After a successful career as Panther, and three years as an assistant football coach at Mattoon High School, Maurer quit his teaching and coaching career to pursue a country music career in Nashville, Tenn.
At the time, Maurer and his then-fiancée Katie were living off of the summer pay he received from his former coaching job. Without a steady paycheck, he immediately went to lower Broadway, where all the music-friendly honky-tonks are located, and handed out his CDs to everyone he saw. Nothing came of that, and that could have been the end of Maurer's story, but this 2004 EIU graduate doesn't give up without a fight.
Instead of quitting, Maurer continued to try to break into Nashville's country music scene. He heard about open auditions that were being held at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a nightclub known for being the starting venue of many country music stars.
When he called to see what time the auditions were being held, he was told to be there in 10 minutes. Without a second thought, Maurer grabbed his guitar and was soon on stage with a band auditioning.
“We got really lucky,” Maurer said. He was hired on the spot and has been playing regular gigs since then.
Maurer's musical success doesn't end there. He started The Jake Maurer Band and plays every Friday, Saturday and Monday night at Tootsie's. Maurer also plays various other gigs throughout the week. He has also written six original songs to date.
“I love what I do,” Maurer said.
In the two years he's spent in Nashville, Maurer has faced many challenges. One he is still facing is networking.
“I am still working on meeting someone who can get me to where I want to be,” Maurer said. His goal is to be signed by a major record label, which is something that he says just takes time. “I just have to keep trying.”
Maurer is also working on collaborating with more well-known songwriters for some of his original songs.
His musical career has been difficult at times, but Maurer is a true fighter. He credits his parents and his wife for being extremely supportive of his choices.
“If my parents had been against it, I probably wouldn't have come, because I respect their opinion,” Maurer said.
His wife, Katie, a former EIU rugby player and National Strength and Conditioning All-American Athlete, is no quitter either. “She's got the steady job; she keeps our family going,” he says. When Maurer gets discouraged, Katie gives him the push to continue.
Maurer's football roots have also influenced his music career. Oddly enough, there are many similarities between being a starting linebacker and a musician.
“It's a constant competition. You're always looking to get better and take that next step. You have to put in the work that nobody sees,” he said, comparing weightlifting for football to practicing songwriting. “You can write 20 songs that suck, just for one that doesn't.”
His football career helped instill in him the tenacity needed to make it through challenging situations, he said. At EIU, he started off as second-string player, got injured, and had to keep working hard to be at the level of his peers. He credits coach Bob Spoo for teaching him to have the will to not quit or give up.
“He's a great man,” says Maurer of his former coach.
Maurer still gets on the gridiron once a year during his hometown's Turkey Ball game, where past players return to Metamora for a friendly holiday scrimmage. “I'm sore for about a month after,” he said, laughing.
He usually chooses more relaxing pursuits, such as fishing and his new hobby of playing golf, when he takes a break from the stage.
Maurer also has his hands full with Rocky, his newborn son, whom he said he expects will be a football player. “We kinda predestined him,” Maurer said.
Although none of his songs directly mention football, much of Maurer's song content is inspired by the small-town/football roots that he grew up knowing so well.
He is eager to share his music with his fellow alumni when he plays at the Rosebud Theatre in Effingham on Aug. 25 as part of the "Panthers on the Road" series sponsored by EIU Athletics and the EIU Alumni Association.
“It's awesome!” said Maurer. “I'm so excited about going back and playing for everybody.”
