Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

Gandalf is an internationally acclaimed composing musician and producer from Vienna Austria identified as a New Age, Contemporary Instrumental and World artist.  During the past 30 years of his career, his progressive music and global persona has helped neutralize the customary social borders in multicultural music for years.

Gandalf is currently planning  a future orchestration to celebrate his 30 year Anniversary in 2011 and this composition will become the centerpiece to mark the celebrations.  There is also a live performance in Vienna scheduled to accent the occasion of his milestone achievement and becomes the first topic for discussion during this 2010 interview published prior to his 30 year anniversary.

The affiliate website hosts for NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com are excited to bring our visitors the present day interview John Olsen has conducted with this global musician and invite all visitors and fans to learn even more on our respective website pages dedicated to Gandalf.

John :  I wanted to first thank you myself Gandalf, and on behalf of our visitors for taking time away from your more creative endeavors.  I feel certain our visitors and your fans do appreciate this present day opportunity to learn more about you and the outstanding music you produce.

Many are already anticipating your 30 year anniversary you have slated for 2011 which will be here before long, and currently you are planning a new orchestration project with live performance in Vienna to accent your milestone achievement.  Is everything being kept a secret for now or can you provide some details about your next orchestration and the live concert event scheduled for 2011  ?

Gandalf :  At this stage I don´t want to tell much in detail about the new project, this will all be presented due to the launch of  the album and the concert in 2011.

The composition is meant to be the essence of my musical excerience and development in the past three decades.  The leading instruments are guitars, piano and percussion, a small symphonic orchestra (woodwinds and strings) and a male choir.

The work is in good progress, a lot has already happened, but there is still much to do.  Currently I am finishing the orchestral score, the recordings are planned in October.  The album producton shall be finished until the end of this year.

John :  Thank you for the insight you have provided.  Your 20 year anniversary was quite extraordinary which included your first live performance in Vienna and the CD / DVD collection on the BSC Music label titled Live In Vienna.  Would you describe what your first live concert felt like on a personal level and was your first stage performance the positive experience you had imagined  ?

Gandalf :  Actually, this DVD/CD is the first official release of recordings from a performance in Vienna, of course there have taken place a lot of performances prior to this one.  My really first big performance in Vienna was in 1982, when the album Visions was released.  I had just started my career a year before and the reponse from the audience was a real sensation, the concert was completely sold out (more than thousand people) and the album climbed up to #2 in the album charts over night.  This was far beyond my imagination!  It was just great and lifted my motivation to continue with my work.

John :  In addition to your studio recordings you began venues of live solo concerts on acoustic guitar and piano in the United States, along with live concerts in Austria, the Netherlands, and during  Woodroot Festival in Germany.  With the increasing number of venues, are live performances more rewarding for you as a musician than studio recording, and if so why  ?

Gandalf :  A live performance can not be compared to anything else, this is where the music happens in the very moment.  Today performing live is more important for me than ever.  If you record an album in the studio you spend much time to get your performance recorded as perfect as possible, on stage you only have this one chance and that is the fascination about it, no song sounds exactly the same twice, you never know what is going to happen every other night.  And sometimes there is real magic and you can feel it from the first note you play and the audience can feel it.  I would not want to miss this.

A live performance can not be compared to anything else, this is where the music happens in the very moment.  Today performing live is more important for me than ever.

Gandalf

John :  What was the early turning point where you decided to pursue music as a career and could you tell us about your music history throughout the years  ?

Gandalf :  After having played in various Progressive-Rock lineups during the Seventies I found out that I had a musical vision which I could not realize with a conventional band so I started experimenting in a very simply equipped studio at home just on my own, playing and recording all instruments by myself.  And this was the first time I really felt satisfied about my work so I recorded my first album  Journes To An Imaginary Land  and my friends were so enthusistic about the result, that I played the material to someone from a record-company and I got a contract.

That´s how it happened, I  just followed my intuition and after some time I realized that I was able to make my living from making exactly the music I played out of my heart.   

John :  The Gates to Secret Realities was the transitional album during your move to World music influences.  What was the defining moments or reasons for your decision to begin composing World influenced music  ?

Gandalf :  My travels to India and other countries opened up my horizon and I found out more and more, that music is a universal language.  It has the ability to dissolve borders between different cultures.  There were so many elements in music from other parts of the world that inspired me and I wanted to integrate such influences and expand my personal style, trying to create some kind of a Global Music.

John :  During your continental travels, what experiences and ethnic cultures have led you to discover and then recognize music as the unifying source that indeed helps abolish the boundaries in various musical styles and categories  ?

Gandalf :  The first special encounters I had in India when I jammed with musicians there.  We were not able to communicate much by words because of our different languages, but we had so much fun communicating through music.

Also on my Brazilian tour in 1995, I could not speak Portugese at all, but the music opened up the hearts of people and the feedback was amazing.

This was where I met Emily Burridge from England. She had lived with a Tribe of Indians for a while and was very inspired by there way af looking at the world and their rituals. So when we played together in Brazil, we decided to record an album together, and this was Gates …

John :  You are referred to as The Painter of Musical Landscapes plus your music has a story to tell.  What thoughts, images or message do you hope your listeners will acquire from your music and what are the ideal circumstances where you are most productive in composing music  ?

Gandalf :  Nature is the most imortant source of inspiration for me, this is where I find my balance and open the channels of my creativity.

Over the years I found out, that the music already tells its story, whether I am aware of this or not.  It reflects my inner landscapes and feelings.  If you for example play it to children and let them paint, the pictures that come out show symbols of love, peace and hapiness, so there is not much else I need to tell people besides the music itself.  Sometimes a story that accompanies the music is nice but not really necessary.

John :  Your music has been featured in television and video media productions.  I wondered if you find visual scores more challenging to produce than your more traditional album compositions, and how do they differ when you begin composing  ?

Gandalf :  It is just, that your inspiration is initialized by a different source.  If there is a certain story you want to express by your music, you first must get fully into the story and then, the pictures or the words will evoke musical ideas.

Sometimes books can be inspiring, I did project with lyrics from The Prophet by the Libanese writer Khalil Gibran, and also wrote a soundtrack to the book The Stones Of Wisdom by a friend of mine, Ronald P. Vaughan.

Basically, every impression in your life can be an inspiration for a new piece of music.  On fair in Los Angeles I once met a painter, he told me that he is creating visual songs, so I said, I am creating audible pictures.

Over all the years I tried to follow my musical vision as honest as possible and did not try to adjust to any market or trend-situation and I think this is one of the reasons, why I am still here.  If you try to bend your personal way due to fast changing marketing situations, you may  soon get lost.

Gandalf

John :  In the early years you were highly regarded mainly in Europe and other countries prior to your current widespread recognition and status in U.S. markets.  Did acquiring a presence in broader international markets influence your music style to fit European or American tastes or was your transition to each country non apparent in your music identity  ?

Gandalf :  I never really cared much about such matters, it happened more the other way round. When my musical style changed throughout the years it became more or less interesting for different markets.  For example, back in the Eighties when I had some Spanish guitar on the opening track of the album The Universal Play it suddenly was released in Spain and South America.  Over all the years I tried to follow my musical vision as honest as possible and did not try to adjust to any market or trend-situation and I think this is one of the reasons, why I am still here.  If you try to bend your personal way due to fast changing marketing situations, you may  soon get lost.

John :  Again, Thank You Gandalf.  B.T. Fasmer and I do appreciate this present day opportunity to present our visitors this interview and we will both continue writing more about you in the future.  Before we go, is there anything you would like to tell your fans or bring up we haven’t mentioned  ?

Gandalf :  I just want to thank you and everyone who helps promoting my works and all my fans for purchasing my records and thus helping me to carry on with the music.

We now invite everyone to visit the gandalf.at homepage then read his biography page.  Visit BSCMusic.com website to purchase / sample his music, then read our pages dedicated to Gandalf.

Steve Orchard is our interview guest today at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com and we welcome our visitors and Steve’s fans to read the recent interview John Olsen has prepared with this outstanding musician.  We invite everyone to learn even more on our pages dedicated to Steve Orchard.

John :  Thank You for sharing a moment of your time with us today Steve.  B.T. Fasmer and I appreciate this opportunity and I am certain your fans are excited to have this chance to find out more about you too.  Steve, would you provide a timeline description of your music studies beginning with your earliest introduction to the present  ?

Steve Orchard :  Yes, Well I probably go back to piano lessons at 7 years old and then combining guitar lessons at 8.  My one fault would be that I have always been an impatient, inquisitive player of various musical instruments always wanting to discover how things worked quickly and then improvise.  As my Father would say, “Jack of all trades and master of none”.

I played a pretty mean trumpet in the school band and enjoyed singing in the church choir.  My family was very musical.  I had an aunt who was a piano teacher.  When she regularly visited us, from Birmingham, she would want to hear my progress.  She once nearly keeled over when I produced the sheet music for What a Day for a Daydream by The Lovin’ Spoonful ! Outrageous !!!

One side of the family were very properly trained with piano & violin playing and into classical and show tunes, whereas my other granddad was a pub pianist.  He ‘vamped’ and ‘boogiewoogied’ his stuff and played harmonica at Christmas parties…. It was hilarious when I think back.  It seemed to me that he was more joyous in his approach to music.  It’s a belief I still hold today that made me a little rebellious in my approach to making my own music.  At an early age I bent a wire coat hanger so I could play harmonica & guitar at the same time, just like Dylan & Donovan.  It only resulted in me nearly losing an eye and breaking a tooth.  I was the school ‘show-off’ doing plays & pantomimes and guess I fancied a career in something to do with the performing arts.  Like most kids I was influenced by the pop of that generation.

 I was into that ‘Hippy’ thing and meditated, burnt incense and read a lot of Buddhism….

Steve Orchard

In my teens I enjoyed the diversity of progressive rock, like Yes & The Moody Blues, also the gentle folksy guitar melodies of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, plus the piano troubadours Billy Joel & Elton John & also, the early electronic sounds of Tomita & Mike Oldfield.  I was into that ‘Hippy’ thing and meditated, burnt incense and read a lot of Buddhism…. Took myself a bit too seriously!  I was a bit of a ‘geek’ and lived for my music writing little tunes with terrible pretentious lyrics from about 15, spotty, years old.   

John :  You are a member of the Medwyn Goodall circle of friends as a MG Music label artist.  Can you tell us some of your experiences as a member and what it is like to be a MG Label artist ?

Steve Orchard :  I first heard Medwyn Goodall’s Druid in the July of 1991, in an art gallery in St. Ives Cornwall.  It just blew me away and couldn’t put it in any category that I recognized.  It was more than music… It was an awesome soundscape and I just knew that it fit me like a glove.  I bought it instantly from the gallery on cassette, to play on my ‘state of the art’ Walkman!!  When I returned from my holiday I bought it again from New World, on CD.  And so began a long period of buying up anything to do with Medwyn Goodalls music.

My wife Julie & I started to correspond with Medwyn and he graciously autographed all our CD’s.  He was very open and quite funny.  I’ve kept everything he ever sent me, every doodle and every ditty, including all the Christmas cards ( worth a fortune on Ebay …. only joking )  In our early letters ( this was before emails ) I never told Medwyn that I was a musician, thinking that he may feel I was “chasing my own ambitions”…. unthinkable I know but musicians have been known to do it !!!  ha ha ha

I think I broke the news very humbly, without wanting to sound ‘pushy’ and tarnish this rather lovely correspondence that we were enjoying. He invited me to send anything anytime …. WELL !!!  Boy, did I send him some rubbish, poor guy.  I hadn’t found my NEW AGE feet yet and although I enjoyed this new genre, I couldn’t quite capture it in my own compositions.  He was my mentor, DEFINITELY.  He guided me, no doubt, to where I am today.  After a few stumbles, falls, and many experimental tracks, I sent a track called Lull in The Storm from something I was working on called The Consequences of Kisses album.  He invited me to produce a new project for MG Music !!!

You can imagine that this was a dream come true.  To be working for the man that I had held in such high esteem for so many years.  I soon discovered the family at MG Music is a wonderful bunch and all the other artists swap ideas and tips generally between us.  The amazing Paul Sills soon became a great friend & Charmaine, his wife & Meina, his daughter, travelled down to spend an enjoyable weekend with us.  We had discussions late into the night and played each other’s new or experimental tracks whilst the rest of the world slept.

I realize how unpretentious and genuine all the MG artists are.  Chris Green and I talk on the phone regularly ( very clever & funny guy ) then Simon Lovelock & Clifford White have spent ‘time out’ to critique and give ‘sound’ advice, both brilliant technicians of the art.  In the past I have found musicians to be very protective and guarded with their work but not here.  The wonderful thing is, we are all so different and diverse yet all the same family, producing a vast mix of choices within the same genre, all under the safe and knowledgeable direction of the man himself, Medwyn Goodall.  Be warned budding New Age composers, he will not accept second best on his label. 

 John :  In your own words Steve, how would you best describe your music and what are the main components that uniquely sets your music apart from not only MG label artists, but so many other New Age musicians  ?

Steve Orchard :  My music almost always originates from a guitar base and is then transcribed onto keyboards.  I find the guitar a comfortable friend that I can embrace quietly without any sense of rushing to ‘lay down’ on paper or in the studio.  Sometimes I live with a melody for months before it develops into a workable phrase or shape.

I have a terrible bad habit of not documenting tracks I have recorded. I have folders, in my studio, bursting with hastily scribbled chords and lyrics…. Someday I may return to them for inspiration, that’s if I can decipher them, but I hate going back.  I prefer to always look forward with my writing.  In the making of Raindancer I did a lot of research into the South American rainforest and I story boarded ideas & concepts onto the walls of my studio.  Another strict rule I have is I never ever go into the studio unless I am in a happy, contented mood.  I like to think that when you listen to a Steve Orchard album that, my positive optimism shines through.  Sundancer was almost entirely written in my garden during the summer of 2009.  It’s sunnier than a ripe melon !!!  As Medwyn says, it has lots of energy & warmth.  I think his buzz word for the album was ENERGY !! 

John :  During the early years in Bristol your music was played on BBC Radio and utilized in music scores for various media programming.  In what ways has your music been featured  ?

Steve Orchard :  It seems like a life time ago now but in the 70′s I was in a very popular duo of the time called Mossy, with musical partner Barry Webb ( he’ll be pleased I mentioned his name. )  We played a residency in the cellar bar, at the notorious Bristol Arts Centre.  It was a mixture of folk covers and our own written ‘offerings’.  We earned a lot of respect locally and had a loyal following amongst the local artists, musicians & regional TV personalities ( I seem to remember being invited and attending a lot of crazy parties )  We were also good ‘fodder’ for the colleges and festivals.  At that time we did 3 half hour shows for BHBS radio which led to a spot on BBC’s Friday Folk Nights.  BHBS were still playing the jingle we did for them up until a few years ago ( probably when the tape finally disintegrated ) We had a lot of fun but mutually called it a day in 1980 when we both had growing family’s.  We remain great buddies.

Unbelievable now with all this technology, that I sent out my first demos on ‘spool’ tape.  Perhaps most ended up in the bin but one hit home and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview/audition.  They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it.  I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison.  In the ’90′s I was asked to do the incidental music for ‘Star Runners’.  It was a short promotional sci-fi film directed by  Andrew Dymond who, I believe, went on to produce ‘Star Hyke’ which was sold to American TV.  I wrote about an hour’s worth of instrumental music but only half of it finally reached the finished movie….. My son Daniel & I had a lot of fun going on an all night shoot for the film, eating Mars Bars and drinking Coca Cola all night to stay awake!!  The studio day was also fun where we recorded my work, with the help of a prehistoric sequencer, onto video tape and mini disc ( very nostalgic )  Later, with the advent of Channel 5′s birth I was asked by an agent to go up to their TV studios in London to perform one of my own compositions for a forth coming daytime TV show, which I did….. The day flew by in a blur and all I can remember is the hideous cost of car parking on the Tottenham Court Road…. Scandalous !!!

… and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview/audition.  They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it.  I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison.

Steve Orchard

John :  You were a band member earlier in life and in addition, widely recognized as a soloist in South West & London England during the 1990’s.  Could you tell us about this time period of events you experienced and I just imagine there are some good stories you could tell everyone  ?

Steve Orchard :  Blimey… How long have we got ?  I worked a lot. Mainly covers for the pubs, clubs, hotels and summer seasons at holiday parks.  I also did gigs for Army & Navy bases.  If you are into performance then it is an incredible apprenticeship.  You learn a lot about audiences.  I spent 8 consecutive New Years Eve’s away from my wife & kids entertaining 1000′s of drunken party people.  When the nights success relies on only YOU…. that’s quite a responsibility ( oh and the bingo & raffle )  I performed all over the South West with 3 nighters in London gigs sleeping in theatrical digs above a pub (not something I can recommend)  It’s like an athlete.  You build up muscles.  You know when to be funny and when to keep your mouth shut!!  ( Did I mention I did stand-up ?  Don’t do it if you want to retain your sanity ha ha ha !!! )

I’ve known great musicians who were lousy entertainers and great entertainers who were rubbish musicians.  In 2001 I realized that this was not what I wanted to do anymore.  I wanted to return to my roots which was writing & recording.  It was in my heart and the only way I could ‘look at myself in the mirror’ as a serious musician.  Continually gigging, performing other people’s material makes you slightly morose and can leave your creative side sadly lacking.  True, I do miss the adrenalin rush of an audience but what I do now feels right for me and hopefully my audience is out there still enjoying my performance.

John :  Recently I wrote a review for Raindancer and have made plans to review Sundancer & Moondancer when released.  Could you tell us more about your Dancer Trilogy and what each individual album illustrates  ?

Steve Orchard :  Yes, they are companions to each other.  I hope my listener/audience hear Raindancer and think, ” Wow!  I liked that I’d like to taste some more of that.”  Raindancer is very jungle/tribal with some twists and turns in its rhythm’s.  I had this picture in my mind of cutting ones way through dense foliage to find a clearing populated by remote civilizations ( does that sound crazy ? )  The indigenous animals and fauna were all playing a part in my composing.  Raindancer is where I discovered my New Age capabilities.  With the generous direction of Medwyn, I am proud of this album.  Sundancer, as I mentioned is all about energy.  Islands in the sun and deep tropical seas yet cooling sounds in the midday heat.  Rhythms play a big part of this album also and will make people want to move and children dance.  My youngest son David is a gifted illustrator having produced many published children’s books has preliminarily designed both, Sundancer & Moondancer album covers.  Obviously this is still to be confirmed but his work on all my other albums can be seen on my website.

Moondancer …. Is still under wraps.  Suffice to say, this is the cool of the evening.  The Moon is out in a cloudless night and a billion stars lead us to imagine what life could lay beyond them.  This album is entirely recorded on my new studio and at this date still has to be completed but I have some ‘can’t quite keep still’ ideas in my head.  I would just say, “Watch This Space!”

John :  There is a lot of great instrumentation on the Raindancer album.  In addition to acoustic guitar what are the instruments you play, and recently you told me about an upgrade to your project studio, so could you tell everyone the story behind this recent upgrade  ?

Steve Orchard :  Raindancer is a completely ‘live’ album.  By that I mean that it is layered onto a hard disc in the same way as working with analogue ‘tape’.  That’s not to say it suffers from any sound quality but I felt I needed to embrace a tiny bit more technology going forward.  My main keyboard friends are my trusty Korg Triton & Roland Sonic Cell, with expansion boards, plus some other concoctions!!!  Anyways on with a story…

By now Medwyn and his lovely wife Wendy had become my good friends.  He invited me down to his home in Helston, in Cornwall, for a visit and to look at his studio with perhaps, an insight into the more sophisticated way he works.  WOW !!!  I only say that because a lot of your fellow members and readers of this site will be saying WOW !!!  He was considering completely re-building his studio and giving me the opportunity to ‘adopt’ & ‘adapt’ his studio.  This is ‘THE STUDIO’ which is responsible for selling over 4 million albums.  It was January and the worst winter the UK had seen in 30 years.  I was doubtful whether I would be able to make the journey as heavy snow had fallen over most of the South West.  I travelled the day before our meeting and the journey was a little ‘hairy’ ( that’s a British expression for OMG !! …. another icey patch!!! )  I just had to go and meet this man face to face. He had a reputation for being ‘very private’ and not conceding to personal visits to their beautiful Cornish home.

I have to say, that information could not be more wrong.  From the outset he was warm and friendly, and we spent the long day in his studio exchanging much humor and banter.  I felt relaxed in his company immediately.  To be sat elbow-to-elbow in the studio with him was an unforgettable experience.  Such ease of understated talent was remarkable ( no, not me, him…. only joking ).  Wendy arrived home from there very busy offices and warehouse in Helston and they were gracious enough to take me out for a memorable meal that evening.  Suffice to say, I returned the following day with the ‘HEART’ of Medwyn’s studio and since then have amalgamated it into my own studio I think, really successfully  ( you will need to wait for the completion of Moondancer to make that appraisal )  I personally can’t wait… It’s going to be special !!  

John :  On behalf of our visitors and your fans we Thank You again Steve.  Before we go is there anything you would like to bring up or tell your fans  ?

Steve Orchard :   I have made so many friends all around the world with the release of Raindancer.  It has been a privilege to be able to share my music at last, with so many enthusiastic people.  This is what encourages us composers to continue to ‘up our game play’ to continually raise the standard, stretch, and find the best we can be.  In the spirit of all MG Music Artists I will always try to answer all emails and help other budding musicians in their quest. Everything is possible.  It has been a long journey but I still feel opportunities lay ahead of me.  So many friends & family ( my closest love & confidant Julie, my wife of 31 years….  She’ll be pleased I mentioned her name again! ) have supported me over the years even when I may have floundered….  A good friend once told me, ” The thing with you Orchard, is that you are PERSISTANT ” Oh Yes!”…. & keep smiling !

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage right here. Sample his album at his music page and learn more about Steve on his biography page. Visit his MG Music profile page to sample / purchase then learn more about every MG label artist at the mgmusic.ltd.uk website.

Sundancer & Moondancer covers by David Orchard. Raindancer cover by Medwyn Goodall. Other pictures copyright Steve Orchard.

Davol is our interview guest at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com and knowing the positive nature of his music, we hope to create a little excitement of our own today.  Davol is a widely popular musician easily recognized by his Electronic Contemporary Instrumental melodies that readily elevate the mood sensation and their highly melodic rhythms in turn offer an inspiring upbeat atmosphere.

Davol’s music eloquently brings a positive and energetic influence to the forefront of New Age music and today we hope to encourage every visitor to learn more about him.  Review publicists B.T. Fasmer and interview host John P. Olsen have published earlier reviews of his current album Good Sign and we invite you to read these reviews on our pages dedicated to Davol.

John :  Thank You for sharing your time with us Davol.  Your April 2010 release Good Sign is an excellent album and another fine release of the 6 albums total you have produced since your decision to pursue music as a new career in 1989. 

Good Sign is successfully making waves with your large fan base and ZMR charts presently have listed at # 2 for May.  This is great news naturally, but I personally believe much more recognition may be in store for Good Sign.  What are your thoughts on the direction this album is heading and do you set out to win awards and earn top recognition  ?

Davol :  Although I always try to keep my music at a high standard, I was pleasantly stunned to see how this album has taken off!  This is the first time I’ve worked with the renowned promoter Ed Bonk, and it’s been quite rewarding.  Every aspect of a creative project is educational, including the promotional side.  As for awards, we’ll see what is possible …   maybe you could help me out with a Grammy nomination ? !      

John :  Hey, B.T. and I will see what we can do …. Lol !   What you said about Ed Bonk is true.  We consider Ed a good friend and hear the exact sediments from his clients all the time.  Everyone speaks pretty highly of Ed Bonk ( Lazz Promotions )

Your scholastic training in jazz, classical piano and harpsichord were early prerequisites in your move toward the more modern music influences you produce today.  Would you provide our visitors an outline of your studies and music history  ?

Davol :  When I was quite young I started with the trumpet.  But the monophonic nature of it frustrated me, so I became interested in piano at the age of 12.  I studied classical piano a bit, and harpsichord a little in college.  I’m actually now studying jazz piano with a local jazz master. It’s challenging and fun.  I’m probably his most remedial student, still learning the basics!  In a sense, I kind of feel like my compositional work exists very separately (in my brain and heart) from my previous musical training. Obviously there is some kind of relationship and influence, but I really feel like the electronic music I write is more influenced by my love of pop music.

John :  You have a PH.D and had begun an already successful career as a medical researcher and microbiologist until 1996 when you then chose to begin a commercial venture producing multimedia music.  What were the timeline of events that led to your decision to pursue music as a new career and was this career move an easy choice for you to make at the time Davol  ?

Davol :  Oh gosh no, it wasn’t easy.  I had worked so hard to become a medical researcher and get my doctorate, but I was also very burned out.  I was doing music professionally WHILE I was finishing my PhD in microbiology and continued doing both simultaneously over the years.  The problem was that to be a really good scientist, one must be very focused.  In other words, you work in the laboratory in the daytime, and you’re expected to read journals and write papers in the evening.  I wanted only to write music in the evening!  So there was sort of a mutual incompatibility with the two careers.  When I left science, I felt that I had learned a great deal and had published significant work.  That was satisfying.  I actually did return to science in the last 5 years, sort of in a roundabout way; I was a public health educator for a Hepatitis C non-profit organization.  I was giving educational talks about HepC, mostly to ex-convicts who were on parole.  It was a very unusual and educational experience.

