Asher Laub – Attention

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Kolade Olamide

ARTIST NAME: Asher Laub

SONG TITLE: Attention

ALBUM TITLE: Attention

RELEASE DATE: 7.16.19

GENRE: Pop/Instrumental

ARTIST NAME: Asher Laub

SONG TITLE: Attention

ALBUM TITLE: Attention

RELEASE DATE: 7.16.19

GENRE: Pop/Instrumental

Asher Laub – Asher’s notable musical career began with classical violin training at the tender age of 2 – leading to his first formal concert with the Buffalo Philharmonic at 13.

Since then, Asher’s ability improvise across multiple genres has inspired an innovative career as a cutting-edge electric violinist.

Asher’s engaging solo performances have made him a co-headliner at iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hammerstein Hall, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall.

His diverse multicultural repertoire has garnered acclaim across four continents.

Asher’s high-energy concerts have been aired nationwide on PBS and made headlines on major media outlets such as CNN, WABC, NBC, and the New York Post.

In 2014, Asher lived a musician’s nightmare when he confronted health challenges that impacted his mobility. Refusing to accept defeat, he rebuilt his musical skills to a new level. This harrowing experience inspired him to reinvent himself as a dancing violinist.

In only a few months, Asher learned to merge hip hop, pop, EDM, rock, and other genres with breakdancing and acrobatic choreography.

His live performances now reflect his unstoppable spirit and joy!

With a growing fan base, Asher is working to influence societal norms and conventional thinking about musical performance, helping to break down social and physical barriers.

His latest single, Neon Dreams, released by Kobalt Music Group has been described as a “high-octane hit” and can be accessed on iTunes and all other major platforms. Asher is currently in the studio working on releasing his next original album.

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Discuss how you develop your melody.

I try to start with a holistic view of where I want the song to go; rhythm, vibe, chord progression, etc.

I often produce the music while in my studio so that any crazy cool ideas that accidentally emerge are saved. That’s how I wrote ‘Neon Dreams.’

‘Attention’ was more of a focus on the popular cover, where I wanted to give a voice to the strings, focusing on the harmonies.

Each song requires a bit of a different approach, but a lot of the inspirational lines just sort of come out of nowhere.

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Tell us your source of inspiration.

I’m inspired by innovative musicians like Vanessa Mae, David Garrett, Jean Luc Ponty and others who charted their own path, breaking away from the mainstream without losing those adoring fans. This is a true indication of raw talent. I study these musicians and their work and merge it with other popular electronic artists. Classical, electronic, jazz and pop music are my main influences, at least for now.

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Tell us the most memorable experience in your music career.

I’ve had quite a few, but co-headlining at Madison Square Garden a few years back, more recently at Master Theatre and, of course, Carnegie Hall were all unforgettable experiences that I’m proud to be a part of. There are videos of these concerts around the internet and on my YouTube channel.

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Discuss how you build your song.

There’s no set formula, but I do start with the chord progression and rhythm before developing the solo. I try to stay true to what’s pleasant to the ear. If the tune doesn’t sound clean, catchy, or melodic enough I rerecord it until it does. Once the rhythm and general texture of the music are complete I lay the strings so that the melody sounds full. The strings usually come last.

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Tell us how you ensure your music inspires others.

I try to place myself in their shoes when I listen to my own music. I also run it by a bunch of close friends and family members before releasing it.

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Discuss the relevance of promotion to the music business.

Promotion is pretty important if you want to go anywhere. You can have a great hit, but if you don’t promote it, people won’t hear it unless you have a supporting record label. None of these things are easy to do.

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Tell us what you will do apart from music.

I have 3 degrees in the sciences, but I’m proud to say I’m now a full-time musician and have been for a few years now. I’m working nonstop, but it’s often rewarding when I get positive feedback from my fans.

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List the names of the instruments you can play.

My trademark is a violin, but I also play drums, piano, guitar, mandolin, cello, and I DJ as well.

