Original Writing- Jonas Brothers

Although many people don’t realise it, music plays a big part in everyday life. If its auditioning for the X-Factor, going to gigs every week, singing hymns at mass, singing to your favourite tunes in the shower or just listening to the radio on the way to work, we all like our music. It gets us though the days and has a big influence on what we do. Music separates the people with the many different genres it offers and some very talented people are behind it all.

Considering this I would like to tell you about one of my favourite bands; the Jonas Brothers. Jonas Brothers are a VMA-nominated American boy band. The band consists of three brothers; Kevin, Joe and Nick. They come all the way from Wyckoff, New Jersey and have released three albums; It’s About Time (2006), Jonas Brothers (2007) and recently, A Little Bit Longer (2008), and one soundtrack; Camp Rock (2008). The band gained their popularity on the children’s television network; Disney Channel, which is where the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock , starring the Jonas Brothers, was first shown. The band star in the movie as a boy band named Connect Three.

One of my reasons for liking the Jonas Brothers, is the fact that they are well-known for their wholesome, family image. The brothers are all committed Evangelic Christians, and wear purity rings on their left-hand ring finger as a sign to not have pre-marital sex, of which neither of these things they are ashamed of or afraid of showing. Joe stated that the rings symbolize “a promise to ourselves and to God that we’ll stay pure ’till marriage” and Nick thinks that “its pretty awesome, and the rings are just one of our ways of kind of like being different to everybody else out there”. They also abstain form alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

Another reason for liking the Jonas Brothers is the fact that in 2007 they earned about $12 million dollars and donated 10% of it to their charity, Change for the Children Foundation. The charity is a foundation started by the Jonas Brothers, where the contributors donate to charities such as, Nothing but Nets, American Diabetes Foundation, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Summer Stars: Camp for the Performing Arts. Their reasons for stating the charity is to “support programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence, determination and a will to succeed… kids helping other kids who are a little less fortunate.”

Paul Kevin Jonas II, also known as Kevin, is the oldest of the brothers aged 21 and born November 5th 1987. He plays lead guitar (usually a Gibson Les Paul) and backing vocals. Kevin is also a songwriter and helped to write the bands self-titled album Jonas Brothers.

Joseph Adam Jonas, was born August 15 1989, making him 19. He sings lead vocals, plays percussion and has played the guitar in the song A Little Bit Longer. Joe originally had no intentions of becoming a singer; he wanted to be a comedian and work on the show All That

Nicholas Jerry Jonas, is the youngest of the band at only 16 years of age, born September 16 1992. He plays rhythm guitar (usually a Gibson SG in the original re stain colour), lead vocals with brother Joe, piano in the songs When you Look me in the Eyes and A Little Bit Longer, and drums in the songs, Australia, Can’t Have You, Sorry and Video Girl. He can play various other instruments also. On November 16 2005 (aged 13), he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Franklin Nathaniel Jonas, is the baby of all the brothers, of only 8 years of age and was born September 28 2000, and isn’t in the Jonas Brothers, but being the bands younger brother he still plays a big part in their lives. He is also known as the Bonus Jonas and Frank the Tank. He will debut with his brothers on J.O.N.A.S!(a Disney Channel Original Series (2009)), and may have a small appearance in Camp Rock 2.

Other members of the band are:

John Taylor who helps produce for the band, as well as plays guitar.

Greg Garbowsky has been with the brothers since they started out. He plays bass guitar and keeps a blog of Life on the Road with the Boys.

Jack “Flawless Lawless” Lawless joined the band in early 2007, and has replaced former drummer Alex Noyes.

Ryan Liestman plays the keyboards for the group.

The single, A Little Bit Longer, released earlier this year, was written by Nick Jonas himself and is about his fighting battle to carry on pursuing his dreams with his diabetes. He sings alone in this song, about how “you don’t know what it feels like until its gone”. This song is very emotional and on occasions, Nick has been seen to be crying on stage to this particular song. He’s said “Luckily, I’ve got some really great people around me that really help me manage my diabetes. And it hasn’t slowed me down yet, and I’m not planning on letting it do that. So I’m going to continue to do what I love and if I have occasional low or high blood sugar, it will be all right because I’ve got some really great people surrounding me.”

With the Jonas Brothers being so talented and successful at such a young age, I find them so inspiring to listen to and am proud to be a fan of theirs.

You could be in any situation, but you’re holding on because you don’t want to give up on love. Say you’re in a terrible situation…you can always find the light if you look hard enough.