DEKHED: Juan C and The Key Limes perform on Facebook
By ELSA CAVAZOS
Staff Writer
HARLINGEN — Live entertainment does not always require breaking the shelter-in-place order.
Juan Carlos Jackson, alongside his wife Stephanie and daughter Isabella, 14, has a band called “Juan C and The Key Limes.”
During shelter-in-place times, the band has been playing live sets on their Facebook page from Monday to Friday at 11 a.m.
Isabella is the drummer, Juan is the singer and guitar player and Stephanie is the base player.
Juan is a guitar and music teacher. He said while working with children he began to come up with songs for kids.
“I started to write songs about things kids would say,” Juan said.
“From then on Juan C and The Key Limes started,” he said.
The band has been playing for four years, and Juan said they have played at the Children’s Museum in Brownsville, the Ronald McDonald House in Harlingen and the public library.
“We really enjoy what we do. It is a good family activity for us,” he said.
Because they are not allowed to play live events at public places, the band decided to begin this new online entertainment.
“We thought it would be a wonderful idea to broadcast the music I teach to them during the day. To give them a little chance to move around and shake it off,” he said.
“It is rough sitting around all day at your house,” Juan said.
People from Nebraska, California, Brazil and Dallas have reached out to Juan to support what he and his family have been doing, he said.
Coincidentally, Juan’s daughter attended the Scripp’s National Spelling Bee last year representing the Rio Grande Valley.
“I am a firm believer music is the way to communicate. If we may have nothing in common, if we have music that is something we can talk about,” Juan said.
Creativity and enforcing family activities is what motivated Juan and his own family to play live every day.
“Arts sometimes are not pushed on kids these days but we need it. Especially at a time like this, we need to be creative. This is an excellent opportunity for that,” he said.
“I thank everyone for tuning in and the outpouring of love we have been getting. I am hoping after this is over, we will continue to do our broadcast,” Juan said.
