Human Resources Administrator wrote the book on rockin’ live
Peter MallettStaff Writer––A new book by a Royal Canadian Navy sailor is inspiring musicians to seek perfection in their live performances and to “never be an echo of someone else.”Author PO1 Jason Parsons is an accomplished live music producer and performance coach. By day he is a Human Resources Administrator in the Base Orderly Room (BOR) at CFB Esquimalt.During the past year, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, the music industry morphed into a state of hibernation and live concert gigs all but dried up. Instead of remaining idle, PO1 Parsons wrote his self-published book Be A Voice: A Musician’s Guide for the Live Performance. “It’s an offering of invaluable lessons about the music industry and live concerts, whether you are a seasoned musician or just at the beginning of your musical journey,” he says. PO1 Parsons has served over 17 years in the navy, but he is also a former rock musician who once found success on the big stage in Nashville, TN. “Although pursuing a career in music is an exciting and rewarding venture, it also comes with its fair share of rejection and obstacles. The live performance is critical to the success of any music artist and this book will inspire you to never be an echo of someone else.” [caption id="attachment_26031" align="aligncenter" width="227"] PO1 Jason Parsons[/caption]Melfort to Music CityPO1 Parsons, 47, grew up in a musical family in Melfort, Saskatchewan. He experimented with guitar and drums in high school, playing in several local rock bands. One of those bands was Surrender, an acoustic rock band that released their debut EP, You and Me, in 1997. Within six weeks of its release the song reached No. 4 on the Indie (Independent) Top 40 charts in the United States. There were many live performances to follow after the band’s act was picked up by a producer in Nashville, but their fame was short lived. So he began studying Live Performance in the late 1990s in Nashville and then underwent formal...