With these two instruments "under my belt", I began playing in my church youth group worship band.
A few years later (senior year, I believe), I began to bang on the drums (whenever I could find a set on which to bang). This same year, I began noodling on pianos.
Throughout all these years, I was slowly amassing a fund of knowledge in music theory, taken mostly from the sheet music from the choir I was in during high school. This is also where I learned to sing (properly, anyway).
All during senior year is when I made my first attempts at writing and playing with a band. It was... educational, to say the least. But, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
My first "real" band was cleverly (or stupidly) called "Cafe con Leche de la Iglesia" (translated, means "Coffee with cream of the church"). Wow. We played a show or two and ceased.
I then tried going solo and put out a little three-track CD, cleverly (or stupidly) entitled "Jason Retana & His Band", which was funny (at least, at the time) because it was all me. Ha ha.
Then I started another band with my bestest bud, Zack Snow. We then got a drummer (Ethan Bjork) and a better singer (Cole Childers) and were pretty darn good. We put out a little three-track self-titled CD entitled "Brokendown". A few weeks later, Cole moved back to Seattle and Ethan left. Zack and I then enlisted an old friend, Andrew Keller (from "Cafe"), to drum for us for a bit. We played a show or two and ceased.
And then I formed my newest band, The Drive. We played pretty regularly a couple coffee houses for about a year. I have recently decided to put The Drive on a hiatus so I can spend more time on my film scoring degree at CSUN. But will continue to play gigs on my own at your nearest coffee house or bar.
Birthdate: 2-26-1981
Birthplace: Kaiser Permanente, Hollywood, CA
Favorite Ninja Turtle: Raphael
Primary instrument: Guitar
Other instruments: Piano, bass, drums, and now the flute and saxophone! (sort of...)
Current jobs: Church musician, and teaching guitar/bass/piano/drum lessons (privately).
School: Cal State Northridge, working towards my B.M. in commerical music composition (and LOVING it!)
Main influences: Steven Curtis Chapman, A Perfect Circle, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, and jazz in general.
