live online is miraculous, yet it raises a new question: How do we get it to replace the lost income from cancelled in-person gigs? Platforms like StageIt address the question by allowing a performer to sell tickets to his existing fanbase. Then the platform takes a cut of those ticket sales. The now-defunct Concert Window worked similarly. What’s lacking here is the possibility that users of the platform will stumble upon an independent artist and buy a ticket to his show. This only works for artists with a large enough following in the first place.

New platforms have emerged during the pandemic offering other solutions, like making the platform free for the audience, but encouraging tips. Some of these platforms attempt to introduce new artists and audiences to one another, so an artist can grow a fanbase and, with it, a potentially sustainable living.

Introducing Live Streamer Cafe

Most recently, Live Streamer Cafe (livestreamercafe.com) caught my attention. Its founders Martyn Lucas and Kristopher Marentette envisioned a tight-knit online community of artists and audience where fans of one artist can discover other artists they’ll love. Over the past two weeks (as of this writing), Kristopher, the site’s developer, has rapidly evolved features of the site and added compelling interactivity that artists and audience alike will really enjoy.

A screenshot of Live Streamer Cafe — LIve Streamer Cafe artist Marah entertains her virtual audience while a cup of coffee comes up for grabs at the top of the chat window.

Live Streamer Cafe presents the look and feel of the neighborhood coffeehouse. This becomes even more apparent when you engage in a performer’s show. Above the chat window a caramel-colored flag will randomly appear saying “Order Up: ” followed by an item you’d typically order at the coffeehouse. The first audience member to click on that flag and claim the item gets points. This creates fun, friendly competition among audience that plays to the platform’s theme. And I can almost smell and taste those goodies!

I will give my next performance on Live Streamer Cafe on Saturday, 27-Feb at 8PM Eastern-US (UTC-5).

A Different Experience from Sessions

Pandora founder Tim Westergren had established a platform intended for independent artists to to grow their careers as they help the platform grow. I’ve personally had good experiences on it, especially interacting with fellow artists. A few of my existing fans were willing to try it. Some learned to engage with Sessions while others found it confusing and settled for just watching without interacting. A small number of music listeners became friendly with me in other artists’ audiences and then tried out my show. Even fewer stumbled upon my show and interacted with me.

In my experience, Sessions strikes me as though it works best for young adult and teen audiences in the gamer community. The platform actually arose from Next Music, which offered musical mini-games (like Rock Band or Guitar Hero) and allowed live streaming performances as an add-in. The resulting interface expresses a video game aesthetic. If Sessions Live were a brick-and-mortar venue it would be a nightclub with a mega-arcade. Think Dave & Buster’s.

Live Streamer Cafe’s theme wraps around a different experience – a more casual environment that puts the performance and interaction with audience front-and-center, more like that neighborhood coffeehouse.

For the Audience-Getting Started

Before attending your first show at Live Streamer Cafe, you’ll want to sign up. Visit livestreamercafe.com and click the Sign Up button in the upper-right corner of the page.

After you sign up, check your inbox for a confirmation message. Follow the link in that message to confirm you’ve given the correct email address.

On the site’s home page, you’ll see a gallery of member artists. A bright green frame will surround artists who are live “on air” at the moment.

Click the artist’s icon to join the show, interact through chat, request songs and collect virtual treats. You can also become a fan of as many artists as you find interesting. While watching the show, you’ll find Tip Jar buttons for the artist’s PayPal and/or Venmo accounts.

A Different Economic Model

When Sessions caught my attention in January it struck me as a game changer for live online performers because it demonstrated a commitment to paying performers for their time and talents. Soon after I joined Sessions and saw early signs of success, Sessions changed their model, announcing they would slash the performance bonus amounts and number of bonus-eligible shows per week. The platform’s rationale is that the had taken on too many artists to support the bonuses it was paying. The artist relations team placed more emphasis on audience tips, of which the platform takes about 1/3. Also, the standard suggested lightning tip “sticker” is worth about $0.065 US paid to the artist.