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Tell us if you have any music background.

I have been trained to play the violin since age 2. Yes pretty intense, I thank my mother for that one.

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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist on entering the music chart.

Produce great music and develop a fan base that enjoys that music to help you push your way up the charts.

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Elaborate on melody and rhythm.

I’m a big fan of funk, and house rhythms as they lend themselves to that high energy vibe that I believe gives the violin a nice chance of being featured the way vocals are these days. Whether a melody is minor or major, I think it needs that rhythmic drive (bass, and drums) to carry people away…

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State your future goals.

While I’m busy with corporate, and concert gigs, I’m working on building a tour for my upcoming album and my plan is to have a few more full time dedicated staff members to assist me with the daily logistics of social media and bookings so that I can focus 95% on my music and artist collaborations.

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Share your recording experience with us.

I have recorded as a musician for orchestras, independent artists in rap, R&B, rock, and jazz, you name it. I’m proud to have produced some great recordings for a nationwide airing on PBS alongside country starlet Jessica Lynn, which will be out in August 2019.

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Tell us the most difficult part of the recording.

Getting that warm/sweet tone on the violin and having the final rendered product sound perfect to my ears.

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Discuss the greatest mistake you have ever made in your music career.

Not seeking the right medical advice when my health started to tank a few years ago. Thankfully I regained my health but those were the scariest months of my life.

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Tell us how you build up your composition.

As mentioned earlier, I like starting with chords, rhythm, and bass, then adding textures with other instruments and leaving the solo elements to the violin, unless it features vocals.

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Discuss the relevance of music.

Music is completely relevant today, more than ever. It’s used in theatre, to help people get through the daily grind; it serves as an indelible mark in the emotions of billions of people, representing different milestones. It’s a growing field in medical therapies. Music is core to my being, I couldn’t do without it.

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Elaborate on the song.

‘Attention’ is a fun, mid-beat dance tune that has a strong focus on the bass and solo violins. The video depicts my dueling violinist style of performance which I do quite a bit throughout the year.

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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.

Asher Laub is my name and performance name. I stuck with it because there’s nobody else I’ve ever met with that name, and I like being unique.

Tony Marino – Sam’s

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Kolade Olamide

Tony Marino – Sam’s

Artist – Tony Marino

Song Title – Sam’s

Genre – Jazz

Tony Marino is a Latin jazz pianist, composer, and recording engineer based in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

The artist fell in love with music at an early age. At just 7-years old he started playing piano and has been hooked ever since.

In his early days, Tony was inspired by the iconic Leon Russell and strove to become professional pianist, composer, and performer.

Tony started studying piano with Bill DelGovenatore. This is where Tony’s journey into the world of jazz began. Bill introduced Tony to the jazz genre and even introduced him to famous artists such as Thelonious Monk. This was a true turning point for Tony, and the start of his immersion into jazz and Latin inspired music.

While studying, Tony was making ends meet working in a music store. This store became foundational to Tony’s immersion into the music scene. For instance, he developed connections with famous jazz musicians such as Al Stauffer and Frank DiBussolo. Eventually, Bill introduced Tony to Tom Lawton who became Tony’s final mentor and piano tutor.

In 1974, Tony was the keyboardist for a Philadelphia Italian-American band called Idea ’71. However, Tony left the group to continue his education. After that, he relocated to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

After this significant life change, Tony was able to discover a tight and warm jazz community in his brand new hometown. It was there that Tony formed Tony Marino and Havana Heat. This talented and seasoned group of musicians became regulars on the live music circuit. They performed at clubs, venues, festivals, and private events.

In 1997, Tony released his debut album “Tony Marino & Havana Heat: The Latin Jazz Project.” The music from this project was featured heavily on local radio such as WBNI FM. This release launched Tony Marino into the spotlight and onto the national stage.