John :  I read at your website that many of your albums are designed with a theme in mind based on events during the time period.  What themes are behind Mystic Waters & A Day Like No Other ?

Davol :  Mystic Waters was released in 1989, a time when “fantasy” albums were all the rage.  So, it was conjured up with that genre in mind.  There was a sense of peace and tranquility, a sense of fluid movement, like water. 

A Day Like No Other marked a pretty big change in my life, sort of a reinvention, as I hadn’t released an album for 7 years (since Open Book).  I wasn’t sure that I would do any more albums, frankly.  I was burned out and was now producing on my own label.  Also, ADLNO was the first album I ever wrote and produced without any co-producer.  In other words, I had to finally trust myself, in a very singular sense, and believe in what I was doing!  Also, ADLNO was the first album I wrote in a completely software-based studio environment, so the toolset and sound palette was utterly different from the past.  It moved me more into a guitar-based sound that I find very appealing for the pop-style in which I write.  So, the ADLNO album represented everything “fresh” and “new” to me, hence the name.

John :  Nice reinvention Davol since A Day Like No Other happens to be one of my favorite albums !  There were some particular circumstances happening during the production of Good Sign.  What was going on at the time and how did you maintain the Davol can do attitude  ?

Davol :  Yes, some challenging things …  a couple of close loved ones struggling at the end of their lives and passing on, I had to move my mother into a retirement home, find a home for her dog, empty her house and sell it, etc, and a 14-story high-rise was built directly across the street from my home.  That meant 1.5 years of incessant noise, my street closed off every day, etc.  It was overwhelming.  Oh, and I almost forgot, the interior of my house flooded, TWICE. 

Due to the construction, I ended up working on the Good Sign album in the evenings.  I would start work after dinner and finish at 2:00 am.  It was a very unhealthy lifestyle for about a year, but hey, I got it done!!    I think the album truly was my catharsis, so the focus was JOY, OPTIMISM, and POSITIVITY!

John :  After listening to several prior radio interviews at your website and it’s pretty easy to recognize you are a positive and upbeat person as you were saying and just like your music reflects.  Is it your intent to instill a positive influence into all of your music and just how exactly do you transfer a positive personality trait into musical notes  ?

Davol :  I guess I have always tried to keep a positive outlook in life. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the tedious minutiae of the day-to-day, but important to never lose sight of the fantastic gifts we all have.  Certainly I try to convey that optimism in my music, but hopefully without being cliché or trite. That can be a fine line, I know.  It probably sounds like a really old fogey thing to say, but I’m so glad that I was young when I was!  Fashion ads were largely about people with smiles on their faces when I was young.  Nowadays, so much of the advertising looks like a bunch of mean, unhappy people wearing sunglasses and deadpan looks – so much pretense and attitude.  I like the concept of “hope”, so I would never make a good Buddhist   

I think there is also often a slight tinge of melancholy in the music I write.  Sort of a mix of bright optimism blended with a small amount of “reality/regrets/disappointment/loss”.  I prefer that 90:10 mix.  I can certainly appreciate very dark music, it’s just simply not my forte to write in that genre, so I typically don’t.

John :  Yes, I love the dramatic notations you infuse into your work.  Has today’s technology made a big impact in regards to the way you have composed music in the past, and what electronic equipment do you use  ?

Davol :  Yes, definitely.  I work on a Mac, using the sequencing host Logic Studio.  My soundset includes instruments from every major software synth manufacturer.  I’m particularly fond of MusicLab’s RealGuitar product.  It’s the BEST for acoustic guitar strums that layer so beautifully with my synth textures.  It gives everything a wonderful energy and feel.  Using a software-synth studio has advantages and disadvantages, but I’ve chosen to simplify my life by not using any hardware instruments anymore.  I could never turn back now.

John :  Good Sign features a song called Truth 2010.  This is the first time you have made the Truth song available on CD and is the remix of your conceptual Truth Video that created a dramatic reaction among many people and considered political in nature.  How and why did you produce the Truth Video, and what where the political and competition events occurring during production  ?

Davol :  That was a creative vanity project that appealed to me at the time.  And I had never done a video and wanted to learn how to create and edit video.  Needless to say, THAT took a great deal of time, but was fun.  That was back in 2007 and there was so much political discontent in the US, that I wanted to take a few steps backward and comment on the fact that so much of our “reality” is based on media stories that, for all we know, may have very little to do with the truth.  If the past is any judge, everything should be suspect.  But we pick and choose, deciding that story “x” is reasonable and we believe it, but story “y” is crazy and we reject it.  We do this in history and have created a revisionist history that is written into textbooks.  If we know that about history, why don’t we view current events reporting with the same skepticism?  So, to return to your question, my focus wasn’t so much on the current politics of the time, but taking a glimpse at the last 100 years or so of US history, in particular.

John :  Do you plan to release more CD albums and song videos in addition to the current ones featured on YouTube, and I ask this half joking Davol, but do you consider yourself a political activist in a sense after the Truth Video ?

Davol :  No more politics! Read my lips!     I really want to focus on what I do best, simply write music.  And that is where my heart and head truly reside.  So, no more detours or distractions from the music.  Videos take so much time, that I don’t care to be involved in that either, although others are certainly welcome to consider such a project using my music – I’m open to that.  Albums are definitely my focus for the future.  As for CDs, well, they will soon be obsolete  

John :  It has been a pleasure to meet you Davol.  B.T. Fasmer and I will keep our visitors informed on the latest news about you so let’s keep in touch.  Before we go today, is there anything you would like to tell your fans or bring up that we haven’t talked about  ?

Davol :  I came so close to abandoning my music career before the A Day Like No Other album, that I just want to thank everyone over the years who has emailed me or left a comment on my Guestbook page.  It is truly those supportive words, stories of moments in people’s lives where my music touched their hearts that have kept me creating.  I thank you all, and hope to keep providing music that will intrigue and touch listeners in a meaningful way.

John and B.T. Fasmer, thank you so much for supporting independent artists and this opportunity to share with fans.

We encourage our visitors to learn more about Davol and the place to find him is his davolmusic.com website homepage.  Read his biography page and go to his music page to purchase / sample or at CDBaby.com page.  Then read our reviews of Good Sign at our pages dedicated to Davol.

Bryan El is the artist title recognized for producing Classical Symphonic New Age music in a highly effective format that makes a grand impression while shedding new light on each and every one of his modern day electronic interpretations.  You will find his compositions readily capture your attention right from the first few measures up to the final notes.

Bryan El is our featured interview guest where the topics of Bryan’s 2 albums, Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution and his stunning song videos are open for discussion in addition to a detailed look into what makes Bryan’s individualistic approach to music so appealing. 

Interview host John Olsen recently had the opportunity to visit with Bryan El and today we publish their conversation so that our readers can learn more about the ambitions of this New Age musician easily recognized by his remarkable electronic symphonies.

John :  Thank You for taking time out for our interview Bryan.  Recently I wrote album reviews and posted several song videos from Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution because I felt our readers would find your projects are boldly unique from many other forms of electronic music just like B.T. Fasmer and I did.  I have read many comments from your fans that support my statement too, so it was only logical to ask for an interview so everyone, including your fans could learn more about you.

Let me ask you this first. Many times an artist will say they have another musician’s influence or they “ sound like “ another more recognized artist. I personally feel you break new ground with electronic music in many respects and do not “ sound like “ another artist. Do you agree and share the same thoughts or do you feel your music closely resembles another artist ?
 
Bryan El :  Many people have a habit of comparing the sound of one artist with another.  I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”.  This can be based on several different songs and styles they have heard throughout their lives and have been unconsciously inspired by them.  Of course I have my own sources of inspiration as any artist does but I feel I am still evolving my own “sound” as I keep producing new projects.

I honestly couldn’t say what my music will sound like ten years from now and that’s what makes it so exciting.  You will always be able to identify similar instruments being used by different artists like pianos, strings and violins, but what matters to me most is the way an artist mixes these together into something unique….  A melody which expresses an emotion like a story that has never been told before.
 
John :  Help me determine what exactly sets your music apart from so many others Bryan.  Is it because your music is Classical Symphony styled, or could it be that your upbeat modern day compositions are the reason you seem to rise above the crowd from many other electronic composers ?  What are your thoughts Bryan ?
 
Bryan El :  Good question.  It’s hard to give your own music a “stamp” of its own kind and I don’t really like to compare my music with other artists in terms of “uniqueness”.  Each artist is trying to capture emotions in their own way and the beauty of it is…. there are no rules how to do it.  It allows composers to experiment by tweaking their own sounds and combining different styles into one to create something new and original.  Eventually it’s up to the listener to determine what sets a specific type of music apart from others.

John :  Out of the many genres available for a musician to explore, what led to your decision to embrace New Age and then explore the surreal Classical Symphonic music ?

Bryan El :  It wasn’t a decision really.  It’s not like at some point I decided “hey let’s try the electronic new age category for a change”.  I actually experimented with different things never knowing where I’d end up before I started a project.  I’m not trying to fit a certain “genre” either.  It has never been my intention to compose symphonic electronic music as people may call it.  It’s just the global mix of so many different aspects and influences in my life that led me to create this and I am continuously searching to expand my boundaries.
 
John :  Since your artist title of Bryan El consists of you alone, how exactly do you construct your projects to acquire a full orchestra sound, and do you mind telling everyone what equipment you use while recording ?
 
Bryan El :  Except from the hardware sounds I get from my Motif 6 synthesizer I am using a mix of VST plugins which I load into my Cubase sequencer.  The orchestra sounds like violins & cello’s come from an amazing VST plugin called EastWest’s “Symphonic Orchestra”.  The sounds from this VST have been individual-note recorded giving me the freedom to bend the notes to my own will with every detail.  The choir vocals come from EastWest’s “Symphonic Choirs” which has a speech utility where you can actually type what the VST plugin should sing in any desired composition.  It’s state of the art.  Most electronic sounds come from the ReFX Nexus plugin.  The Nexus is really awesome.  It lets you tweak your own sounds in such detail.  I don’t know what I’d do without it.  Finally the groove is done with Stylus RMX.

I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”. 

Bryan El

John :  Would you tell us about your introduction to music starting from your earliest introduction up to present day ?
 
Bryan El :  The earliest I can remember is my mother playing these cassettes with very melodic new age/electronic music when I went to bed as a child.  I remember it relaxed me so much and some of those tunes are burned in my memory for life because they had such a deep impact on me.  I believe some of those tunes were by Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Karunesh and Aeoliah.
It’s no surprise that when I got a little keyboard for my 10th birthday I couldn’t stop playing with it.  Then came the Playstation era.  Apart from the many cool games it had there was this awesome music program for it called “Music”.  It opened my eyes to all possible things that could be done composing music.  It was a basic sequencer which allowed you to freely place your own notes and adapt everything to the smallest detail.

Of course when I listen back to some of the tunes I made on it, I find the sound is quite poor compared to professional sound studio’s but it was a great start for me.  When I was about 16 I got hooked on this cool midi sequencer called “Fruityloops” and made some dance tunes with it which I played at my friends parties.  The Fruityloops was a next generation for me and much more sophisticated, far better sounds and effects.  I was mostly inspired by dance-trance artists like Tiësto, Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren at the time and I learned a great deal by listening to their sounds, but it wasn’t until I got my Motif 6 synthesizer along with Cubase SX that I started to do some serious composing.   I was 20 years old and could finally do what I always dreamed of and make it sound exactly the way I wanted it to.  It was only a matter of time I discovered the internet would become a great tool of sharing my music with the world and I was surprised by the amount of positive feedback.  I never taught I’d ever get the chance to release my own CD…. let alone two of them :p

It’s a dream come true thanks to AMAdea.  The thing people never seem to understand is that I never actually attended any music school or learned how to read notes.  When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live.  It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side.  I think this proves that anybody can make music if you are determined enough to express your emotions.  I’ve never believed anybody should learn a specific set of guidelines and rules when it comes to music, I am autodidact and teach myself by learning from the music world around me.
 
John :  Since you are one of the many great AMAdea Records Label artists, have you compiled any projects with other AMAdea Records label artists ?
 
Bryan El :  Indeed there are many great artists distributed by AMAdea but I haven’t had the pleasure to work with any of them yet.  Who knows what the future brings, but for now I’m concentrating on a third solo album.
 
John :  Many of your fans have said the song Solaris is among their favorites out of the many great songs you have produced. Is Solaris your favorite also and what do you believe is the reason this song is so popular among your fans ?
 
Bryan El :  Each composer has his own favorite baby and this one’s mine.  Solaris is selected for airplay on several internet radio stations around the world.  I’ve also produced a trance remix of it which has become quite popular on YouTube.  The exposure may have caused the tune to become such a hit among my fans.

When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live.  It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side.  

Bryan El

John :  Your YouTube music videos are some of the best songs combined with visual effects I have seen and many would agree they are well conceived.  Is constructing a song video and getting everything to correspond exactly the way you want it complicated technically ?
 
Bryan El :  The most complicated thing is to come up with an idea for the video.  Once you have that it’s not that hard to assemble the video itself.  I’m a music composer and not a movie designer so I had to come up with the solution of using existing footage to present my own music with.  I have hundreds of DVD’s and have enough footage about anything you can think of so then I just listen to my song while I imagine what the emotion is showing me.  Then I search for fitting footage to the music.

For example…. on my Solaris remix I used small parts of footage from a Tiësto concert dvd and pasted the parts together, muted the original sound, placed my own remix on top and adjusted the footage speed to match my own remix.  Eventually it looks as if DJ Tiësto is playing my remix on one of his concerts.  All you need is a good video editing program like PowerDirector and you can start editing.  Of course none of my video’s are for sale as the images come from existing copyrighted material, but because the amount of footage used is so small it can legally be used under the term “fair use” on YouTube.
 
John :  Could you tell us what do you have going at present, where you are at, and what can we expect ?
 
Bryan El :  I am planning a third album as you know and many ideas have been roughly recorded.  Be patient though….  It will take me at least a few years to get this new album ready.  I can’t tell everyone much about it yet but all I can say to the fans is… it will be worth the wait !
 
John :  I am certain it will be highly anticipated and many like myself look forward to your next release.  I just wanted to thank you again Bryan.  Expect me to write even more about you in the future here at our NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com websites.  Your music along with the videos you produce displays your talents in a profound way.  B.T. Fasmer and I wish you continued success.
 
 Bryan El :  Thank you John & B.T. Fasmer!  You guys are great and it’s an honor to be on your websites.  I also want to thank my fans for their support (it pays for my studio ) and thanks to AMAdea for distributing and promoting my music and for really caring about their artists !

We now invite you to visit Bryan’s new website at bryanel.com right here.  You can also visit his MySpace.com page & CDBaby.com page.  Learn more at his profile page and then discover the many fine AMAdea label artists at the Bulgarian based AMAdeaRecords.com homepage.  The bryanel.com website is also a great place to sample his music and read the latest news about Bryan El.

*AMAdea Records has just announced the grand opening of their independent music store outlet.  You may read about the news here then visit their new amadeastore.com website to read about the specials and vast selection of popular music encompassing every genre they are now offering their worldwide visitors.

NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com is proud to present an exclusive interview with new age music legend Clifford White. In this interview he talks about everything from Ascension (1985) to the upcoming album Atlantis - and tells a few secrets too! 

John P. Olsen:  Take us back to 1985 when you were 17 years old.  Ascension began your journey as a leading composer and producer of the primordial UK New Age genre, with Ascension selling tens of thousands of copies worldwide to become the strong foundation to your music career.  What is the reason you are so committed to the New Age genre Clifford, and have you ever considered producing music in more popular genres?

Clifford White: Although it was by no means traumatic, I did not have a particularly easy childhood, and by the age of 14 I had developed insecurities and fears which I found I could escape from by creating simple music on the piano, or by using various home keyboards and other musical instruments. Many years later, upon reading Mike Oldfield’s biography ‘Changeling’ I was very moved to hear that he had suffered from similar problems in his youth, and had in fact written Tubular Bells for much the same reason i.e. to escape from a world of fear into a space where the healing power of music could help him in releasing and resolving his feelings – in effect a form of musical catharsis.

My first album Ascension was written in a comparable frame of mind, and it is quite telling that it went on to have such an impact upon people’s emotional wellbeing. I am quite positive now that music influences the mind, body and soul in the most profound ways, and that for this reason my commitment to it abides. With Ascension boosting my musical confidence, I went on to produce a further 7 albums over a period of 10 years (1985 to 1995) in a variety of styles and I will continue to be committed to developing and promoting this type of music in the future, within whichever genre it appears.

I am quite positive now that music influences the mind, body and soul in the most profound ways, and that for this reason my commitment to it abides.

Clifford White

John:  I read in your biography at NewWorldMusic.Com, where your solo albums began receiving much press in the U.K. and  were described as “Britain’s foremost exponent of New Age Rock“ and you, (Clifford White) were even listed next to the iconic Rock band, The Who in Collin’s book The Best of Rock.  What is the story behind this statement and the early events during the time period?

Clifford: Well, the ‘Best of Rock’ review was actually a bit of a joke. I mean, who actually creates ‘New Age Rock’ – isn’t that a bit of a misnomer? In actual fact, it was a well known pop journalist called Alan Clayson that coined the term when he was asked to compile the ‘Best of Rock’ book. I knew Alan at the time, although I was very flattered that he wanted to include me. Imagine my surprise when I found myself next to The Who. Nice.

John:  You were the presiding founder of the UK New Age Music Association (NAMA) with 40 top artists including James Asher, Kevin Kendle, Asha Quinn, and Tim Wheater.  What was the mission of  NAMA as a whole, and were there some ideas formulated that have evolved into what we find in today’s New Age genre? 

Clifford: Yes there is, and in many ways, my original desires and intentions for NAMA have been spectacularly resurrected with the resounding success of the New Age Music Network:  Newagemusicnetwork.ning.com - an online social network with over 500 members. Both then and now, I continue to believe that artists and companies can work together to nurture and support the new age music genre and that, in perhaps our more technologically refined era, social networks such as these provide excellent environments from within which many useful discussions develop and contacts are made.

It is however unfortunate that, just as in the early days of NAMA, there is still a certain degree of exploitation going on (not mentioning any names) but I suppose this is to be expected in any industry, perhaps especially within music. I just wish people would see the logic in working together in teams to a greater extent. I believe our culture suffers greatly from excessive individualism and self interest, and what seems to have become an instinctive cynicism towards collaboration and group support – almost paranoia in some instances. It is therefore refreshing to meet individuals such as yourselves who, quite obviously, have nothing but positive intentions and goodwill as an agenda.

B. T. Fasmer: Please tell us a little about Sanctuary Studio at St Albans. From the pictures on your page, it looks impressive. Do you use mostly DAWs, or hardware synths – or both?

Clifford: Sanctuary is the current name of my recording studio in St Albans. I set the studio up in 2008 and it is my most ambitious studio to date, certainly in terms of space and creative freedom. Our studio has a dedicated sound booth for musicians and singers to perform, a control room and kitchen plus an office area. It was the realization of a 20 year dream to setup this studio and I am truly grateful and thankful to have achieved it. The only trick is finding enough time to spend in it!

On the music technology side I, like so many other producers in our current electronic era, use computers almost exclusively in the process of creating music. I have, over the past 10 years or so, built up a huge sample library of instruments, sounds and effects, which, combined with the software DAW I use – which is called Muzys – accounts for about 99% of my current music output. I do have a traditional ‘vintage’ analogue synthesizer – the Novation Supernova II Pro X, which is truly a beast of a machine – probably the greatest synthesizer ever made in terms of power and flexibility. Unfortunately however, it does not often see the light of day, as it is so much quicker and simpler to layer all of my music directly on the computer. However, when a special timbre or effect is called for, the Novation is there.

I also have a small selection of ‘virtual’ synthesizers (VST’s) which I enjoy using, including Arturia’s FM7, the excellent Yamaha DX7 emulation, which I used extensively on Ascension II. The original Ascension album featured the DX7 quite heavily and so it was truly great to revisit those old sounds in the new album. The freeware Synth1 plugin is also great, with a lovely silky sound, and I have a selection of other freeware VST’s that I use for other purposes, although like I said, raw instrument samples and effects are my usual elements of choice as they offer more control of the overall sound and dynamic than the virtual instruments. I have little else that I directly use for my own album productions, although I do have a Behringer MX9000 48 channel mixer and a Mackie HDR24/96 hard disk recorder, which tends to be used mostly by visiting musicians and during improvised and ‘live’ studio sessions. I can directly transfer recordings made on the hard disk recorder to my music PC, importing them into my Muzys DAW as samples which I can then layer into my music, but I have hardly done much of that yet to be honest. I have so much of my own material built up in Muzys now that I suspect I will have enough to keep me going for another 5 or 6 albums at least!

 Imagine my surprise when I found myself next to The Who. Nice.

Clifford White

John: During the past 25 years of your New Age music career you have used genre influences in Ambient, Epic, Latin, Jazz, Tropical, and even Classical.  What determines the varying influence in each album you produce Clifford?

Clifford White: I love all those genres of music and I am always looking for an excuse to create albums that contain elements of those styles mixed together into the general album concept. Also, I like to try and avoid repeating myself and so the aim of making each new album different from the one that has proceeded it really appeals to me. The way I see it, the whole concept of an album seems to be an entity in it’s own right, with it’s own style, mood and flavor, and once it is finished, it should appear to be a completed work, like a book or a film, and one really doesn’t want to mess with it, add to it, or detract from it with further musings which might simply repeat ideas present in the original work.

I tend to approach the production of an album with this in mind, and I try to pour as many relevant ideas into the same pot as possible, never to be used again. As the album gets further underway, the various track ideas tend to link together, much like chapters in a story, and after a while it becomes self-evident what is working and what is not, in context of the whole. Of course, it is usually nowhere near as easy as it sounds and believe me, I have certainly labored long and hard on tracks which are (unfortunately) later thrown out for not meeting the general concept, style or criteria for the album as a whole. In the end, I try to make the final result as complete and as cohesive a work as I possibly can.

John: Do you feel the success of your projects are primarily the result of simple hard work or more from your creative imagination?  Or what is the primary reason you have been so successful the past 25 years?

Clifford: You know the old saying that goes ‘one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration’? Well, for me it’s more like 15% inspiration, 85% perspiration, but that is still a lot of work! I find that the initial ideas for a track or a collection of tracks tend to occur quite quickly – in the heat of the moment – and this usually results in a collection of strong core ideas. After repeated listening, these ideas seem to become further refined in my own mind – almost as if the process of hearing a piece of music days or weeks later from it’s creation somehow changes it, making it more ‘real’ and familiar. It’s very strange. In any event these ideas, usually in the form of short instrumental loops or arrangements, start to shine through in their own ways, suggesting further developments that could be possible. I tend to wait this process out until I am really ‘chomping at the bit’ to get into the studio to work on a piece. When the urge gets too great, that’s when I unleash myself into the studio and get working. Thus begins the 85% perspiration! A huge amount of effort goes into the process as I am very fussy and critical about my music tracks. They have to stand the test of time, yet sound fresh and new. That’s not an easy thing to sustain when you have already heard them 100 times!

John: You have your current 2010 Ascension II – The Healing Touch and plan to release another project later this year.  Is this next album going to resemble more of an Ambient influence like Ascension II or more resemblance to your Epic Gods of Olympus?

Clifford: I’ll tell you a little secret: I have a 5 year plan to release two albums a year until 2015! Believe it or not, I already have more than enough material to achieve this – it really depends on how much time I will actually get to spend in the studio. With the first in this series – Ascension II – already released, the next album due out later this year will either be Atlantis – which will be another epic production similar to the The Gods Of Olympus – or an album currently entitled The Beach, which will sound a little similar to my past albums The Lifespring or Twilight Paradise with that slightly jazzy, ‘sun-drenched’ tropical vibe.

 I’ll tell you a little secret:

I have a 5 year plan to release two albums a year until 2015!

Clifford White

For 2011 I want to tackle two ‘Oxygene / Equinoxe’ type albums that I already have a great deal of material for. I have always loved the textures and moods Jean-Michel Jarre discovered whilst creating his early albums and have for a long-time wished he would revisit that sound. Unfortunately he did not, not even (to my ears) on his Oxygene sequel. I certainly would like to have a go! Following that I have a 2012 themed album planned (no big surprise there perhaps), and a sequel to The Beach, again for which I already have many track ideas. A couple more albums will follow and then as 2015 opens I will round the whole lot off with Ascension III, which will be the 30^th anniversary of the original Ascension and make 20 albums in total. It will be very interesting to read this interview in a few years time to see if anything worked out according to my plan. After that – who knows…?

B. T.: You have already told us a little about the Atlantis project. Is there anything more you would like to add?

Clifford: Atlantis will hopefully be completed by around August/September 2010 and released shortly thereafter. The title is a little misleading as, although the album has watery overtones, it is rather more upbeat and rhythmic than you might expect. Its closest comparison would probably be my 2009 album The Gods Of Olympus, at least in terms of its cinematic style and mood. I am quite pleased with what I have completed so far and like GODS, the album will have plenty of tracks to enjoy – at present around 12 – in a variety of styles and moods.

I am thinking of it as a kind of sequel to GODS, and there are certain similarities, perhaps not unsurprising as – from a mythological point of view – The Atlanteans and the Olympians are not-too-distantly related to each other.

B. T.: You are also an expert in web design, multimedia and video. As everyone knows, the internet has been a massive challenge for the music business – but don’t you agree that it has been mostly positive for a niche genre like new age music? Or?

