Jason Didner has always wanted his concerts, original songs and choice of cover tunes to serve a purpose. This motivation has heightened for Jason in the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic began making it harder for communities to gather in person. Then the approach of winter made it clear our social interactions would have to be mostly virtual. He imagined his musical skills might help.
"Last year, my wife's birthday was coming up as the weather was getting colder and gathering with the family outdoors wouldn't be practical. So I asked her if she'd like a virtual concert to celebrate. She loved the idea and we gave it a try," Jason explained. "She had chosen the Mental Health Association as a Facebook fundraiser for her birthday, so I asked if she wanted our virtual show to be a benefit. She was on board for that as well. The experience of the show and the way it brought our family and friends together around a live performance cut right through the usual awkwardness of virtual gatherings. We decided this would be a keeper in our lives."
A year later, Jason is preparing a concert for Saturday night, November 27 at 8:00 to benefit MHA of Essex & Morris Counties for the second time. This time he's found a more suitable online concert platform, Live Streamer Cafe, which lends itself to Jason's kind of interactive show. "I've become online friends with the creators of the site," Jason added. "They've modified it to meet my exact needs for my audience. Last week we did a fundraiser for Hillside Elementary School PTA and Kris, the developer, added a Donate button for benefit shows that I had asked for."
The show is free to attend, but audiences are encouraged to tap that Donate button and give any amount they're comfortable with.
Mental health is a vitally important topic to Jason. Faced with multiple sources of stress and anxiety, he found himself considering a decision to see a psychiatrist and get a diagnosis. "But first I wanted to give my therapist's suggestion a try – to increase my self-care," the musician said. Jason embarked on an early morning exercise routine intended to deal with his insomnia. He also began using apps for meditation to improve mindfulness. "I was looking for every TED talk and podcast I could find that addressed mental health and happiness. I learned how exercise nourishes the brain and restores some capacity for happiness."
The NJ singer/songwriter is recording his upcoming album "Salt and Sand" to contain songs that speak to his purpose of helping his audience maintain and improve their own mental health. "These songs contain the best of what I've learned in books, podcasts, and lectures that have made a difference in my own life and that of my family," said Jason. "You'll find this purpose in my songs and in my performances, especially in the MHA benefit."
Jason's notable music projects in the past include the humorous "You Can't Get There from Here in Jersey," a single that was featured on NPR's Car Talk program, and his rock band for kids and families, "Jason Didner and the Jungle Gym Jam."
Note: To participate in chat and request songs in the Live Streamer Café environment, you'll need to register with an email address and password. Please do this about 5-10 minutes before show time.
