Bio
Max Jared Einsohn
Summary: Max Jared Einsohn (pronounced Ein-Son), born December 15th, 1987, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur. Raised in Dallas TX, Max attended the Episcopal School of Dallas. He then attended Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana before returning to Texas to continue his music and social action endeavors. Often referred to as Max Jared, he began his musical journey as a drummer, developing his percussive interests with melody on an acoustic guitar he bought three years later.
Jared began his career performing mainly acoustic rock, influenced heavily by artists like John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Butler, but gradually began a transition towards pop, rock and electronic music after collaborating with renowned songwriter and producer, Tom Prasada Rao on Jared’s debut album, in early 2011.
Jared’s career pursuits have extended to include work as an environmental activist, interfaith progress initiatives, social action projects in communities around the world, and youth-leadership development programs in the Texas area. He currently lives in Dallas TX, and works frequently with the Jewish community that supported him so much in his musical development.
Early Life: Jared was born on December 15, 1987 in Dallas TX to Barbara, President of The Einsohn Group, and Philip, Founder and President of Waterjet Works. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, and is the youngest of three. Jared is Jewish and has said that he “lives his life according to the values expressed in Judaism.” Growing up in Dallas, Jared attended the Episcopal School of Dallas, and spent a semester studying in Israel through the Eisendrath International Exchange. According to his parents, Jared was threatened to be removed from his middle school by his teacher, for incessantly tapping on his desk. Jared’s interests in percussion were given an outlet when he returned from summer camp to find a drum set in his room, a 1960s Apollo set from his uncle. Max continued as a drummer for 4 years, and began playing guitar after purchasing an Ovation with money received from his Bar Mitzvah.
Soon, Max began to learn songs by the Foo Fighters, and other rock bands in the 90s. On October 20th, 2002, a close family friend was struck by a car, causing her to be in a coma. Jared, being only 13, was sent to his school dance, and it was here that he wrote his first song. According to an interview, Jared reflects, “I just remember thinking, ‘How can I even try to enjoy myself when Jessie was just hit by a car?’ So I took out a Mead Composition book, and wrote down everything that had happened. I came home later that night, not knowing what would happen to my friend, and put the words to the only chords I knew at the time… and it became my first song.” Jared later recalls that when he performed the song for Jessie and 50 other people (after Jessie’s miraculous recovery), and saw their reactions to the words and music he wrote, his life was set. “I couldn’t believe how amazing it was that I could receive that kind of emotional response to a song I had created. The ability to connect to people’s hearts and minds through music was deeply ingrained in me that night, from then on, it was all music.”
Career: Max began playing drums in a band For The People, with actor Johnny Simmons, but quickly moved to guitar, creating his own band, Feature Friday, and recorded his first demo in 2003. The band performed in bars around Dallas Texas and were finalists in the Bishop Lynch Battle of the Bands in 2003 and 2004. The band took a new musical direction with the addition of Landon Austin on lead guitar, and Jesse Starr on bass, changing their name to Current in 2004. The group performed in coffee houses and club venues like Across the Street Bar, and later was joined by Jonathon Dobin, replacing then drummer, Michael Ryan Hernandez. After graduating in 2006, Jared embarked on his solo career, frequenting open mic nights, coffee houses and clubs in Bloomington Indiana, where Jared went to college.
During his time in Bloomington IN, Jared began to develop his interests in social action, and music, by creating fundraising concerts around town. Helping both local, and international relief efforts, Jared raised hundreds of dollars and donated many pounds of food to local homeless shelters. It was during this time, that Jared began his ‘community music’ events, where musicians and fans collaborate during shows.
Throughout his college career, Jared continued to develop his songwriting and guitar playing, performing often with a drummer, and saxophone player, and accompanying himself by using a loop pedal to layer sounds. During a year of travel to Argentina and Australia, Jared wrote many songs, and found new, native instruments to include in his budding pop style.
After graduating in May, 2006, with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, and Minors in Music, Spanish, and Leadership, Ethics, and Social Action, Max returned to Dallas TX to receive jaw surgery to correct a misaligned bite. This operation caused Jared to be bound shut, resulting in his silence for five weeks. It was during this time, Jared recalls, that he developed his business plan for being a professional musician, and set up studio time to record his first album.
Connecting to songwriting Guru and Producer Tom Prasada-Rao through a mutual friend, Jared began frequenting songwriting workshops led by Prasada-Rao, and the two developed a friendship, leading to their collaboration on Jared’s first album. The two began recording in late early 2011, with the assistance of Berklee College of Music grad, Producer Dan Lee, and continued recording throughout October 2011. Max’s breakout album “Thoughtless Sounds” is due to release in 2012.
Other Projects: In 2008 Max developed a series of programs for the elderly and homeless of Argentina, serving food each day, and recording the histories of this generation. He used many of the stories he heard from this experience to write songs about the struggles of life. Jared also worked in Villa 9, creating a day of youth-programming and cross-cultural interaction for the children of this economically stricken area. Today, Jared continues to work with domestic and international NGO’s and is planning a “Cover the Night” event for the Kony 2012 Campaign, on April 20, 2012, in Dallas TX.
Personal Life: Jared is traveler. His love for people and life has brought him across the world, and he continues to seek out opportunities to connect to nature, and foreign culture, wherever he goes. Jared meditates everyday, and is a swimmer.
Jared is single, and currently lives in Dallas TX, although he spends most of his time working on the road, promoting his music and working with communities across America on various social action projects.
Discography
- Feature Friday 2002
- Greene Family Camp Summer Albums, 2005-2010
- Thoughtless Sounds, 2012
- Kony 2012 Anthem (single)
Want to know more? Contact Max at: max@maxjaredmusic.com!
