Jason Ketter

Ketter Uncovered

Dual Campus Director of Technology Jason Ketter’s lifelong musical aspirations take shape as the construction of his recording studio wraps up. BY TARA JUNGDEN REPORTER

Six MacBook Airs line the tabletop. He shuffles from one end Jim Ketter, during construction and nearly killed him. The staircase to the other squinting at the screens and hurriedly clicking, crushed the entire right side of his body. completing the process of downloading software on the new “He’s actually recuperated shockingly well,” Ketter said. “It was debate laptops. pretty much a miracle. He was bleeding internally for about a month, Tasks like this seem trivial with years of technological experience and he went through ridiculous amounts of blood, but he came from DeVry University and traveling the world with NASA’s Space around and he’s doing great.” Science Education Center under his belt. He is more than qualified As this long, hard, 12-year-process begins to yield visible results, to solve just about any technological request or problem Sion could Jason’s wife, Traci Ketter, said the project’s completion is something ever have. But computer repair is far from the leading component in they’ve all been looking forward to. his life. “It will be very exciting when it’s done as it seems like whenever Known last year as the new guy with a baby strapped to his we got over one mountain, there was another one right there ready back, much about Director of Technology Jason Ketter was a for us to climb,” Traci said. “[However,] I am very excited...It has been mystery to students and remains so despite his ever growing presence Jason’s dream since he was in high school.” in classrooms as Wifi disconnects, Between working full-time at desktops fail, and smartboards refuse “We had all taken this hiatus to get Sion, playing music, spending time to turn on. Growing up in a small town in Ashlyn, Missouri, Ketter’s main source of entertainment was music. married and have kids, but we’re starting to play again. So I have this, ‘Dad band’ now.” with the family, and assisting in the studio’s construction, there’s hardly a free moment in Ketter’s life. “It’s definitely stressful at times... He and his brother started a band -Jason Ketter, Director of Technology But as far as spending time with the in high school and loved making family, we want our kids to grow up music so much that they decided they understanding the value of hard work, and taking joy in working wanted to start their own record label. Come time for university, his hard, so we’ve kind of combined hobby work, playing music, and brother went to William Jewell College to cover the business side of quality family time,” Traci said. music making while Jason attended DeVry University to be able to As for his own music, Ketter has recently started playing again. take care of the technical spectrum. “We [previous band members and himself] had all taken this

“We were gonna start a record label because we were really hiatus to get married and have kids, but we’re starting to play again. disappointed in the [Christian] music industry at that time. We really So I have this, ‘Dad Band,’ now,” Ketter said. thought we were gonna make it big...We wanted to make a label that Ketter’s new house has a sound proofed room in the basement was really about the music,” Ketter said. for his drum set, so he and his band can rehearse there without

Believe it or not, Ketter is still fighting for his dream, pushing disturbing his family. through the long hours of his full-time, dual campus job and raising “We’ve kind of changed up our music style. We’re going more three young children at home. folkish; more Americano; kind of old timey which is fun,” Ketter said.

“We’re almost done with our recording studio. It’s an old ice Between music, education, and family, the elements in Ketter’s house building, and we’ve passed all of our city inspections. We’re hectic life are always shifting. However, the chaos is not necessarily currently hanging dry wall so it’ll be done here in the next couple a bad thing. months. I’m pretty excited,” Ketter said of the 12 year project. “Jason and I will always be those people who are doing the work

Despite the project’s satisfactory outcome, the process has had of about 10 people; it’s just our nature,” Traci said. “I wouldn’t have it its setbacks. Last August a staircase in the studio fell on Jason’s dad, any other way.”