Before I ever knew who Jonathan Yasuda was, his song “Dave, You’re a Loser” was already legendary in the OurStage offices. I think Julie Pham discovered it and sent it around. It quickly became an office meme.
So it was that much cooler when Julie realized that he was the same guy who wrote and produced “OurStage I Love You.” I called him up right away to figure out who this guy was. Read below to see Jonathan’s views on law school, Girl Talk, and Hot Pockets:
Quinn Strassel: So how did this “OurStage, I Love You” song come about?
Jonathan Yasuda: As all my fans, friends, and family will attest, music enters every nook and cranny of my life – that is, if I were an English Muffin. Whether I’m in my car trying to compose a song about “The Everlasting Red Light” that refuses to turn green, or parodying life with pieces titled “SuperJob” (maybe a new Facebook application?), “Random A** Grab” (you’ve been a victim and perhaps a perpetrator, right?) and “Too Late to Order Out” (based on One Republic’s “Apologize”), I try to bring a slice of humor to everyday, basic human emotions or current events. “Ourstage, I Love You” is no exception to my corpus of compositions.
QS: As a law student, how do you find time for music?
JY: Well, much to the chagrin of my academic advisors, this is how I look at it: the real question is, as a musician, how do I find time for law school? Every law student hears it at least 4 – 8 times a month: “why are you in law school? Do you really know what you want to do with your life? Oh, I’ve got this parking ticket…” As an evening student at the coolest law school in the country, New England School of Law, I have the time during the day to teach piano lessons, perform corporate gigs at venues like the Boston Harbor Hotel, work on a very cool patent idea of mine, lead the musical liturgy for church congregations, and of course, record goofy songs in my 300 square foot home-recording studio. Don’t get me wrong; education, books, and all that jazz is very important, but I’m definitely not spending the best days of my life sequestered in a library cubicle behind a stack of law treatises. It’s startling to see how many students start wearing glasses after their first year of law school. The band “Boston” says it best: “all I want is to have my ‘Peace of Mind.’ ” I will graduate, Deo volente, look back and be one of the few lawyers who can proudly say “Man, law school was the best time of my life.”
QS: At OurStage, we’re trying to help up-and-coming musicians find their way in the music industry. I understand in your legal work, you’re working on a product that helps artists too. What’s that about?
JY: Empowering the living artist. Recently, that’s what it’s all about for me. As part of the legal team at the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts, we give away over $1 million dollars of free legal services to artists/musicians. Our coolest program, the “Artist’s Professional Toolbox,” is a relatively recent program that is unlike any other educational resource. We give all types of artists the “tools” or life skills they need to succeed in doing what they truly love. We offer classes that range from basic estate planning to forming a non-profit. The “Musician’s Professional Toolbox” is of the same vein and is currently in the making. It will be specifically geared for musicians and I can’t wait to help get this program up and running in the near future.
QS: While I’ve got an intellectual property and copyright law expert here, can you explain how Girl Talk (the mashup laptop artist) has avoided being sued for his heavily sampled music? I love the songs, but I can’t figure out how he gets away with it!
JY: Haha, I am but a young Jedi Knight … though I can already imagine the defense attorney for Girl Talk: “Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I have two words for you: de minimis.” Sampling is a hot topic, but not as tasty as Hot Pockets (don’t ask, I think it’s time for my dinner). Everyone seems to be armed with a little knowledge about that lovely Fair Use exception, or at least equipped with enough RAM (random access memory) to pass muster at cocktail parties. Sure, Girl Talk could definitely raise the Fair Use defense when it comes to this grey area of law. But where Girl Talk might run into trouble employing the Fair Use defense calculus is with this simple fact: he’s making money. When a cash register sings an aria, be wary of the corporate lawyer playing bassoon. Time can only tell how long Girl Talk’s metaphorical aria will last, especially in this highly litigious country. The only way I can keep my head on straight each day is to follow Billy Shakespeare: to thine own self be true. Everyone has an inner legal mind – sometimes the law falls within the penumbra of our conscience and sometimes it doesn’t.
QS: What exciting musical developments can we expect from you in the coming year?
JY: Besides wanting to record a bizarre rendition of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in the voice of Christian Bale’s Batman character in “Dark Knight,” I’m gonna keep my millions upon millions of fans in a state of suspense, haha. Perhaps another pop-quirky album in the fall will be released on my website, keep performing chamber music, and develop a patent within the next 2-3 years that combines my passion for music with electrical engineering. As long as I eat my apple a day, I can keep doing what I love.
More links:
Jonathan Yasuda’s Fanclub
Listen to “Heart Back”
Listen to “Traveling”
More New England Artists
