Jason A. Saugey serves as Director of Music and Worship Ministries at First United Methodist Church, Conway, Arkansas. He studied organ performance with D. Campbell Johnson at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and, as an Elizabeth Fulbright Scholar, Early and Baroque keyboard technique with Karl-Friedrich Wagner at the Päpstliche Kirchenmusikschule in Regensburg, Germany. He has served as organist for Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations both in the United States and in Germany. Jason has been a guest organist both with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and has appeared at the Clinton Presidential Library on the ASO’s River Rhapsodies chamber music series and has been a featured soloist and collaborative musician on the ASO online music broadcasts Bedtime with Bach and Midday Music. He has performed on the St. Luke’s Festival of the Senses in North Little Rock and on the Trinity Presents concert series at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Besides degrees in Organ Performance and Classical Studies (Summa cum laude), Jason holds the Master of Arts in German Language and Literature from the University of Arkansas and is instructor of German Language at the Community Language School of the University of Central Arkansas, Conway. Jason has served as the Dean of the Central Arkansas Chapter American Guild of Organists and has earned the AGO Colleague certificate. He serves on the board of the Arkansas Handbell Association, and is also a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Church Music Association of America, the honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and the Society of German-American Studies.

Jason is a collector of off-beat and unusual art, works by Arkansas and Louisiana artists, and antique books of mainstream and banned literature. Jason has read every crime-thriller by German author Sebastian Fitzek, is an unabashed fan of Volker Kutscher’s Babylon Berlin novels, enjoys the controversial writing of German feminist Alice Schwarzer, and the poignant social commentary of Elke Heidenreich. When he’s not reading, searching for choral anthems, teaching students, or playing the organ, Jason knits socks or spends time relaxing with a cup of freshly brewed Cafe Bustelo. Local eatery recommendations: BMB Creations (the Roast Beef Po-Boy), Cross Creek Sandwich Shop (the Triple Decker Club), and Rogue Roundabout (the Pimento Cheese & Fried Green Tomato Sandwich). For the best people-watching: Blue Sail Coffee. For in-between-rehearsals coffee: Round Mountain. For the best Morrissey/Suzanne Vega vibe in Conway: Streetside Crêperie (the Monte Cristo). Jason is known for his humorous quips and observations. Members of the Chancel Choir maintain a running list of them.