Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

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:

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.

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

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.

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.