Clifford: Overall I would say yes, considering that the Internet is such a fantastic medium for communication between musicians, producers and composers and a superb tool for music promotion and publicity that it has served ‘New Age Music’ extremely well in this regard. The flip-side however is that there is now so much music out there that it is impossible to find the good stuff!

I myself spend hours and hours listening to new artists, or past artists I had never heard of before, and much of it is not wildly original, not very satisfying. Don’t get me wrong, I do occasionally find some great music, such as Australis or David Wahler, but these are often exceptions from the norm. Blogs such as your own at NewAgeMusic.nu are fantastic ways to discover new music, although I must admit really that I find a great deal of New Age/Electronic/Ambient/Chillout music a little dull, although I always live in hope of discovering better works in progress. I certainly feel that the Internet provides for great potential in the promotion of this musical genre, and in fact I myself setup a website to attempt this last year called the New Age Music News which is going from strength to strength. So the future looks positive!

Visit CliffordWhite.co.uk!

Photographs by Jon Warren – Picture Copyright Clifford White

David Wahler was a relatively new name in the New Age music industry a year ago, only to become a quickly rising star by his first album’s success, and the initial reactions to his just released second album look just as promising. NewAgeMusic.nu has already written much about David Wahler these past months, and we are excited ourselves to present our visitors an informal interview with David and host John Olsen. 

John : Thank You for allowing us this interview and congratulations on your recent win for Best New Artist of the Year in the March ZMR awards. It was welcomed news to B.T. Fasmer and I when we heard of your recent win and recognition by the Best New Artist award. You are also a recipient of our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009 awards prior to your second award, so you have been in the music news quite a bit recently, now recognized and firmly established as a highly regarded composing musician. 

You must still be pretty excited about receiving high recognition as an artist following your debut album. I am just wondering, did you aim high and set out to achieve this high level of success as a new artist, or did everything just fall right into place while composing Antiquus ? 

David Wahler : Thanks John for your congratulations. You and B.T. Fasmer have been great supporters since the release of ANTIQUUS. I really appreciate that. The Best New Artist Award was a wonderful surprise, capping off some ‘best of’ lists and several favorable reviews. I did aim high with my first album, as I am aware of all the superb artists who are creating in this genre right now. Putting together ANTIQUUS, however, did seem to flow rather easily, almost like writing a song that ‘releases’ almost effortlessly as opposed to one that one labors over for days and days! The music, concept, titles and art came together fairly quickly and with very little hesitation. 

I did aim high with my first album, as I am aware of all the superb artists who are creating in this genre right now. 

David Wahler 

John : After listening and writing reviews for both Antiquus & A Star Danced, I honestly felt you were poised for much recognition from the very beginning like many others. After final completion of Antiquus, did you feel confident you had a winning first album and have high expectations yourself, or did you have some reservations about the reception of your first album ? 

David Wahler : My co-producer and partner, Rick Stevens, and I had no idea how the album would be received. I don’t know if any artist knows how their music is going to resonate with their listeners. I just heard an interview with David Arkenstone where he said that he still has second thoughts and reservations when he releases a new album….. so there you go, and from a great artist with many years of proven success. It’s one of the ‘great unknowns’ I guess, that I will always be burdened with! 

John : These reservations among great musicians could be universal then I suppose. David your early success as a musician is quite impressive, and your formal educational studies in music are equally impressive. Would you describe your formal music and educational achievements for our readers ? 

David Wahler : I was a ‘piano kid’ in my little farm town of Belvidere, Illinois growing up. My first piano teacher, Nellie Canfield, was almost 90, and instilled in me a love of classical music. I remember her driving three of her students (including me!) on a cold winter night to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play a concert of Ravel, including the Piano Concerto in G and the beautiful Daphnes and Chloe Suite. I was 9 years old and had never heard a live musical concert. You can just imagine what an impression that made on a young musical kid’s mind! From there I dedicated myself to learning the piano. I attended Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin as a piano major. After a couple years there I felt the tug of the big city and I transferred to Mannes College of Music in New York City. My teacher, Mme. Olga Stroumillo, was a great friend of Vladimir Horowitz from their youth in Russia. She introduced me to the great music of the world, and indeed, the great musicians and pianists, from Alicia DeLarocha to Nadia Reisenberg. I began playing for vocalists as a professional accompanist in debut recitals. It was there that I learned the song or ‘leider’ repertoire and gained a real appreciation for the melody. I gravitated to the theatre world in New York and became Musical Director in productions off Broadway. After a couple decades of non-music, making a living in the corporate world, I decided that I wanted to learn to produce my own music. I enrolled in Berklee College of Music’s Electronic Music Production program. I knew I had the music in me, but mastering the electronic part was the big question. I’m definitely not one of the ‘gear geeks’ I studied with at Berklee, but little by little I came to understand (and love) the technical side of what I do. 

John : I am guessing your earlier music background has helped ease your transition to New Age / Electronic music. Did you find the change in genre style more challenging than you had imagined, and since the term New Age leaves room for interpretation, how would you best describe your unique compositions ? 

David Wahler : Really John, it’s been an easy transition from my classical music background to the music I produce now. With all the wonderful virtual instrumental sounds available now I’m able to incorporate many of the orchestral instruments into my music, from flutes to oboe, harp, strings and on and on. I also love to design new synthesized sounds to compliment these traditional elements. Yes, the term New Age conjures up different interpretations with people and it covers such a very wide spectrum so I refer to my music and genre as ‘Contemporary Electronic Instrumental’. 

John : I am curious why you didn’t begin composing in more mainstream genre’s like Classical, Concert, or Jazz ? 

David Wahler : That’s an easy question to answer. Because I absolutely love the ‘world’ of New Age music. From George Winston and Will Ackerman to Vangelis and Tangerine Dream and Francis Lai. 

Like in the early days I remember thinking to myself, “finally someone is writing music for me!” I also include wonderful film composers like Ennio Morricone and Hans Zimmer, and current New Age masters Paul Avgerinos, Jonn Serrie, Bernward Koch, Thierry David, and David Arkenstone as huge influences in my musical style. 

John : When you first begin a new project, do you already have a structured outline of ideas in mind for what you plan to produce or do you primarily compose everything as you progress in the project ? 

David Wahler : For ANTIQUUS my focus was pretty clear that I wanted to produce an album dealing with ancient myths and distant places. I wanted the music to have a structured, yet dreamy and somewhat mysterious quality. So yes, that album was fairly structured from the beginning. 

A STAR DANCED was much a much different story. It consists of songs that have a very personal meaning to me, and I didn’t have a structured theme, other than the theme of everyone’s human experiences and how we each live under our ‘dancing star.’ 

John : Knowing the success and fine reception with Antiquus, and first initial reactions to A Star Danced have been very positive, do you feel A Star Danced will achieve the same highly regarded recognition, and do you feel your current release is of a higher caliber than Antiquus ? 

David Wahler : Wow, now that’s a tough question John! One of the pitfalls of early success is that everything is compared to the original. I can only hope that people listen to A STAR DANCED with an open mind and not compare the two. While I feel that I have a recognizable style to my writing, I do feel that the two albums are very different. I tried some new things with STAR like collaborating with guitarist Brent Gunter and writing in more of a cinematic style on some tracks, like ‘Peaseblossom’ and ‘Come Gentle Night’. I also added my arrangements of two classical pieces, Debussy’s ‘Reverie’ and Faure’s ‘Pie Jesu’. It was a challenge to revise these two pieces in a way that would honor the original compositions and yet add a new, fresh perspective. I believe that I was able to achieve those objectives. 

John : Yes, I see your point and agree both of your albums have their individual merits, and happy for you that both are held in high regard. Your current album is dedicated to family members past and present and wondered if you don’t mind telling our readers a little about the life circumstances surrounding the dedication of A Star Danced ? 

David Wahler : ‘Missing You’ was written while my father was lying in his bed in a coma, dying of Parkinson’s disease. I thought how poignant to be missing him already before he had died. 

‘Yvonne’ was written for a family member currently waging her battle against breast cancer. It is a tribute to her beautiful spirit and her unspoken ability to teach others the beauty of life. But I ultimately added these tracks to the album for everyone who has a ‘Yvonne’ in their lives, and everyone who is missing someone – parent, lover, friend, child, pet, relative- who is no longer in their life.

John : I believe everyone can see the significance to your tribute now. In my review of A Star Danced, I wrote much about the first song Quest and the final song Quest ( Revisit ) What was the sentiment or dedication behind this song ? 

David Wahler : ‘Quest’ was written for those people in the world who are facing challenges right now. And who doesn’t that include? We are living in perilous, difficult times. Most everyone is dealing with those obstacles that beat them down, obstacles that keep them from reaching their full potential. ‘Quest’ is an anthem, a herald that calls to everyone with setbacks (illness, money problems, death, injury, loss, etc.) to forge ahead and reclaim the spirit of joy and happiness that is our birthright. 

John : Your song dedications are significant to you on a personal level, yet these circumstances remain pretty much universal to everyone. David, there are many hoping you will continue producing music. Do you have current plans for a future album, and what can you tell us about your next project ? 

David Wahler : I love writing in different styles; in fact, I have been working on a meditation/relaxation album that I would like to produce someday. And I love writing music about ancient and distant lands and worlds. ANTIQUUS was perhaps just a beginning…… 

John : I like to leave this last question open ended since we can’t possibly cover everything in this single interview or even this final question. Is there anything you would like to bring up we haven’t talked about yet ? 

David Wahler : John, a year ago I was sitting and listening to some of my favorite music on Music Choice’s Soundscapes and thinking, “how wonderful it would be to have the world listening to my music, to perhaps touch someone with the sounds that come from my creations.” That was my personal ‘quest’, and now that wish has been fulfilled. I believe, that as Abraham says, ‘just ask and you will receive’. I urge everyone to ‘just ask’. 

John : We need to close for now David, but Thank You again for leaving us with your insightful words and allowing us this interview. It’s clear that B.T. Fasmer and I both enjoy your music here at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com. We plan on writing even more about you to present to our readers, so let’s keep in touch. We would also like to wish you and your family the very best. 

David Wahler : Thanks again John and B.T. for your support of my music. And, I’d like to thank my new found fans and your readers, and those fellow artists, broadcasters, reviewers, and industry insiders in the New Age community who have reached out so warmly to me in the past year! 

David has a new website now and we invite you to visit davidwahler.com to sample / purchase or his CDBaby.com page. You may also visit his MySpace page and read reviews for both albums and recent awards on our page dedicated to David Wahler.

We are truly excited to inform our website visitors about an artist interview scheduled with composing musician David Wahler. John P. Olsen will host this interview which promises to be an informative discussion knowing David was first considered a relatively new artist in the genre, having now achieved respect as an acclaimed musician.

Getting to know more about David Wahler should be of interest to many knowing his debut album Antiquus created quite a sensation and currently under consideration at ZMR album awards in 4 categories. Likewise, Antiquus ranked high in our own New Age Music Best of 2009 albums, giving you a clear indication about his first successful introduction into his new career.

David’s current release A Star Danced is just as impressive you will find, and my recent review of A Star Danced is now posted at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com.

Visit his new website at davidwahler.com to sample / purchase 

Composing musician Dr. Michael Brant DeMaria,  clinical psychologist, recognized poet, author, public speaker, and now recipient of a prestigious Grammy Nomination, was interviewed by John P. Olsen, contributing author with NewAgeMusic.Nu.

John :  Giving the fact the Christmas season has arrived, your musical and professional endeavors are numerous, thank you for taking time out for us.

BT Fasmer and I also congratulate you on your current Grammy Nomination and recent win with the Native American Music Award, ( NAMMY ) in the Native Heart category in October.  This must be very rewarding, so how does it feel to be recognized by these achievements, and why do you think  Siyotanka  makes such a decisive impression on those who make award decisions  ?

Michael :  Thank you so much John, and please thank BT Fasmer for me.  Your words are greatly appreciated.  It is a great honor to be recognized with a Native American Music Award.  Although I work in many genre’s of music including New Age, World and Ambient music – I have a deep love and respect for Native American culture, music and wisdom and it’s meant a great deal to me – so this honor is particularly meaningful. The music of Siyotanka really appears to have touched many people with its sincerity, simplicity and honesty.  My goal with the music was to serve the story and try to tell the story musically even if you had never seen the play or are even unfamiliar with the Legend of Siyotanka. 

What’s beautiful about it is it is really an archetypal story for musicians.  We don’t have room to go into the whole story here – but what I can tell you is it’s a story about finding the song that lies inside of our hearts and the importance of sharing that song with the world – because it is that soul song that tells us who we are, where we come from and where it is we are going.  Ultimately, it is also a story about peace – how wood is fashioned for the first time into an instrument of love instead of into a weapon of war.  I think that is truly an important story for our time. 

I have a deep love and respect for Native American culture, music and wisdom and it’s meant a great deal to me

Michael Brant DeMaria

John :   You have also performed with Grammy nominees, past winners, and are now among a select group of musicians.  Who are some of the artists you have performed with in the past, and what is it like to perform with these other fine musicians  ?

Michael :  Thank you again John for your kind words.  It is an incredible honor to be recognized in this way.  My first love was music and it has been my therapy and a balm to my heart and soul so often in my life.  I’ve had the honor of performing with many of my musical heros.  Two in particular, David Darling and R. Carlos Nakai are two that inspired me for many years.  It was Nakai’s Earthspirit which was the first Native American Flute recording I ever heard.  It literally brought tears to my eyes.   David’s cello can also just reduce me to a puddle.  To admire someone for so many years and then have the opportunity to play with them is a true joy.   I actually have studied with David over the last four years and am know certified with him as a Music Improvisation Teacher through his Music for People program.  He has a huge and generous heart.  He’s nominated in the New Age category this year.  

John :  Perhaps you could tell us how your musical odyssey began.  What were the circumstances of your early beginnings in music, and how did you progress from there  ?

Michael :  At the age of 6 years old I would go to the family piano and strike one note at a time and close my eyes to enjoy listening to the note arise and then slowly dissipate.  I could do that for long stretches of time.   I had a number of surgeries as a child and I realized at a very young age that this process was very healing and soothing for me.  I realize now as a psychologist it was a form of music therapy I was practicing – like meditation or self-hypnosis – a trance state if you like.  For me, all I know is it felt very sacred to me and could take me to another world.  

Then the next turning point musically came when I was 9 years old when I heard my first live jazz at the local high school auditorium.  I was absolutely captivated by the drummer on his pearl white drum set electrifying the audience with his syncopated rhythmic playing.  My heart did a triple back flip with a double twist – I was just blown away !  I went home that night and announced I was going to be a drummer.  It didn’t go over too well – we were a quiet Catholic family – but I sat and practiced my drum pad for months until my parents saw I was serious enough and then one day relented and bought me my own white pearl set of drums that I just adored and played every chance I could get.  I had found rhythm and I was addicted !

Then at the age of 18 I bought my first Moog synthesizer.  That 6 year old that liked to plunk one note at a time was totally blown away with the sounds that came out of this synthesizer – WOW ! It was like a drug for me.  And not only could I generate a sound, but I could modulate it in all kinds of ways.  I became a dedicated synthesist for many years.  I always heard sounds within me that I have sometimes called the music of the spheres or the hum of God – and here was this keyboard that allowed me to explore to my heart’s content some really wild, far out sounds. 

Then, at the age of 31 while heading out to enact a very traditional vision quest in Canada I heard a Native American Flute for the first time – and that took me to a whole other world.  There was something about the bittersweet, hauntingly familiar sound of the flute that took me to an even deeper place inside.  I had never played a wind instrument before and to make sound with your breath – well, there is nothing quite like it. What was different about the flute was I was in need of some profound healing – it helped me cry and grieve and slowly, but surely brought me back to life after suffering from what I have come to call ‘compassion fatigue’ after working with severe cases of child abuse and neglect for many years.  As a result, I’ve spent the last 16 years exploring a variety of ethnic and world percussion and aerophones into my music resulting in my last three commercially released albums, The River, Ocean and Siyotanka.  

John :  Later in life you began your own private practice as a clinical psychologist and therapist, creating ONTOS, to help individuals and groups advance in life.  What are the principals, mission, and what led you to create ONTOS  ?    

Michael :  ONTOS is the Greek word for Being.  Being is the most inclusive word in every language.  The verb ‘to be’ weaves its way in and out of every sentence and every moment.  It refers to the most mysterious essential core of who we are – our inmost Being.  For me Being refers to the wholeness that we already are when we connect to the truth that is in our hearts – which is our natural interrelatedness with each other, the natural world and the cosmos – ultimately to all things.  

We are very lost today as a culture and a species.  We have lost our natural sense of being part and parcel of the earth and cosmos.   We have rather been taught the big lie of western culture that somehow we are different and superior to nature when in fact we are part and parcel of nature – we are a part of the web of life, not the owner or exploiter of it.  We are paying a dear price for that today – and we need this deeper wisdom of the interconnectedness of all beings to get back into a healthier alignment with the natural world and each other.   All human beings share 99.9 percent of the same DNA – only .1 percent accounts for all the differences between all people.  We are all truly brothers and sisters, siblings in the cosmos.  We even share 50 percent of the same DNA with Bananas! We are all connected with all living things.  The mission of Ontos is to know that people heal and get better when they begin to experience their connection to life, nature and each other in a more fundamental and profound way.

John :  Stress for the caregiver is always a result when providing treatment to patients, so how do you yourself regroup, after treating hospice, cancer patients, and abused or neglected children in your care  ?

Michael :  Music, meditation and time in nature.  I like to say my holy trinity is nature, creativity and spirituality.   They bring me back into alignment.  Another analogy I like to use is if I go to the river and get a bucket of water and bring it to people who are thirsty I have to be honest with myself when the bucket is empty and return to the river.  In this way, I remember that I am simply a fellow journey or who is all too human and I try very hard to remind myself to take care of myself in order to be of good to others.  I’ve burned out once before and am very sensitive about avoiding that again.  For this reason I limit my clinical work to three days a week – and try to keep 4 days a week open for my creative work.  This has been a really nice balance for me.  Creativity tends to put into my heart and soul what therapy takes out – and therapy tends to put in what creativity pulls out.  It’s like crop rotation – replenishing myself by alternating between being an artist and a healer.

John :   In your Healing Sound Series you began with  The River,  which led to the  Ocean   album.  Your next in series will be titled  Earth.  What led you to begin the series, and in what ways are the albums alike and what are some of the tonal differences in the series  ?

Michael :  Great question John.  The  Healing Sound Series  arose from my desire to use music in a way that our ancient ancestors understood it’s use most – for healing.   Our culture is the only culture on the planet that has used music primarily as a form of entertainment.  To the ancient and indigenous cultures on our planet music was always used as a form of community building, ritual, meditation, prayer and most importantly, healing.  The medicine man or woman used music, dance and song to do their healing work.  This was the first inspiration for the  Healing Sound Series. 

 The second is that as a psychologist I  make sound tracks for relaxation tapes and visualization journeys for my clients and have for the last 25 years.  I wanted to challenge myself to use this music and make it available to massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga teachers and meditation teachers on a larger basis.   It is also the desire of that 6 year old inside of me that still sees the miracle of life being how something arises and then disappears – perhaps it is an acknowledgement of the fleeting nature of life and how we each come into the world as a song and then must also eventually return to that place we came from.   The River actually arose out of my work with hospice patients and my belief that life is like a river – and that when we die – like the river – we just change form as we empty our being into the vastness of Being itself – the Ocean.  

The Ocean became a natural follow-up to the The River – to explore this more formless place – the place from which the river comes from and to which it returns.  You see this whole mysterious process of living and dying just fascinates me to no end – and music has been an amazing vehicle for me to explore this fascination in a healing way – and it turns out has been healing to others as well – which gives me great joy. 

John :  Your current release  Ocean   is dedicated to hurricane survivors like yourself, and reflects on events that have happened in your life.  Do you mind telling about this past event, and what is your musical objective for both you and the listener  ?

Michael :  The  Ocean  album documents a particularly tragic and painful time in my life after we lost our home during hurricane Ivan.  We had to move into the back of my office – my daughter was a senior in High School at a time.  Our lives were turned inside out and upside down when a 15 foot wall of water enveloped our whole neighborhood.  90 percent of the homes on our street were destroyed.  The place I taught my daughter to ride her bike, do her first cartwheel and build her playhouse – the place we called home would never be the same. 

Music has been an amazing vehicle for me to explore this fascination in a healing way – and it turns out has been healing to others as well – which gives me great joy.

Michael Brant DeMaria

 The water had always been a source of relaxation and peace for me – now it looked anything but – an ominous, unpredictable and dangerous force.  It really took me initially to a dark place – but it was out of this darkness that the music started to teach and heal me.  I started having dreams of swimming with dolphins, whales and strange underwater creatures.  The music really reveals that out of this darkness something beautiful comes.

John :  Siyotanka   hit  # 1  and remained in the Top  20  chart for  6  months, you went on to win a Native American Music Award ( NAMMY ) in the Native Heart category, recently presented in Niagara falls.  This album is based on a story, so could you tell us the storyline, and theatrical aspects of  Siyotanka  ?

Michael :  Siyotanka  is the Lakota word for ‘flute’ and sometimes is translated as ‘great song’.  The legend of Siyotanka involves how the first Native American Flute came to be. It’s about a boy trying to find his place in the world. 

He thinks he is to hunt and elk – but doesn’t have much success and on the way he is distracted by this hauntingly beautiful, ghost like music.  He follows the sound until he comes to a cedar tree that has had a branch hollowed out by termites.  There is a woodpecker who has hollowed out a number of holes in the branch and is jumping from one hole to the other and as he does the wind blows through the branch and creates this mysterious music.   He wants nothing more than to make this wood sing like that.  It takes time and many adventures – a vision quest, a dream of the spirit of the woodpecker and many other lessons, but finally he learns to make the wood sing.  He learns about humility, respect and listening deeply to Nature. 

The story reminds us when we are lost and alone, feeling rejected and abandoned, if we look inside our hearts and find the song that is living there we can find our way even through the darkest of times.  How a piece of wood can be fashioned into a musical instrument instead of into a weapon – to bring peace instead of war, love instead of hate. Truly a story for our time.   The play itself was quite a production.  We had a 30 person production team with actors, crew, a beautiful set designed by my co-writer Stephen Lott who also did the ‘shield’ for the cover of the CD.  You can find much more about the legend and some of the story behind the music at www.siyotanka.com

 John :  You also are currently working on another album titled  Voices,  which explores new territory for you.  What can we expect from the  Voices   project  ?

Michael :  This is something I’m very excited about John.  Voices  will be just that – nothing but human voices.  I have been working with my voice more and more – and I’ll be using multi-layering of my voice and perhaps some guess vocalists on this album and we hope it will be a wonderful addition to the  Healing Sound Series.  

John :  In the past you have said nature inspires you the most.  What aspects of nature, and how does silence, and individual notes from beginning to end, play an integral role in what you want people to hear and experience in your music  ?

Michael :  My holy trinity is Nature, creativity and spirituality.  For me nature is God’s art.  When we immerse ourselves in nature we are putting ourselves in alignment with the creative infinity of the universe.  Nature has a way of not only healing us, but inspiring us.  To me the music of nature is the most profound.  There is an organic quality and rhythm to the sound of nature.  For me it’s the music of life itself.  I never tire of listening to the many sounds present in the natural world.  I say I get many of my best stuff from the feathered one’s (the birds) !

John :  The instruments you play are keyboards, synthesizer, indigenous flutes, percussion, claves, and other aerophones, but you consider yourself a flutist at heart.  Why is the flute your passion, and what are some of the varying tonal attributes in the indigenous flutes and percussion instruments used in your music  ?

Michael :  Yes, John, although I grew up playing keyboards and percussion – and fell in love with the synthesizer in my late teens and 20’s – I’ve come to realize I’m a flute player at heart.  There is something about using my breath to create music that connects me with the spirit-that-moves-in-all-things in a profound way.  I disappear into the music playing the flute like nothing else.  I close my eyes and it’s the closest thing I have ever experienced to flying.  I feel my spirit soar when I play – and it is a thrill and joy like no other for me. 

John :  You have presently authored  3  personal growth books, and have stated a love for poetry having performed on stage with world renowned poets.  Could you tell us about the books you wrote, and some of your experiences as a recognized author and expressions as a poet  ?  

Michael :  I have written 3 books.  The first Horns and Halos: Towards the Blessing of Darkness is more of an academic work.  This was published in 1992 and explores the terrain of love/hate relationships.  I was working with child abuse victims at the time – and I was trying to understand how loving relationships could turn so violent.  It was a way for me to make peace with much of the tragedy I was witnessed to for so many years in my early clinical work. 

My second book, Ever Flowing On: On being and becoming oneself is a book for a general readership and was my first attempt to write less academically and more from the heart.  It includes the story of my first vision quest and my love of music and nature.  It is a personal growth book for the serious seeker.  It has also been called a wisdom book for the soul’s journey.  It is broken into 4 parts, The Source, The Abyss, The Quest and The Dance.  It was inspired by a dream where my grandmother came to me and asked me if I died tomorrow, what of value do I have to leave my daughter.  My goal was to write down what I felt was important in living a life.  It is a book that is near and dear to my heart – a labor of love ultimately for my daughter.

My last book is Moments, which is my first full length collection of poetry.  Next to music, poetry is my favorite form of expression.   It has always been a companion for me during dark times.  It was a great joy for me to play with Robert Bly and David Whyte, both of whom have inspired me creatively in many ways.  I can’t remember who said it, but the quote I love most about poetry is that in every poem the universe gives up a secret.  I really like that idea – and I personally experience it that way.  For me, life itself ultimately is a poem – and to live fully and well is to become an artist of life. 

