Jim Perona, ’08, shares stories about his personal challenges, including his diagnosis with MS in 2022, with audiences at his keynote concerts. (Photo credit: Lindsey Kay Photography)
For years, Jim Perona, ’08, has used music to connect with audiences, whether at a private wedding or party gig, or for a corporate event. It’s something that he loves to do and has built a successful career on.
A serious medical diagnosis in 2022 didn’t slow him down; instead, it moved him to add a skill to his resume: keynote speaking.
“My most significant move into keynote work came directly from lived experience,” he said. “In 2022, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which forced me to rethink how I practiced, how I performed and how I defined success. Continuing to perform at a high level meant learning how to adapt, stay focused and work within real limitations on a daily basis.”
Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s own immune system attacks the protective sheath that surrounds nerve endings. The disease affects people differently, but generally causes numbness, weakness, difficulty walking, vision changes and other symptoms.
When he began sharing his journey dealing with his MS diagnosis, Perona saw how deeply it resonated with his audiences.
“That response is what led me to develop keynote concerts,” he said. “They are not just performances; they are shared experiences that give people practical, human takeaways they can apply right away in their own high-pressure environments.”
The “keynote concerts” incorporate live music and storytelling.
“The keynote concerts are experiences that help people perform under pressure, navigate change, and reconnect with what truly matters to them,” he said. “I have spent more than a decade building a full-time performance career, playing hundreds of events that range from weddings and corporate gatherings to concert halls and senior living communities.
“Along the way, I noticed something that forced me to adapt to the senior living community performances: People were not only moved by the music itself, but by the stories behind it and the moments of connection those stories created. While I didn’t realize it at the time, this became the first indication that public speaking might be in my future.”
Growing up in suburban Wheaton, Illinois, Perona was the youngest of six kids in a very musical home.
“Music was my first passion, and becoming a musician became my second passion,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t enough to just experience music as a listener – I needed to be on that stage, performing and making a positive impact on people’s lives.”
Perona initially wanted to learn to play the drums, but his brother Tony, ’97, gave him some advice.
“He said, ‘Jimmy, you should try the guitar first, because an unplugged electric guitar is so quiet that mom and dad will never hear you playing way past your bedtime,’” he said. “That was all the convincing I needed to pivot to the guitar.”
Perona ultimately earned a Bachelor of Music degree specializing in classical guitar performance from NIU. He also received an associate degree in music from the College of DuPage and, after graduating from NIU, earned a Master of Music degree with academic honors specializing in classical guitar performance from the New England Conservatory of Music.
When it came time to decide on where to attend college, Perona was accepted at other schools, but he wanted to attend NIU.
The fact that Tony was an alumnus was one reason, but another was that guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque was a professor at NIU at the time. Haque, who taught at NIU for nearly 30 years, retired from teaching in 2018.
“I was also accepted at Roosevelt and DePaul, but I felt the strongest connection with Fareed Haque,” Perona said.
Haque would become a mentor to Perona, teaching him not only about music but about the music business.
“Fareed Haque was my private classical guitar instructor, as well as the classical guitar ensemble director, transcription guru, and so much more,” he said. “One of the greatest things Fareed implemented in me and the rest of his students was going through the process of booking performances. This became a foundational exercise and without it, it would’ve taken me longer to gain momentum with my performance career.”
Perona also praised associate professor Ed Klonoski, his music theory teacher.
“The way he articulated high-level music theory concepts has stayed with me,” he said.
Perona was also a senior at NIU during the Feb. 14, 2008, mass shooting that occurred at Cole Hall. Perona remembers the Huskies who supported those who needed it most during a dark time.
“The overwhelming outpour of support, togetherness, and bravery among the staff is something I’ll never forget,” he said. “In what was obviously a horrific, terribly sad day, there were so many people who went out of their way to lift others up. To be of service. To try and make others laugh. Experiencing so much light in a dark time gave me a powerful sense of perspective that I carry with me.”
During his time at NIU, Perona also enjoyed attending football games – he recalled Garrett Wolfe “running rampant on opposing teams” – and played in a rock band that regularly played gigs at the House Café and Otto’s in downtown DeKalb.
“I made so many friends at NIU that remain close friends to this day,” he said. “I also spent way too much money at Vinny’s Pizza and Tom & Jerry’s. That $4.50 garlic beef wrap and fries special was dangerous, in the best possible way.”
Being a live performer comes with its share of challenges, but like any Huskie, Perona shows his perseverance as a professional.
“Especially since I do a lot of outdoor weddings throughout the year, there’s always unique weather challenges that can present themselves: rain, cold weather, overwhelmingly hot weather, which can be especially challenging with my multiple sclerosis,” he said. “Over time, I’ve learned to adjust to those situations as best I can, as my overall goal is always to put in the exceptional performance that the client deserves.”
The challenge with keynote concerts, he said, is standing out as a public speaker and offering a unique experience.
“My approach of mixing live music, storytelling, crowd engagement, and tangible and intangible takeaways has been a crucial factor in standing out, so that certainly helps,” he said.
The rewards, however, are incredibly rich.
“Since I mostly perform at private events, it’s deeply rewarding to be the soundtrack to a significant day in someone’s life,” he said. “Whether it’s a wedding, anniversary, funeral, celebration of life, retirement party, graduation party, and many more, it’s never lost on me that these are incredibly special, landmark days for the people holding the event. I do not take that lightly and remain committed to playing my heart out for every event I’m hired for. It’s what the client deserves.”
There’s a special reward to the keynote concerts.
“My MS story has helped so many others approach their own daily struggles with refined focus, optimism and determination,” he said. “To that end, it’s made what once felt like a constantly miserable, incurable autoimmune disease become something I’m building with. Keynote concerts have provided a silver lining, and I can now be of service to organizations, associations, seminars, conventions, leadership retreats, conventions and more.”
This is just one example of how NIU empowers students to become leaders who shape tomorrow’s world. Discover how NIU is fortifying our future at niuforward.com.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source niutoday.info ’
