With a style that appeals to the soul, he has composed original songs that offer rich, dynamic instrumentation and vocals, that weave a lyrical fabric of music, presented with the intention of taking the listener on to their own individualized musical voyage. ********************************************************************* ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** ********************************************************************** His musical journey... Jek joined his first band in junior high where he started out playing for school dances and gradually progressed to other bands and acoustic duo formats. His taste and focus on music continued to evolve over the next 12 years. His musical path meant venturing into different styles of music, from folk acoustic to rock and roll to jazz. When he heard the recording of Jethro Tull's "Benefit" he was awestruck, never imagining one could create such sounds in a recording. This album had a huge impact on his musical style and development. This also led him to the European Progressive Movement: Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and PFM were some of his favorites Another of his idols was the bold, playful yet distinguished, Frank Zappa. It wasn’t until after he moved to the Pacific Northwest when his interest in music was placed on the front burner. He picked up his bass guitar and became a part of the “scene”, playing music in town and around the region with a few of the local bands. Fellow musicians and audiences alike came to recognize that his musical styles were unique, pure and more intricate than most they had encountered. Success on stage & in film... Not only did he bring his talents to the small stages of music halls and establishments, but he made his mark at bigger venues, including a debut of his original songs at National Cancer Day charitable fundraisers and performing on the main stage at the popular Boise River Festival. His most recent success is featured in a documentary film. His music can be heard and his voice provided the narration for the award-winning film entitled, “Abducted by the Wind". The sports documentary which explores the adventures of snowkiting won a Silver Ten Award at the*F.I.C.T.S. Sport Movies and Television Festival in Mumbai,India and has received the "Guirlande d'Honneur" at the recently held F.I.C.T.S.film festival in Milan,Italy . It has continued to be well received in the U.S. and abroad. He also contributed music to the film "Ride iT Out", which won the Jury Favorite award at the Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival. * Federation International Cinema Television and Sportifs © Copyright 2007/2026 R.Van Jekich. All rights reserved. Where to Buy: "Further Down the Path" , the CD, is available for purchase at: - The Record Exchange at 1005 W. Idaho in downtown Boise - https://www.amazon.com/Further-Down-Path-Van-Jekich/dp/B000TJ6ZFG And is available for download on Spotify, iTunes and others Other Resource Links: Music from "Further Down the Path" is featured in the award winning film, "Abducted by the Wind", a sports documentary exploring the adventures of snowkiting. Hear the music and see film clips at : https://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_videos/1778209#!