My holy trinity is Nature, creativity and spirituality.  For me nature is God’s art.

Michael Brant DeMaria

John :  Your achievements and experiences are just too numerous to list in this single interview Michael, so I wanted to give you an opportunity to tell our readers anything about yourself we haven’t covered in our interview.

Michael :  John, you have been so kind and generous with your words.  It’s an honor to be part of newagemusic.nu.  I guess the only other area I’d like to share about is that in addition to  Siyotanka  I have written another play, Café Mezzo that was produced and received wonderful reviews including best play of the year for the theatre it was produced in (The Loblolly Theatre). 

I have also written a full length screenplay that I hope to see produced one day.  My greatest love is weaving music, words and images into meaningful and hopefully healing stories for the soul’s journey.  Stories and music have tremendous power to move us and transform us – so it is my hope in my creative work to add a bit of sanity and beauty to a world that is in desperate need of it.  I hope I can also inspire others to share their own creative expressions.  For me, the artist does for a culture, what a therapist does for an individual.  So ultimately all my work arises from the same inspiration and motivation – to heal and become more and more whole – individually and collectively.

John :  We wish the best for you as a Grammy nominee Michael. It’s been an honor to learn more about you while preparing, then conducting our interview together.  On behalf of our readers, thanks again and let’s keep in touch.

Michael :  Thank you so much John.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this interview and the depth and genuineness of your questions.  Yes, by all means let’s stay in touch  – it’s again a joy to be a part of newagemusic.nu !

Wishing you, your family and all your readers a blessed holiday season !

You may visit Michael’s website ontos.org by clicking here.  Our recent album review of  Ocean  and related articles can be found here.

*  There is a footnote to this Interview.  Michael informed me, and I did confirm, that ZMR has placed Michael’s  Ocean  album at the Top # 1 Recording for November 2009.  In addition, Improvijazzation has selected  Ocean  as their Best Ambient Album of the Year for 2008.

This is great news, and we are proud that NewAgeMusic.nu is able to present some of today’s top talents in the music industry to our readers.

Congratulations again Michael !

John P. Olsen, contributing author for newagemusic.nu serves as host for an Interview with composing musician John Adorney, discussing many topics including his artist biography, secret to success formula for producing outstanding music year after year, and newest release  The Fountain.

JP Olsen : Thank you for taking time out of your schedule for us.  We welcome you aboard, John.  It is an honor to meet you not only by your star status in the music industry, but BT Fasmer and I also happen to be among the many fans of your music !

John Adorney : Thanks – it’s great to have this opportunity to speak with you !

JP Olsen : Let me start by saying, you began by playing cello at age 9, were self taught on guitar, piano, and also began composing at an early age.  Could you tell our readers about your earliest introductions to music and how you first began composing music at this young age ?

John Adorney : Both my parents were artists, so initially, drawing was my first love. We had a few musical instruments around the house, and from a very young age, I always loved picking them up and playing with them, picking out tunes.  There was always music around the house, and sometimes I would go to church with my mother and grandmother.  When the hymns were sung, they were both always singing harmony – never the melody.  I think this had a big effect on me – I’ve always loved harmonies as much as anything in music.

When I was 11, the Beatles hit America, and I was totally smitten with pop music and taught myself guitar – which, to me, was quite easy compared to studying the cello.   Once music clicked for me, I lost interest in doing art – drawing seemed so dry to me compared to music.

My parents always supported whatever I was interested in, so they bought me an electric guitar, and later a 12-string acoustic guitar. We also had two reel-to-reel tape recorders in the house, so it occurred to me that I could record myself playing several instruments.  I’d record a part on cello, then play the tape out loud, playing a second harmony part along, and recording both on the second tape deck.  I’d do this back and forth until the sound quality of the initial recording was so bad, I really couldn’t take it any further.  I’d make up my own pieces – I think the layering idea originated from playing in orchestra, where each part is separate, but when put together, creates something large, and often, quite sublime. I actually still have some of those old recordings.

I’ve always loved harmonies as much as anything in music.

John Adorney

JP Olsen : Some of your scholastic studies are centered around music.  Could you describe your fields of study, vocational, and educational achievements ?

John Adorney : I studied cello into my college years, and I was a cello major at the University of Connecticut. I was also I interested in psychology, so when I finished my degree at Antioch University several years later, it was with a double major in music and psychology.

Then, while teaching music at a school for handicapped children, I discovered that there was a music therapy program at Cal State University, Long Beach. I completed my music therapy training there and became a board-certified music therapist. The semester after I graduated, I was asked to teach music therapy at the University.

JP Olsen : Working with handicapped children must be a very rewarding experience and I can only imagine what that must be like, John.  What are some of the challenges and personal rewards felt from your experiences while teaching disabled children, and as a music therapist, how are you able to reach out to severely handicapped individuals ?

John Adorney : First, I’d like to say that we’re all handicapped – it’s a spectrum, really, that we stand on at one spot and from there, we judge someone else.  I’ve had doctors tell me that someone I was working with was severely retarded, but I knew that this was just because the person couldn’t speak.  Of course if someone can’t speak, they’re going to test poorly on an “intelligence” test.  It was easy to see by looking in the person’s eyes that they were perfectly intelligent.  Common sense is very uncommon, as a very wise man once said.

There are so many things that are great about using music as a therapeutic medium.  For one, everyone loves music, so it has a universal appeal built into it. I think that this is perhaps especially true for handicapped people.  I’ve always loved working with handicapped people, because they just seemed more open to music than most people – they’re not trying to be “cool.”  And if there’s any kind of intellectual limitation, then music can transcend that.

There are so many things that are great about using music as a therapeutic medium.

John Adorney

The actual application of music therapy varies, depending on what the goals are with each client.  For example, an autistic person needs to connect to people – he or she lives in a fairly isolated world.  My approach in this case would be to enter that person’s world with them – become a companion in their world.  This might mean imitating the sounds that they make, and singing along with these sounds, finding out which songs and music the person likes, etc.  Then, once I have been accepted as a friend in that person’s world, then he or she and I can venture slowly out from that world in a way that’s safe.

One client of mine has no speech, no movement, eats through a tube and breathes through a tube.  She lies on her back all day looking at the ceiling.  We have connected through my singing songs to her – I make them up about her, her environment, etc.  The music can stimulate her or relax her, depending on what’s called for.  She’s an amazing person, and it’s my honor to know her and be able to be with her.  It’s all in the eyes and the smiles.

JP Olsen : I think the work you do with handicapped individuals is admirable John, and completely agree with your statement that there is enrichment and something to learn from all individuals, regardless of whether they are handicapped or not.

In 1998 you joined the EverSound label and your first album  Beckoning has received notoriety by becoming their most successful album to date.  What awards and recognition have you received so far on all of your albums, and is  Beckoning your most successful album to date ?

John Adorney : Well, it’s hard to say, whether there’s any difference between  Beckoning and my other CDs other than the fact that  Beckoning has been out the longest. This is probably why it has sold more than my other CDs. I saw on one radio airplay chart recently that my new CD, The Fountain, was #1, and  Beckoning – which was released in 1998 – was #2.

All my CDs have all been received really well.  The Other Shore won the Best New Age Recording of 2002. Really, though, I don’t think that awards have anything to do with the value of music. Music really stands on its own. To me the greatest reward is when I get an email from a fan that says the music has had a profound effect on their life. I get some amazing emails, and I’ve already gotten several in response to the song “Even in Your Darkest Hour,” from The Fountain.  Writing that song was unique, as it played in my head from beginning to end, exactly as you hear it on the CD.  That happens maybe once in a lifetime for most musicians, I think.  We forget sometimes how magical this thing called music really is.

JP Olsen : There are many projects with EverSound label artists you have performed with and likewise guest performers on your albums.  What are some of the projects have you done with EverSound label artists ?

There are two EverSound artists, Lino and Curtis Macdonald, who, after hearing my CDs, wanted me to produce theirs. It was a pleasure working with both of them and hopefully, I was able to add something.  They are both extremely talented composers and musicians.

I also produced Diane Arkenstone’s “Best Of” CD, which was released on EverSound.  I helped gather the tracks and I arranged the two new tracks on the CD.  Diane’s a wonderful human being.

JP Olsen : Your discography consists of Beckoning, The Other Shore, Waiting for the Moon and Trees of Gold.  Just released The Fountain does have the Adorney signature sound, yet a unique exploration of it’s own too, so can you offer some input about the ethnic paths taken on  The Fountain,  along with prior releases ?

John Adorney : I’ve always been a fan of world music and different ethnic grooves and so I’ve always wanted to incorporate them into my music. I’m also a big fan of Indian music – A.R. Rahman, and other so-called “Bollywood” composers. I think Indian music is the most sophisticated music on earth, and has such a rich and ancient history.  The instrumentation is fantastic, the grooves are hypnotic, and also, the Indian music is not based on chord changes, as is western music – it’s based on a drone.

I’ve always resisted using Indian sounds in my music because I respect the tradition of their music so much. But I feel there’s been a kind of new recognition of Indian musical elements fused into popular and dance music, which gave me the freedom to finally incorporate some of the Indian sounds. So I think  The Fountain incorporates some of these elements more than my previous CDs.

JP Olsen : Do you have a secret to success formula for providing everyone with music having an enduring positive influence over the years, and what inspires you to create and then transfer your thoughts into your compositions ?

John Adorney : I don’t know if I can say I have a secret – where music comes from is the real secret.  Sometimes as musicians we get too much credit and recognition for simply being a channel for the music that comes into this world.

I always write from a feeling – never about some external thing.  I love the un-defined quality in music, which is why I write mostly instrumental music.  Even the lyrics in the songs I’ve done are usually open to interpretation, and I never like to say what my own interpretation is, because I don’t want to limit what someone else might experience.  To me, what the musician is expressing is not what’s important – it’s what the listener feels when they hear the music.

I’ve always been a fan of world music and different ethnic grooves and so I’ve always wanted to incorporate them into my music.

John Adorney

I’ve also benefitted in my life by being a student of a great teacher named Prem Rawat.  He has really cleared away a lot of the garbage in me that would have prevented this music from coming through.  If people are interested, they can go to http://www.wopg.org/.  That stands for Words Of Peace Global.

JP Olsen : In relation to the technical aspects of your projects, can you tell a little about how your music is produced ?

John Adorney : When I first started with Beckoning, and with my second CD, The Other Shore, I was lucky to get Paul Dieter to do the mixing – he was on a break from doing work with Jackson Browne and Crosby, Stills and Nash.  He had gotten a Grammy nomination for mixing Jackson’s This TimeCD. I don’t even remember exactly how he heard about me, or the other EverSound artists.  But I loved working with Paul, and I’d always pick his brain as he worked – I was trying to learn as much as I could about the process.  Also, some of my music was mixed by a fantastic engineer, Leslie Chew, who also has taught me a lot about the mixing process.  Eventually, I’d felt I’d learned enough to mix my own music, which I started to do with Waiting for the Moon.

My home studio is very small, but with a keyboard and a powerful computer, you can really create some great sounds.  I do a lot of tracking in the Midi realm, and then sometimes replay many of the instruments live, to give the music a more “live” feel.  I’ve always loved blending electronic and acoustic sounds.

Believe me, as a composer I feel very fortunate to be able to play the keyboards, cello and guitar – these really cover a lot of ground, and it helps keep the budget down!  Besides – I can play the music exactly as I want it to sound.

I’ve worked in Cubase and ProTools, but now I work in Logic Studio, and do some audio editing in ProTools. Logic is very musical, but I still find ProToolsto be the simplest program in terms of editing audio. Sometimes if I need to record something live, like Daya’s voice, I’ll bring my equipment to a professional studio in Westlakeand will record the live elements there. Really, all that’s needed is a quiet place and a good microphone.

To me the greatest reward is when I get an email from a fan that says the music has had a profound effect on their life.

John Adorney

JP Olsen : Daya is featured on many of your albums, lending her vocal talents that can only be described as exquisite.  Her vocals compliment your music so well and is just a natural combination, so how did Daya’s singing career with you begin ?

John Adorney : I was Daya’s music teacher from when she was 7 years old, until she was about fifteen.  She’s always had an incredible voice, and a beautiful heart that comes through in her singing, even from a young age.  We have a wonderful relationship, and she’s always happy to sing on my projects.  I feel really fortunate to not only know her, but to have her sing on my music.

JP Olsen : EverSound and major retail outlets sell your music at present, but I’ve read that CD albums and individual songs will become available on your website.  When is your website retail store expected to open ?

John Adorney : I’m still working out the kinks on the website store.  I want to make sure that it’s a really smooth experience for anyone who goes there to purchase.  I know how frustrating poorly-organized websites can be.  It should be up and running in the next few weeks.  It’ll be fun, because then I can have individual tracks available for download that were never on a solo CD.

JP Olsen : On behalf of our readers, BT Fasmer, and myself, Thank You again for taking time out for us and giving everyone the opportunity to learn more about you on a personal level and the outstanding music you produce that keeps everyone coming back for more.  We consistently play your songs on our Home of the Stars Radio and invite our readers to tune in and discover the music of John Adorney.

John Adorney : Thank you – it’s been wonderful having this opportunity to talk about the music with people who are truly interested.  Thanks again.

Visit  johnadorney.com  right here to sample his entire album collection.  Visit  Amazon.com  to sample and purchase here.  You can find the EverSound Label artists John mentioned at  eversound.com  right here.

Cello picture copyright Bigstockphoto – Stab / David Martyn

NewAgeMusic.nu is proud to present an interview with one of the finest artists in new age music: Paul Heinerman. He has just released the album Oases, which you can read our review of here. The interview was done by BT Fasmer.

BT Fasmer: Seven years have gone since the release of Private Sun. Please describe the process behind your new album, Oases. Has your approach to music changed over these last seven years?

Paul Heinerman: The similitude in approach in composing the albums Private Sun and Oases, is intuition. For me, composing a song or an album is not a systematical process. Most songs arise by intuition and associations on themes I discover in the process of composing a song.

The difference between the two albums is that Private Sun is more or like a compilation of songs I composed over a certain period and Oasis has a special theme. From the album Private Sun, I was touched most by the atmosphere created in African Forest and Spirits of India and decided to compose an album with tracks like these. Intuition is not only inspiration from within, but also a result from external influences and possibilities. In the seven years between Private Sun and Oases I started working with new studio equipment. The new possibilities andhigh quality samples have inspired me a lot.

BT: You chose to release a single from Oases, Chimengu, long before the release of the album – and it became a massive hit on web radios. This must have been an inspiration when finishing the album? How do you feel about it now?

Paul: The first result, of these new technical possibilities and inspiration from the ‘world songs’ on Private sun, was Chimengu. A combination of modern western beat, synths and Chinese (sample) vocals. It is a quite different song, compared to my work up to then. I was curious how this style would be appreciated by listeners and therefore I sent the song to several web stations, as an introduction / teaser for a new album in this style. The great success on the internet radio stations surprised and cheered me. It also convinced me that the musical integrative path I chose was not only the right one for me but listeners approved of it as well.

BT: Oases is like a musical journey to many parts of the world, from the Far East to the West and back again.  Please tell us about your inspiration for using so different cultural expressions?

Paul: During the ‘70 and ‘80 I made several journeys, to India, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia etc. I was touched by the atmosphere and local music in these countries. All this has influenced my feelings and thoughts and through that, my music. Music is a way to express yourself as an individual and besides that, musical traditions give expression to culture. I found that music, by itself finds a way and cross borders to touch people. The synths and samples gave me tools to compose musical journeys and bring cultures harmonious together.

BT: On Oases there are voice samples on the first eight tracks, while the three last are without samples and more like your “old” style. How have you worked with samples?

Paul: I presume ‘my old style’ will always be present. It is like my basic musical language. It will be there as a base line in every song even if specific styles are more prominent, like the more up-tempo beats and voice samples in Oases. These samples are from special sampling CD’s. I selected these because they pleased me and they were suitable for the ethnic concept and atmosphere of the album. I composed the music around the voices.

BT: One cannot avoid thinking of Enigma when one hears Gregorian chants and synths. Please tell us about your inspirations for Oases. Do you listen to new age music – or other genres as well?

Paul: Associations of my music with Enigma feel like a compliment, I like this music very much.

My first steps on piano keys are the result of deep appreciation of the music of Elton John. As I am told, people regularly recognize his style in my play, especially in my first album Ancient World.

My musical interests are wide. I like various types and styles of music.
Major examples in past and present are: Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Vangelis, Steve Winwood, Deep Forrest, the Beatles, Kate Bush and lots of others. But I do value classical music as well, with Sjostakovitch undoubtedly as my favorite composer. And of course I listen to New Age music and appreciate in this genre Yanni and Suzanne Ciani.

A musician that inspired me specifically in respect to Oases, is Harry Gregson-Williams. Several years ago I heard his ‘All hell breaks loose’, the soundtrack for the film Spy Games. This and the other songs in the movie affected me. The western synth with world vocals were the combination I was working on as well and he created the atmosphere sphere I was looking for.

Most songs arise by intuition and associations on themes I discover in the process of composing a song.

BT: Your first two albums had much of that analogue synth sound. Will there be more of that in the future?

Paul: I am quite sure this sound will stay present in my work. Personally I am very fond of songs like Across The Ocean. Of course I like to develop as a musician and enter different musical pathways, but I expect this will continue to be alternated and interlaced with basic analogue synth sound.

BT: Your music has been used in many different settings, from boardprograms on airlines, to TV shows. Do you plan to do more of this kind of work – or will there be more albums like Oases? Or both?

Paul: As for me, both kinds of work will continue. For this specific moment I am busy to make library music again (for film, documentaries and commercials). One moment you are engaged in a lounge music song and some time later you compose a pop- or Latin song. This is very fun to do and it guarantees that you will not keep on composing in a fixed style or routine. While composing these library tracks I am concentrating on and exploring specific styles in music. In these pursuits I often find inspiration and possible combinations with my own basic musical style for new songs. So probably in the future a new album can be expected.

BT: Thank you so much, Paul, for giving us this interview. I know I speak on behalf of many new age music fans out there; keep creating great music. We love your work!

Be sure to check out PaulHeinerman.com Oases is available on all major digital music outlets.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – Himalaya Images

NewAgeMusic.nu is proud to present an interview with rising new age star Joel Kanning, who recently released the album Ubiquitous Frequency Oscillation (UFO). Read BT Fasmer’s review of it here.

Joel Kanning: Thank you very much for having me!

When I was nine, I was trying to decide whether I wanted to play the electric violin (because I thought they looked so cool!), or the drums. At that time, one of my brothers was giving guitar lessons down at the local music shop. One day he got an old drum kit as payment for guitar lessons, and he gave them to me. That was it. I would practice every day after school, listening to the radio through headphones, and playing along on the drums. I essentially learned on my own, listening to classic rock and 70′s & 80′s pop music and trying to work out all the fills and tricky bits. Later on, my cousin (who played guitar) and I spent most of our teenage years jamming, recording, and learning old Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Hendrix – you know, all the good stuff It wasn’t until after my high school years that I began experimenting more with guitars and keyboards, and recording my own ideas.

Joel: My oldest brother listened to a lot of Alan Parson’s Project, ELO, Genesis, Tangerine Dream, etc, while I was growing up and I believe that music, on a subconscious level, influenced me to some degree – although I was mostly interested in rock music at the time. But the pivotal moment was experiencing Enigma MCMXC a.D. for the first time, because it literally changed my musical direction. Up to that point I had been drumming in various bands and was determined to “make it” as a rock-and-roll drummer. But when I heard this Enigma music, my entire perception of music changed.

I had been drumming in various bands and was determined to “make it” as a rock-and-roll drummer. But when I heard this Enigma music, my entire perception of music changed.

Joel Kanning

Joel: It was crazy because at some point in the fall of 2008, I was working on remixes of Eric’s tracks, and working on my remix for the Enigma contest – at the same time! It was very surreal to be working with their tracks, and since I had never done remixes before, the whole experience was just a lot of fun. As it turned out, Eric contacted me and said that he really liked what I was doing with my tracks, and that he had actually featured one of my remixes, “Africa Brasil Chuva Remix,” on his MySpace page.

Then, a couple months later I was informed that Michael had chosen my remix, “Downtown Silence (Past Lives Mix),” as one of the winners of his contest. It was beyond surreal at that point. To have my own work acknowledged by both of these great artists was a tremendous honor! As a result of some connections I made doing those remixes, I ended up remixing a track for Arman Behdad called “Crimson Skies (Joel Kanning Remix),” which was just released this summer through Bonzai Elemental.

Joel: I think it really depends on what your objectives are. It is truly amazing what can be done these days with a laptop and a few hundred dollars-worth of software. The Internet has now become an extremely viable outlet for selling your own music. There really is no better time to be an independent artist than right now.

That being said, if I were approached by a record company that actually believed in my music as much as I do, then yes, I would definitely consider it. I think the chances of successfully reaching the intended audience would be much greater. However, thanks to the wonderful efforts of people like you here at NewAgeMusic.nu, and all the internet radio stations and websites around the world that are introducing people to new music and really getting it out there, I think independent music might just stand a chance

John P. Olsen has just conducted an Interview with Mars Lasar. The topics are about his remarkable music career, current projects, and innovative technological products. There is also some informal discussion about New Age music in general, and what it feels like to be a famous musician.

John (J): Your lifelong career as a musician has already been marked with many outstanding achievements over the years Mars. There are also many moments of media exposure on television and film. Could you tell us some of the programs your music has been aired on past and present?

Mars Lasar (M L): I have had my work played on many well known shows like: 24, Medium, American Idol, America’s Most Wanted, Opera, these are just to name a few. I have been providing music for film and tv for over 25 years.

J: What are some of the greatest moments in your career on a professional level, and could you tell us about the events that were occurring during the single greatest moment to date in your career as a professional musician ?

M L: I must say I’ve had some rather unusual adventures. Being a composer/artist and sound designer with a very large sound library, I was asked to compose all kinds of things from making an orchestra with wildlife sounds to creating hit song productions for the artist Seal. I sat in Abbey Road Studios and spoke music and technology with Alan parsons, had a cup of tea with Kate Bush, worked with Herbie Hanock and his production team on cutting edge music, wrote video-game music for Sega and Sony Playstation with Keith Emerson from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, I appeared on the Queen Mary and joined astronaut Buzz Aldrin on topics of energy conservation for Earth Day International, I played synthesizers on street corners dressed in a space suit, assembled an audio rainforest in a dome-shaped butterfly sanctuary in the city, opened for Mike Oldfield on his Tubular Bells tour, traveled to Latvia to represent Russia in the Eurovision contest for which I wrote only the music, the lyrics were in Russian (artist Tatu), I took a shotgun microphone and recorder into the Australian outback and recorded frogs and used them for percussion instruments in my albums, I sampled orchestras that walked out after they found out we were sampling them (in the 80′s), I recorded choirs in France who hid the one that was out of tune So you see, music and technology led me to many interesting adventures.

J: Recently when Cadence and I had our Artist Interview together, I asked if making her first individual CD / DVD release of Save The World was easier than she thought it would be. I now wanted to ask if having the tables turned by helping Cadence with her release was what you were expecting, and were there any memorable moments during the album production ?

M L: Save The World was probably the most work I’ve ever done with multiple vocals. It was like making a king size quilt with silk and a needle. The stitching involved was never ending and required almost surgical accuracy.

I’ve always been fascinated with the technique of multiple layered vocals, even back when we were using analog tape in the late 80′s. During my years of music production I used this technique wherever possible, but with Cadence being a choir singer and theory whiz, I was really able to push her to the limit.

It was an exhausting 1 year production but well worth the end result. Sometimes the production focus became so intense we just had to break out in laughter during vocal takes, and sometimes in tears. Cadence is a multi-talented artist that often makes appearances on my new releases. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from her in the near future.

Music and technology led me to many interesting adventures.

Mars Lasar

J: You have produced 2 nature inspired projects related to America’s National Parks. Olympic National Park was your first album, and Yosemite : Valley of the Giants your second.

I heard through the grapevine you have just completed another nature inspired project.

Is this right, and could you provide some details about your latest National Park project ?

M L: Yes, I finished another nature cd dedicated to the Four Corners. This one has plenty of Native American Indian influences. It depicts the vastness of the desert and surrounding canyons, with titles like: Hovenweep, Dead Horse Point, Canyon Lands and White Buffalo Woman. The cd is called Grand Circle and should be coming out late ’09. 

J:  In working alongside other respected musicians like yourself, including Hans Zimmer in the Days of Thunder Soundtrack, the musician Seal on the album titled Seal, and Herbie Hancock on the Dis Is Da Drum album among the many others. What is it like to work with other great artists like yourself, and were there any memorable moments you would like to share with us ?

M L: There is a deep respect when collaborating with artists and producers that are just as into the skill-set as you are. When collaborating in this manner, you’re looking for a perfect talent match for the customization of the end task, or the “brief”. Sometimes the music comes easy, and other times not so. Every artist I have worked with have their own unique eccentricities, and they change according to what is going on in their lives at that time musically and personally. It’s a detailed puzzle. Even the simplest songs can take forever to accomplish.

Karma CD Collectable

J: From 1998 to 2001 you released the following albums: Sapphire Dreams, 11.02, When Worlds Collide, Karma, and Star Is Born, among others. Was this the busiest period in your career, or was there another point in time where producing music was in the forefront ? If so, is there a reason you were so creative during that time period ?