Instead of supplementing tips with bonuses and taking a cut of tips, Live Streamer Cafe, as a platform in its infancy, asks artists to subscribe for $6, 10, or 15 US per month. Then the artist keeps 100% of tips, which are sent through Venmo or PayPal via the platform’s interface. The standard tip encouraged is more on the scale of dollars than pennies. I made more yesterday on Live Streamer Cafe from a single donation than I did in Sessions from a dozen donations. I’m usually hesitant to pay for any opportunity to perform, but I’m willing to give this model a genuine shot. I find it encouraging that I keep 100% of tips. I also see that the community coalescing around LSC appears to have legs.

Artists, if you join Live Streamer Cafe as a result of reading this article, please mention me, Jason Didner, as your referrer.

This Platform is a Venue!

The community-minded presence of Live Streamer Cafe shows promise that it will attract music lovers who enjoy and appreciate a live, online performance. These fans can gather virtually with like-minded people from around the globe and help artists grow their fanbases by introducing people to one another.

Calling Live Streamer Cafe a platform doesn’t tell the whole story. I consider it to also be a venue – like the neighborhood coffeehouse. As a touring artist would do, I intend to play in multiple venues to reach multiple communities. So you’ll see me on Sessions, Live Streamer Cafe, Zoom and other platforms as the situation calls for it.

I’m really enjoying Live Streamer Cafe on both sides of the camera. When you try it, let me know in the comments below what your experience with it is like.

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021

Cover Song: (Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding

I spotlight the legacy of Otis Redding for #BlackHistoryMonth with this acoustic version of his hit (Sittin’ on the) Dock of the Bay. Watch until the end for a cool musical surprise!

The laid-back vibe of the song thinly veils a deep longing for connection and belonging (as in the line “This loneliness won’t leave me alone”).

I will perform #DockOfTheBay tonight, 23-Feb on Sessions Live at 10PM Eastern-US.

This is the first song in American music history to go to #1 in the charts following the death of an artist. Otis Redding had co-written this with legendary Memphis guitarist Steve Cropper. He recorded two versions of it just days before his ill-fated final plane flight. The song was released shortly after his untimely death and shot to #1.

Other hits from Otis Redding include Try a Little Tenderness, Hard to Handle (If you’re a rock fan you may be more familiar with The Black Crowes’ version) and Mr. Pitiful.

I give live acoustic performances like this live, online about 3 times a week. Sign up below to receive emails of my new video releases and performance schedules and never miss a show!

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021

Exclusive-Get My New Song “Run With My Troubles”

Jason Didner's new, unreleased song Run With My Troubles is about how running and other forms of exercise help ease anxiety.

I’m working on a music video for my new song “Run With My Troubles.” This hard rock song carries an uplifting message about the effect of exercise on anxiety and stress. I played all the instruments on it, with special attention paid to guitar solo – a tribute to the late, great Edward Van Halen.

I want you to hear the song before it’s released!

To learn more about my exercise endeavors for my mental health, see my feature in Kidney Donor Athletes.

February 9, 2021February 18, 2021

Cover Song Video: The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley

I chose to add this song, “The Heart of the Matter” by Don Henley to my repertoire because I felt it carries an important message and a great big melody. Here it is, from my heart to yours.

This song is originally from Don Henley’s 1989 solo album “The End of the Innocence,” 5 years before he reunited with The Eagles. Back in 1980, Henley declared the Eagles would reunite “when Hell freezes over.” Then, in 1994, the legendary band got back together and launched the wildly successful “Hell Freezes Over” tour!

If “Heart of the Matter” moves you, please subscribe to my YouTube channel. You’ll need a gmail/YouTube account to subscribe. Then, kindly share the video where folks can enjoy it!

See my official videos for my original songs on this site’s Video page.

