Asked for some sounds like his own, songwriter and music producer Jon Manierre says he plays bass a little like the bass players for Green Day and Rancid and his voice sounds like the singer for Blink 182. Which leaves a 50-year-old reporter expecting (and frankly a lot more familiar with) analogies to John, Paul, George and Ringo wondering what he”™s gotten himself into.
And, sure enough, Manierre drops the R-bomb not five minutes later: He”™s not only into rap ”“ the chasm that divides once-hip parents from their beyond-hip spawns ”“ he produces two rap artists, Bo and Krucial. A third act he produces, Stained Glass Apostles, is rock. Next comes the completely unexpected Double B-bomb: He”™s into the big band sound of the World War II generation. And with that, Manierre has established a bridge across time and sound, perhaps the first person ever to wed the worlds ”“ even if only by admiration ”“ of Benny Goodman and Eminem. His past also includes jazz via the Valhalla High School (class of 2000) jazz band, where he played trumpet.
In fact, says the 26-year-old Manierre, “I”™ve been interested in music since I was a kid.” Operating out of his home”™s basement studio, he says he is even able to make a little money at it. He got into production while earning a degree in mechanical engineering at Boston University and never stopped.
Manierre is a special education teaching assistant ”“ now in his fifth year ”“ at Kensico Elementary School in Valhalla. He liked engineering and wants to use his scientific acumen some day to teach high school math and physics, but for now he says of his special ed duties, “I love it. We”™re back in full swing.” In the course of his work day, he teaches anywhere from one student to up to 22 at a time, ages 8 to 11.
He lives in Valhalla with his wife of just under two years, Anja Manierre, and three rescue cats: Ninja, Nemo (AKA Captain Planet) and Mini. “I would rescue all the animals in the world if I could,” says Anja, a full-time Westchester Community College student studying psychology. Anja, however, is not musical. A native of Cologne, Germany, she says with a laugh, “I try to torture my husband with my singing every once in a while and he runs away.”
The couple met when mutual friends went on a date while Anja visited from Germany. The friends”™ relationship fizzled, but Anja and Jon were soon engaged in a trans-Atlantic courtship (seven journeys in the span of a year) that Anja says had to end: “It was getting too expensive to keep flying back and forth.”
Manierre”™s studio is two functional rooms: one clean and organized with a focus on a high-tech sound board against one wall, the other a serviceable jam room with a piano, drum kit and half a dozen instruments in cases behind a heavy bag (for boxing) hanging from the ceiling. He plays guitar and “I dabble in keyboards.” As for Bo, whom Manierre says has a good local following, he raps to a party/club theme; Krucial is more political. Stained GlassApostles is “hard rock ”“ pretty straightforward.”
Recording to a nonmusical person looks easy: you hit the “record” button; you jam; you sing; you wait for the groupies to show up. In fact, it takes at least two days ”“ about 15 hours work ”“ to produce a simple song. Tougher songs take two weeks. “I make some money at it,” Manierre says. “I”™d like to make more, but I”™m a perfectionist and it gets me in trouble financially. But I guess that”™s how you get a reputation for doing things right.”
Manierre speaks late a recent Friday afternoon while relaxing with a cold Pepsi after school”™s first week. “I really do enjoy teaching,” he says. “But my dream has always been to make a living through my music. In 10 years, I”™d like to have music float the boat.” He retreats to his studio either “every day” if you ask him, or “too often” if you ask Anja.
But he has an in-house fan in Anja. “I like his music a lot,” she says. “I think he”™s a really great writer and producer.”
Manierre”™s music Web site is www.cogentrecording.com.
