Why do you notate your music?
Creating sheet music is a painstaking process, but it is an integral part of my creative process for the following reasons:
- Growth: it enhances my understanding of my own creative process.
- Quality control: it forces me to create music that is worth the effort of
writing out.
- Substance: it forces me to create deeper music, that stands on its own,
without using drum loops, samples, synth pads, clichés, etc.
- Intellectual property: it conveys the conceptual content of the art form.
- The ultimate backup: if the power goes out, a musician could re-create it
the old-fashioned way.
- Show & Tell: it fulfills my compulsion to organize and present.
- Icing on the cake: it marks the final stage of the creative cycle.
- Exposure: the effort I put into promoting my sheet music is valuable from
an SEO standpoint, to increase exposure of my name and music.
Favorite musician and why, and influences they had on you?
The Beatles were an important early influence. When I was 8 I took care of a neighbor’s dog while he was away on vacation. When he returned he gave me a Beatles record (Abbey Road). I listened to that record over and over again - especially side 2. I wanted to be Paul McCartney when I grew up. I was not as interested in the other popular groups at that time or Rock & Roll per se (The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix…). I’ve always been more attracted to strong melodies and interesting arrangements, which abound in the Beatles’ music. Beethoven was also a significant influence. I listened to my parents’ classical records, especially Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto. Both the Beatles and Beethoven were pioneers in their time, continually evolving and expanding as artists.
Who has influenced you the most in your music?
The people who most inspired and influenced me were two local songwriters, Michael Silversher and Alden Crews. I’m sure you have not heard of either of them (although Michael went on to write songs for Disney films for many years). As a teenager I performed in community theatre; acting, singing, and dancing in musicals – several of which were original musicals. Having the opportunity to know the composers, see them at work, and sing their songs was a great experience. It allowed me to see first-hand the level of energy and commitment required for creative work and to see that it is even possible to become a composer.
When did you become interested in music, was there someone in particular that made you to choose music as a career?
Before I became a teenager I knew I wanted to be an artist of one kind or another. I actually planned to become an actor until I went away to college. I auditioned for plays in college but did not get cast in roles I wanted or did not get cast at all. I was frustrated creatively so I decided to focus on music. That was a pivotal decision for me.
How did you learn to play/sing/compose?
My approach to creating music and improvising at the piano was entirely intuitive and based on playing by ear until my senior year in High School when I took a music theory class and started to learn about jazz improvisation. Once I had some grasp of the theoretical foundations of music (harmony, voice-leading, formal structures, etc.) and coupled that with my natural curiosity and imagination, I began composing regularly.
What formal teaching have you had and tell me about your first music teacher?
The first formal instruction I had that involved music was in a ballet class at age 6. That was my first exposure to classical music (Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, Tchaikovsky…) that I can recall. From that experience I believe I developed a synesthesia between movement and music. When I compose and improvise I visualize the music as shapes and movement.
I had my first formal piano lesson when I was 8 years old. I only took about 7 or 8 piano lessons. I don’t recall anything about the teacher, but I do remember learning to see patterns (scales, chords, and motifs) on the keyboard and discovering how to play things “by ear”. The summer I turned 13 I took classical guitar lessons in a group class. That fall I took drum lessons and played percussion in the Jr. High School orchestra. About that time my mother encouraged me to audition for a play at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. I was cast as a goblin in a stage version of The Hobbit. After that, I was in about 4 or 5 productions a year until I was 19. In High School I took some private guitar lessons, sang tenor in the High School chorus, and sang in an a capella Renaissance vocal group: The Madrigals. In college I majored in music composition.
What kind of a student were you in school (e.g. nerd, popular)?
There were two main types of celebrities in High School (just as there are in popular culture): athletes (“jocks”) and performers (“theatre people”). I was a good singer and actor throughout my high school years. I was cast as the “leading man” in the school musicals, a member of the California State Honor Choir, and president of the Thespians. In that sense I was well-known and considered popular. But I was (and still am) essentially shy and introverted.
As for my academic performance, overall I was a “B” student. However, the year my parents divorced (when I was 17) my grades were horrible. It was hard for me to concentrate and be motivated because there was disharmony at home.
Are you working on any projects at the moment, and when will they be "unveiled?"
I’m working on two recording projects. The first, is a follow-up to my CD, Pools of Light. It will be a collection of piano instrumentals featuring a variety of other instruments (flute, sax, trumpet, guitar, oboe, cello, percussion…). The overall mood of the album will be brighter, more upbeat than Pools of Light. I have already recorded the basic tracks (piano and percussion) and am preparing to record the featured instruments. I hope to complete and release the album before the end of 2006. The second project is a mostly solo piano CD that I hope to release in 2007. Pre-release versions of the new music may be heard on my Piano Podcasts (http://www.pianopodcasts.net).
What are some of your best achievements/accolades you have received?