Musically yours,

Jason

February 8, 2021February 18, 2021

A Disappointing Announcement of Change at Sessions Live

A Promising Development for Artists

I had recently sung the praises of new live music streaming platform Sessions Live. I had witnessed the dramatic differences between Sessions and every platform I had tried before. Sessions had begun forging a real online community committed to developing and sustaining the careers of previously unknown artists. Its founders saw live, online performance as a valuable service it could provide customers.

In that spirit, The platform issued a modest bonus to all first-time artists for their first show. I took this as a signal that they took seriously the commitment to establish a sense of worth in live music performance.

Sessions encourages audience to tip artists and makes the experience fun on both sides of the camera. Also, the platform offers the artists bonuses as incentive to schedule shows ahead of time and then keep those appointments. Over the platform’s first 10 months, those bonuses increased for artists who elicited audience engagement and tipping,

A Tone-Deaf Announcement

Over the weekend I received an announcement that Sessions decided to dramatically scale back those bonuses. That decision included making far fewer shows per week bonus-eligible. Sessions had chosen to backpedal on their commitment to getting artists paid. This especially constitutes a blow to full-time online performers. Many of these entertainers invested in upgrades to their computers, audio equipment and video gear. These artists were raising their game to deliver world-class entertainment through Sessions.

Jason Didner, a Sessions Live streaming artist disappointed with the platform’s recent announcement to drastically reduce bonus rates and bonus eligible shows per week

The communications team mostly disappointed me with an announcement disguised as good news for artists. The email from Sessions framed the change as “an exciting makeover to the Rising Artist Leveling program.”

I felt as though the platform’s leaders could have shown more respect for our intelligence. They could have told us prior to announcing a decision that the existing bonus model was no longer working. A larger pool of artists meant that they’d have to make difficult choices. The leaders at Sessions simply argued that artists will make more from tips and need less from bonuses. They could have presented us with their concrete strategy for attracting more tips. They could have even told us what we as artists could do beyond what we’re already doing to help the situation.

Many artists presented a strong backlash. Some modified their streamed images to appear in black-and-white. Some changed their profile picture to a protest message. Sessions responded with a 2nd email essentially doubling down on the initial message. “Bonuses are bonuses,” they wrote, framing the compensation as discretionary pay that should not be counted on as if it were a salary.

What Sessions Could Have Said

The artist relations team at Sessions missed an opportunity to communicate that they get the gravity of the impact artists are feeling. They could have acknowledged the hardship for full-time streamers. These folks had already lost their in-person gigs during the pandemic. Then, they found new hope (and proof) they could earn a living performing in a new way. The bonus system in addition to the tips conveyed a strong assurance that live music performance has value.

A better message would have been “We’re facing some difficult choices and need your understanding. We need to rethink our levels and bonuses. Otherwise, we’d have to go out of business. We’d lose our ability to serve our audience and this special partnership we have with you, the artist. You’ve worked hard to achieve your current level as an artist. We understand the disappointment and frustration you may feel about the reduction in bonuses. However, our success still connects to yours; we still want to see you earn a living at this. So, we’re enhancing our marketing efforts to bring audiences into your shows. We’re using data to drive fans of the songs in your request list to your shows. We expect this to at least double the love you earn in each of your shows.”

How Artists Are Responding

I see this announcement having an effect on artists’ scheduling strategy. Artists who played a dozen bonus-eligible concerts per week plan to scale back in response. They tell me they will only play the few bonus-eligible shows per week on Sessions. They will use those other hours to diversify into performing on other platforms as well.

My performance schedule is essentially 3 shows a week. I am not as profoundly affected as my artist friends who do this full-time. However, I certainly feel their pain. Similarly, feel the sting of having the perceived value of my work decreased. My act faces the increased pressure to elicit tips. I must justify the investments of time and resources I make to supplement my family’s income. I hope the executive team at Sessions can inject some empathy into their current handling of the situation.

January 27, 2021January 27, 2021

I’ve Been Giving Live, Online Performances for 16 Years. This is the Best Platform I’ve Seen (2).

