Jacob Fannin - Upside Down CD

Jake said he always knew that music would be a PART of his life! but it wasn't until his senior year of high school when he found out music was going to BE his life. "It was weird, because, we were putting on a musical my senior year of high school, and I was lucky enough to land one of the lead roles. It was really the first time that I had been on a stage and the lights were completely on me and I had the entire audience's attention for an extended period of time. It was the coolest feeling." Jake claims that because of this, he skipped over the 'career-burden' most high-schoolers face. "Definately, most kids go through a time of 'What do I want to do with my life?' and whatnot! and after that opening night, I just said "Alright, that was easy! I have to sing."

After graduating high school in the Spring of 2003, Jake enrolled at the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, where he quickly found his niche as an artist. "I didn't really start playing any instruments until my freshman year at college. I was living with my older brother, who has an acoustic guitar, and I was watching a show that had Eric Clapton playing 'Tears in Heaven' and I wanted to learn how to play it. So I picked up his guitar and taught myself. It took forever to learn." The piano came slower, "I still wouldn't say I can completely play the piano now. I can read chord progressions well-enough, but I am still learning on that thing." Does he prefer one instrument over the other? "I would say I can play the guitar better than the piano, but I prefer writing on the piano over the guitar! if that makes sense. I don't think I like one over the other though."

Jake says his musical influences vary, depending on his mood. "One of the things I really liked about my childhood was the small diversity of music I was exposed to in my home, and I don't think my family did it intentionally. When I was a kid, my two older brothers kind of controlled our basement. So whenever I would go down there I would hear Van Halen and Metallica and Def Leppard! lots of 80's metal and harder rock. Then if I would go upstairs by my older sister's room! she would be playing Boyz II Men and K-Ci and JoJo, a lot of the slower R&B and ballad-types." Jake says he has come to like almost all music since then. "Well, ever since I picked up the guitar, I've really learned to appreciate most guitar music, whether it's John Mayer or Damien Rice or Clapton or Matthews or James Taylor! and the same goes for piano based stuff, I really like Billy Joel's music, Elton John! Folds, Ray Charles, Coldplay! and of course, just about any music that is sung well. I normally don't like when people say they like 'all' music, because it defeats the purpose of asking the question! but I really do like almost anything that is considered music. Everything has its place."

What's in your CD player right now?"My brother just bought me a live recording of John Mayer for my birthday that I really like. Normally I'll have something quiet and something kind of obnoxious with me to listen to ! depends on what I'm doing. Van Halen's greatest hits is still one of my favorites."

I asked Mr. Fannin what was in store for him after graduation this spring, and he left it open-ended. "I can tell you the steps I'm going to take, and I can tell you how I'm going to take them! but as far as what is actually going to happen to me, I have no idea. I'm an optimist, but I also don't like playing in the clouds, if that makes sense. I know that there are about 300 million people out there trying to make it as musicians and, just like everything else, it is an extremely competitive field. But with that said, I am way too proud of my family's name to let myself fail. So I can't really say what is going to happen! I'm just really excited to get going with this part of my life.