The band had later changed their name to Tony Marino’s Latin Jazz Sounds. While leading this band, Tony also released four albums and published the songbook The Latin Jazz Project. During this time, Tony freely explored diverse Latin inspired genres such as samba, bossa nova, and calypso.

Eventually, Tony relocated to Jersey and then on to Santa Barbara for a handful of years.

In California, Tony attended jazz jam sessions and played with a variety of established artists such as Jeff Elliot, and Rene Martinez, to mention but a few. No matter where he traveled, Tony always carried his passion and love for music with him. He was able to quickly develop bonds and relationships in the jazz scene on a national level.

The composer /artist has released an impressive eleven albums over his 20-year career. Tony is the sole creative mind behind his projects and is responsible for writing, composing, and producing his own original music.

Tony’s releases have always been greeted with critical acclaim and approval from his fans. What makes Tony stand out in the industry is that he is able to captivate and connect with jazz enthusiasts and novices alike.

His music is accessible and thrilling, gaining him a loyal following of avid fans and admirers from around the world.

The best part of it is that Tony shows no signs of slowing down! He has two upcoming releases that are due to hit the shelves this year.

In his own words, “I am dedicated to becoming a better musician and creating original music.” After listening to his releases it’s immediately apparent that Tony is a passionate and skilled musician with raw talent.

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Discuss how you develop your melody.

For this particular song “Sam’s” the melody was developed reminiscing about how the day would progress working at Sam D’Amico’s Music store in South Philly during the mid-’70s.

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Tell us your source of inspiration.

During my freshman year attending Bishop Neumann High School in South Philadelphia, I started working at Sam D’Amico’s Music store. This played a significant role in my musical development.

While working at Sam’s, I started studying piano with Bill DelGovenatore, I met drummer Joe Pagano who recruited me to play in a local Philadelphia Italian American Wedding Band “Idea 71”.

While working at Sam’s I met many musicians such as Frank DiBussolo, Ron Nocella, Carl Mottola, Ron Tempesta, Al Stauffer, Tom Lawton, and many others. Eventually, I had to resign from Sam’s because of my busy school and gigging schedule.

Many of the musicians helped me and I also met many of the people who lived in the area who were interested in music. It was a great time. I miss those days and all of the people at the store. Unfortunately, Sam, Al, and Carl have passed. All of the events were the inspiration and dedication of this song.

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Tell us the most memorable experience in your music career.

I have been very lucky and have had many memorable experiences – Meeting, studying and playing with many musicians who I admire. The one of that stands out was when my family and I went to a jazz festival and Claudio Roditi called me out of the audience, and I got to play with Claudio Roditi and Marvin Stamm. It was unexpected and went very well.

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Discuss how you build your song.

Every song is different, and it really depends on what the inspiration is for the piece I am working on. Sometimes it may start with a rhythmic phrase, a chord progression or a melodic idea. I write a lot and I do not use a set process to compose a song.

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Tell us how you ensure your music inspires others.

I am inspired by people, situations, places, etc… I believe that people relate to the music that has been inspired by them.

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Discuss the relevance of promotion to the music business.

Getting the music to new people is the key. We have dedicated listeners since I released my first CD as a leader “Tony Marino & Havana Heat the Latin Jazz Project” in 1997.

We have been successful in getting people who normally do not listen to jazz interested in jazz.

Latin Jazz is special because the rhythm gets people’s attention and keeps them interested in listening.

Getting music to new people is a big challenge and is important to the survival of this music.

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Tell us what you will do apart from music.

After many years of working, going to school and working on music, I am focused solely on my music career.

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List the names of the instruments you can play.

I play the piano. I arrange and write music for all instruments.

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Tell us if you have any music background.

I am the only musician in my family. I have been studying music since I was 7 years old.

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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist on entering the music chart.

Make sure you learn everything you can about music, the music business and make sure you have a second career.

Always be persistent, professional, polite and on time. You also have to know when to start and stop projects.

Stay away from drugs and alcohol and play with people who are better than you – If you are ever in a situation where you are over your head; work hard to pull yourself to the next level.

