I can still remember sitting in the campus library staring at my notebook as the lyrics flowed out for the first time.  I looked around and began to get really excited, not sure what to do.

That was how it all started, that was the first song I had ever written.  I was 17, I just started college, and I used to carry that notebook around with me everywhere so I could jot down lyrics whenever they hit me.  Which might explain the grades I got during that time!

What actually kickstarted my songwriting was the fact that I had moved away from everything that was familiar to me.  I grew up in New Jersey and then my family moved out to the Midwest right after I graduated High School, which left me in an interesting place.  I think that when you strip away everything that you're used to and everything that you're familiar with, all that's left is what you're made of.  That's when you really find out who and what you truly are.  So it was a combination of that and my feelings for a certain Jersey girl that I was missing and trying to put those feelings into words.

Music was always an important part of my life.  I was raised on Elvis and the Beatles and everything in between.  When I was 6 years old, I would go around the house singing the Barry Manilow song, "I Can't Smile Without You" (I love that song!), so I don;t think anyone was surprised when I decided to go into music full time.  At age 12, I officially got introduced to the world of music when I started playing the drums.   During my high school years, I went to a college course in the evening to learn all about recording equipment and what it was like to be in a studio.  When I started writing songs, I taught myself to play the guitar so I could write chords and music.

It took six years of constant writing and learning before I was ready to pitch songs to publishers in 1998.  The first song I sent out was called "Two Hearts" and it was put on hold by a producer in Nashville.  The feedback that I got was really encouraging and I got the chance to talk to a lot of great publishers that year.

As I continued to send out songs, I also worked for almost seven years with one of the largest music retail chains in the country that sold musical instruments and equipment.  The information I learned there was invaluable because I got to learn about every instrument and every piece of recording equipment, so when I did actually record, I knew exactly what to use.

Then, in 2001, a song of mine called "I Can't Find the Words" was chosen to be placed on a promotional Songwriters CD and pitched around the world.  The more I got to know about the music industry, the more I realized that the songs themselves were not the main focus.  I have spoken to several large publishers who were very frustrated because of all the politics that were running wild behind the scenes.   These guys had great songs that they believed were number 1 hits, but they were being passed on because they didn't come from the "right circles".

That's when I knew that I had to do something different.  I'm not the kind of person who can go to all those fancy parties and kiss up to people just to get a deal.  For me, it's always been about the music and the songs.  So I decided I was going to make my own deal and take the music straight to the people.

I started releasing CDs on my own and discovered how the internet was the key to exposure.  Because I played all of the parts on my albums, I began to turn some heads.  People would listen to them and swear that it was a full band playing, but it was just me.  Even today I record that way.  It's become kind of like my trademark.

In 2004, five of my songs were placed on the radio and then the publishing deals started coming in.  Over the years I made a lot of great contacts and it was finally starting to pay off.  Eventually, I created my own publishing company and that brings us to today where I am writing songs for the next album and focusing on helping people avoid all of the mistakes I made along the way.

That's why Songs Revealed is so important to me.  I noticed that there were a lot of songwriting books and guides out there, but none of them were telling the whole story.  And they weren't explaining things in a way that everyone could understand and use for their own writing.  So I was so excited when I was asked to develop courses that would finally reveal all of the things that I had learned through trial and error and by accident.  Those things that will save people a lot of time and frustration and let them really enjoy writing songs and making music.

Making the courses was a lot of fun (and hard work!), but what I really enjoy is talking with people and hearing how they have helped them.  It is honestly the most rewarding thing I have ever been involved in and I can't wait to hear from you too!

-To learn more about Jason Cannata, you can visit his official website at www.jaycmusic.com.

Song Warrior Music was originally created to publish and distribute all of Jason Cannata's albums.  Over the last year, the company has grown to include many other music related products.

It has also been responsible for the website design and marketing.  And it was a crucial part of the original concept for the courses and instructional materials that are currently available.  Future plans include the creation of a website for Song Warrior Music which will feature all of its products as well as information on them.

The company has also announced that it will continue to expand by opening other websites devoted to each area of music respectfully.  The first one is scheduled to concentrate on drums and percussion and will be published later this year.