Jessica Lerner

I am the first to admit that I am not a holiday person. I am not really into christmas or any of the holiday season. Call me Scrudge if you will. It’s a little surprising for the first review of my blog to be a christmas single. There may be hope for me after all. Just for everyone’s information if I had to pick a favorite holiday tune it would be Willie Nelsons “Pretty Paper” or Springsteens rendention of “Santa Clause is Coming to Town”.

I first met Jessica about 4 years ago in a mall in San Diego. She was providing the music in the center court next to the Starbuck’s accompanying herself on guitar and piano. I thought that the music was being piped into the mall and was quite surprised to find a real human providing the entertainmant. I had a nice conversation with Jessica and her mother. Fast forward 4 years and she has put out a full length CD and her most recent effort is a christmas single titled “From This Christmas On” she also wrote the song. The project was funded, in part, using Kickstarter which allows friends and supporters to help fund the project.

The single is a very traditional waltz ballad. It was produced with mandolin, guitar, and string accompaniment. The single is not over produced and that allows the song and the vocal come through in a well balanced fashion. Not always easy to do when producing christmas music. The song is a beautiful lament of things to come from this point forward. A sentimental that we’ve all echoed at some point in our lives. Jessica has a bright future ahead of her. Can’t wait to hear more from this young and very talented artist. Buy her single at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/From-This-Christmas-and-On/dp/B00A8NJ7GW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awd_2NTPqb1310461_tt

And here’s a link to here website http://www.jessicalernermusic.com/

Merry Christmas

FJ - Fred Jimenez

I am the first to admit that I am not a holiday person. I am not really into christmas or any of the holiday season. Call me Scrudge if you will. It’s a little surprising for the first review of my blog to be a christmas single. There may be hope for me after all. Just for everyone’s information if I had to pick a favorite holiday tune it would be Willie Nelsons “Pretty Paper” or Springsteens rendention of “Santa Clause is Coming to Town”.

I first met Jessica about 4 years ago in a mall in San Diego. She was providing the music in the center court next to the Starbuck’s accompanying herself on guitar and piano. I thought that the music was being piped into the mall and was quite surprised to find a real human providing the entertainmant. I had a nice conversation with Jessica and her mother. Fast forward 4 years and she has put out a full length CD and her most recent effort is a christmas single titled “From This Christmas On” she also wrote the song. The project was funded, in part, using Kickstarter which allows friends and supporters to help fund the project.

The single is a very traditional waltz ballad. It was produced with mandolin, guitar, and string accompaniment. The single is not over produced and that allows the song and the vocal come through in a well balanced fashion. Not always easy to do when producing christmas music. The song is a beautiful lament of things to come from this point forward. A sentimental that we’ve all echoed at some point in our lives. Jessica has a bright future ahead of her. Can’t wait to hear more from this young and very talented artist. Buy her single at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/From-This-Christmas-and-On/dp/B00A8NJ7GW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_awd_2NTPqb1310461_tt

And here’s a link to here website http://www.jessicalernermusic.com/

Merry Christmas

FJ - Fred Jimenez

Jessica Lerner’s crystalline voice rang through the tiny hallways of Fashion Valley mall, a musical harbinger of the dawn of a most promising career. Rich ladies trying on diamond tennis bracelets, teenage boys with their skateboards under their arms and thirty-somethings gripping their young children’s hands were all muttering the same message—“she’s really good!”

South Bay’s one-time child prodigy is a child no more. Lerner, 22, was the star of Valentine’s Day weekend and the slender brunette with the powerful voice was telling the world a formidable musical talent had arrived. Her new album, “Jessica Lerner,” debuted with 13 tracks of original music written and performed on the piano and her favorite red guitar.

Lerner was an eight-year-old Southwestern College piano student who started performing in musicals at nine. At the ripe age of 10 she was touring as a singer. As a student at the Coronado School of the Arts she blossomed as a singer/song writer and guitarist. She has performed the national anthem at Petco Park and has headlined benefit concerts before she was old enough to vote. Lerner has been the featured singer in “La Pastorela” at the Old Globe Theater and the San Diego Repertory Theater.