(continued from previous post about the audience experience)

Part 2: The Artist Experience

Every other platform I’ve ever used, whether designed specifically for concerts or not, relied 100% on me to supply my own audience. I’ve given shows where absolutely nobody had shown up. Sessions Live has concentrated on bringing an audience to the online venue. This audience appears large and diverse enough that if you put on a show, even unannounced, over the course of an hour, people will check out your show. If you keep showing up, you will grow an audience.

My Sessions Live artist profile is at https://sessionslive.com/jasondidner

Getting Started

The artist’s Sessions Live journey begins by applying and arranging a brief audition. As an experienced artist, I really appreciate the quality control here. Sessions Live ensures that every artist shows musical proficiency and enough Internet bandwidth to entertain an online audience. I appreciate how this cultivates an audience expecting to have confidence in checking out any performer without having cringeworthy experiences.

I quickly passed my audition with the first verse of an acoustic rendition of “Here Comes the Sun.” After you pass your audition, Sessions emails you the information you need to get started. They also offer (at the time of this writing) a $25 bonus to perform your first show within 72 hours of receipt of the welcome email. You must perform at least 20 minutes to earn the bonus for that first show.

The Learning Process

The welcome email presents an artist with two choices: a one-on-one coaching session or Sessions University – an online collection of documents and videos establishing best practices and guides to get started. I opted for self-service in Sessions University because of a tight schedule. I also got surprisingly good help out of a YouTube search: artist tips by Alex Greif. This video below contains technical pointers that got me off to the races with an application that was entirely new to me.

So, What’s This OBS Thingy?

Unlike Zoom or Facebook Live, Sessions Live depends on artists using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) to compose and arrange the stream. The artist then connects it to a browser-based Artist Panel through the use of a web address and a special stream code.

I first grumbled about having to get another, unfamiliar application involved. I would soon come to appreciate all that OBS can do in creating a professional, engaging experience for the audience. I’ve gradually enhanced my stream using OBS features as I’ve developed my show over the past 2 weeks. The Sessions University videos have indeed helped me get more out of OBS.

Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), a free, open-sourced app that’s required for streaming of Sessions Live concerts.

It’s Showtime!

For my first show, I fired up OBS, started the stream and launched my first show from the Artist Panel. I played for nobody for the first song or two. Then users began to stumble in. This is the experience no other live performance platform had delivered before. I began to entertain new potential fans. These first users were not particularly chatty when I engaged them. However, I’ve seen them return to subsequent shows I’ve put on. My audience total that night was 7. It’s steadily increased each night I’ve performed. Over the course of 2 weeks, I’ve worked my way up to audience sizes of 20+.

Do You Take Requests?

The song list is quite a valuable tool for an artist. It gives you and your audience common ground for which requests you can accommodate. It’s also a reliable source of Love. And it gives you a good clue about your audience’s musical tastes. If you’re a new artist, take some time to fill your song list with the cover songs and originals that you’re ready to perform on a moment’s notice.

Full disclosure: I was a little over ambitious with my song list and ended up getting requests for songs I haven’t performed or rehearsed in years. This made me sweat, but I still managed to give an entertaining performance.

Artists United

I was also growing as a Sessions Live artist and community member by supporting fellow artists. These musicians astonished me with how quickly they identified me as a fellow “streamer.” How? They observed that my user handle represented my full name. Artists generally identify themselves this way, while audience members tend to choose more informal handles. Rarely have I joined another artist’s concert without the performer asking me “Are you a streamer? When’s your next show?”

Since I started showing up at other artists’ performances, a fellow artist has always attended my show for at least a few minutes, sometimes very late at night or early in the morning in their time zones. All this without ever feeling like I’m shamelessly plugging myself. All this simply as a polite response to thoughtful, generous questions by fellow artists.

I should point out the “friend of a friend” who made me aware of Sessions Live was none other than Kris Pride, who can be found at sessionslive.com/KrisPrideMusic.

