10 (or so) questions with... Drew Jarrod
Rochester Magazine, January 2012 Issue
by Steve Lange
Photo by Erin Jarrod
Drew Jarrod, Stay-At-Home Dad, Writer, Musician, and Songwriter...
(you can find his songs at drewjarrod.com or on iTunes).
Rochester Magazine: On your email tagline, you list yourself as: 'Husband, Dad, Writer, Musician, God-Follower.'
Drew Jarrod: I’ve made a study of my tagline. I’ve changed it numerous times over the last five years. It’s come from a personal search I’ve made for God. Every time I send an email, that tagline shows up, and it’s almost more for me than anyone else, because I’ll reread it and see what’s really important in life.
RM: You have ‘Dad’ in your tagline.
DJ: We have three boys. They’re even this year: 8, 6, and 4. My wife, Erin, is a medical transcriptionist, and I’m a stay-at-home dad. I work hard at being a dad. I had a tough childhood. I wanted to be a better dad than my earthly father was. When I had kids it became apparent to me what I needed to work on.
RM: And ‘God-Follower.’
DJ: It’s tough. I’m trying to maintain the house. Yet I want to have time for the wife, have time for the kids. But through it all really it's God who is number one. In the Bible, it says, ‘Seek God first and he will give you the desires of your heart,’ which I’ve experienced.
RM: Do you have an example?
DJ: In 1997, I followed what I believed to be God’s call to move to a different city, and within one week, I met my wife. So, I see that as putting God first and finding the desire of my heart.
RM: How did you and Erin meet?
DJ: A friend of mine was a pastor at a church in Brownsdale, MN and I lived up in the Cities ... I came down and visited. ... When I went to this church in Brownsdale, I felt alive like God was calling me here. I had a Harvest Fest concert that I put on for the church. It was a potluck and my wife was actually there; she was in the serving line and she dished up sweet corn, (which was my favorite food). I remember seeing her in the line. I decided I needed to come down to this church. I finally moved down there on December 7, 1997. My only motivation was to get closer to this church and get closer to God.
RM: But then you saw Erin again?
DJ: Six days later, there was a live Nativity scene this church was putting on. They had live animals and you got dressed up in the garb and sat outside. ... I was Joseph. When they introduced me to the woman who was going to play Mary, it was Erin. So we sat together on a hay bale for three-and-a-half hours in 20-degree weather dressed as Mary and Joseph and looking at the manger with the baby Jesus. I wanted to see her again, so I finally said, ‘I’m new to town, can you show me around?’
RM: That’s pretty good.
RM: You’re an expert at garage sales?
DJ: I’ve been thinking about hiring myself out as a garage sale consultant.
RM: I’m not sure any are in the area.
DJ: Yes. That’s why I’d be popular. I’d be in demand. I can sell anything that’s used.
RM: You’re a Star Wars aficionado?
DJ: I know more about Star Wars than the average person.
RM: We’ll find out. Which planet is Princess Leia from?
DJ: Alderaan.
RM: What are the first 10 words of the Star Wars lead-in?
DJ: 'A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...'
RM: Who saves Luke on the planet Hoth?
DJ: Han.
RM: After Luke is carried off by a ...
DJ: Wampa.
RM: Who is Darth Maul the apprentice of?
DJ: Darth Sidious.
RM: Where does Luke get shot while rescuing Han in Return of the Jedi?
DJ: Left hand.
RM: No! His right hand!
DJ: Blast!
RM: OK. I guess you do know Star Wars.
RM: You have a long resume of different jobs, from youth counselor to sales to movie projectionist to videography. It looks like you’ve done a bit of everything in the last 15 or 20 years.
DJ: If you talk to someone who’s hiring for a job, I don’t know how they’d look at that. Would they say ‘Boy, he’s got a lot of experience?’ or ‘Boy, he can’t hold down a job?’
RM: Hard to say.
DJ: There is a variety. They are all connected. The calling God gives us cannot be contained by any one job. Every customer service job I’ve ever had comes from my desire to help people. The projectionist thing comes from my love of movies.
RM: Are you playing in the Eagles Cancer Telethon this year?
DJ: I’m scheduled to perform one song, bright and early Sunday, January 15th at 6:25 a.m.
RM: Do you perform regularly?
DJ: I perform daily in my home. I don’t play out very much. Though maybe I should more, because I think Erin was a groupie when she first met me.
RM: You proposed to Erin with a song you wrote. What’s the last line?
DJ: Oh, boy. Let me think the song through. 'If you’ll have me, how sweet it would be ... Erin, if you’d marry me.'
RM: Yes. You needed to get that right.
RM: What’s your best Star Wars voice?
DJ: It’s a toss-up between Yoda and Chewbacca.
RM: Can you do one of them for me?
DJ: Let me think of what I should say ... [in an excellent Yoda voice]: Your questions they are good, yes? Mmmm.
RM: OK. Now I’ll do mine, although my wife says every impersonation I do sounds like Homer Simpson.
DJ: OK
RM [trying to do Yoda]: Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
DJ: It doesn’t sound like Homer Simpson. But I did know who you were trying to be.
RM: I would hope so. Here’s another: 'But I was gonna go to the Tachi Station to pick up some power converters!'
DJ: Now that sounds like Luke. You’ve got a good pre-Jedi Luke voice.
RM: That’s not really a compliment.