By being from a smaller town, Jonas was able to hone his craft and gain the much needed stage presence that it takes to make it in the music business. Young performers like Jonny Lang and LeeAnn Rimes have recently had successful careers, but often the press places more attention on their age rather than their talent. Jonas hopes to avoid some of those comparisons but knows that being a young performer, his age will often be a focus in any press coverage he might get.

One thing Jonas really wanted to stress for this article was the fact that he has changed direction in his style of music. When he started, he focused mainly on his guitar playing and became an accomplished blues guitarists. As he progressed in his career, he found that he wanted to concentrate more on his songwriting. Now, Jonas seems to be at a very comfortable place in his career. He’s written some songs that he’s very happy with and his current band is one of the best he’s ever assembled. He has Jimmy Way on drums and Gary Herman on bass. Both are seasoned musicians who help Jonas realize many of his musical aspirations.

Jonas currently resides in San Marcos and attends college in Austin. Once you have established yourself as a musician, it is important to be near the music scene. Living near the "Live Music Capital Of The World" can be a definite advantage to any musician. There are some opportunities that will present themselves to Jonas simply because he is now based closer to Austin.

One such opportunity came earlier this year during the annual South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin. He was performing at a club on 6^th street when a promoter from Europe spotted him and hired his band to headline at the Chesterfield Café in Paris for 15 days this past summer. Jonas has been featured in several major publications such as Vintage Guitar Magazine and South Texas Entertainment Magazine. Jonas also wrote the entire musical score for the movie "Best Texas Grocery," which was an independent film done by Jon Oliver. By shifting his style to that of a songwriter and performer, Jonas has placed himself in a prime spot to achieve great success in the music business.

By starting at the early age of 12, Jonas has come a long way in a very short time. After hearing the Pearl Jam song "Alive," he knew then and there that a musician was the path his career would take. Trust me, it is a rare gift to know at such an early age what you want to do when you grow up. When Jonas started out, he studied everything he could get his hands on. At 13, he traveled to New Milford, Connecticut to attend the National Guitar Summer Workshop. It was there he witnessed a guitar player performing some blues licks and it steered Jonas down that path. Now, years later, Jonas progressed beyond those early styles.

It’s a natural movement for a musician that wants a lengthy career in the music business. Fresh off the road from opening some shows for Kenny Wayne Sheppard and a recent opening slot for friend Chris Duarte at Antones, Jonas is working on his first full-length album. The songs are being produced by David McNair, whose previous work was with the Arc Angels, a supergroup of Austin musicians. Jonas recently contributed a Robert Johnson song, "Kind Hearted Woman," to a compilation CD on Antones Record label.