Accordions, Spurs, That Old Fart Bruce Springsteen, and Political Apathy-Turned-Activism with Jay Kutchma | Ep. 23
On episode 23 of The Buddy Ruski Show, Justin interviews musician Jay Kutchma.
On episode 23 of The Buddy Ruski Show, Justin interviews Jay Kutchma.
Jay is a musician hailing from Johnstown, Pennsylvania where his knack for music began with the smooth sounds of the accordion. (4:36) After high school, Jay took a hiatus from music. He earned a degree in biomedical engineering and eventually became a science teacher in the only other place that would hire him besides his hometown. That’s right: Durham Public Schools. (16:30)
After he left teaching, Jay reconnected with his love for music following a brief run at being a screenwriter. (23:58) We covered his influences (33:01) and what it was like building a music scene in 2010 Durham (45:53) This is where our stories crossover. Jay and my fabled roommate Tom Rau, a recurring character on this show, played in a band together in the early 2010s. I had the pleasure of seeing Jay perform on multiple occasions. We spent nights together talking about music, life, and of course, Durham.
Since 2016, Jay has lived in Idaho where he recently ran for political office. He said he was apathetic towards politics for most of his life, but the results of the 2016 election prompted him to become more involved. (1:16:58)
Check out Jay’s music on Bandcamp: https://jkutchma.bandcamp.com
***
As always, thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, be sure to share with your friends.
You can always find new episodes of this podcast and so much more at BuddyRuski.com. Make it a part of your regular content digest.
Follow on Twitter and Instagram: @buddyruski
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Jay is a musician hailing from Johnstown, Pennsylvania where his knack for music began with the smooth sounds of the accordion. (4:36) After high school, Jay took a hiatus from music. He earned a degree in biomedical engineering and eventually became a science teacher in the only other place that would hire him besides his hometown. That’s right: Durham Public Schools. (16:30)
After he left teaching, Jay reconnected with his love for music following a brief run at being a screenwriter. (23:58) We covered his influences (33:01) and what it was like building a music scene in 2010 Durham (45:53) This is where our stories crossover. Jay and my fabled roommate Tom Rau, a recurring character on this show, played in a band together in the early 2010s. I had the pleasure of seeing Jay perform on multiple occasions. We spent nights together talking about music, life, and of course, Durham.
Since 2016, Jay has lived in Idaho where he recently ran for political office. He said he was apathetic towards politics for most of his life, but the results of the 2016 election prompted him to become more involved. (1:16:58)
Check out Jay’s music on Bandcamp: https://jkutchma.bandcamp.com
***
As always, thank you for listening. If you like what you hear, be sure to share with your friends.
You can always find new episodes of this podcast and so much more at BuddyRuski.com. Make it a part of your regular content digest.
Follow on Twitter and Instagram: @buddyruski