Completing the production of my CD, Pools of Light, has been my biggest achievement. In addition to composing, performing, and producing the album, I also wear many hats as I carry out all of the various functions of my own record label (Skylight Music): booking agent, marketing director, roadie, accountant, webmaster, graphic designer… Other achievements include:
Ranking #1 on the New Age Reporter Top 100 Radio Chart 2 months in a row.
Being nominated for Best New Artist 2005 Lifestyle Music Award
Winning Keyboard Magazine’s Fifth Annual SoundPage Contest
Member of the California all-state Honor Choir
How has living where you are influenced your music?
There is a great diversity of music in the San Francisco Bay Area: Jazz, Blues, Rock, Classical, New Age, Indian - and an abundance of excellent musicians. There are many opportunities to hear world-class musicians in clubs and concert halls. Also, the proliferation and awareness of technology is all-pervasive in the culture here. I started using personal computers, MIDI sequencers, and synthesizers as soon as these technologies became available (about 1984). If I had not been living in “Silicon Valley” at the time I’m sure it would have been years later before I started using these tools for my music. In this era, it’s essential for musicians to be knowledgeable about digital audio recording, sampling, and computers.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
It’s important to me to commune with nature. I enjoy hiking and gardening. I’m inspired by nature’s beauty and by its endless variation of forms. On the deepest level, I think my music comes from my desire to experience the unity of all life. Music articulates emotional understanding – aspects of our human experience such as: forgiveness, regret, longing, joy, fear, peace, etc. Each of these words represents a specific kind of experience, But in realty we never experience them in isolation, they are all part of a continual flow. Through music I can express and understand the transitional flow from tears of sadness to tears of joy (as one example).
What were your parents’ and friends’ reaction to you choosing music as a career?
I do not make my living solely as a musician. I am also a webdesigner & webmaster. If I chose to, I could certainly make a living as a musician by becoming a studio musician, playing music by other composers (at weddings and clubs), and teaching. But I choose to focus my musical energy on composing, recording, and performing my own music. My financial success as a musician has increased steadily since I became serious about it (as a business) three years ago. But I’m not yet earning enough to make a comfortable living at it and to finance my recording projects. That’s why I also design and develop websites. The work is mentally challenging and allows for creativity. It also allows me to keep up to date on technologies I use to promote my music on the web.
My friends have always supported my choice to create music. If they know me at all, they know that creating music is essential to my well being.
When I was in my 20’s I worked in my father’s publishing company for many years. I know he was a little disappointed when I decided to leave the family business. But I also know that, being an entrepreneur, he understood my drive to create something of my own.
Can you still remember your first music lesson? if yes please describe?
I was about 8 years old. I remember sitting on the piano bench and looking at an illustration of the left and right hands with the fingers numbered 1 thru 5. The teacher played some simple melodies… At that time my mother would play Beethoven Sonatas at home and I would watch and listen. Those were really my first lessons; the spark that ignited my musical imagination and curiosity. By 9 years old I was making up my own pieces and playing them for my mother. Whether I’m making music, creating a website, or planting in my garden, I see it all as a process of “show and tell”; making something that’s presentable and that people will enjoy.
Describe your first piano/keyboard you got?
When I was growing up at home we had a Hamilton Baldwin studio piano.
In college I rented a Rhodes Electric piano to play at some gigs with a band I was in. The first keyboard I bought was a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. That was in 1984, the year they first went on the market.
List some of the greatest places you have played at and any special occasions you have been asked to play at and have you played for any special people?
In 2000 I played for an audience of 5,000 in a large ensemble of Indian and World musicians as part of the Festival of Lights (Deepwali). We performed an hour-long composition by master sitarist Habib Khan.
Who are your favourite musicians and why?
I admire many musicians. Two come to mind: Lyle Mays (pianist/keyboardist with the Pat Metheny Group) and Chucho Valdez (Cuban jazz pianist). they have a deep understanding of both the classical and jazz traditions, which they integrate into their own music in a unique way. They also play with passion and technical brilliance.
Have you ever collaborated with any other famous musicians?
Not yet. But I have played with musicians who have had some regional fame and who have played with internationally famous musicians. I hope to have some musicians who are better known than I am play on my next album.
Tell me more about the song "pools of light" e.g., inspiration and why you wrote it, and any other information?
By the time I had committed myself to producing my ‘Pools of Light’ album in 2002, I had already composed over 250 pieces, so I had a huge amount of music to draw from. It took me months to decide which pieces to include. I wanted to present a range of styles and textures yet also maintain a consistent mood and flow. Before I began recording I traveled to Hawaii (the island of Maui). While hiking, my friends and I discovered a beautiful natural pool at the base of a waterfall in the jungle. When I returned from the trip, I composed “Pools of Light” (track #2) and “Sacred Waters” (track #6 – the percussion interlude). These two pieces were inspired by my impressions and experiences on the island.