M L: From the time I discovered music at 11 to now, I’ve been busy making my own versions of what I call “emotional mathematics”, evoking an emotion from music particularly with the latest technology was my thing. There has never been a dull moment. I just follow my art where it takes me.

The key was How do to make money from my art, so I can continue doing it? Being a composer means you must diversify your talents to survive, and that information varies on so many things that can happen in the industry at the time, which can actually take you off-course for years. I found that once I had the talent, distribution, audience and experience to release multiple works, there was no stopping me.

J: The Eleventh Hour was a very successful album for you. Could you tell us about the events that took place during that time period ?

M L: The only way to explain The Eleventh Hour success was the timing in the environment at the time. Many people were talking about cell-phones frying their brains, they were big and cumbersome in the early 90′s. My song from the cd Cellular City with all its phone noises and technology driven Jazz seemed to hit that chord. Next thing you know it’s playing on heavy rotation on American radio. I went all out on that cd to show my true talents as a composer and sound designer.
 
J: I recently posted a review of your At The End Of The Day album and found it a nice fusion of Jazz and New Age, noting the fact that many of your albums are a fusion of genres. Do you think this is why your music is so popular, and do you purposely blend genres, or does this just happen naturally when creating an album ?

M L: My curiosity for music and art never ceases. It’s the never-ending exploration. For me it’s all about expressing yourself in as many ways as possible and sharing your discoveries with the world. I never wanted to be pigeonholed into the one genre, I just have way too much to express. Because of this my fan base is very broad. From mediation to industrial electronic to jazz. This is also why I like writing for film and tv.

J: Earlier in life you worked 8 years for Fairlight Instruments developing innovative multi track synthesizer sequencers. Could you tell us about the products you developed and the events you were involved with during your early years ?

M L: Back in the early 80′s I was heavily into “concrete music”. This was very abstract and non-eventful music, but the techniques were interesting to me. I would put a blank cassette tape into my shortwave radio tuner, press record and pause, look for a neat sound on shortwave (lots of squelching to choose from), hold a stopwatch and together I would release pause and start the stopwatch for one second then press the pause again. Then I would look for the next shortwave sound and repeat. In doing this you could make crude but interesting rhythmic patterns and tones. Essentially I was sampling audio and playing it back. At 18 with my knowledge of sampling and classical training on the piano I fell into the lap of Fairlight Computers. The first music computer based production tool in the music business.

I worked day and night with the R&D team, explaining the intricacies of music and making the first music sequencer “Page R”, it was the shortwave concept but to the next level. I helped to built the massive sound library that came with the machine, packaged in a cardboard-box the size of a large refrigerator. I quickly became very knowledgeable on the computer and traveled the world demonstrating the Fairlight at trade shows, and personal demonstrations to: Duran Duran, The Divinals, Captain and Tennille, Mike Oldfield, Herbie Hancock, Hans Zimmer, Alan Parsons, BBC, Kate Bush and plenty more. My compositions came with the computer and at a price of $70,000. After helping to get the Fairlight off the ground, I started working freelance. Today the machine is obsolete, PC music software is at a fraction of the price and 100x more powerful, some examples are: Logic, Performer, Cubase and Cakewalk.

J: In the Art & Photography pages at marslasar.com I saw some pretty unique paintings along with your CD album collectables and prints available for purchase. I also read some of your oil paintings are created in more of a process than by just using art brushes. Could you tell us a little about how your original works of art are created ?

M L: I grew up with art. My mother is an exceptional fine artist, she taught me how to paint oil on canvas, I was immediately hooked and spent every moment I had figuring out the behavior of oil paint on canvas. At the age of 14 was asked to hang my works in my high school and I just kept going from there. After painting my canvas I would take a high resolution photo and manipulate the image even further in Photoshop. Photography became a natural progression as soon as it became digital, I wasn’t too keen on the darkroom and chemicals in the early days. Now, I take my camera gear everywhere, and most who know me know that I’m off taking photos when I should elsewhere ) I enjoy making art from music to art design to the business, it’s all the same to me. The most important thing is that I translate my concept across to the audience so you can enjoy the experience.

I’ve been busy making my own versions of what I call “emotional mathematics”, evoking an emotion from music particularly with the latest technology was my thing.

Mars Lasar

J: Your earliest music studies as a young adult were the classical works of Beethoven, Chopin, and Bach. Do you believe this classical foundation at a young age carried through into your earlier compositions and even into present day compositions ?

M L: Absolutely. The emotional mathematics behind classical music is deep and well thought out. I connect with my classical roots in most of my work. I think it’s an essential tool for young composers. When it comes to classical music, you can never know enough.

J: The family oriented Baby Escapes series 1 – 8 is intended for relaxation. Was there a personal reason that led you to create the more family oriented recordings, and what specific goal did you have in mind with this series ?

M L: BabyEscapes was a sonic experiment made to keep my baby daughter asleep. Made in the 80′s there wasn’t much around in sleep therapy, so I made my own. It worked so well we had to wake her up during naps. The idea was to create a repetitive cyclical loop that essentially massages your mind to sleep. The secret to this is the choice harmonic resonating tones. There is so much to learn about the strength of music and vibration.

My curiosity for music and art never ceases. It’s the never-ending exploration. For me it’s all about expressing yourself in as many ways as possible and sharing your discoveries with the world.

Mars Lasar

J: It is clear you have so many professional interests like music, art and new technology. It makes me wonder if you have any just for fun hobbies and what you enjoy doing in your spare time ? 

M L: My hobbies start as just hobbies, then they turn into businesses. There is only so much I can do in a day, so I just have as much fun as possible while I’m here for this short stay on earth.

J: I would like to close by saying Mars, that you are perhaps the most talented individual I have ever been introduced to, and along with your wife Cadence, you both are the most talented couple I have ever met as well. B.T. Fasmer, our readers, and myself do Thank You for taking time out to give everyone some insight into both your professional career and personal life.

M L: Thank you. Cadence and I have worked hard to deliver our creative expressions to the world. We hope that through our art we can make a difference, and inspire others to do the same.

Visit Marslasar.com to sample his music and art. Here is a direct link to some truly impressive photos by Mars Lasar.

We are pleased to announce an Artist Interview with music celebrity Mars Lasar here at newagemusic.nu.  Mars is revered in the music business, having an incredible career with a long history of creating outstanding music that has generated wide appeal to all audiences near and far.  This present day interview conducted by John P. Olsen promises to be an in-depth look into the diverse musical talent everyone has come to know as Mars Lasar.

His success as a versatile musican will be on display, along with some memorable moments during his broad career, current projects, and what Mars has planned for the future.  Topics also include the many innovative aspects of his life, giving everyone a chance to explore the creative genius behind this man of many talents and abilities.

We have provided  2  excellent song videos of Mars and wife Cadence Spalding together as a musical team.  The first YouTube video provided below is from the Yosemite : Valley of the Giants album, featuring the song  Mirror Lake.  This album was released during the time period years after Mars released his widely publicized Olympus album, and before the release of his Jazz influenced album titled, At The End Of The Day.

The second YouTube video features a co-write video Mars produced of title song, Save The World, from Cadence Spalding’s first CD / DVD album.  This just released remix HD video is another fine example of Mars Production skills and breathtaking photography while showcasing the individual talents of his wife Cadence as a solo musician.

B.T. Fasmer has just posted a review of the compilation album from Mars Lasar titled, In Flight Relax, and can be found by scrolling down our page, or by clicking here. 

An album review of the Jazz influenced release titled, At The End Of The Day, will be posted before long.  Our recent Artist Interview with Cadence Spalding also gives everyone insight into the lives of this exceptional husband and wife team who have given so much to music audiences spanning the globe.

The Cadence Spalding Interview and review of Save The World CD / DVD release can be viewed by clicking here. 

Make yourself at home everyone, and read all the latest news from this winning couple who are giving those of us on the outside, an opportunity to peer inside their lives through our personal interviews.  Visit their website marslasar.com by clicking here.

John P. Olsen, contributing author for newagemusic.nu has Interviewed New Age composing New Age artist Paul Sills from the United Kingdom.  The Interview discussion is about Paul’s early music career, and his 2 albums, Astral Doorways & Walking Across Heaven. 

John :   I have enjoyed getting to know you after first introducing yourself to me awhile back and found your music history quite interesting. Could you tell our readers about the earliest beginnings in your music career ?

Paul :  Thanks John! My family, on both sides, are musical so I was brought up surrounded by people who performed in bands and wrote their own music. My Dad always had a guitar lying around and later purchased a piano and a keyboard. I used to tinker around at an early age, not knowing what chords were but knowing if they sounded nice or not. I took acoustic guitar lessons in the first year of high school but they didn’t last long. I think I preferred to find my own way rather than under instruction. If my teacher knew that I now had two albums released he would fall off his chair!

In my teens I wrote music with a friend of mine, Michael Poole, and we recorded some tracks. I was designated vocalist! In my early 20’s I moved to Singapore to live with my Dad. He had a whole set-up with a 4-track tape recorder. Over those years in Singapore I wrote and recorded, probably, close to a thousand ‘vocal’ ‘rock’ songs. Listening to them now they are very noisy and I would hate for anyone to hear them! Even though I was recording loud and furious, I always felt there was something in there that was atmospheric. Later, I bought myself a Yamaha PSR keyboard which was great for home recording. I joined an ‘expat’ band called Haze where I played guitar. We were noisy but it was fun. I still preferred the solitude of writing and recording.

It was around this time that I heard Medwyn Goodall’s Clan album. Things took a drastic turn for me as I discovered I had finally found the kind of music I wanted to write. I had previously listened to some of the New Age CDs by Nightingale Records but it was Clan that really took me into the genre. Its still a fantastic album and provides much inspiration to me.

John :   Since your first start in music did involve playing in a Rock band, what first led to your decision to leave the group and become a New Age music artist ?

Paul :  We weren’t a serious band, it was more something to do on a Saturday afternoon. We were all friends in a foreign land and just got lucky that we had a bassist, drummer and someone who could almost play a guitar

Writing and recording alone is where my passion lies. I can lose hours ‘in the zone’. New Age provides a fantastic outlet to express your creativity in so many different styles. It opens all kinds of doors, you aren’t restricted by the genre and there is always something new to explore.

John :   What was the specific turning point that finalized your decision to compose your first album Astral Doorways ?

Paul :  I originally sent Medwyn Goodall (MG Music) a demo in 2004. I did get a reply that was both encouraging and helpful. It wasn’t until my second demo in 2006 (with special thanks to Catherine Young and Peter King, from the MG website forum, who encouraged me to do so) that I was offered the opportunity to record an album for the label. The idea for Astral Doorways didn’t come until I had already written an albums worth of material. This material was shelved and I started again, basing the new material on the tracks Cloud Dancing and Astral Doorways. I found I enjoyed the ethereal landscapes with simple but effective melodies. Once I had this idea in my head I went for it with a passion.

John :   After your working relationship and friendship with Medwyn Goodall first began, how did you become recognized as a member of the MG Music family ?

Paul :  Its an honour to be in personal contact with Medwyn. To be a fan of someone’s music initially and then to have both a professional and personal relationship is amazing. He is a really nice guy who is both extremely honest about your music and encouraging. He never flatly says ‘no’ to something unless he knows it has no chance of working. He will nurture and guide you all the way.

I was initially a member of the MG Music forum and got to know like minded people, both musicians and listeners. I already felt part of that family before I even told anyone I wrote music. To then release albums with the label was a real joy. Everyone was encouraging.

New Age provides a fantastic outlet to express your creativity in so many different styles.

John :   Naturally, I have heard Clan : Celtic Journey by Medwyn Goodall, and I agree it’s a great album too. So having drawn inspiration from his albums, and also having played in a Rock band, it makes me wonder how the individual Paul Sills style of composing and performing music developed. Was it always present, or did you have to discover your own distinct brand of music ?

Paul :  Influences come from every kind of music for me. I like all kinds, not just New Age. I’m a massive U2 fan, so those earlier albums like The Unforgettable Fire, played a big part. Their partnership with Brian Eno brought them into something else and that transition was when I really latched onto them. Those Eno soundscapes were the initial influence on my music and where I wanted to go with it.

Clan : Celtic Journey showed me melody and rhythm (although I have yet to write any drum related albums) working together to produce drama and passion. The followup, The Scroll, has the most beautiful piece of music ever written - A Maiden’s Kiss. Now, that is probably the biggest influence on me, so far as emotion in music is concerned.

Being influenced by so many different kinds of music has to have some unique effect on what you write yourself. However, when I sit down to write and record, all those influences consciously go out of the window. My head is empty of anyone else’s music and its just me and a blank canvas. Many artists will probably cringe when I say this, but the writing and recording process are done at the same time. I will come up with a simple chord sequence first but after that its all done in the moment. Sometimes it takes hours of building with the final melody rearing its head very late. Sometimes I get lucky and the track will present itself very early. I wrote six albums worth of instrumental material from 2004-06 so I’ve had a good amount of demos to draw from.

John :   How would you describe the music of Paul Sills to another person ?

Paul :  That’s a tough question. It would probably be easier for someone who listens to it to answer that. I would probably say its very atmospheric, mystical and dreamy, with simple melodies that you can latch onto and actually hum. I aim to write emotional music but at the same time something that can take you away somewhere else.

John :   If you don’t mind discussing the creative side to your music, when you produced the celestial music of Astral Doorways & Walking Across Heaven, do your creative abilities just occur naturally, or do you have to really work at making everything come together while composing ?

Paul :  Well, I write spontaneously most of the time and things happen naturally. This is sometimes a blessing because you are travelling the journey as a listener, not knowing where its going until you get there! It’s also dangerous because the destination may not be the nirvana you hoped for.

Writing in this manner allows me to be more creative. If I was to follow a strict brief I would probably end up writing a ‘New Age Painting By Numbers’ album. I doubt it would sound as fluid. Some people work best this way, I know, but I work better when I almost let the music show me the way! We do tend to fight a lot but the music always wins! haha!

Saying that, I’m getting more structured these days and plan a little more. For the next album I have planned it like a story, each song being a chapter. I know what approach I need for each track. Each page of my ‘book of chords’ has one word written at the top in bold capitals. This one word is my brief for that track.

John :  One question your fans and I want to know is will we see another Paul Sills album soon, or in the future perhaps ?

Paul :  I’m a quarter of the way through the next one and the tracks, so far, have been well received by MG. Its not been an easy year up until now. I wrote and recorded a whole album and had to shelve it. That was where the spontaneous approach didn’t work out. Although tough, it was the right decision. I came out of it with a fighting spirit and knew what I had to do. I settled on a stronger theme and am really enjoying it again.

John :  I admire both of your albums equally and honestly would not have been able to tell which one was your first, if I hadn’t known. Do you feel the same about both albums, or do you have a clear favorite, and could you give us insight into some of your songs during their production ?

Paul :  Thanks John !  Its difficult to choose a favourite as I like each for different reasons. From a production point of view I would say Walking Across Heaven. There is more atmosphere on that album and its more structured with regard to its theme. I learnt a lot recording Astral Doorways and applied those lessons to Walking Across Heaven.  Astral Doorways has its own uniqueness that I love. Walking Across Heaven has a little more drama, whereas Astral Doorways is very pure and innocent. I do, however, think they go hand in hand and I see them as a pair.

The one track on Astral Doorways that really set me on my path is Angelic Radiance.  Once I had recorded that I knew what my sound was and where I was going to take it. That track was originally written back in 1996 in Singapore. The chord sequence and melody just seemed to hit the spot. I used the same chord sequence and melody in the track Angelic Grace where the piano takes more of a leading role.

Another favourite track of mine is the opening to Walking Across Heaven, Towards Enlightenment. I think I wrote and recorded that in a couple of days. Its one of those tracks that just fall in your lap and when its finished you think ‘how did that happen?’ Compare that to Footsteps in the Clouds,  that took two months to complete, and you are never sure how long a track is going to take and sometimes you never quite know when its truly finished!

John :   Is there anything you would like to add or tell our readers that I didn’t bring up in our Interview today ?

Paul :  I would just like to invite all New Age listeners to check out the MG Music forum at mgmusic.ning.com. If you like to chat to people who like this kind of music then make your way there and enjoy. The people are very friendly and the topics of conversation vary. You can also get the opportunity to talk to Medwyn Goodall and can ask him anything about his music. All the other artists are also very approachable.

John :  Here at newagemusic.nu, we have been playing songs from both of your albums on our Stars Radio, and they are doing well in ratings, which comes as no surprise to us. I became a fan of your music from the very beginning.  B.T. Fasmer  and I both Thank You for your time Paul and wish you and everyone at MG Music the best.

Paul :  Thank you for your kind words John.  All the best to you both… and cheers  :)

You may read the  Astral Doorways & Walking Across Heaven  album reviews when you click here.  Sample Paul’s signature sound  here.

An Artist Interview with composing musician Paul Sills will soon be presented here at newagemusic.nu.

John P. Olsen will conduct this Interview with Paul, who presently lives in the United Kingdom.  The topics are his individualistic approach to synthesized music, and his 2 New Age projects, Astral Doorways & Walking Across Heaven.

This Interview will provide everyone an opportunity to learn more about Paul’s outstanding music. To give you an idea of the artistry behind his work, an album review of Walking Across Heaven titled Heaven Sent can be viewed when you click here, or sample Paul’s discography for yourself by clicking here.

John P. Olsen, contributing author for newagemusic.nu has conducted an Interview with composing musician Cadence Spalding, and will discuss her Save The World album and news about a project currently in progress. 

John :  I truly enjoyed meeting you for the first time awhile back. It’s very apparent to me that you are a friendly and sincere person. I am asking this half jokingly, but how did you arrive a such a wonderful disposition Cadence ?

Cadence :  Thank you John for complimenting my disposition – there are so many jokes for right here! – regarding female disposition in general – meaning my family will tell you just how “human” I can really be – but I’ll refrain and say “thank you – that’s such a nice compliment” – and maybe you are just picking up on how blessed and happy in general I’m feeling these days to even be talking about my music – inseparable from myself – and feeling satisfied that those sounds I’ve heard inside my mind for as long as I can remember are finding their way into my voice and through my playing hands and imprinting onto digital recordings and floating through the airwaves and touching hearts – and if even one, that means the world to me – to be able to express my deepest joy and gratitude – and to share that dialogue with others here on earth. And maybe too you are picking up on the fact that I use music as a tool to soothe myself and to pray and to meditate, so it helps me to relax and to be inspired and to connect with God (although I’m non-denominational), and I can only wish that it can help do the same for the listeners – to help them to pray or to connect spiritually to a God of their choice.

Ok, I’m also just beyond excited about a project I’ve been working on since my early 20’s as a music teacher in public schools called “Miss Jenny”. I perform music in costumes and as a “one-girl-show” on guitar, vocals and piano – singing rock/blues/country versions of kiddy classics. I’m now doing weekly Miss Jenny shows at festivals near my hometown in the Napa Valley, and just got asked to co-host a local, live! TV show here as Miss Jenny called “The N.A.P.A. Show” with host Arty Party. A new adventure, great people, musical, creative, community oriented and lots of fun!!

John :  Your husband is the revered New Age artist Mars Lasar, and I understand you have performed on some of his albums prior to your own release. Has it been the great reward you had expected by composing and performing an album of your own, or is it more work than you had expected ?

Cadence :  I’ve so enjoyed singing on Mars’ albums – they are so diverse. He is a wonderful man, a beautiful father, and gifted artist and a true genius in the studio. Can I say that about my own husband? Well, I just did – lol!! I was a fan of his music long before I met him, and obviously we hit it off on many levels, as now we have a beautiful son and we are married. The crazy thing is that we work together professionally as well, and it all seems to work so well. We are blessed and I think we both know it. Truth is that even though this CD has my name on it, my husband and I really recorded this album together, side by side. It has a lot of co-writes, and he is the sound engineer, and plays a lot of the instruments. And YES, great question John, it was a lot more work than expected – but most worthy things seem to be.

Our Christmas album was our first official project together called Star Is Born, so we definitely had a taste of the size of this project ahead of time – but we were held up anyways with a new baby and lots of library music work – so working together on this was perfect timing – as we already were in building and recording mode. The layered vocals take a lot of patience and perseverance to accomplish – but again, revealing this fresh sound that we discovered together is so exciting, and sky is the limit. We have a lot more of these projects to do, and that’s a blessing too.

John :  Your first project is Save The World, and is a great album I might add. What was the turning point that made you decide to produce your first solo album? 

Cadence :  I’ve been playing, writing, performing and teaching music most of my life – so it was a natural progression to record a solo album. My very first album singer/songwriter album was recorded ages ago actually, and just sold in small outlets – “demo” though, as the quality was slightly below broadcast, but a few of the songs did well publishing wise and I toured with my band in the LA area. I’ve worked hard on improving my vocals the last 5 or so years – singing in professional choirs and studying voice specifically, and finally technology was accessible for my passion for songwriting and especially harmony. I was also ready to record this album at the same time I was ready to perform a sound like this live. The sound when performed live involves back up prerecorded vocals that I sing on top of in full voice, and I think it sounds even better than the album because I also play rhythm guitar on top of it, and it has a stronger acoustic/rock vibe – live that is. It is a TRIP to do this music LIVE! I LOVE it!!

I think of songwriting as something so much more than basic composition – it has really kind of therapy for me over the years. When times were tough, I’d stay up late and write shoe boxes full of songs – often scribbled into journals and on pieces of paper in the middle of the night. Teenage and early adult angst – 1A – and I thank God for the writing getting me through lots of hard times in my young adulthood. And again, I have to thank my family for this, as I come from 4 generations of musicians and music teachers – so piano lessons at age 3 wasn’t uncommon.

I was fortunate as a young girl to have mentors to inspire me to be open creatively and to work hard, and they made it fun and interesting for me by praising me for practicing and encouraging the writing throughout my childhood and teenage years. I only wish more parents would encourage their kids to be creative musically. It is a healthy and calming outlet. Just reading notes on a page is so difficult for most children! I wish parents would be more open in general to alternative modes of music education – like for example….uh oh…rock n roll! Aren’t we there yet people? Is this still seen as something “less” than classical music?? How sad. I wish the gift of music for all children in the world. I wish parents would be more open to kids learning rock!!!

John :  Cadence, your singing abilities are quite extraordinary. Could you tell us about your music background and what instruments do you play ?

Cadence :  OH my goodness, what a sweet question this is to me, as really most of my life had music as a big part of it, but not as a vocalist. Personally I started piano at age 3 as a result of 4 generations of music teachers behind me – but the ideal age for kids physically, is about 7. Guitar lessons started in high school, and later on that was the perfect instrument for me to teach my students with because of it’s mobility and the fact that kids naturally LOVE rock n roll! In elementary school I was playing in school bands on violin and flute. It was not only just a great hobby – but something that gave me self confidence and joy – and the schools I attended all had terrific programs. Today, it’s unfortunately not available to all children, music education that is, and that truly breaks my heart.

I have always loved to sing, but didn’t study voice formally until well into my adulthood. I had to work very hard to open up my upper register. Once it opened, I never shut up!! I began singing in church choirs as a second soprano well into my adulthood. It was a blast! The feeling of singing music that I love, old and new styles, is euphoric. I can’t get enough. It’s almost like an addiction to be honest…and thank God a healthy one!

John :  What were your thoughts behind some of the song lyrics on the album. Could you explain your thoughts behind the lyrics in Trust In Love ?

Cadence :  Trust In Love  is a prayer. It’s meaning to me is as simple as it sounds – and a universal sentiment that is unique to every individual. We all have parts of our lives where trusting in love is the answer. It’s in integral force in nature in a way – love. Love makes everything grow, pulls us, inspires us – but is often the difficult choice to make in reality. I was thinking about world peace when I wrote this song, hoping that just in general, mankind would trust in love more. The lyrics are straight forward and it is written in classic Celtic prayer form with traditional early American church hymns and chorales as the inspiration. I was struck by the melody which is almost circular – each verse like a complete thought or sentence – and to you musicians out there – returning to the one cord before you would expect – giving it that “old” feel naturally. Grandma’s Song is more of a traditional Pop! ballad written in 3/4 time or a “waltz” time signature, and was written for my Grandma when she passed away. I wrote that entire song, music and lyrics, on the night that she actually died. It was a supernatural experience. I am positive that she helped me write it from the “other side”– it was a beautiful journey. I still get choked up by that song, and I perform it at lots of family type of events like birthdays and unfortunately, funerals. It is a song with deep sentimental value to me.

It is a TRIP to do this music LIVE! I LOVE it!!

John :  What about the song lyrics in Share Your Life ?

Cadence :  Share Your Life  was a song off my very first album – ages ago and a different name even…for a documentary for handicapped children for a beautiful organization called Share Inc. in Los Angeles. I was so honored to be a part of that prestigious charity group, a “Share Lady”. We raised nearly a million dollars a year for handicapped children in the Los Angeles area – doing an annual event/live show where we sang and danced on some of the greatest stages with some of the greatest talents in Hollywood. I was asked to write a theme song for their promotional video that was originally hosted by the late, great James Coburn. The song came to me quickly, after being deeply moved by volunteering at a hospital for severely handicapped children. I was overwhelmed, beyond tears – at the strength and courage of the staff at these hospitals and by the families involved. The words came naturally and straight from the heart – and my cherished “sisters”, the lovely ladies of “Share Inc.” were so inspiring and supportive of my songwriting. Children, along with animals, are part of that family of “voiceless creatures” of the earth that we as healthy adults, are responsible for. We share this burden as humans – it is given to us at birth – to care for these voiceless creatures. The littlest amount of volunteering can do a mountain of good, and it makes us feel alive and content in return. “Time to make it right…share your life…” Seems so simple –but I think many of us want to help more but don’t know where to begin. Thanks John for asking me about that song. I get moved every time I think about all the inspiring philanthropy I have been privileged to witness. I’m talking about such hard work and dedication from ordinary people that is beyond belief.