A crowd of about 200 ringed the stage where Lerner performed with a small band. After she finished one of her songs, 17-year-old Ken Luu walked up to the stage and handed her a rose. Lerner received it with a huge smile on her face. Luu said Lerner has a lovely voice and that she reminds him of Taylor Swift. A prominent music industry pro took the comparison a step further.

“Jessica is Taylor Swift on steroids,” he said.

Anthony Dean accompanied Lerner on saxophone as she sang “Hey Mason,” a moving tribute to a young friend diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis. Dean said it was a personal experience for him.

“It was the one that touched my heart the most,” said Dean. “When we rehearsed it, it brought me to tears.”

Brian Disney, 21, said it was his first time coming to see Lerner and that she “was really good.” One fan, 13-year-old Ivette Duenas, began to cry as she hugged Lerner after the show.

“I’ve known Jessica for a couple of years,” she said. “I follow her on Twitter and Facebook. My favorite songs are ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Miracle.’ This was really fun. I won a bead necklace, poster, CD, and one of Jessica’s handmade bracelets.”

Lerner’s mother and manager, Pamela Lerner, said this is a big accomplishment for her daughter.

“Jessica feels like she has reached a milestone in her career,” she said. “Like when you have a dream and it lands in your hand.”

Pamela Lerner said the family has a motivational quote that helps them through the hard times.

“If you are not living on the edge, then you’re taking up too much space,” she said.

Mrs. Lerner, the “mom-ager” as Jessica calls her, said she was very happy with the turnout.

“Everything went together exactly how we wanted it to be,” she said. “It was more than we wanted.”

Lerner said she wanted the album to be perfect so her fans could really enjoy it.

“I want them to listen to it knowing that I did it with love and care,” she said. “This is absolutely the highlight of my life.”

Her fans respectfully disagreed, predicting more and bigger highlights to come. - The Southwestern College Sun - Written by: Ernesto Leon / Staff Writer

Jessica Lerner’s crystalline voice rang through the tiny hallways of Fashion Valley mall, a musical harbinger of the dawn of a most promising career. Rich ladies trying on diamond tennis bracelets, teenage boys with their skateboards under their arms and thirty-somethings gripping their young children’s hands were all muttering the same message—“she’s really good!”

South Bay’s one-time child prodigy is a child no more. Lerner, 22, was the star of Valentine’s Day weekend and the slender brunette with the powerful voice was telling the world a formidable musical talent had arrived. Her new album, “Jessica Lerner,” debuted with 13 tracks of original music written and performed on the piano and her favorite red guitar.

Lerner was an eight-year-old Southwestern College piano student who started performing in musicals at nine. At the ripe age of 10 she was touring as a singer. As a student at the Coronado School of the Arts she blossomed as a singer/song writer and guitarist. She has performed the national anthem at Petco Park and has headlined benefit concerts before she was old enough to vote. Lerner has been the featured singer in “La Pastorela” at the Old Globe Theater and the San Diego Repertory Theater.

A crowd of about 200 ringed the stage where Lerner performed with a small band. After she finished one of her songs, 17-year-old Ken Luu walked up to the stage and handed her a rose. Lerner received it with a huge smile on her face. Luu said Lerner has a lovely voice and that she reminds him of Taylor Swift. A prominent music industry pro took the comparison a step further.

“Jessica is Taylor Swift on steroids,” he said.

Anthony Dean accompanied Lerner on saxophone as she sang “Hey Mason,” a moving tribute to a young friend diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis. Dean said it was a personal experience for him.

“It was the one that touched my heart the most,” said Dean. “When we rehearsed it, it brought me to tears.”

Brian Disney, 21, said it was his first time coming to see Lerner and that she “was really good.” One fan, 13-year-old Ivette Duenas, began to cry as she hugged Lerner after the show.