Bringing My Existing Following In

I had mentioned that up until I learned of Sessions, I mostly hosted Saturday night Zoom concerts. Zoom’s basic functionality made those concerts fairly heavily heavily gated. This suited the mostly small groups of my extended family and friends in attendance. Only those whom I’ve sent long, complicated Zoom links could even get into these concerts. I experienced plenty of stress at showtime though. Handling frantic text messages, emails and Facebook messages seeking the link sidetracked me a bit from performing.

After giving a few Sessions concerts on weeknights I felt ready to take a leap of faith with my family and friends who followed my music. I sent them my artist link (Good news – that link does not change from show to show!) and instructions to set up an account.

My core group of “regulars” from those Zoom concerts joined me for 80s Night. The logistics struck me as far easier than coordinating a Zoom concert and my nearest and dearest made a pretty smooth transition into Sessions. Some fellow artists attended as well. So did a passionate Sessions fan who leads crews for some top artists, who had shown super support for my past shows. In addition I saw several new and returning audience members who were seeking some Saturday night (or Sunday morning) entertainment.

It’s A Living?

So, has Sessions Live made a real impact on my livelihood in the first two weeks? Yes and no. Yes, compared to every other attempt I’ve made to give online concerts. No, compared to what I’ve earned performing in public libraries, festivals and town bandshells. Early trends suggest my modest earnings are growing exponentially, which is encouraging for the future.

The good-faith effort by Sessions to get artists paid is undeniable, starting with the $25 bonus awarded to every new artist who gives a 20-minute performance within 72 hours of being welcomed aboard. There are also modest bonuses for scheduling your concerts a few days ahead of time in the Artist Panel and then delivering on those scheduled shows.

I’ve noticed my ability to draw a crowd steadily growing over the course of these 2 weeks. Attending other artists’ shows helps. Returning to the same artist’s show again reinforces your presence. A fan of that artist may then find you when browsing for a show to watch. With my uptick in crowd size (still modest) has come an increase in Love earned per show.

The way I see it, I’ll soon be earning per show what I used to earn when I played at the neighborhood coffeehouse. Then I should be able to earn what I did at sports bars (minus the effort of hauling my PA system somewhere). With some well-placed promotional efforts I can envision ultimately earning what that physical library gig used to pay out. And if I can do that 3 times a week, it will make a difference my family can feel.

Tag – You’re It!

Now that you’ve gotten the benefit of my experience with Sessions, try it out. If you think live, online performing is for you, click Apply and set up your audition. I’d appreciate your entering my username jasondidner in the Referral field if you found this post helpful.

Please feel free to comment below on your experience with live, online performing so we can have a conversation about this exciting development in the music industry.

January 26, 2021February 20, 2021

I’ve Been Giving Online Concerts for 16 Years. This Platform Is the Best I’ve Seen.

Sessions Live Brings Artists and Audience Together Online Like Never Before

The potential has long existed to combine the power of live musical performance with the distance-bridging possibilities of online chat. In 2004 I tried my hand at PalTalk, an online audio/text chat platform at the time. Here, an artist could stream audio of a performance while the audience could chat their appreciation. Generally, performances were in an online “open mic” format with performers taking turns. There was little regard for audio quality or musical competence in those forums.

My actual setup in my home studio as I livestream on Sessions Live.

Along the way, I’ve done my share of Facebook Live mini-concerts and Concert Window shows (the latter no longer exists). I’ve tried StageIt, which had my audience in fits with browser plug-in issues. Then we moved to Zoom, which has become a general-purpose staple for households and workplaces everywhere during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, I learned that a friend of a friend was using Sessions Live. This new platform’s founder Tim Westergren, formerly of Pandora, sought to forge new connections between musicians and audience. My early impression is that he and his team are succeeding wildly. Sessions Live essentially combines online music performance with game elements that serve as icebreakers and build community in the virtual performance space.

