Jon Ware

Jon Ware is the President and Owner of WareTech Studio in Maryland and has been a practicing musician for 39 years. Jon's interest in music started in the 7th grade, when he began playing trumpet. By the time he reached high school, Jon had become the high school band manager, VP, and President of the Band. He continued his musical pursuit by studying and minoring in music at Florida State University where he also majored in Chemistry. Jon went on to take graduate courses in music composition at Catholic University in Washington , DC. It was during his college years that Jon became an all-around musician, changing from brass to percussion. Jon began his professional music career when he joined with Van McCoy as his touring percussionist, where they ushered in the age of "Disco" with the hit "The Hustle".
Jon's early interest in avant-garde musical techniques also helped to define his personal style, which very often blends contemporary and traditional harmonies and a conventional orchestral palette, along with the texture of ethnic instruments and electronic sounds. Jon's music also includes a unique blend of progressive dance styles with ornate jazz improvisation. His fresh approach to older styles also been described as sophisticated and ryththmic, unpredictable and exciting.
Jon has played with many Jazz bands in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area and he has also ambitiously mentored numerous children in stage, theatre and jazz. He is extremely gratified that many of the children he has mentored have moved on to study and/or collaborate with Horace Silver, Ellis Marsalis, Alicia Keys, and The Roots Band (Live accompaniment for famed Rapper Jay-Z). Jon has also prepared many students for the compelling ACT-SO ("Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics") competition produced annually in the Spring by the NAACP. ACT-SO is a major youth initiative of the NAACP which was founded in 1978, by renowned author and journalist, Vernon Jarrett, ACT-SO provides a forum through which African-American youth demonstrate academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, thereby gaining the same recognition often only reserved for entertainers and athletes.