John :  At your website cadencespalding.com, I saw that you are presently working on another album. Is that right and what can we expect ?

Cadence :  My new album is nearly finished and listeners can expect a release late this year or early 2010 – and I’m thinking of calling it “sessions” as it features an eclectic mix of pop, rock, new age, classical and even a dash of country. A feast of flavors – and a few surprises as well, with even an occasional acoustic version of the Cadence Spalding songs from Save The World  that I’ve been getting requests to sing “naked”. Not me LOL, but the songs!! And so I did, happily, after producing them with often hundreds of layers of vocals per song and extensive instrumentation and sound design, it was a true pleasure to record them in their original form – acoustically. My test for my music, in the beginning, has always been just that. I try to go by the philosophy that if a song is good raw, acapella even, it can then be built into anything and virtually in any musical style. So this new album I’m now creating will be a whole new adventure – evolving and building on the past and continuing to explore the sound we discovered, while revealing a more “raw” side, kind of a glimpse of my “underbelly” as an singer/songwriter – and as a woman too.

John :  You had told me that you volunteer your time with children. Could you tell us about what kind of work you are involved with ?

Cadence :  In the past I have done many years of charity work involving music – often by volunteering my services as a music teacher, choir director, dancer, director – you name it. A music teacher by trade, and as jobs for Art Education in public schools becoming more and more sparse and low paying, I would get involved in all kinds of productions for charity in the beginning, just because I wanted to work and to learn. This lead to more work than I bargained for, but I don’t regret a single day of it. I have composed songs for a group called songsoflove.org, an organization in NYC that writes and records songs for terminally ill children. I also wrote original musicals for kids for various churches, and even owned a performing arts school for kids at one point in San Francisco that did a lot of volunteering for the community. It’s just so much fun – all of it. What could possibly be more of a gift than sharing music with kids? Amazing. I think I get more out of it that anyone, and when I perform or write music for a charitable cause – the added pleasure of being thanked for my time makes it a treasured part of my life that brings me pure joy. It’s the ultimate high!! Please check the inside of my CD cover for Save The World  for a list of charity organizations I’m involved with and how to donate time or money.

John :  Cadence, it has been great to visit with you again.  I look forward to our next visit and doing a review of your next project.  Thanks for taking the time to do an Interview with me.

You may also read my recent review of her Save The World album.

Her website is cadencespalding.com and her music can be purchased through amazon.com, bestbuy.com, target.com and barnesandnoble.com

John P. Olsen, contributing author for newagemusic.nu has conducted an interview with composer and producer Oscar Aguayo, having the artist title Australis.

John :  Oscar, could you tell our visitors a little about yourself and your musical background ?

Oscar :  I was born in Peru a few decades ago, the oldest son in a family where music-playing was part of everyday life. My earliest memories are crowded with images of my mother at home playing the guitar while singing, and the alien mixture of emotions I experienced from those songs.

You see, my mother’s songs weren’t children songs designed to expose children to a reduced, predigested set of emotions. Instead, she used to sing “adult” songs that dealt with all feelings, most of them completely unknown to me at three years of age.

I think about this frequently. Judging by how deep those memories are anchored in my mind and by the unique taste they still have to me to this day, I have to assume that although my conscious mind was confused by the unknown feelings conveyed by my mother’s singing, my subconscious must have been breathlessly making associations, creating patterns; interpreting the meaning of those melodies from what I perceived in my mother’s voice and facial expressions, experiencing brand new emotions not from life but from her music.

Whatever the explanation may be, since as far as I can remember I experience music as a language born from emotions with the purpose of transmitting those emotions to others.

John :  You currently have 2 New Age / Ambient albums available for purchase. Lifegiving from 2005 and your most recent, The Gates of Reality from 2008. What awards and recognition have you received from these 2 projects at present ?

Oscar :  Lifegiving earned me the “Morpheus Music 2004 Best Independent Artist” early in 2005. Several tracks from it have been selected to be included in several compilations from the US and Europe; and additionally, the entire disc was licensed for re-release and distribution in Asia by an international label.

The Gates of Reality is still too new to have earned any awards to this date, although it is already reaching the same level of popularity of its predecessor.
I have to admit, however, that no award or recognition can compare to the fulfillment experienced when you learn that your music has touched somebody. No public award can match that kind of personal satisfaction.

John :  How would you describe your music to someone not familiar with your very unique style of music ?

Oscar :  That’s a very good question because every person understands music in their own terms. Everybody tries to come up with names and words to define music, everybody tries to define its genres and to delimit styles within those genres despite the fact that music is unique to each person. So, how to describe my music when my description represents only my personal perceptions?

Even when in the most broad level my music falls within what we currently know as New Age / Ambient, I still want to avoid subcategorizing it. Instead, I would try describing it by its intentions: to challenge the mind and captivate the heart, to seduce the listener to explore their own emotional universe, to provoke their imagination and awaken their memory.

With that as a foundation, I would add a brief description of its acoustic elements: an amalgam of spacious evolving pads, seductive exotic rhythms, evocative atmospheres and aromatic melodies.  Then I would finish adding that my music is composed as a reaction to whatever emotional stimuli I am experiencing at that moment. In other words, each track originates as a response to a real feeling or set of feelings I am going through.

John :  Could you explain the circumstances or reasons for becoming a musician, and why you choose New Age music over all other genres ?

Oscar :  In all truth, I am a latecomer. You see, although I was exposed to music since birth and developed an intimate relationship with it since very early in my life; mine was a conservative family. The world of professional music was perceived – and with good reason – as a morally risky environment and therefore my parents never encouraged me on that direction.  It wasn’t a stern prohibition, of course, and I was still able to compose music and create a few bands during my teenage years, gaining stage experience and musical proficiency along the way. However, the idea of pursuing a professional career as a musician was never serious at home, and even years after I moved out to live by myself, I never saw myself as one. That was until my father passed away eleven years ago.

Without going into details, all my perspectives changed after that event. The meanings of every aspect of life shifted under my feet and I started to discover that many of the things I thought were important, actually weren’t; and that many areas I took from granted and regarded as trivial were actually the ones that give substance to life.  In the middle of this process, as things were falling into their new places it became clear to me that music was much more than just a fun hobby. I found there was so much to say through it, but so far I had never taken it seriously enough. That’s when I started considering composing and producing music professionally.

To answer the second part of the question, I don’t think music genre is as important as the messages and the emotions you as a composer want to convey. And since the range of human emotions is so wide, choosing New Age was more of an evolutionary process than an intentional one for me. I’ve composed in many different genres since the age of twelve and it is my personal opinion that New Age is the only musical genre that doesn’t impose creative parameters on the composer. In that sense, I think New Age is the less defined genre of all, providing the composer with an unmatched freedom of musical expression.

John :  Since genre is not as important to you, than the emotions you want to inspire for your listeners, What emotions can one expect to feel from your music ?

Oscar :  This is an interesting question. At the beginning I assumed my listeners would experience the same emotions I experienced when composing a particular piece. If I felt specially moved by something, I would translate those feelings into a musical piece and was sure that whoever listened to it would be moved in similar ways.  I’ve learned soon that is not the case, though. The truth is that every person has their own unique emotional structure, and although we all coincide on the generic emotional levels, our interpretation of more specific emotional stimulus is very personal. So, even when I can speak about the emotions I convey through my music, I am simply unable to speak about the emotions listeners will experience from it.  Of course, there’s nothing extraordinary in my emotions. They are the same we all experience: the many contrasts of love; our enduring hopes; the deep fears of our times; the numberless little joys of everyday life. The passion in our hearts; our endless curiosity; our desire to explore and to find things bigger than ourselves. The darker angles of our souls can’t be excluded: our shortcomings and selfishness; the secrets we keep only to ourselves. My music originates from all of these emotions.

On the listeners’ side, I will always defend their freedom to experience my – and all – music in their own unique ways, to extract from it the emotions their hearts need and enjoy.

John :  Can you describe what your albums are about, or can you share what thoughts and experiences from your homeland come to mind for each of your 2 albums : Lifegiving ? and The Gates of Reality ?

Oscar :  Lifegiving is a free compilation of the varied tracks I composed when I redefined my own musical intentions. It felt so incredibly good to musically express myself in complete honesty that I just let myself go. In fact, the album’s title came from the concept of a birth, an act of giving and receiving life. The result is an album where each track is its own little world.

In contrast, The Gates of Reality is a more intentional work. In 2005 I finished Lifegiving very aware of the role imagination plays in our daily lives, very interested in how our unique perceptions affect our personal understanding of the world around us. Love, hate, hope, desolation, peace, war, faith, disbelief; all of our emotions are the result of our perceptions, and our perceptions are the result of the interaction between intellect and imagination. It quickly became a set of concepts worth of exploration. It took me three years to finish.

as far as I can remember I experience music as a language born from emotions with the purpose of transmitting those emotions to others.

John :  Oscar, you have said in the past that music has the ability to break political and social barriers. I understand your comment somewhat, but what exactly did you mean by that ?

Oscar :  I mean that beneath our external labels we all need the same things. We may not speak the same language, we may live within countries in conflict with each other, we may have inherited the external characteristics of a particular race, we may belong to particular social groups and sympathize with particular political points of view. But no matter how different or incompatible we could seem to be towards each other, we all have a heart that feels and loves, that fears and hopes.

That’s where music plays a unique role. We may be unable to speak to each other, we may find ourselves unable to overcome our external labels – of race, of patriotism, of ideology – in order to communicate with each other in good faith; but we are all susceptible to music. We may come from centuries of injustice, or from ephemeral conditions of privilege; but we are all vulnerable to music because music ignores the superficial areas of the human condition and goes straight to the deep ones, the ones that are common to everybody.
In this sense I’ve had the honor of having personal communication with listeners from both sides of armed conflicts and with listeners from religious groups incompatible with each other; and share their thoughts and dreams and hopes, all as a consequence of music.

I think as a sentient species, we are still very primitive. Our technology may be very advanced and our knowledge very vast; but we still have to learn the basics. We are able to take a humans beings to the moon, but we are unable to feed the poor in our own cities. We have harnessed the power to destroy our own home planet, but we are still ignorant on how to live in peace among ourselves.

Yes, we are very primitive. And it will be a very long time until we learn the basics. Fortunately, we have music to help us blur the many imaginary lines that separate us from us.

John :  Recently a fan of yours posted a comment on my review of The Gates of Reality, and said : ” Let me comment that this ( Australis ) is one of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. ” Since this person will likely be reading this interview too, how would you respond to the person who posted this comment ?

Oscar :  I would start expressing how deeply honored those warm words make me feel. I would want that person to know how grateful I am that my music appeals to their soul and that they took the time to express that on your review.  Nothing motivates the independent musician better and deeper than knowing his/her music has moved somebody. It is a concept hard to explain unless one understands what “independent” means in the music industry.

If you compare the world of professional music to an ocean, an independent – in other words, “unsigned” – artist is someone who sets to cross the Atlantic on board of a minute canoe. While “signed” artists make the same trip on board of a cruise with a crew of people paid to drive the boat, the independent musician is usually alone and depends absolutely on his/her own devices. Most likely, he/she won’t make it; but he/she tries nonetheless. His progress, if any, will be discouragingly slow. The independent musician must absolutely love what he/she is doing, otherwise who would voluntarily decide to embark into such an unfavorable endeavour?

That is why comments like the one you mentioned are so meaningful to the independent musician. They make you realize you are not alone in the middle of a dark ocean on a reduced piece of wood keeping you afloat, but that you in the company of countless other human being sailing their own dark oceans by themselves. Suddenly everything takes deeper meanings and you know you are in the right path; all because of comments like those.

If I felt specially moved by something, I would translate those feelings into a musical piece and was sure that whoever listened to it would be moved in similar ways.

John :  Is there anything you would like to discuss or tell our readers, that I have not asked or brought up during our interview ?

Oscar :  Only that I appreciate very much this opportunity to share with you and all your many readers my personal impressions about so many subjects.
As I tried to say earlier, the listener is what makes all the difference for the composer. Believe me, I’ve composed private music for decades. It is only when the composer interacts – musically or verbally, like through your interview today – with the listener that everything starts to make sense.
On that subject, let me invite all of your readers to visit Australis official website for the newest material and latest news, at:

• australiscanticum.com
• Also, I’ve finally opened accounts on Facebook and on Twitter where behind scenes details are posted several times a day. Please feel free to drop by and say hello.

John, again, thank you very much for inviting me.

John P. Olsen, contributing author for newagemusic.nu, has conducted an interview with Salva Moreno of Psicodreamics  about his New Age music projects for our visitors below.

John: I am glad to have this chance for our visitors to learn more about the man behind the music of Psicodreamics.  After doing my recent reviews of your Fantasynth and Ambiethernum albums, it is great to talk with you again Salva. You are recognized as the emerging New Age artist in Spain.  Why did you begin your career in New Age Ambient music?

Salva:  In the 1980′s I was excited about Fantasy tales, Legends and Mythology and I enjoyed  the excitement involved with these themes.  In addition I discovered musicians like Constance Demby, Enya and Vangelis, and I realized this kind of music was like a soundtrack that made myself imagine adventures in a world of fantasy.  Then I decided to create my personal fantasy music world taking New Age music like a seed in my music career.  New Age was an interesting starting point, but during the last years, I have been developing my own style closest to Ambient and Chill Out with a little bit of Goth flavor.

John:  You have worked on several projects with other international musicians.  Who are the artists involved and what were the projects you did together?

Salva:  I have collaborated with many musicians all over the world.  I remember my first one with the USA artist Frances Lyons, a.k.a. Godot, in the track The Gift,  included in my album Eternal Angel.  She composed a beautiful piano melody in her studio for me.  I was mysteriously charmed by this incredible track when I listened to it for the first time.  Then I requested a midi file of the song to develop with ethereal choirs and effects.  We both enjoyed the final result after airing in the radioshow Blue Water Drift Dive, hosted by Darrell Burgan.  I will never forget that experience.

One year after, I collaborated with Gothic songwriter Priscilla Hernandez in the track Morning Light, and electronic artist Alidan with the track The Garden of Strange Beings, both songs are included in my album Azhdark Passion.  Finally, in my 2006 release Theatre des Vampires, it was an honor to include Ramon Mendigorri, playing the electric guitar on the track Theatre des Vampires and Nestor Mora, a.k.a. Rosten Jim, collaborating in Daylight Belonging.

John:  The Theatre Des Vampires and Ambiethernum albums have both received considerable air time with online radio stations, even before their actual release.  Are they your most successful albums to date?

Salva:  Yes they are.  Theatre des Vampires and Ambiethernum are what I consider the best ambient space music of Psicodreamics, and have been a great success in radio air time, magazines, and sales.  For instance Ambiethernum was included in the charts of New Age Reporter during six consecutive months and the long running New Age radioshow Hearts of Space, hosted by Stephen Hill aired one track of each album last year.  Recently my brand new album from 2009 Fantasynth, has debuted in many radioshows like John Diliberto’s Echoes, and many more.  Now I am waiting anxiously for my first debut on your station New Age Stars, for feedback and opinions from your listeners.

John:  Many other people have tried to describe your music, including myself,  so what would be your own description of your music when describing to another person?

Salva:  This is the million dollar question John.  I have always had a problem defining my own music.  I use one or two brief sentences to define my music very quickly:  Discover mythology through the music, and emotional melodies for dreaming. I could make an even more accurate definition:  An Ambient music soundtrack inspired by Fantasy tales and Mythology, with a light Gothic touch.

John:  When composing and performing your music, what is your intent, or what thoughts and images are you trying to get across to the listener?

Salva: I usually compose music inspired by fantasy themes.  Each album has a title or a main theme that makes people know an initial idea or a first approach to the album.  Nevertheless, music is a mysterious language that a listener can experiment in different ways.  I think the music is a vehicle to set the imagination free, and I want the listener tho have all the freedom there is to imagine.

I use one or two brief sentences to define my music very quickly:  Discover mythology through the music, and emotional melodies for dreaming. 

John:  When you first begin composing an album, do you already have your mind set on the material contained in an album, or do you compose the album during production only?

Salva:  Sometimes I have a general idea before starting a music project, then I begin to develop it during the production process.  With others, I can find inspiration when I play the keyboards and then listen for some ideas to develop.  There is not a systematic way to create an album.  The creative process is a mysterious thing and you know how I enjoy mysteries.

John:  You said that you create Fantasy and Myth inspired projects like Theatre des Vampires, that I will review soon, so what first influenced you to compose Fantasy and Myth theme oriented music ?

Salva:  Like you and I have discussed, I am a great fan of Fantasy and Mythology themes, and years ago I decided to create my own music world to feel fantasy in a personal way.  For example:  I have composed albums inspired by mythological beings like angels, as in Eternal Angel 2003, and vampires as in Theatre des Vampires 2006, all inspired by fantasy books like Tanith’s Lee’s Night’s Master, evident in my 2004 Azhdark Passion album.

John:  You currently have 9 great albums available and have told me about using video material soon, and plans for changes on your already beautiful website.  Could you give us some details about your future projects you have planned?

Salva :  I have many projects in mind but not much time to start them.  Recently I have released a new album titled Fantasynth and now I want to take a brief parenthesis in composing music until the end of 2009.  During the rest of the year, I have scheduled development of my visual art, creating some music videos.  I have also planned some projects for 2010 or 2011, of J.R.R. Tolkien, Silmarilion, and other books  inspired by fairies.

John:  Fantasynth is the latest release you are promoting and have stated it is designed for persons who are non conformists to most commercial music.  What does Fantasynth have to offer, and what thoughts or emotions do you want to allow a listener to feel?

Salva:  Yes, that is right.  Fantasynth is an album that fuses genres and styles as different as Ambient, New Age, Down Tempo, and Chill Out, mixing not only Ethnic and Symphonic instrumentation and orchestration, but synthesized sounds and effects on a more actual and innovatory musical outlook.  This album is specifically indicated for non conformists that refuse commercial tendencies and look for something more in their music.  This album is an invitation to dive into a new world of fantasy and imagination, where contemporary instrumental music blends with rhythm and percussion in a feast of sensations and emotions.  I try to surprise my fans who follow the musical adventures of Psicodreamics, and hook those people listening for the very first time.  It is not just another musical adventure for dreaming while you are awake, but a festival of emotions and fantasy where sound and rhythm will seduce your inner soul in a frenetic dance with a unique purpose:  Recovering the innocence lost since our childhood.

John:  Is there anything you would like to comment on that I didn’t ask in the interview Salva ?

Salva:  I would like to invite your readers to visit my website psicodreamics.com and myspace.com/psicodreamics and discover more about the musical projects of Psicodreamics.  They are also welcomed to listen to all of my albums on the website.  Purchases can be made through CD Baby, and the best digital download sites like iTunes, Amazon mp3, Napster, eMusic, and Rhapsody, among others. 

John:  Thanks you Salva for finding time to give everyone insight into your music, and sharing your thoughts.  I have enjoyed our past conversations, and look forward to writing about your music in the future.

Salva:  Thank you for this interesting interview, and for your great website devoted to New Age music, and your visiting fans.     

Marc Enfroy’s new album Awakening will be released on June 16, 2009. Below is BT Fasmer’s interview with Marc about the upcoming album.

BT Fasmer: First, welcome back! When we did the interview with you in August last year, Unbounded was just released and you were an unknown artist. Now you have won the NAR 2008 Best Neo-Classical Album award, and the album has become a major success. What is your reaction to all of this?

Marc Enfroy: Thanks BT. It’s always fun to be here with you. As far as Unbounded and the NAR award goes, I certainly wasn’t expecting the kind of response I’ve experienced. As an artist, you hope that your music will strike a chord with people and that you’ll find an audience.

As you know, my music leans more toward classical music or a film score so I wasn’t sure how well it would do in the new age market. Plus, there’s an over supply of piano music covering every imaginable niche: new age piano, instrumental piano, romantic piano, solo piano, piano for massage, piano for wedding music, piano for stress relief, piano for meditation. People have even written piano music to play for your pet. So I wasn’t really sure if my music would stand out enough to get noticed. In the end, I just wrote heartfelt music that I liked and hoped other people would like it too.

Somehow, the music found an audience and so I’m really grateful for that.

The other thing I hadn’t anticipated was how many people would connect with the story behind the music. As you well know, when my sister Suzanne passed away in 2006 from skin cancer, I wanted to follow in her artistic footsteps and started teaching myself to compose music. Countless people have told me that they are either in the throes of battling cancer or lost a loved one to the disease and they say things like, “your music gives me strength” or “there’s something indescribable in your music that touches me.” I had no idea it would have that sort of impact. It’s like we all share a special, almost mystical bond through the music.

So all in all, it’s been a very enlightening and uplifting experience.

BT: Your new album, which will be released June 16, 2009, is entitled Awakening. Here you are accompanied by three fine artists: vocalist Jillian Goldin, flutist Jack Chen and violinist Janet Sullins. Recording Awakening must have been quite a different process from the previous album? Is it also a cinematic piano album?

Marc: Yes it’s still cinematic piano music although you’ll hear other instruments taking more of a lead role. That made the creative process quite different. With Unbounded, it was just me and my keyboard. I’d first write the piano part and then layer on other sounds. When I started working on Awakening, I knew I wanted to take the sound to a new level by incorporating different acoustic instruments. So in many cases, I’d write specifically for that instrument as the lead with piano providing the support. Also, I can’t read music so I had to figure out how to write music charts for various instruments that would be recorded in studio. To do that, I wrote the music for each instrument on my keyboard and figured out how to use software to translate the performance into sheet music.

The other aspect that was new to me was selecting which musicians to work with. Thanks to the Internet, I found out about Janet Sullins and was excited to learn that she lived really close by. When I contacted her, Janet was really open to working on the project. Then for the flute, that was an easy decision because I had met Jack Chen through Tim Janis and had also seen him perform last Fall. From the moment I met Jack, I knew he was a really great guy and would be fantastic to work with. I also wanted to try some ethereal voice on the album and discovered Jillian Goldin last Summer on the radio. I immediately fell in love with her voice so she was the first person I thought of for vocals. Did you hear she’s getting married soon? She’ll be Jillian Aversa.

BT: Tell us about how the album was recorded. Have you had any help with mixing and mastering?

Marc: Where to record was a big question for me, especially for the violin. A contact at the University of Michigan school of music recommended Solid Sound Studios since they record a lot of classical work in addition to popular music. When I heard that Tori Amos, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson and Art Garfunkel had recorded there, I figured it might be good enough for me (laughing). Seriously though, the process of hearing music you’ve written performed by a world class musician is incredible. We had a great time in studio with Janet and it was an awesome learning experience for me. A few of the songs have parts written for a violin section so poor Janet had to play the same part over and over in many cases but she was a real pro about it. It took 3 separate recording sessions to get it all done. When we were done recording the final take of the final track, we played a little prank on Janet. We pretended she had to record one more time and then blasted some Evanescence drama rock into her headphones. She was looking at us like, what the heck? The best part was, after her initial surprise, she started improvising on the violin and it sounded fantastic. If I can find the video I’ll post it on my website one of these days.

Here are some pictures from the recording:

 
Then for the flute, Jack Chen was a real workhorse and banged out numerous takes of 7 songs in a single 5-hour session at Sound Market studios in his home town of Halifax. That’s in Canada for those of you who struggle with geography like me. The next day I was downloading Jack’s tracks and adding them to the mixes so it all went really quickly. Jack was really helpful when it came to assessing the mixes and being another set of ears. He’d listen to a song and have one of his engineer pals listen as well and then come back to me with suggestions.

For the vocals, Jillian was really easy to work with because I didn’t have to produce any sheet music, just a recording of the notes to sing. She’d record the tracks in her studio and email them back to me to drop into the mix. Jillian is on two tracks, “Before the Dawn” and “Maiden of the Morning Star.” Her interpretation and pitch are phenomenal. I’d like to work with her again in the future…well not just her. Jack and Janet too.

So I did all the mixing work but mastering I leave to a pro since it takes a special talent. Hans DeKline mastered Unbounded and I was really happy with the results so I used his services again for Awakening.

BT: Ok, here is a big one: What are your thoughts on the spiritual significance of music – and how does this affect your creative process?

Marc: Have you been hanging out with Justin St. Vincent lately? I just wrote up a little piece on that very question. You can read it at this link. In short, regardless of who you are or what you believe, I think there’s a place in every person that only music can reach and when it grabs you, it’s a spiritual event. I don’t mean that in a religious sense. It’s more like a deep emotional sensation that only music can create within the human spirit. When I’m writing a piece of music, I’m on a search for a combination of notes that creates a deep response within my core. When it does, I run with it.

BT: You are an independent artist. After all this success, will you still stay independent?

Marc: I’m no expert on the business side of things honestly. I might see if an indie label wants to pick me up just to see what would happen. Everything I’ve heard and read says that there’s no real advantage to being on a label these days. I just haven’t researched it enough to know if that would be true in my case.

BT: Thank you for the interview, Marc! Best of luck with the release next month.

PS: If you go to Marcenfroy.com you can hear some nice clips from the new album!!!