A screen capture from my 80s Night livestream performance on Sessions Live in January 2021. My Sessions Live web address is sessionslive.com/jasondidner

Part 1: The Audience Experience

In Sessions Live, an audience member’s experience begins with visiting sessionslive.com and/or downloading the mobile app. One would then set up a user account, starting with entering an email address and creating a password. The new user is randomly assigned a “moji.” This is a cartoon character that will appear in the “party” section of a streaming concert alongside all the other concertgoers’ mojis.

To take things a level further, a new user on the mobile app can then upload a photo as part of his/her profile. If you created your profile in a browser, you’ll need to log in on the mobile app to upload a photo. If you don’t upload a photo, you’ll be represented by your moji in the chat section.

From Sessions’ home page you can browse artists to check out their concerts. Just scroll through the many artist photos; they all represent live shows happening now. Give one of them a try. You might also have the web address of a specific artist so you can jump right into their show without browsing. For example, my artist URL is sessionslive.com/jasondidner.

Given the global nature of Sessions, you’ll find plenty of live concerts 24 hours a day, since it’s always prime time somewhere! I’ve noticed that Sessions has really taken off in the Philippines. I’ve come to appreciate the level of musical talent in that country over the past few weeks.

If you’re in the audience, you interact with the artist and fellow audience members primarily two ways: chat and “Love.” Love is the currency with which the audience supports the performer. One unit of Love in Sessions is about one cent in US dollars. On the Shop tab in the concert space you can stock up on love to contribute to the artist.

Tip: When you buy love in a mobile app, Apple or Google (depending on your device) marks up the price of the love you’re purchasing. The same amount of Love will cost you less when purchased in a web browser.

Sessions Live #1-ranked artist Martyn Lucas (at the time of this writing) performing a duet with Brad Emanuel, as viewed in a web browser. A spinning star appears on the bottom of the party section of the page among all the audience’s “mojis.” Love sticker options are arrayed across the bottom of the page. Chat appears on the right side of the page. The Songs tab in the right panel will open a list of songs audience members can request.

From the Audience with Love

There are 3 ways to send the artist Love:

Click the Songs tab and request a song from the artist’s song list. The current minimum for requests is 10 Love. You can increase the amount if you like. The performer will not complain about this!
In the Party section, tap on a sticker across the bottom. Stickers are arranged in value order. Vote stickers are special because they’re counted toward an opportunity for top vote getting artists to perform in the occasional mini festival hosted by Sessions.
In the Chat section, you can attach any denomination of Love to a chat comment.

Catch a Spinning Star

At random intervals you’ll notice a spinning gold star appear in the Party section. When you tap that star, you let Sessions know that you’re actively engaged in the concert performance.

This innovation solves a problem that has long plagued streaming services that attempt to reward artists for number of viewers. The system is otherwise too easy to game. If you stream a playlist or performance with every device you own (or imagine a data center operated by shady programming), you can drive up play counts for artists who haven’t truly earned them. Worse, that opens up markets for artists to pay for fake streams.

Since it takes a real live human to catch those stars, Sessions gets a better measure of which artists are really drawing a crowd. The platform then rewards the artist accordingly.

Join the Crew

Joining your favorite artist’s crew produces perks for both you and that artist. As a crew member, the more you engage with Sessions – catching stars, requesting songs and giving Love, the more choices you unlock for the appearance of your moji in the Party section. You’ll also appear in your crew’s leaderboard, catching extra attention from the artist you champion.

The stars you catch and the Love you give that artist will count double toward his/her artist level assessment and place in the artist rankings, which opens up greater opportunities to perform in higher-profile settings. Also, as a crew member, you can give love to other artists and catch stars in those other artists’ shows. You and your artist will benefit from that engagement when you’re in a crew.

You can only belong to one crew at a time, but you can switch between crews at will.

Follow Up

You can follow as many artists as you like. Following a more established artist can result in you receiving messages from that artist in your Sessions Live inbox about when their next livestream will take place.