“I’ve known Jessica for a couple of years,” she said. “I follow her on Twitter and Facebook. My favorite songs are ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Miracle.’ This was really fun. I won a bead necklace, poster, CD, and one of Jessica’s handmade bracelets.”

Lerner’s mother and manager, Pamela Lerner, said this is a big accomplishment for her daughter.

“Jessica feels like she has reached a milestone in her career,” she said. “Like when you have a dream and it lands in your hand.”

Pamela Lerner said the family has a motivational quote that helps them through the hard times.

“If you are not living on the edge, then you’re taking up too much space,” she said.

Mrs. Lerner, the “mom-ager” as Jessica calls her, said she was very happy with the turnout.

“Everything went together exactly how we wanted it to be,” she said. “It was more than we wanted.”

Lerner said she wanted the album to be perfect so her fans could really enjoy it.

“I want them to listen to it knowing that I did it with love and care,” she said. “This is absolutely the highlight of my life.”

Her fans respectfully disagreed, predicting more and bigger highlights to come. - The Southwestern College Sun - Written by: Ernesto Leon / Staff Writer

As a precociously talented teen Jessica Lerner made a name for herself as the dazzling singing Christmas star in “La Pastorela” at the Old Globe Theater.

She no longer needs the glittering gown to shine.

Lerner launched her new holiday single, “From This Christmas On,” at a chilly Horton Plaza with a performance that left the audience with warm hearts. Chula Vista’s musical prodigy has grown into a star in her own right.

A piano student at Southwestern College at the tender age of eight, Lerner started showcasing her vocal talents at nine. A year later she performed on tour and sang the national anthem at Petco Park, one of many appearance she has made there. Her talents flourished at the Coronado School of Arts, where she blossomed as a singer/songwriter and guitarist.

Lerner released her first album in February to universal acclaim. It has become a sensation on iTunes. At the VIP event in Horton Plaza’s Westfield mall she released her first Christmas single. Family, friends and loyal supporters enjoyed “From This Christmas On” and two other originals.

Lerner, who usually writes all her own songs, collaborated with producer Steven Wetherbee. For more than 30 years Wetherbee has been a producer and is currently at Golden Track Recording Studio in Escondido. He has worked with artists such as Toni Braxton, P.O.D., Rush, Santana and other big musical names.

George Martin, the transformative producer of The Beatles, said he chose to work with the band because he found John, Paul, George and Ringo very charming people. Wetherbee had a similar feeling about Lerner.

“First and foremost, if I’m going to work with someone, I have to really like the person,” he said. “Jessica is a very compassionate and giving person.”

Lerner’s younger brother, Zev, films and handles the video production for his “Big Sis.”

“I have been her little brother supporting her the whole way,” he said. “I always look up to her.”

Lerner said she is inspired by nearly everything.

“I write songs about things that move me,” she explained. “Whether it’s love or a special person or believing in yourself, anything that grips you and gets you emotional is worthy for song writing.”

At every Lerner performance she takes the time to greet her loyal fans and connect with them. During the cold night at Horton Plaza, she performed a heartwarming tribute called “Hey Mason” about a small boy diagnosed with Juvenile Dermatomyositis who recently passed away after years of fighting the dreadful disease. Mason’s parents flew in from Portland, Oregon to surprise Lerner and show their support.

Pamela Lerner, Lerner’s “mom-ager,” has been a big support system for her daughter. She recognizes that her daughter’s talents can affect others.

“One of Jessica’s important goals is to affect and excite modern culture,” she said. “To be the voice of deep thoughts and inspirations for other people.”

Wetherbee said the holiday tune was unique in the genre.

“I thought it was a neat idea,” Wetherbee said. “Most Christmas songs are not necessarily about having a relationship with somebody and remembering that moment in time.”

Wetherbee said he is excited about Lerner’s future.

“In five years I’d like to see her at the Grammys,” he said. “She really loves the people. You can see that. For her it’s not about being famous, it’s about just seeing the love in the people that come to see her.” - Southwestern College Sun - Written by: Lina Chankar / Asst. News Editor