Below is John P. Olsen’s  interview with new age music artist Vicki Logan. Also see his review of her album The Journey to the Places in my Soul.

 John P. Olsen:  I understand you did not receive formal piano lessons, do not read sheet music, and play practically everything by ear, which will be surprising to many people.  How is it that you are able to compose such beautiful and creative music  ?
 
Vicki Logan: I honestly wish I knew.  I’ve been asked that question for years and I still don’t know what to say.  I can sort of explain the process though.  (And yes, I do everything by ear, so to speak.  Anyone I work with can attest…I “push the buttons and just do my thing!”)
 
I’ll sit at the piano and start messing around with the keys.  Something will hit me just right and all of a sudden, I know what I want to play and how the whole song should be.  I’ll record the base piece (usually some type of chord progression) and start layering a melody and other sounds to “paint a picture”.  I never really know how it’s going to sound until the end.  I’ll “dial-a-sound” on my synth and then something new hits me.  Even after a song is supposedly finished, I could do more to it.  I don’t start with an idea and a song doesn’t have a title until it’s completed and I listen to it.  Whatever it makes me think about, that’s where the title will come from.  Yes, I know.   I’m backwards.
 
When I record the actual album, I’ll play the parts in a demo and bring that demo into the studio.  I’ll record what I can and then hire other musicians to play the parts that don’t sound right on the synth.  These musicians get free reign to add their ideas to the material since I don’t know what the real instruments are capable of doing, although I do have final say.  For example; guitars can bend a note when a string is slid up or down on the neck.  I can’t do that with my keyboard.  The song, I find, is only enhanced by their performances…as it should be.  This is where it’s true “life” comes from.  That’s why I’ve reverted back to playing with other musicians rather than letting people record things digitally; making the song “perfect”.  Computers are wonderful tools, but, in the end, there just isn’t enough that can be said about the performers.  The feelings/emotions and oopses are priceless!
 
John: Many of your songs and albums have been recognized on New Age music Charts, plus you have helped many musicians just starting out as artists.  What song and album awards and personal recognition have you received as artist yourself ?

Vicki: This is going to seem really disrespectful, I know, but I really don’t intend for it to be that way.  I have received a lot of honors and awards from various organizations.  I’ve won some song contests.  I’ve been truly honored to receive these awards, and, for the most part, they were given to me in good faith, but, the more involved I’ve gotten within the music industry, the more I’ve found how political they are.  For example – The Grammys.  First off, you have to be a NARAS member.  If you are not, you can’t even submit your material for consideration of any award.  Next, if you do get in, you have to compete against the larger corporations who belong and have several of their staff as members as all members vote on the Grammy Awards.  You can guess where those votes are going to.  And then, there is a lot of “vote for me -s” e-mails that percalate to members.  In the end, the memberships to these groups are expensive and I don’t have that type of money to waste.  Like all of you out there, I have to figure out what gives me the most bang for my buck.  An attempt at stroking my ego or doing more of what I love to do?
 
Again, don’t get me wrong, honors and awards are wonderful things, but only if done for the right reasons. The best award I could ever receive?  If I could make the world a better place for even just one person so that that person could do the same for the next, then creating and sharing what I do was worth it all.
 
John: We are currently playing Enchanted Winds  and  The Ride and other songs of yours from previous albums on Home of the Stars Radio.  You indicated that The Journey To The Places In My Soul is your most creative and best album yet.  Why is that Vicki  ?
 
Vicki: I would say that The Journey is the most creative as I’ve learned so much since my first CD and I’ve attempted more than I have to date.  For example, I’ve played more flute on this one; more than on any other album.  I’ve recorded more of the album at home and just brought in the hard drive to the studio.  I used some new ideas (for me) and made some of my ideas more pronounced.  There is an actual story interwoven into the music for the first time.
 
Anyhow, I believe that each album has a special place for me since each album helped me get to the next.  If I didn’t do the first the way I did, the second one wouldn’t have come to pass.  Same for the third and fourth.  Each one builds on the last…each represents that time in my life in which it was created.  Even the photos chosen represent what was happening; many were from my backyard. 
 
In album number one, I was chasing a dream – trying something I never thought I’d be able to do, thus CHASING DREAMS only to end up FINDING MY WAY in the music industry.  This CD I even arranged a couple of cover tunes, only to find that most people preferred my originals.  I was on THE RIDE of my life realizing that I could do this and ended up with THE JOURNEY TO THE PLACES IN MY SOUL when everyone wanted to find out more about me…about how I came to this place…about my weird life!  (And yes, it’s been strange…lol)
 
So that’s why I believe it is the best so far…but even better is yet to come…  By constantly moving forward, attempting new things and keeping an open mind, a person can only progress…even when they think they aren’t.  It doesn’t matter what someone else believes.  In the end, if YOU believe in yourself, YOU do the work, anything is possible.
 
John:  There were a couple of obstacles you had to overcome with your latest album, if you don’t mind, could you tell our readers what happened during the release of the album  ?
 
Vicki: I believe someone once said to me sarcastically, if anything can happen, it will.  About 3 years ago, we purchased a home only to find that it had major mold and moisture intrusion issues.  The previous owner was found guilty of fraudulent seller misrepresentation and was given the order to repair the home. Instead of getting our home repaired, someone arsoned it and we lost everything…our pets, our businesses.  We literally had the clothes on our backs.
 
Then I got lyme disease because I am an over zealous lawn mower.  I mow everything.  Due to genetics, I found that I had back issues.  I had stenosis.  My bone was growing onto my nerves and causing massive pain.  It was a quick surgery and I’m hoping it’s not the beginning of more because the pain is starting to come back yet again.  Then I had cataract surgery.  (By the way, those of you who would like to know, I’m 43.)  I haven’t been able to see right since 3rd grade!  To wake up and see the alarm clock in the morning – to actually see who someone is and not a big fuzzy blob – to go swimming and not worry about getting splashed and losing a contact lens – wow!  And the list goes on!  And I didn’t even added the rest of my families challenges!  Maybe someday I’ll write a book…  lol
 
 
John: Something everyone might wonder is, like most Americans, we are constantly surrounded by rock, pop, jazz, and other genres, which are all great forms of music, so how did you discover, or what brought you into the New Age music scene  ?
 
Vicki: STRESS!  (Just kidding…kinda)
 
Really, it’s the creativity I find within myself listening to this specific genre, but I think that many of you will find that even the term “New Age” covers a lot more than just one style of music and the term has a different meaning for a lot of people.  (A subject for a much later conversation.)  I think that, using my music as an example, “New Age” music can be found labeled Celtic Pop, Smooth Jazz, and a gazillion other things.  I love all music and I think that comes out in what I create.  I hope people realize that it’s not the music that people are attracted to or not.  It’s the message of the artist using the music that people relate with.  Music is but a tool that allows people to communicate with others.  Instrumental music is all encompassing.  There are no words so there are no boundaries.  Not even for the deaf or animals, believe it or not.  At least that’s how I view it.  It’s another medium with which to paint something.  So, I like the “New Age” music best because I feel that most of the artists here have a more postivie view on life and I think we really need to be more positive.  Personally, a label is just something we put on something else because we need to be able to identify it when we communicate with others and we all label differently according to what that label means to us.
 
 
John:  There are other talented musicians who perform on particular songs and albums, who are the band members, and is creating the albums fun for you and the group, or do you consider it work  ?
 
Vicki: In reality, I am all the parts when I create the songs.  The musicians I work with take the parts I create and give them life.  Technology has provided me with a lot of sounds which are similiar to the real thing, but it’s not like having the real item in the studio.  People are capable of manipulating their instruments in ways computers can’t.  To give credit where credit is due, these musicians all have excellent ideas to help make a song much more interesting.  I don’t know everything and I don’t expect I ever will, so human interaction is something that we all need.  Period.
 
The folks that help me out are Randy Gildersleeve (also my main mentor) who performs miracles on guitars, mandolin, banjo and pushes me to learn more and open my mind when we are in the studio during production.  Then there is Andy LaCasse who does things with bass that I would never think of.  He also puts my music into sheet music form so others can play the parts with backing tracks.  I can’t read a stitch of it, but I guess it’s pretty cool since there is a lot of black all over the paper!  The other person who helps me get the music where I need it to be is Peter O’Gorman – percussionist extraordinaire.  He will play anything to get the sounds we need…and that is no lie.  Give him a garbage can lid, a stick, whatever.  He’ll make it sound awesome.
 
There are several other people that help out depending upon what my needs are.  Matt Fink (aka – “Dr. Fink”) is an incredible keyboardist and producer and taught me a lot about midi recording, computer work and pro-tools in his home studio.  I now know why I hire people to do those things!  Too much information and I just don’t have the nack for that part!  Then there are loads of other instrumentalists, producers, mentors and more that I’ve worked with but would take forever if I named them all.  They ARE ALL listed in my CD packages and I could never thank them all enough.  That’s why I get to be where I am.  With all of them.
 
Work?  Music is NEVER work.  Promoting and making merchandising things…figuring taxes and making sure the right things go to the right places…THAT’s work!
 
John:  You already have 4 exceptional CD’s now available for purchase.  Are you presently producing, or plan to have another album in the future besides the 4 currently on sale  ?
 
Vicki: Funny you should ask that question.  I literally got my new equipment today (after waiting patiently for the past 2 1/2 years!) and when I started messing around with all the buttons, I found that I have more sounds then I had previously and songs were rushing out left and right.  I hope to have a new CD for release sometime in 2010.  We’ll have to see what happens until then, though.  Timing is everything and it has a mind of it’s own!  Beisdes, remember my little quote above?  If anything can happen it will?  I just have to see what will happen!  lol
 
John: After reading your homepage biography, you seem to be philosophic about a person obtaining their goals by your own life experience.  What advice can you offer persons just beginning in the music business, or suggestion to others about overcoming obstacles in general  ?
 
Vicki: Everyone is different, yet everyone is the same.  What I have found is that if you do what it is that you truly love, you make time for it and you are happier.  If you THINK you want to do something and have a million excuses as to why you don’t get to it, I’d say that you must not be that interested in it.  Think about it.  If you want to go to the park, you will find a way to go to the park.  If you want to take a vacation, you will find a way to take that vacation.  For the most part, we will do the work necessary to get instant gratification.  For some reason, we don’t do the work necessary for LONG TERM gratification.  Time goes by so fast, even our so called long term is here before we know it.  My favorite quote is “Dreams are only dreams unless YOU are willing to make them a reality.”  Many someones out there said that opportunities don’t just happen, we make them happen and that is more right than any one can imagine.  If you want something, then do what it takes and get it!  Just be realistic. 
 
Life is a precious gift.  Use it.  Enjoy it.  Live it.

Check out Vicki Logan’s homepage.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto. Yoga Heart.

NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Harlan Mark Vale about his new album Bright Angel.

* You have had a lot of experience with other instruments that the piano. Please describe your “return” to the piano and the creation of Bright Angel.

Harlan: I am a percussionist. I play drums, synthesizer and piano. My formal musical training was in 20th Century Composition, Electronic Music and Audio Engineering at The Evergreen State College. There I immersed myself in the electronic creation of sound fundamentals using the Buchla 200/300 modular synthersizer in their electronic music studios. Studying the techniques of the avant garde textural sonarities I became familiar with these abtract and experimental elements at the boundary of “music”. At the same time I was still performing solo improvised piano concerts as I had done since grade school.

After performing at my church last year I was asked if I had a piano CD. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t done a piano recording since 1978. At the same time I had started a new job working for the Grand Canyon Railway as a passenger service attendant. During my lunch hour I would go up to the El Tovar hotel and play piano. Over a few months I developed a body of work which is now known as the Bright Angel CD.

My original intention was to create a contempory interpretation of the Grand Canyon but after capturing the magnitude of grandure associated with this seventh natural wonder of the world it became something much more than that. So not only were some of these compositions titled after geological features within the Grand Canyon, they were outward representations of the Divine creativity inherant in all of us, that is the connection to the Source. So my task as a performer is to tap into the Source, get out of the way and let the expression of “automatic writting” come forth unincumbered. My joy is to experience it enfolding before me.

I also believe that with the piano, it is a voice with which the public is comfortable. After composing and performing electronic music for decades, with well over a hundred albums in my discography, none of them has ever come close to the positive response that I have had with Bright Angel.

* You have also played improvisational jazz. Do you think this affects the way you work with music?

Harlan: Unquestionably. Working within the free jazz improvisation paradigm is and had been very exhilarating for me. Working with some of the finest musicians in the Pacific Northwest has encouraged that emensely. I performed with The New Art Orchestra from Seattle in the mid 1980s. This was a collection of players of all backgrounds and proficiency levels ranging from street musicians to soloists in the Seattle Symphony. With 17 – 25 performers we would take the stage and completely improvise the entire show. When it didn’t work it was a chaotic dog pile of sound, however when it did work, it was truely magical.

The secret was in the “listening” and the “placement” of your sonic contribution to the collective soundscape. I believe that this is ear / heart / spirit / hand training at it’s finest. I still utilize this technique in everything I do, whether it’s as a soloist or with an ensemble.

My approach to the piano is one of a percussionist that uses the piano as a polyphonic harmonic cannon. I use the piano keyboard as a controller to sound notes in any way or order, rather than using traditional piano techniques.

* According to your homepage, the album title Bright Angel came about after spending time at the Grand Canyon. How much of your musical inspiration comes from nature?

Harlan: Some of my first meaningful spiritual moments came from natural beauty. Naturalism is a common starting point for people to begin to appreciate the wonders of creation. My music is a documentation of my own personal growth. And each composition is a signpost of that journey up to the present time. Like I said earlier, Bright Angel is not only a peak in the middle of the Grand Canyon, for me it is a metaphor for that Divine spark inside of us that pulls us toward the ineffable; our spiritual evolution, and reminds us where we came from and why we are here.

* Dr. David Hawkins’ consciousness scale sounds very interesting. Tell us about Bright Angel‘s healing qualities.

Harlan: Dr. David R Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. is an internationally renowned psychiatrist, physician, researcher, and pioneer in the fields of consciousness research and spirituality. He writes and teaches from the unique perspective of an experienced clinician, scientist, and mystic and is devoted to the spiritual evolution of mankind. Over 250,000 kinesiological calibrations spanning 30 years of multiple research studies conducted by The Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc., have defined a range of values corresponding to well-recognized attitudes and emotions. These values can also be obtained from signatures, hand writing, art work and music and the like, that are infused with the vibrational content of the person created it.

Dr. Hawkins’ book, Power vs. Force provides a detailed explanation of this consciousness scale. Using this scale, we have calibrated Bright Angel at well over 700, which is the level of enlightenment or pure consciousness. People we have muscle tested using Bright Angel always test stronger, both while the music is playing and afterward for a period of time. I would encourage people to test it for themselves and email me their results to hmv@harlanmarkvale.com.

Another interesting thing is that I test significantly lower when I’m not creating music and I test stronger when I am.

Dr. Hawkins publications can be found at: www.veritaspub.com

* To record piano is not easy, but the sound on Bright Angel is very good. Please tell about the the people and equipment involved.

Harlan: The music that I wanted to capture for the Bright Angel project has a lot of space in it. Most of the “activity” occurs after the notes have been sounded; a sympathetic harmonic interaction within the strings and around the harp. Some of these wave forms have wavelengths that are longer than the length of the piano itself. Instead of making a recording in a traditional way that mics the hammers over the strings that yield a percussive type of sound, I chose to blend a quadraphonic field of two sets of stereo images; one set close to the piano, over the sound holes of the harp for the primary image, and the other away and under the piano for a reflective and distant stereo image. The result is a wide image field with lots of natural movement to it.

For the primary stereo field microphones I chose a Mojave Audio MA-200 large diaphragm tube condenser mic for the bass strings and a Neumann TLM-103 transformerless condenser mic based on the U-87 Capsule for the treble strings. For the distant stereo image microphones I chose the Grundig GDSM 211. It is hand made in Gremany and uses a bi-naural stereo X/Y configuration. For auxiliary preamps I used a True Systems P-Solo and a Aphex 107 Tubessence. These were fed directily into the board of a Roland VS-2480 digital workstation.

I interviewed several engineers here in Prescott, Arizona and decided upon Mark Echard of Heavenly Sound Studio (928.899.0243 http://www.heavenlysoundstudio.com/) to help me with a remote recording at The Yavapai College Performance Hall. I coordinated with the theater manager to rent the hall the day after the Vienna Christmas Orchestra performed. They had the 1923 Model D Steinway & Sons grand piano freshly tuned and left it in the middle of the stage for us. So we came in the next day and recorded about 2 hours of material in under 4 hours; out of which the Bright Angel CD was born.

* What is your opinion on the music industry today? Will you continue as an unsigned artist, or will you sign a record deal?

Harlan: The music industry has changed and expanded since I began my solo career in 1974, back in the ‘analog’ days. In one way the mainstream industry, and it’s 5 headed record label machine, has compromised the creative artist into a clone of the industry idea of what the public wants. On the other hand there have been quite a few artists over the years that have successfuly navagated these waters, establishing new creative ways to do music and business. They have paved the way for others to follow.

For years I produced my music under my own independent label. With the advancement of the internet it is much easier to produce, publish and distibute my work using this vehicle. The electronic press kit for marketing, booking gigs and other details of production, is a wonderful thing. I am in direct contact with the people I need to communicate with almost instantaneously, just like you. Instead of cold calls, ‘shmoozing’ with club owners and wondering for months if my album made it to the desk or the trash can with no response, I have the opportunity to address my intended market directly. This is very efficient and I am very grateful for it.

As far as any record deal goes, I am open if the right offer comes my way.

* Thank you very much for your time. Keep creating great music!

Harlan: It is my great pleasure. I honor you and thank you for this opportunity. Namaste.

Photos of Harlan Mark Vale by Kathreen Drager.

BT Fasmer (*) of NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Mark Mendieta about Transcend with Time.* You have two music projects, one for progressive rock (Subject to Thoughts, together with Brandon Strader) and one for new age (Transcend with Time) for new age. Do you have to change your approach to music when going from one project to the next?

Mark: Yes, I do have to change my approach when writing the music for both projects. When writing for Subject to Thoughts, it just depends on the mood I’m in that particular day when I’m writing either the music or lyrics. For example, if I’m in a miserable mood, then the music or lyrics will take that avenue. If I’m in a happier mood, then they will take that shape. Writing the music & lyrics this way helps me create different moods that help the band sound more unique.

When I write the music for Transcend with Time, I like to be in a more calm & relaxed state of mind. This helps me create my music with more emotion and atmosphere which is something I always strive for. For both projects, I always strive to make the music thought-provoking. I enjoy making music that has purpose because this allows me to challenge the listeners, and that is what music is all about for me.

* I find that the most interesting aspect with Through Memory’s Perception is the atmosphere, which is in my opinion unique. The mood reminds of rock and perhaps even metal, but still it is 100 % ambient new age. Was it a goal for you to make something truly different, or did it just happen?

Mark: When I started Transcend with Time, my goal was that I wanted to make New Age/Ambient music that was totally different from the typical New Age music out there. To tell you the truth, I’m not that into New Age music (well, only a few). I’m more into Progressive Metal/Rock and Doom Metal, so that’s why my music probably sounds so unique.

* How has the feedback from your audience been? Do rock music fans like your music?

Mark: To tell you the truth, since the inception of this project (2006), it’s been a rough road with not much fan support. I’m not going to lie, probably not many people know what this project is all about to this day, but that’s okay. To the people that have listened to my music, I thank you. It was not until probably the end of 2008 that people finally started responding to my music. I guess it helps that my music has received reviews, and it is being played on Internet radio stations worldwide. Probably one of the biggest misconceptions is that when people see or read independent artist, some assume that the music is not worth listening too. Oh well. So far, the feedback off my latest album Through Memory’s Perceptionis turning out great. It seems that I am finally starting to make a dent.

To answer your other question, most of my fans are into Rock or Metal. That’s nice to know that people can listen to music with an open mind even though it’s a different genre.

* You have released three albums in two years, and all songs have a personal touch and high quality. How do you find inspiration to so much music?

Mark: Well, first of all, thank you for the compliment. To answer your question, music is something that I’ve always wanted to do and have been doing (in some degree) since the age of 5. It’s my passion, so for me the songwriting process comes out naturally. Usually, a song for me develops from a certain melody, beat or mood I have circling in my head.

In releasing three albums in two years, for me, music is a constant flow of emotions, so I have no problem finding motivation. I have always believed that there is no need in having to wait for 2 or 3 years in between for albums to be released.

With all three albums, before I start writing the music, I actually sit down and think of a theme. After I’m content with the specific theme I have selected then I start writing the music. All three albums have a personal touch because I have been through a lot during these past years. Throughout the years, music has definitely helped me through some very difficult times in my life. This is how I cope with my feelings.

* Tell us about the equipment you use (hardware synths, sequencers, VSTs ect). Have you had any help with the recording and mastering, or have you done all yourself?

Mark: Well, I don’t have a very elaborate studio, and I go through a fairly simple process to get my music done. I use my Yamaha PSR-GX76 (it’s an old keyboard, but it still gets the job done). As far as sequencers goes, I use the one built in to my keyboard and record all the instruments onto different tracks then I transfer all of the music to my Adobe Audition 3.0 music program that I use to edit & master my music. As far as VST’s go, I usually do not use many, but one that I do like to add to all of my songs is a Plate reverb. This gives the instruments a nice echo feel. Sometimes, I might use a Chorus effect, a transpose effect to change the sound or add a pan effect, but not much. I like my music to have more of an organic sound instead of adding a lot of effects. It will then just sound to overproduced.

Since Brandon introduced me to Adobe Audition 1.5 first then 3.0, he gave me some pointers on how to work these programs, but other than that, I have always done all the recording and mastering by myself.

* Do you have any new albums under way? More new age or more progressive rock – or both?

Mark: Yes, hopefully by late February or March, we will be releasing our new Subject to Thoughts CD entitled The Culmination. Right now, Brandon (my bandmate) is finishing mastering the disc. If you want to check us out, you can visit us at Subject to Thoughts or on MySpace or Soundclick. If you like what you hear, you can go to Tarniusmusic and purchase our latest CD/downloads From Sunrise to Sunset.

As far as Transcend with Time goes, I have nothing at this moment. Hopefully by summer, I’ll start working on new material for a new album. Right now, I’m just promoting Through Memory’s Perception as much as I can.

* Thank you Mark for the interview! Check out our review of Through Memory’s Perception. You can buy it on Tarniusmusic.com.

Picture copyright BigStockPhoto – U.P. images

NewAgeMusic.nu has had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Kennedy about his album Lantern;

* How was it for an up-and-coming new age artist to work with the master himself, Will Ackerman?

Dan: I was nervous at first entering Will’s Imaginary Road Studios and walking past the gold records and all, but Will is such a professional that he allowed me to work and just play my best. Susan had some sandwiches and brownies for us, and things were quite relaxed after that. Will also has an outrageous sense of humor which I appreciated — sessions are long and he — and his engineer Corin Nelsen — both know how to keep things loose and fun, without losing site of the fact that they are creating a product whose audiophile sound compares to any record coming out of New York or L.A.

* Did you compose more than 4 songs to Lantern, some who didn’t make the cut?

Dan: Yes, there was a fifth piece I gave Will originally on the demo tape which he passed on, a kind of tempo-shifting, jazzier number. But Will definitely has opinions, and looking back, I was glad I trusted those opinions. Closer to the recording dates Will asked me if I had a ballad, and I chose one on an old demo tape from 1985, and it became the tragic tune Ballad

* Please describe your creative process.

Dan: I start by impovising at the piano, and I am really just playing for fun, playing what I would like to hear. I don’t feel I have any control over the original musical ideas, or kernels, as I call them. I remember my favorites of these, then develop them from time to time. I will have the sections of a piece planned out ahead of time, but every performance will contain variation. I like to improvise on concerts, too, so no version of one of these “structured improvisations” is ever the same. On Cycle, there is a long section at the end where I veered off and created this whole new extremely quiet part — and Will just let the tape roll. It is probably my favorite moment of mine on the record.

* Do you plan to be an independent artist, or will you sign a record contract?

Dan:I certainly have enough material saved up to make a full-length, but before anyone will offer me a contract an independent artist such as myself has to “do the footwork:” build up a fan base, and play out. I would like to be signed someday for help with distribution, marketing, concert promotion, etc.

* What now? What is the next big project?

Dan:Probably to get the lawn mowed (laughs)! We live on an acre and three quarters out in the country in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA, and that is a big job! But more to your question, the next big project in music is really ongoing: I am giving concerts locally, getting the word out, because I feel my music is special in that it flows from the new age tradition, but has other elements such as blues and rock, seeping into it. There are so many variables in today’s music business; I feel that making good, honest music is all you can do, and that that is true success.

* Thank you for the interview, Dan. Please create more great new age music!

You can sample and buy the album on or on CDBaby

BT Fasmer (*) of NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Jillian Goldin about her debut album Origins and the Christmas EP Through Sand and Snow.

* To create a Christmas album is something different from a normal album. Please describe the process. Was it hard to choose which songs to record?

Jillian: Indeed, it was difficult to narrow down the list! I knew that I wanted to try my hand at several traditional carols, but I also thought it would be refreshing to include arrangements of a couple of lesser known pieces – namely Walking In the Air from the wonderful animated film The Snowman, and the Appalachian spiritual I Wonder As I Wander.