Undeniable Quality

Since every performer has to pass an audition to become a Sessions artist, you’ll find a consistent high quality no matter whose performance you choose to watch. Auditioners are looking for musical competence and suitable Internet bandwidth for streaming, so audience members get consistently entertaining experiences. When you browse the artists in Sessions, you’ll find Broadway quality singers accompanied by backing tracks, acoustic performers and some fully instrumental performers.

Here’s a YouTube playlist offering a sampling of these artists, leading off with yours truly:

Let me know what your experience is like as an audience member in Sessions Live, using the comment section below.

Continue to Part 2 of this story: The Artist Experience.

January 10, 2021January 16, 2021

New Video: Salt and Sand

I put everything I love about the Jersey Shore sound into this one. It world premiered at Big Man’s Bash – a celebration of the life and music of Clarence Clemons, beloved member of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Lyrics: 
 
 Verse 1: 
 Windshield wipers are frozen and it's hard to see 
 If there's dangerous obstacles in front of me 
 It's a slippery turnpike and the left lane's out 
 These times can test your grip on what your life's about 
 

 In my engine the gremlins knock my self esteem 
 As they try to drive down the value of my dreams 
 As I struggle for traction up this icy hill 
 They make me think dark thoughts but they can't break my will 
 

 Chorus: 
 Let's move on forward, here's to making our way 
 To the dreams we work for coming into reach 
 Salt and sand on this icy highway 
 Will be salt and sand on a summer beach 
 Salt and sand on this icy highway 
 Will be salt and sand on a summer beach 
 

 Verse 2: 
 I can feel your frustration as you spin your wheels 
 I'm identifying big-time with the way you feel 
 You set your plan and watch it get pushed back 
 It takes a steady hand to get you back on track 
 

 Yeah the heat of anger may move us along 
 But it ain't no substitute for staying strong 
 Today we won't be quickly satisfied 
 But we've got dreams of a lifetime that won't be denied 
 

 Chorus 
 

 Bridge: 
 We can fade 
 Or we can shine 
 The way we choose to walk the line 
 

 Chorus

Credits:

Lyrics and Music by Jason Didner (c) 2004, All Rights Reserved
Vocals and all instruments: electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, alto sax and glockenspiel by Jason Didner
Produced by Jason and Amy Didner

January 2, 2021January 2, 2021

TAP Into Montclair covers New Year’s Eve Zoom Concert Benefitting Hackensack University Medical Center Transplant Team

Natalie Heard Hackett from TAP Into Montclair wrote a thoroughly researched piece on my New Year’s Eve Zoom concert to benefit Hackensack University Medial Center’s Transplant Team. In it, she chronicled both my history as a living donor, husband to a two-time transplant recipient and musician for kids and adults alike.

Amy and Jason decided to pay it forward by helping to raise money for the Hackensack University Medical Center’s Transplant Team, since due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research has been placed on hold and funds reallocated.
Natalie Heard Hackett, TAP Into Montclair

Read Natalie’s article here.

December 31, 2020January 27, 2021

New Single: “Salt and Sand”

My most essential song about maintaining optimism in hard times is out today as we leave the chaotic year 2020 behind and look forward to a better 2021.

The video for this song is scheduled for public release as part of a special event I will announce soon.

Right now the video is viewable only to subscribers to my emails. If you’re not getting my emails yet, sign up below and the exclusive link to the video will be sent right to your inbox.

I wrote this song in 2004 and have included it in many of my live performances. Back then I made a few demo recordings, but now the time was right to give it a complete multi-instrumentalist treatment. I was very much thinking of “Big Man” Clarence Clemons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band when I decided to break out the saxophone for this arrangement. I also played a metal xylophone known as a glockenspiel, giving the piano and sax part an extra sparkle on top.

This is the title track for an upcoming album dedicated to supporting your best mental health. “Salt and Sand: A Rock-n-Roll Journey to Mental Health” is due out by summer 2021.

Enjoy! And have a happy and prosperous year 2021! I look forward to sharing the new year’s abundance of well-being with you.