CHASING JONAH

Music has always been more than entertainment. It’s how we connect, heal, remember, and make sense of this weird life on this weird little planet together. But most people don’t realize how fragile that connection has become. Streaming pays artists less than a fraction of a cent per play. Ticket sales barely cover the cost of touring. And social media, where artists are told they must “grow”, is a rented space. We don’t actually own our connection with you. Algorithms decide who sees what. Ads and political posts drown out our voices. We often even have to pay to reach our own followers. This system isn’t sustainable. It wastes artists’ time, money, and emotional energy, while disconnecting fans from the music they love and inhibiting our ability to continue creating what you actually want us to create. But there’s another way. Direct connection. That’s why I created First Wav Listeners: a space outside of algorithms where I can share my music with you first, hear your feedback, and build something meaningful together. Traditional crowdfunding platforms take a significant percentage of donations and once people give, they rarely log back in to receive their rewards. I don’t want your support for my art to feel like an extra chore or another account to keep track of. With First Wav Listeners, there are no middlemen. Through monthly texts and emails, I can share music and updates directly with you, right where you already are. You can choose to listen, respond, and even support if you’d like, but no one else is deciding if you’re seeing it. It’s simple, sustainable, and human. If art can’t be created, then artists can’t survive and we all spiritually suffer. So I’m inviting you to join my experiment to see if there is a way to sustainably create art through direct connection.