Listen to common criticisms about your playing and work to get better.

Stay away from trouble and never play for free unless you are going to a jam session.

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Elaborate on melody and rhythm.

The rhythm defines the type of song and it is important to understand what rhythms are related to the genre of music you are playing.

The harmony and melody need to be understood. In creating music, it is important to know the rules and when you need to follow them.

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State your future goals.

I am dedicated to practicing, writing, recording original music. Currently, I am working on a CD that is going to be released in 2020 and a few other projects that will be released in the future.

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Share your recording experience with us.

During the summer of 1976, in between my freshman and sophomore years in high school, Michele “Mike” Elia the Saxophonist I played with, in the band Idea 71″ recorded an album, at Frank Virtue’s Recording Studios, in North Philadelphia.

During the sessions, Mike wanted to rent an alto saxophone to use on this recording. At that time, I was working at Sam’s music store. I called Sam and asked him if he had an alto saxophone that Mike could use. Sam had two, a brand-new Selmer and an off-brand that wasn’t in the best shape; Sam agreed to rent the Selmer for $75 dollars and the other for $15 dollars.

We were a little tight on money so Mike chose the $15 option. While we were recording the first song I heard a few clicking sounds followed by a loud voice screaming “Mother… – it fell apart.” Everyone including Mike started laughing.

While Mike was playing, the saxophone parts fell off and we weren’t able to finish the session. It was a little frustrating because he was still paying for studio time.

We called Sam and he cut Mike a break on renting the Selmer. After we finished recording during the mixing phase, we were in the control listening to the mix. It was early in the morning we were really tired. All of the playbacks were at a comfortable volume level just as I started to doze off this very loud scream “Mother…- it fell apart.” overpowered the music. Everyone started laughing.

One of the tracks had Mike’s famous vocal track that never made it to vinyl. The album was instrumental.

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Tell us the most difficult part of a recording.

The toughest thing for me is to relax and not worry about making mistakes.

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Discuss the greatest mistake you have ever made in your music career.

There were a few times when I should have put business before personal feelings.

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Tell us how you build up your composition.

Each song is different. Depending on how the idea starts; the melody, harmony, and rhythm work hand in hand and that will define the finished product.

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Discuss the relevance of music.

Music is one of the most important elements of all societies. It is used in every aspect of life. It connects people and is the universal language of our planet.

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Elaborate on the song.

The song was inspired during my employment at Sam D’Amico’s music store.

The song represents the cycle of a day working at the store. It starts out with the rhythm section and the Marimbas playing the melody.

Parts of the melody are played by the vibes, flute, steel pans and marimbas along with the improvisation that is done on the piano.

The instruments represent the different customers, music students, delivery personnel, music teachers and the events that occurred throughout the day.

Each day started out and ended almost the same way, each day was slightly different because there were different music teachers and students depending on the day’s schedule.

It was a great meeting place and I have many fond memories of all the people I met, worked with and learned from during the early stages of my music career.

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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.

I was named after my father Anthony Gaetano Marino Sr. My dad was called Tony and people called me Anthony to avoid confusion.

When I started working people started calling me Tony and after my Dad passed away when I was 16 people referred to me as Tony and it is the name I use.

The album title “Family and Friends” is my dedication to all of the people that matter to me my “Family and Friends”.

Steve Bass – A Piece of Me

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Kolade Olamide

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Steve Bass – A Piece of Me

Artist: Steve Bass

Song Title: A Piece of Me

Genre: R&B/Instrumental

Steve Bass is an independent music composer, arranger, and musician.

He started out as a DJ and moved from playing records to becoming a musician and artist.

He formed an R&B two-man group with a good friend and released two albums while opening for local artists.

After a while the group went their separate ways, he then started producing local artist around NC.

