Jerards earliest influence was the band led by his parents called the 20th Century Movement Band. This band wrote and recorded the original Hot Pants, which was later made famous by James Brown. Encouraged by his mother to excel in all things musical, Jerard started to listen and be inspired by all the top R&B, Latin, Soul, Gospel, and Jazz albums. continued to be influenced by musicianss such as Santana, Mandrill, the Stylistics, Earth, Wind, and Fire, and James Brown, along with drummers Philly Joe Jones, Buddy Miles, Bernard Purdie, and Buddy Rich. Spurred on by his elementary school music teacher in second grade Jerard started to develop expertise in a wide variety of music and styles.
His high school teacher, Mel Duchin, cousin of world-renowned band leader Peter Duchin, was a Julliard School of Music scholar and saw the kind of player that Jerard was quickly becoming and started to teach him drumming skills that would take him to the next level in his playing. Jerard made drum captain in his freshman year of high school. Leading his drumline to many marching band competitions. His section won best drumline many times. He continued to excel in jazz band, concert band, gosple choir and performance arts under Mr. Duchin and Glenwood C. Collins, another music teacher and disciple of the Max Roach and Freddie Waites school of drumming, began to put him in pro situations such as the Jazzmobile under Freddie Waites.
After high school, Jerard began his professional career, working with top artists in R&B, Jazz, Gospel, and Funk music. He has shared the stage with such artists as Jennifer Holiday, Vanessa Bell-Armstrong, Glenn Jones, Donovan Jackson, Alison Williams, Desiree Coleman, Dorothy Norwood, Dionne Farris, and Eddie Hazel of Parliament-Funkadelic fame, and Greg Fitz of Bootsys Rubber Band and Quazar.
He is currently on a four-year world tour with 2005 Grammy Award winner Little Louie Vega and the Elements of Life band, which has been touring along with top artist in the business such as Richard Boner, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, Robert Plant and Mos Def. The EOL band has played with some of the worlds top festivals from the likes of Montreux jazzfest, (Switzerland), North Sea jazzfest (Netherlands) Rocklide (Denmark) Blue Note (Japan) jazzcafe (London) Capetown jazz fest (So. Africa) The legendary New Morning café (Paris. Pecussion Maddness tour along with Luisito Quintero, Chops Horn the band in support of the album Blowout which features Jerard along with Dennis Chambers, Bernie Worrell, and Darryl Dixon.
He has also worked with Kevin Jones and the Tenth World, he is musical director for world-renowned dance artist L.T. Brown, and has toured with the Lillette Jenkins Jazz Trio. He has also written, produced, and performed the music for commercials created for the New Jersey Public Announcement and for various artists in Gospel, R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz. His influences still continue to be Dennis Chambers, Buddy Rich, Harvey Mason, Steve Gadd, Lenny White, and Billy Cobham.