Developing a love for music from an early age, Jonathon started with a drum set as a toddler, internalizing much of his rhythm with guidance from his grandfather, a machinist, carpenter, and early country/rock 'n' roll drummer who spent his life on drums with Jerry Dee and The Ranchmen and - at a point - Johnny Cash and The Statler Brothers.

The first record Jonathon was given essentially set the tone for the breadth of his musical influences from that point forward: a 45 rpm of The Beatles' tender, harmonic ballad "Hey Jude" - contrasted with the ragged distortion and swing of  "Revolution" on the B-Side.

Not content to be confined behind the drums, Jonathon began playing guitar at age 9, emulating the guitar heroics of the day such as Randy Rhoads and Joe Satriani and eventually the more extreme palm-muted chugs of Scott Ian and James Hetfield. By 7th grade, his drumming had progressed to being inspired by the odd-time signatures and melodic sensibilities of Neil Peart (Rush), the hammering syncopated ride cymbal bell and hi-hat of Stuart Copeland (The Police), the legato 8th note foot-on-the-hat flow of Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins), ragged energy of Dave Lombardo (Slayer) and the staccato funk of Buddy Miles (Jimi Hendrix/Band of Gypsies) and Phillip "Fish" Fisher (Fishbone). In his last year of High School, with the explosion of Nirvana's "Nevermind," the revelation of punk simplicity led to his assimilation of guitar styles ranging from the noisy pop of Kurt Cobain, relentless 5th chord downstrokes of Johnny Ramone (The Ramones) and Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) to the noisy, and contrapuntal guitar duets of Ian MacKaye and Guy Piccioto (Fugazi) and John Reis and Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu).Taste in drumming changed as well, and found him emulating the new-wave dance beats of Hugo Burnham (Gang of Four), octopus-like patterns of Zach Barocas (Jawbox), spastic upper-body stream-of-consciousness of George Hurley (The Minutemen), rapid-fire 16th note precision of Bill Stevenson (The Descendents) as well as the discovery of jazz and internalization of the powerful out-of-bounds Elvin Jones, the precise determination and melodic, rudimental sensibilities of Max Roach and, eventually, the unbridled and swinging free expression of Milford Graves. At 34, he picked up bass to explore the the round, warm viola-bass tone of Paul McCartney (The Beatles), skeletal exploration of John Entwhistle (The Who), melodic punk precision of Karl Alvarez (The Descendents) and the pentatonic blues influence of Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), all while recording drums, bass and guitars and teaching himself production over the span of the next decade.

​

Jonathon's formal education spans from music into Mass Communications and Journalism (Bachelor of Science, 1997). He has lived, worked, played and freelanced in the Twin Cities since.

​