His credits are Rap, R&B, Gospel, Soul artists that did well locally. He did that for about eight years and then he got diagnosed with “MS” and had to slow the production down. So nothing will stop him from doing what he loves, he now composes instrumental background music for TV& movie/film scenes, advertising, radio spots, in-store background music, and music licensing opportunities.

His goals are to become a strong contributor in the music placement and licensing marketing side of things. And hope to do so for many years to come.

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Discuss how you develop your melody.

For me, the instrumental music is a feeling or a mood. That is the heart of the melody.

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Tell us your source of inspiration.

My source of inspiration is life

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Tell us the most memorable experience in your music career.

From the day I started playing and became an artist and even now each day is and I hope always will be a memorable moment.

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Discuss how you build your song.

It all starts for me with the right drum and bass, and from there I create the feeling that I need and that I’m looking for.

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Tell us how you ensure your music inspires others.

By looking, hearing, listening to the world around me and what people are going through on a day to day

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Discuss the relevance of promotion to the music business.

With the right promotion, any song is a hit. Now it’s all about the promotion.

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Tell us what you will do apart from music.

😀 More Music!

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List the names of the instruments you can play.

Keyboards

Piano.

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Tell us if you have any music background.

I have other people in my family tree that are musicians and singers.

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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist on entering the music chart.

Believe in yourself and all that come with it.

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Elaborate on melody and rhythm.

One plays off the other you can start with either one to create a song or instrumental.

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State your future goals.

I am at a time in my life I just want to write music, good music. So I am really looking into the music licensing and placement opportunities through Film and TV.

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Share your recording experience with us.

I am an artist that likes to be prepared and ready when it’s time to record. I do and will have it all laid out when it’s time.

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Tell us the most difficult part of the recording.

Sometimes getting your sound right you know, the way you hear it in your head.

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Discuss the greatest mistake you have ever made in your music career.

Not signing with a label that was giving me a lead producer-arranger job on their label.

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Tell us how you build up your composition.

Drums, piano or keyboards, bass and create from there.

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Discuss the relevance of music.

Music is and will always be, we need it. Life is music.

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Elaborate on the song.

‘A Piece of Me’ is exactly a little bit of me for the world to see and feel.

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Elaborate on your artist name and what you do.

My name is who I am and instrumental background music is what I do.

Witold Suryn – Dancers in the Village

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Kolade Olamide

Witold Suryn – Dancers in the Village

ARTIST NAME: Witold Suryn

SONG TITLE: Dancers in the Village

ALBUM TITLE: Falcimore

GENRE: Symphonic, Orchestral, Contemporary Music.

Witold Suryn is a Canadian composer, pianist, bassist, and music producer.

Formally educated in music (piano) he composes music for over 40 years, first in jazz, then in contemporary symphonic and movie scores genre.

In addition to his formal musical education and years of composition practice in classical music, he gathered considerable experience in movie scoring for the contemporary film industry.

In his work, he cooperated with several young North American and British directors scoring their short and mid-length productions.

Independently he continuously composes music for cinema or TV productions, releases albums in symphonic, jazz and recently in electronic genres.

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Discuss how you develop your melody.

The melody comes from a story or an image, sometimes real ones like a painting or a movie, or just imagined.

Quite often the story and music begin at the same time and evolve in parallel. It is like painting music. But first and foremost I have to hear this music in my head. If there is nothing, what comes to a partition is just worthless bunch of notes.

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Tell us your source of inspiration.

Always imagination.

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Tell us the most memorable experience in your music career.

Many years ago I was contacted by a young American director with a proposition to write a score for his short movie I was faced by an interesting challenge: a 21-st century black-and-white, very well-tailored tragedy with no dialogs, sound or subtitles. Even the actors did not say a word.

On one hand, I had absolute freedom to compose what I felt, on the other, I felt the weight of responsibility knowing that music may uplift as well as destroy the intents of the movie creator.

I watched the film many times searching on the piano what would resonate with it before I put the first note on the partition.

