Jason Castro (born March 25, 1987) is an American singer and finalist on season seven of the television series, American Idol. Born in Dallas, Texas, he currently resides in Rockwall, Texas. His parents are Colombian and he is the first person in his family to be born in the United States. Castro grew up playing drums and performed with a band called Keeping Lions. Before auditioning for American Idol, Castro was majoring in construction science at Texas A&M University. He plays guitar and drums in addition to singing. Jason attended Rowlett High School and graduated in 2005. He was a member of the high school soccer team. He auditioned out of Dallas, Texas. He wasn't aired much in the leadup to the finals for legal reasons from the songs he performed. He has stated that his musical influences include Ray Lamontagne and Kirk Baxley.