Son of the noted organist, H.W. Hawke, Jason became somewhat musically rebellious at an early age. Playing woodwinds in various orchestras and bands throughout his youth, the “crowning blow” came when he co-created and played saxophone in Eastern Ontario’s first rock rock’n’roll band, The Chevrons. Schooled at Algonquin College in Ottawa to lead a life in electronics, Jason’s employment with the Canadian Defense Research Board was destined to end due to some kind of musical calling. Following his future wife, who was studying music in New York City, they both indulged a passion for early music.

In the city Jason began performing on woodwinds of an ancient sort, recorder, krumhorn, rackett, kortholtz, etc., studying with Ken Wolitz, Martha Bixler, Shelly Gruskin and others. He received a full scholarship to study and perform in the New York Pro Musica Collegium. As a member of The Aeolian and West Side Consorts he performed throughout the North East, as well as with many noted musicians, among whom were Tina Chauncy, Lucy Bardo, Ben Harms, Ray Rosenstock and Billy Zuckoff.

When the Hawkes moved to Florida, Jason, continued finding and cultivating musicians who shared his love of early music. As instrumental Director of the Renaissance performance groups, The Troupe and The Lords and Ladies, he assisted in creating costumed presentations of music and dance which were performed in various settings throughout the state. As co-founder of the Greensward Consort, as well as other similar groups, his emphasis was on performance of Baroque music. He studied consort performance with John Robison at The University of South Florida and viola da gamba privately with Marjorie Bram MacPhillamy and Leslie Retzer. Jason was frequently employed to present workshops of recorder ensembles in South Florida.

Coming back to Canada, Jason soon found others interested in anachronistic music. Joining the Quinte Consort, he continued to perform and present lecture demonstrations of period music and instruments. He taught the woodwind instruments, flute, clarinet, saxophone and recorder for The Renaissance, Kingston, Winston Churchill, Gift of Music and Grenville Christian College schools of music. As a member of the Queens University Collegium Musicum, he furthered his studies of sixteenth century notation and ornamentation. As founding member and musical director of the Renaissance performance group Musick’s Pleasures, he co-created theatrical presentations of costumed music and dance. Most recently, Jason has co-founded the Baroque ensemble 415 Eh ?, a group dedicated to performing Baroque music at the lower pitch of A 415.

He continues performing with The Quinte Consort, as well as by invitation, and remaining true to his band roots, Jason is a member of the unique Lasalle Concert Band, in which he plays bassoon and clarinet.