But, once I began I composed the score within days, made a decent mock-up and sent it to the director. And he liked it as it was. I did not have to change a note. It never happened again.

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Discuss how you build your song.

Being a piano player with formal musical education I use it as a tool, not as a set of rigid rules. So the music builds itself as I hear it, no matter whether it builds following the craft rules or against them.

My composition process follows what I hear, sometimes I have a complete vision of what I will write, and sometimes it resembles building the stairs when I figure out what the next step will be just before finishing the actual one. But one thing remains constant, the need for telling the story. Without it, my music would have no soul.

Being of an old school I use notes, partitions, and piano as a basic set of tools, but to create the sound I use notation software, many different instrument libraries and later in the process the mixing and mastering capabilities of my studio.

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Tell us how you ensure your music inspires others.

Ensure? I do not think anything like “ensure” exists, but probably every musician and composer tries to find ways to his/her listeners’ minds and hearts. My way is to transfer an image, a story, an emotion that would make the listener see what the music conveys and reflect on it.

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Discuss the relevance of promotion to the music business.

In the actual world of easy access to sound creation tools, almost everybody can be a creator, a composer, a musician. With this observation come the numbers with many zeros before a decimal point.

Hundreds of millions of potential musicians try to get their music to millions of potential listeners. Without promotion they will most probably stay forever in their garage studios, unknown, unheard, overlooked. And the listeners may never have the chance to discover a new Mozart, Borodin, Sting or Corea.

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Tell us what you will do apart from music.

I am a university professor. I teach and research software engineering.

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List the names of the instruments you can play.

Piano (classical acoustic instrument), synths, organs, and bass. If needed I can handle guitars, but it is only for recording purposes.

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Tell us if you have any music background.

10 years of music-school in piano class.

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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist on entering the music chart.

Actually, three pieces of advice.

Choose carefully your audience. Different people listen to hip-hop and different to symphonic music.

Be sure that you can create something meaningful for the audience you chose.

Make any effort required to find an effective promotion company. They will eventually push your music to the charts.

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Elaborate on melody and rhythm.

Interesting pair…melody and rhythm – While rhythm without melody can easily exist (like in drums solos), melody without rhythm would be difficult to follow, both in playing and listening to.

Also, the two have different means of conveying the message. The African tam-tams are able to make people move, no matter their origin or culture, while the melody without this “something” will pass unnoticed or will bore the listener.

So, composing, in fact, is finding a tune, a melody, this Beethovenian “da-da-da-da” that will make people stop and listen.

A melody or a leitmotif is a clue for music, be it rock, jazz or symphonic. If there are no lyrics to fill up space, the lack of melody kills the sounds.

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State your future goals.

Future goals are the same as the present ones: compose music and make it reach people. Make them like it, or hate it, but never bore them. And, if possible, have my music played by others.

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Share your recording experience with us.

I record all in my studio. If I write jazz scores all are practically live recorded, my instruments are directly connected to my DAW with no use of microphones, so at least one problem is avoided, the background noises.

I play most of the instruments and eventually add final drums later.

When I have other musicians participating; they either come to my studio and I am a recording engineer or I send the project and they record their parts with their DAWs and send me the material to be used in mixing.

When it comes to cinematic or symphonic scores the process is different – I write notes on staves, sometimes record them live, but still, the process resembles the classical composition with partition and pen, except partition resides in the notation software and mouse is a pen.

Once the composition is finished it goes to DAW where the recording takes place, i.e. MIDI data is sent to libraries and the resulting audio is recorded in situ.

Live recording, when there are no mics used, is relatively straight forward when the studio has a decent audio interface, powerful enough computer and proper DAW software.

Recording in loops, comping and some other smart technical tricks shorten the recording time but may make the mixing time considerably longer.

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Tell us the most difficult part of a recording.

As a recording engineer; it is listening to endless attempts to correctly record a phrase.

As a recording musician; it is fighting with my own errors and fatigue when the recorded material is musically and technically complex.

