By Jenna McGovern
When he learned how to play the Indonesian gong ensemble instrument called the gamelan, Jason Cathcart discovered how to describe his time at UC Santa Barbara: amplifying.
“In western culture there are four directions but in Indonesian culture, there are five,” said Cathcart, a 22-year-old Music student who is graduating this June. “There’s North, West, South, East and Center — the self. The gong will amplify whatever you bring to it. If you bring a calm, positive vibe to the gong when you strike it, it’ll amplify that to the rest of the room. That’s how I feel UCSB is.”
Jason Cathcart is a graduating fourth-year student and a photographer, artist, and studio recording technician.
Cathcart has both sung and played instruments in his classes. He is a rapper, a juggler, a magician, a math tutor, and a chess player. As a studio recording technician, photographer, Spotify artist and Poets’ Club president, it’s clear the arts play a vital role Cathcart’s life.
Now, the Ventura native has recently launched his own poetry magazine. Cathcart sat down for an interview recently to discuss the magazine, how UCSB shaped his music career and interests, and his plans for what’s next after graduation.
Q: OK, let’s get the record straight: How many instruments do you play?
A: Oh, that’s a complicated question because it depends on how you count instruments. I play around maybe 10, but some of them are more prominent than others. Piano is my favorite, especially jazz piano, which I’ve been playing since I was seven. It's the only one I’ve gotten lessons for really, besides recent instruments in university classes. I’ve played piano in jazz ensemble here. I also play guitar — electric and acoustic. And bass and ukulele.
But do you count all of those as separate instruments? Ukulele is also similar to the jarana, which is a Mexican folk instrument that was taught here my freshman year. And then I also got really into gamelan here as well. Oh, and drums, I like the drum set. Also mandolin — I picked that up last week.
Q: How did you get started in music?
Music major Jason Cathcart, 22, performs at a live music event off-campus in Isla Vista.
A: Well, my dad is “the” guitarist. His dad is “the original” guitarist. My dad always tells the story as a progression through the generations: my grandpa can play any song in the books but he only knows open chords. My dad took it to the next level and learned bar chords–he can dance all over the fretboard. Me? I learned everything past that. Jazz chords, weird inversions, sevenths, ninths, things my dad has no clue about.
Q: Will there be anything left for the next generation if you were to have a kid?
A: Oh, yes, there’s always something more. I’m hoping they’ll at least know how to solo.
Q: Tell me about being president of Poets’ Club at UCSB.
A: So, it’s Poets’ with an apostrophe and an “s” because it’s not a club about the poetry, but rather a club about the poets. And the apostrophe goes after the “s” because it belongs to the poets, not just to any one poet, but it’s the people that make the club. I joined in 2019, my freshman year, and I got elected as president at the end of last school year.
Q: I know the Poets’ Club runs a table on campus for writing personalized poems. What’s that been like?
A: Sometimes during tabling we get some really funny prompts. Some of the “worst” ones I won’t even put my name on. We write them in five minutes and often people will request the most outlandish topics or simply just tell us about their night.
Q: Do you have any favorite courses you’ve taken here?
A: Music in Documentary Film with David Novak. It was such a good class. It brought up so many complicated notions, especially about the intersection of music and film. The other class is Poetry and Community with Rick Benjamin. He takes time with introductions in class. Getting to know each other is the first step to learning. If you’re not comfortable with your classmates, you won’t be comfortable giving feedback to them. Rick focuses on having that sense of community which really facilitates learning. The final class is The Catalyst magazine with Brian Donnelly. It’s a literary arts magazine and my poetry was featured earlier this year–it’s displayed in the library now.
Q: What was the process for creating the personal poetry magazine, called Dizziness, Great!, that you just released?
A: It’s been on my senior year bucket list and really, I’ve been waiting all college to make it. I have Buster Buchanan’s, a since-graduated member of Poets’ Club, ‘zine from 2021 hanging on my wall which inspired me. After 10 prototypes, I made 50 finals in total and now they all belong to someone else. There are six poems in total, some from the Poetry and Community class and some from tabling. They’re all about growing up too fast.
Jason Cathcart’s poetry magazine titled “Dizziness, Great!” includes his own poetry and art.
The table of contents in Jason Cathcart’s personal poetry magazine “Dizziness, Great!” which features six poems.
Q: Is there another one in the works?
A: I’m looking forward to it. I’ll have to see what I cook up this quarter in Rick’s other class, Poetry of the Spirit. After I ran out of the first ‘zine, everyone was like, “Awe, I couldn’t get a copy, you’d better make more.”
Q: How has your time at UCSB affected your interests?
Jason Cathcart’s passions go from playing instruments, to writing and poetry. He can often be spotted on campus showing his skills in the Juggling Club during his free time.
A: I came with a love for music and an interest in poetry. Now I’m leaving married to music and writing poetry every day. The Chess Society here got me into chess competitively, and Sound Society was great for music production and all of the people I’ve met. It’s not just about the clubs and classes, but the people I’ve met have helped me take my interests so much further.
Q: What are your current goals? Any in particular for after graduation?
A: I’m figuring it out. My current goal is to get a job to pay the bills–maybe someday teach music, especially to kids, or get my masters. I want to take things one step at a time while doing everything I love on the side.
Q: How about your biggest goal?
A: Having any sort of property where I can record and have other people over to record. I would somehow find the cure to my cat allergy and have a lovely partner and a cat. And just be happy, be able to take my time and live every day differently. I just hope to never stop creating.
Jenna McGovern is a third-year student at UC Santa Barbara, majoring in Communication and pursuing the Professional Writing Minor. She conducted this interview for her Digital Journalism course.