Possibly the greatest challenge was figuring out which songs had the potential to work with my original vision: a magical nighttime journey through the wilderness, on Christmas Eve. I was wary of selecting any traditionally happy sounding carols in major keys… But Andrew and I were overjoyed when we started finding inspiration for our arrangement of Silent Night. Everything had to have a certain ancient, ethereal quality.

* The album is only 24 minutes long (23:48 to be precise). Would the album, or EP, have been longer if you had more time to work with it?

Jillian: It’s funny you should ask, because my answer may surprise you: no. I knew that there would not be time for a full length album before the holiday season… So with that in mind, I tried to think of ways I could pull of an EP as a special and cohesive project, rather than a collection of songs thrown together as an afterthought. It was quite fun watching the album take shape! Every sound and musical idea was meticulously planned in order to serve the greater whole, since I knew it would have to be short and sweet.

Don’t be surprised if you see a new holiday album from me in the future, however! There are so many great carols that I would love to get my hands on… and perhaps I’ll write a few original wintry pieces as well.

* After listening to the results of your recent Origins Remix Contest (samples under Media on Jilliangoldin.com), I must say that it was highly successful. How was it to have other artists working with your material?

Jillian: I was blown away by the quality of work submitted to the contest. Hearing my own songs arranged in such original and interesting ways was more delightful than I could have imagined at the outset. I will definitely, definitely have more remixing competitions in the future!

* Today music production is all about computers and sequencers. I understand that you do a lot of the production yourself. Do you enjoy the technical aspects of music creation?

Jillian: It’s sort of a love-hate relationship. Choosing samples, mixing, and mastering is *incredibly* tedious when you are as picky as me, because part of what makes this kind of music sparkle is the production itself. I always have a very specific vision in mind, but translating that into sound is usually a tiring process of trial and error. That’s why I am thankful to have the help of my fiance, Andrew (a.k.a. zircon): he is masterful!

* What can your fans expect from 2009? Do you have a plan for a new album?

Jillian: I hope to release another full length album by the end of 2009, but I haven’t arrived on a concept just yet. Anyone interested in following my progress may want to join the mailing list at Jilliangoldin.com, as I send out monthly updates with song previous and other project announcements.

* Thank you, Jillian. Best of luck with the new album, and have a great Christmas!

You can sample and buy Jillian’s albums, Origins and Thorugh Sand and Snow, on CDBaby.

Read our Through Sand and Snow review here. Artwork by Daniel Kvasznicza.

NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Medwyn Goodall about his highly popular Medicine Woman series. The fourth album entitled Medicine Woman IV: Prophecy 2012 has just been released. The interview is done by BT Fasmer.

BT Fasmer: The Medicine Woman series contains some of your most popular and beloved songs, like Temple Journey, Invocation (all parts) and Farewell To The Darkness. When you recorded the first Medicine Woman in 1991, it was the beginning of something entirely new in your discography. To quote the cover: Rhythmic, celebratory, nurturing. Today these are the words many fans would use to describe your music. Please tell us what the Medicine Woman series has meant for you as an artist.

Medwyn Goodall: During my career I’ve developed some personal favorite themes and styles that I enjoy returning to and Medicine Woman is one of those themes. It is a sound that is very me, very natural to me and is like an old friend. Whilst I might try out different ideas and do different projects, fans know that at some point I will always return for a period of taking these theme another step. It’s become a trademark of my career that every 5 years or so Medicine Woman will be re-born.

BT: The Medicine Woman series is inspired by the ancient Mayan culture, and this is even more apparent in the latest installment: Medicine Woman IV: Prophecy 2012. Tell us about your interest for the ancient Mayan culture, and the enigmatic year of 2012.

Medwyn: I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t interested in myths, legends, mysteries and native cultures, and the Mayans stand out as being one of the most unusual civilizations there have been. The Mayans were amazing astrologers and keepers of time, so much so and so accurate were they that today’s scientists are still debating theories on how the Mayans had such knowledge. The ultimate conclusion of the Mayans knowledge of time and astrology was their creation of what is known as the Mayan calendar which tells of periods, eons of time each having its influence on humanity.

What is immediately noticeable about the calendar is that it stop very precisely on the 21st of December 2012. It does not predict a doom and gloom end of the world scenario, but more mysteriously hints and foretells of much upheaval as we pass from a period of difficulty in to a time of re-birth and enlightenment. What is truly interesting is that many other cultures all have similar predictions for the same time and date. 2012 to many ancient civilizations seems to indicate a massive change and that is what the CD is referring to. To sit up and take notice and look into the details for oneself.

BT: This series is one of the most successful in new age music history. Are you nervous about making a sequel?

Medwyn: I was very nervous when I made Medicine Woman II and a little less so with CLAN II – the Scroll, because they were the first time I had written a definite sequel. I am not nervous these days, I thoroughly enjoyed making Medicine Woman IV and was perfectly relaxed and content whilst making it, which show I think. It sounds as if I was confident and relaxed.

BT: The Medicine Woman series albums have been accompanied by some wonderful cover art by American artist Lisa Iris. I guess it is right to say that she too has given life and identity to the Medicine Woman?

Medwyn: Yes Lisa is a very good friend of mine and she added her own flare giving Medicine Woman a visual style and identity. With Medicine Woman II and Medicine Woman III we very much collaborated on ideas for the cover so that I could echo them in the tracks, making the albums that much more integrated. However Lisa couldn’t join me for the 4th new album and so I designed the cover myself.

BT: The Medicine Woman was the first of several magical women in your discography. Like Priestess: Return To Atlantis, Moon Goddess and Earth Goddess. The celebration of the Feminine is central in your music. Do you see yourself making more Medicine Woman albums in the near future, or will the other powerful women mentioned here get their sequels first? A new Earth Goddess album perhaps?

Medwyn: I do plan to sequel The Sorcerers Daughter next year with Rune Caster. The Sorcerer’s Daughter was always planned to be a mini series or trilogy and I have settled on it being a trilogy, as it has a linked story. I’ll return to Medicine Woman every few years for as long as fans want me to and if I feel I have something fresh to say on the subject. I don’t feel as though it’s over yet so there could be a 5th in the years to come.

BT: You also run the MG Music label. Still you find the time to be an artist yourself. Can you do both at the same time, or do you take time off from the label to create music?

Medwyn: It’s impossible to do both at once. I choose periods where the label doesn’t need me personally too much to escape into the studio. It was harder in the earlier years of the label and my music suffered a bit as a result of the clash. Since the Sorcerer’s Daughter, 2006, I can find the time to focus on just being an artist and I feel as though I have really found myself again as an artist, having gone through the transition to owning a label.

BT: Thank you Medwyn for the interview, and good luck with your new projects! 2009 is looking out to be a great year for the MG Music label.

Sample the new Medicine Woman album here.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com, Craetista

BT Fasmer (*) of NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Ken Elkinson about his solo piano albums. Read his discography here.

* I have noticed that your music, from Midnight Conversation (1997) to the Cue (2006), tend to be very positive and uplifting. There almost no melancholy and even the sadness is beautiful (like the song Beautiful Sadness on Cue). Is it your goal to create music with a positive vibe, or is this something that comes naturally to you?

Ken: I am not sure if I can take credit for that being intentional! I think by nature I am more of a pessimist, which is something I am always trying to change about myself. I think of my four current releases Revelry and Cue are lighter, and Opal and Midnight Conversation are more serious – though even there I try not to get that dark. It is funny because right now I am putting the finishing touches on my next original piano CD – and there is one tracks I am wrestling with taking off the CD because it is too heavy. I sent a copy to my first piano teacher when I was five, to have her help make the decision.

*What inspires you? Describe your creative process. Do you write notes, use a computer, etc.?

Ken: I know this may sound hard to believe, but I am not usually inspired directly by anything when I compose. It is not like I write a happy song because my kids were born, or I write a depressing song because I got into a fight with a relative. I usually sit down and come up with a riff or an idea. Sometimes I am able to expand on the idea immediately, sometimes I agonize for months. I record all my “writing” sessions with a mini-disc player, yet I rarely go back and try to revive anything I have not turned into a complete song. I don’t use my computer at all in terms of my piano writing, but I do play around with creating some electronic music using loops. That stuff has not seen the light of day, as I am so busy with my piano music, I never have time to finish anything else. However after I release my next original CD I am planning on a break from piano to do other types of music.

* This year you have released two albums with music composed by others, Borrowed Tracks and Generations of Yuletide. Still you have a personal touch on each track. How do you make a classical song, like Eleanor Rigby or Send in the Clowns, “yours”?

Ken: That is a good question, I am not sure. I listen to music pretty much around the clock, and I am always looking for songs to interpret on the piano. I have a pretty good ear, and that combined with all the free chord charts you can find on the internet – gives me a good start. I try to pick songs that have not been done a hundred times – but even then sometimes that is not avoidable if I love the song. What I try to do with the arrangements in general on a cover song is to make the song as different as possible, while still being recognizable. I really respect people like Sting who can take a song, change it almost to the point of not knowing what it is, and still have the song come out awesome.

* Your new Christmas album is quite different from most other releases, with a historical selection of songs: it is like a travel in time and geography. Tell us why you choose to do it this way.

Ken: I was a little wary going into recording a Christmas piano CD – as there are about a million of them out there, and a large number of them are pretty boring and repetitive. I am not claiming my CD is like the Beatle’s White Album of Christmas music, but I don’t think you can call it boring or a re-hash of everything else out there. I got some ideas from friends who are really familiar with the genre of Christmas music, and then I found some sheet music books with a wide range of songs. I tried to find some songs that were fairly obscure. I scoured over the internet and iTunes to see how many versions I could find of some of the lesser known songs I did. I think I succeeded at least partially, as one reviewer who claimed to be the foremost authority on Christmas music in the world said he had never heard of one or two of the songs I picked. In terms of the order, I just decided to put them in chronological order. However, I gave my father-in-law a copy, and he said that he was much more familiar with the newer stuff at the end. In hindsight, perhaps I should have gone in reverse order. Maybe when I sell out of this printing, I will go back and change it up!

* To record piano is not easy. What kind of equipment do you use? Have you received any help in the studio?

Ken: I recorded my first CD Midnight Conversation on a Steinway. I remember sending a copy to one of my solo piano contemporaries, someone who I really liked their music. He wrote back and asked my CD was recorded on a keyboard, because he thought the sound was not that good. I said from that day forward, there would never be that question again. I discovered Bösendorfer pianos and it was love at first play. The two affordable studios in North America that had Bösendorfers were in Saskatchewan and West Palm Beach. I hate cold weather (sorry Norway!), and I have a grandmother who lives in Florida, so I chose that. I did my next 4 CDs on that Bösendorfer with Neumann mics and very little effects. That piano does not really need much. It is a mother/son team who ran the studio, and both are amazing musicians and freaks for good sound. In the middle of recording my upcoming CD, the mother and son went their separate ways, and the mom moved the piano to New York City. I was a little nervous because the piano went from being in this immaculate studio to a living room that was not even sound proofed. The newer songs turned out fine, though you may faintly be able to hear a dog barking in the background. Just kidding! However, I did my Christmas CD on a Yamaha out here in LA, as with 1 year old twins, it was hard to find the time to get to NYC for a few sessions. The Yamaha also had a good natural sound, which was helped along by Trevor Saddler’s mastering. He did a lot of the Narada stuff, and really knows how to get the most out of a piano record.

* You have one track with vocal, Beautiful Sadness with Tom Freund. Will there be more vocal on your coming albums?

Ken: I definitely hope so at some point – not on my next piano CD, but maybe after that. I have been plugging away at some vocal tracks for years, but can’t seem to finish them. My two biggest challenges have been that I have a terrible voice, and that I am really bad at writing lyrics. Since my first CD, I always want to do a vocal track. I was a big fan of Tom’s work, and never thought he would agree to it. He plays with Ben Harper, Jackson Brown, Victoria Williams – all these great people and has amazing albums himself. Beautiful Sadness is actually his song, originally done with just guitar and vocals. I re-worked the song for piano, and he just breezed into the studio, did two or three takes and we were done. His timing is so great, he is like the Sinatra of folk/pop/rock. A few other somewhat well known artists have expressed an interest in doing some vocal tracks, so hopefully I can pull that together at some point.

* What kind of music do you like? Do you enjoy new age music in general, or only solo piano?

Ken: I don’t actually listen to that much solo piano, or new age music in general. My kids have a radio in their bedroom, and they listen to the Spa (Relaxation) Channel on Sirius Satellite Radio round the clock. So that is mostly where I am exposed to that type of music. In terms of piano and/or new age artists, I love Keith Jarrett, George Winston, Ludovico Einaudi – maybe a few others. The rest of the time I listen to a huge variety of music – from rock to alternative to bluegrass to rap to Hawaiian to Brazilian samba. Some of my favorite artists are Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen, Jose Gonzalez, Tori Amos and Sting. I can’t stand being without music for even one music, so if I go into a parking garage and my satellite radio goes out, I switch to CDs immediately!

* Thank you for the interview, Ken. Keep creating great music!

Don’t forget to visit Kenelkinson.com.

Piano photo copyright by WizData – used with license from BigStockPhoto.com.

BT Fasmer (*) of NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Peter Buffett about his current projects.

* Jazz bassist Dave Holland once said that the whole point in developing your own style is to find your own voice. And you, after many years as an instrumental artist, literally started singing. Please describe this experience. Do you feel that your music became more personal after this?

Peter Buffett: First of all, I couldn’t agree more. Finding your voice – or as Joseph Campbell said follow your bliss - is critical whether it’s in music or any other pursuit. And, yes, that came about literally for me in recent years. I tried to write songs with lyrics when I was young and in retrospect realized that they were mediocre because I hadn’t had enough life experience to really say anything of substance!

Now, many years later, I have a lot more to say and the music has most definitely become more personal as I’m able to put my thoughts and feelings into words. It was an amazing experience for me. While I still write instrumental music when I score to picture, I can’t imagine life without putting words to my music now.

* As a New Age music fan, I never imagined you as a singer-songwriter. But after Gold Star (2006), Staring at the Sun (2007) and Imaginary Kingdom (2008 ), I find myself wanting more. How have your fans responded to this change of style?

Peter: It’s been interesting. A few miss the instrumental work – but for the most part, everyone has come along for the ride. And vocal music certainly attracts more interest. That was always a frustration of mine. Some people just couldn’t relate to the instrumental work. I knew what emotions I put into that music, but many people need a vocal and a lyric to really relate. Which is certainly understandable. But until I found my voice, I knew I wasn’t reaching everyone I was hoping to. I’m glad to hear you want more!!

* Is it different to stand on the stage with Pop/Rock material than New Age music? Is there another kind of connection with the audience?

Peter: Yes! And I’m still getting used to that. To actually open your mouth and sing is a VERY different experience. And, honestly, I don’t really think of myself as a singer any more than I consider myself a pianist. I realize that may sound strange, but I do the things I do to get what’s inside out. So I execute the tasks as needed (sounds a little odd – but what I mean is, I’m not particularly great at playing – but I know what to do to produce the sound I want). So to be in front of an audience and sing something I’ve crafted in the studio by myself is very different… I’m slowly getting used to it!

* Many were surprised when jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette recently won a Grammy for best New Age Album for his release Peace Time (see for instance this article) Is the future of New Age music in the hands of established Jazz, Classical and Pop artists? Or do the thousands of small, Internet-based artists stand a chance in the serious music business?

Peter: I think the future is in the small artists. There is great music being made on a scale unheard of before – because the technology is in the hands of everyone. This makes for a lot of not so great music too! As soon as things like recommendation engines and other tools that help separate the signal from the noise really get refined, we will start to hear some amazing music coming out of the bedroom studios of the world.

* What is your current music project?

Peter: Aside from my most recent release, Imaginary Kingdom, I am collaborating with Akon (now that’s a crazy pairing!) on a song about human trafficking that we will perform in the General Assembly of the UN later this month. That track will be released on March 25th.

* Thank you for the interview, Peter! I urge everyone to check out Istheresomethingicando.com, and support your project.

Read Peter Buffett’s discography here. Also be sure to take a look at his website.

NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Colin O’Donohoe about his past and current music projects. Here you’ll also get exclusive information about his upcoming album Lyrical Sutras. If you are not familiar with Colin’s music, please scroll down to the bottom for a short presentation of his work. The interview is done by John P. Olsen, who also reviewed Colin’s Songs of the Saints album.

John P. Olsen: Your current project is the Pangea Ensemble which includes persons and their musical influences from around the world. Can you tell us a little about the musicians in the Pangea Ensemble, like where they live, and what instruments will be used?

Colin O’Donohoe: We strive to reconnect people from around the planet with our undeniable universal language of music. Our musicians are as diverse as the planet itself and they come from most of our fine continents. They now all live in or near Phoenix. The best way for people to know more about the group is to visit the site, it says far more than I can.

John: On New Age Stars radio we regularly play tracks from The Songs of the Saints album, and I have noticed most song titles describe through song lyrics, stories about historic saints, and have wondered where or how the idea for songs about saints originated?

Colin: First, Thank you very much! I’m really glad that you play my music, you obviously have incredibly great taste! The origins have been swirling in my mind for many years. In 2006 I began seriously digging into the keyboard to create some ideas for the music. I started doing some loose sketches of song and lyric ideas. I began reading much more about the saints. I wanted to do my utmost to deliver a unique look into the lives and stories of these saints.

The result obviously became a collection of songs that are united in theme of content but not in musical style. As I concentrated on each saint I began writing in several different styles. My priority was to make the music reflect the saint and not make each piece dependent on the last.

John: Your music is truly diverse by having so many music genres intertwined that readers might like to know how you conceived such a broad range of musical influences, and where do you first get your inspiration for such a broad expression in your music?

Colin: I have an insatiable curiosity, and I love music! I love performing and learning as many new styles of music as possible. Over the past 18 years I’ve sought out masters in various genres to help me better understand many styles of music. In addition to this I love reading. I guess that this combination of things lead to my imagination creating different worlds for different saints.

To create the music I would read about the saints and then just jam on a keyboard for a little while. This process took several months. After I felt comfortable with the material I decided to get serious and really do my best to construct the songs.

I also like to keep myself excited by doing several different things. So, while writing a classical piece I might shift to the turn table and see what I could add to a completely different song. It kept it all fresh in my mind.

John: Can you tell us a little more about the Chinese book of poetry Shi Jing and how that translates into musical inspiration?

John: The big question everyone wants to know, is the time frame of when your next album release is expected to be available for purchase, and will the album be as diverse and be theme oriented material in relation to Songs of the Saints?

Colin: Why thank you for asking! You can read it here first! My next album Lyrical Sutra‘s official release date is scheduled for 6/1/2009.

As for the material. It is my first time delving into the world of electronic music whole heartedly. The songs are broken into three sections:

I. Meditation
1. Heart Sutra

2. Diamond Sutra
3. Eight Fold Noble Path Sutra
4. Enlightenment Sutra

II. Prayer
5. Lotus Sutra
6. Pure land Sutra
7. Taking Refuge
8. Amitabha Sutra

III. Awaken
9. A Boddhisatva’s Vows
10. Triple Gem Sutra
11. The Sutra in 42 Sections
12. Golden Light Sutra

Meditation: is four mid tempo pieces
Prayer: four slower new age style pieces
Awaken: four uptempo dance style pieces

The idea of the album is to relax you, allow you to become at peace, and then reinvigorate you and get you feeling better than when you first began to listen to it. The idea of the album comes from a few of the many Buddhist Sutra’s which are the teachings of the Buddha.

John: Mr. O’Donohoe, I do thank you for your time, is there anything you wish to tell our readers concerning your commitment to bring people of the world closer together through music?

Colin: I just want to thank you again for the pleasure of the interview process. I hope that your audience loves my work and will be eager to listen to Lyrical Sutras in June.

Websites:

Donohoemusic.com Colin says: My personal website which features my albums and book. It will also feature my new album when it comes out this June “Lyrical Sutra’s” (you’re the first to print this, it is a New Age Star exclusive)

Pangeanorchestra.com Colin says: My new orchestra. It is the first of its kind that I know of where it combines instruments from around the world

Myspace.com/donohoe2 Colin says: pretty self explanatory. I try to keep it updated.

On Twitter Colin’s user name is PangeanOrch

Here is a list of Colin’s past and current positions related to orchestral music:

2008-present: Artistic Director for Pangean Orchestra in Phoenix AZ.
2006-present: Professional recording artist.
2008: Published Author of Odd Meters for Drum Set
2004-2006: Executive/Artistic Director for New Moon Orchestra Pittsburgh PA
2003-2004: Percussionist with the Phoenix Chinese Orchestra
2000-2003: Music Teacher
1996-2004: Free lance jazz drummer in Phoenix Arizona.

BT Fasmer (*) of NewAgeMusic.nu has interviewed Marc Enfroy about his new album Unbounded:

* I read on your homepage that Unbounded was created after you suffered a terrible loss. Please tell us about this, and how composing music helped you in a difficult situation.

Marc: That’s very true. My older sister, Suzanne, was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in August of 2005 and passed away in February of 2006. It all happened very quickly and was absolutely devastating. The last few years of her life, Suzanne had taken up painting – acrylics and watercolors – and became quite skilled. She left behind over 200 paintings and the artwork has been a source of comfort to the entire family. Aside from her beauty, courage and selflessness as she battled the illness, her paintings are her lasting legacy. This got me thinking that I should follow in my sister’s footsteps and create my own artistic legacy. So, I decided to start composing.

Writing music helped me by providing an outlet for my grief: at times an escape and at other times an expression of my sorrow. It also gave me something positive to pour my emotions into. The first song I wrote was a grieving song titled, Taken Away (track 7 on the album). It’s my attempt at a short soundtrack depicting my sister’s final hours: the dread of what was to come, the reverence of the experience, the heartbreak, and the sudden finality of it all when she was gone. Over time, as the grief lessened, I was able to write music with more positive feelings, such as the title track, Unbounded or Night on the Seine.

* The process of creating a debut album is long. How do you feel now that it is out? And how has it been to meet your audience for the first time?

Marc: It’s been quite an adventure. Early on, I tended to romanticize what it would be like to finally release the album, not thinking about the hard work involved in the initial launch and promotion of a CD. Now that it’s out, I’m definitely relieved and also excited about the response so far. It’s been really fun making connections with people who are moved by the music. I’m finding many music lovers that enjoy relaxing new age music but aren’t fans of most “spa” music that’s devoid of emotion. In addition to that, they also want music with a fuller sound and more passion than solo piano. Then there are the people who like themes from film soundtracks but not necessarily the lengthy background filler that doesn’t make for good listening when isolated from the film itself. So, these are all gaps I’m trying to fill in the new age music genre – writing music that is relaxing like spa music but at the same time grabs your heart and mind with emotional and visual experiences like film soundtracks.

Being relatively unknown at this point, I try to make new connections with music fans by letting them try out a quarter of the album for free. This gives them a risk-free opportunity to become more familiar with my sound. Most people who become curious about my music end up buying the CD after they’ve had some time to sample the free music. So that part has been really fun – watching people progress through the phases of not knowing anything about me, then becoming curious, followed by their pleasant surprise when they realize they love the music and then finally becoming true fans.

I also enjoy connecting with people on my brand new message board community, Secret Island. My most staunch fans are clamoring for a Christmas album which is a definite possibility for my next album in 2009. It might be fun to put a cinematic twist on some of the old favorites.

* You describe your music as “Cinematic Piano”. When you compose music, do you use images or movie scenes as inspiration?

Marc: For sure. I chose the term “cinematic piano” because early on, everyone told me the music was visual and sounded like something from a movie scene. That said, the images don’t necessarily pop into my head before I write the music. Sometimes they do but other times I’ll write a melody first and the imagery comes later. For the track Taken Away, visions of my sister’s final day were prominent in my mind and inspired me to write the music. Contrast that with Empire Bluff which is named after a beautiful, panoramic place. It was initially a melody I wrote and liked. As I was completing it, I realized that it took me away to a place full of beauty and awe, so I named it after a cliff that has stunning views of Lake Michigan.

What I love about composing cinematic music is that it takes each listener to a different place in their mind and heart. It’s a personal reaction or experience triggered by what they hear in the music. The destinations are all unique but extremely meaningful to each listener.

* Tell us about the instruments and equipment you use. Do you play on a keyboard/synth, or do you compose through a sequencer – or both?

Marc: A bit of both. I use a Yamaha Motif synthesizer for a few of the sounds and computer based samples for the orchestral instruments and piano. It’s all sequenced in Cubase. I have an extensive computer background which makes it come fairly naturally; that coupled with a healthy dose of patience to agonize over every note. I tend to make compromises in favor of realism. For example, I might be working on a string section and find that I can’t make the strings sound real enough for my taste so I may replace it with another instrument or layer another solo instrument on top of the string section to make the piece sound more authentic.

* There is a close link between movie scores and classical music. Do you listen to classical music?

Marc: I don’t as much as I used to. In my twenties I listened to Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Dvorak, to name a few. Tchaikovsky is still my favorite classical composer because a lot of his work is strongly emotive stuff. More recently, I’ve been a fan of film composers like James Horner and Alan Silvestri. As I mentioned earlier, the thing I dislike about soundtracks is the long stretches of background filler that you have to listen to until the good part comes. With my music, I strive to write short pieces that are more reminiscent of those “good parts” heard in soundtracks: the main theme that haunts you after the movie is over.

* Will you continue as an independent artist, or would you sign a record deal if it was presented to you?

Marc: I wouldn’t turn down a record deal if it was constructed in the right way. It would all depend on the terms.

* Thank you Marc for taking the time to answer these questions!