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Discuss the greatest mistake you have ever made in your music career.

I made more than a few mistakes in my music career, but none of them qualifies as “greatest.” I might have made one if a few decades ago I had decided to make my living out of music. It would change my love for music and freedom of creation into obligatory sellable good, or I could face starving (joke).

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Tell us how you build up your composition.

If by “build the composition” we mean the process from having a musical idea to having it released, it is almost a reflection of working with the real orchestra.

First, the composer works with the partition and a pen (i.e. notation software, mouse, keyboard and libraries).

When the composition is finished, the MIDI file goes to a DAW where MIDI material is being edited to sound like it is intended, a bit like giving parts to orchestra members and explaining to each of them what and how they are supposed to play.

Next step is “recording”, the MIDI is played by libraries like parts are played by musicians and audio material is created. From there the process of mixing and mastering begins.

On the other hand, if “building the composition” means the creation process, there are probably as many processes as there are composers.

My way of composing has several approaches and none of them actually goes strictly with a category of music I compose.

Sometimes it begins with a very clear idea of a basic leitmotif, which next is being orchestrated, put through variations, enhanced by sub-motifs branched from main ones until everything required is said.

Sometimes I hear harmonies that sound interesting, but no motifs for them yet, so I build harmony foundations and on top of them gradually add cues. And cues suggest new harmonies, and so on, so forth.

Another way of composing is building all at once but bar after bar. This requires, however, hearing this “all” completely in my head, so I know what instruments, when and what should play.

Composing jazz pieces quite often begins with playing “nothing”. No ideas, no cues, just exploring the keyboard, imagining the rhythm, hearing the bass. What is interesting in this approach it the concept unique for jazz, the concept of continuous composition, and if anything interesting happens in this process it transforms into “cue”, gets noted, played and recorded.

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Discuss the relevance of music.

Can we even imagine the world without music? Besides of giving unique pleasures, thrills, emotions, healing wounds and calming tempers, music has what no other medium has, the universal communication language.

I have heard beautiful jam sessions played by musicians who have never met before and who did not speak each other’s common language. But through music, they communicated like best and oldest friends. No other language can do it.

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Elaborate on the song.

The song usually has something to say, either through lyrics or through music – In very good songs through both.

As the music in our times has many different faces, a “song” is not necessarily being “sung”, but it is always played.

Famous Dutch groups like Ekseption or Focus had many songs with no lyrics or even a vocal, still making people listen to them again, and again… And there is rap, always having a lot to say but quite often not much to sing. And people listen to these songs with interest.

So, is the “song” a piece of sound that has to be “sung” or the acoustic wave of defined length and energy that has a purpose, the content and the message? In my opinion, THIS is the song.

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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.

My artist name is my real name and I like it that way.

The album title, “Falcimore” is a name of a fictitious small town in Italy, close to the border with Switzerland. The whole suite of which “Dancers in the Village” make part tells the story of one day in this town, the market day.

Daniel Palmieri – Coconut Isle

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Kolade Olamide

Daniel Palmieri – Coconut Isle

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Artist Name – Daniel Palmieri

Song Title – Coconut Isle

Go into detail on why you decided to choose music as a career.

I started playing piano by ear when I was eight years old. At 12, I started playing guitar and at 13 I joined a band as a rhythm guitar player and by the time I was 16 I was playing lead guitar in rock and roll bands for schools, churches, fire barns, recreation halls, and even a few bars.

In Syracuse, N.Y. (where I grew up) the competition was steep with many excellent musicians and bands.

In 1967, when I was 18, I started playing folk music with a partner calling ourselves “David and Daniel.”

We were the premiere folk group in Central New York and soon began touring all over the state.

We were a highly polished folk duo with great harmony and were picked up by an agent who booked us in Greenwich Village in New York City.

While playing at the Bitter End we met Harry Chapin. Harry wanted us to be part of his band – he was hoping for a record deal with Epic records. We declined because we were making real money playing on a nightclub circuit.

David and Daniel spent the next two years performing in nightclubs from New York to Florida.

We wrote and recorded several commercials and also wrote and recorded a 45 RPM record.

I knew then that I wanted a career playing music in front of people.

David went to school to be a lawyer so for the next 18 years while I performed as a solo act on the road. I started writing music and recorded two 45 RPM’s and a record album.

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Brief us the feedback you are getting from fans on your music.

Everyone who hears my music likes what they hear because it touches a variety of genres.

Even after many years they remember a song that touched them.

I have several of my songs on Music X-ray and Broadjam (music licensing sites).

The feedback that I get from fans and musicians on those sites is very positive.

Five years ago I started writing an orchestrating music to be used in commercials and films.

I have a digital studio, guitars, keyboards and computer programs for scoring and outputting music.

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Discuss the relevance of social networking to music.

Social networking is very important to anyone trying to promote their music and talent today. It also gives you access to a vast variety of music and immediate feedback on your music.

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Tell us how you record your instruments.

Sometimes I use commercial programs like Band in a Box. That program allows you to write the chord names and select a style and meter for the music. It then will create a drum, base, and piano parts.

I then export those parts to a MIDI file. I then import the MIDI file into a music composition program (I use Forte), which allows me to change and add to the music score.

I then write the score for horns, strings, and various other instruments.

Next I mix and output that music to a digital eight track studio.

I then record guitar tracks and vocals and mix everything down and export it as a music file.

Other times I record guitar parts and then track and the other instruments on a digital studio.

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Tell us the inspiration of the melody.

Sometimes I have a melody in my head. Other times I sit with my guitar and get a rhythm going and a sequence of chords and record it.

Later I will go back and create a melody line and add the other instruments.

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State your musical skills.

I have been a classical guitarist for 52 years. I have been playing rock ‘n roll, folk and pop music for 60 years.

I play drums, keyboards, blues harp, and some banjo. I can pick up just about any instrument and play a song on it within ten minutes.

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Tell us how long it takes to complete a song from the start.

That depends on how complicated the music is. Sometimes I can record three or four instruments and add vocals in a couple of hours.

More complicated orchestral pieces with counter melodies and lots of instrumentation can take weeks.

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Go into detail on how you develop your instrumentation.

It depends on the genre. For example, country music would be drums, bass, guitar, piano, banjo, etc.

On the other hand, Caribbean music requires steel drums, marimbas, vibes, congas, etc.

While rock ‘n roll needs drums, bass, organ, guitar parts with wah wah and fuzz pedals, etc.

I use unexpected instrumentation for variety – Although it definitely depends on genre.

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Discuss your music in full details.

My music is very diverse with: Folk, Country, Rock, Pop, Ballads, Love Songs, etc.

I also have Caribbean music, Commercial background music for TV, Radio, and music for Film and Movies.

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State your five favorite genres of music with reason.

I love big band music, Caribbean music, 1950s rock ‘n roll, 1960s folk music, rhythm and blues.

I love Simon and Garfunkel, Neil diamond, Jimmy Buffett, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, soul music, etc.

The reason is this music is the soul of my generation.

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Discuss your rehearsal.

Rehearsals now depend on how long I need to warm up my voice or my fingers.

Much of my rehearsal time is spent writing and rewriting a particular part of a musical composition – be it lyrics or musical parts.

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State your favorite musical instruments.

Classic, Electric, and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, saxophone, piano, horns, and strings.

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Describe the chemistry between you and your fans during a live performance.

I try to make a connection with everyone in the room. When I sing a song, I sing it to each and every person and try to let them understand the feelings behind the song.

It doesn’t matter if it’s three people or 300. By the end of the night they would feel like they know me as a friend.

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Discuss your personality in full details.

I’m a happy, loving, friendly guy. I’m also stubborn and want my own way. When it comes to music it should either be done exactly the way it was written or very different – period.

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Discuss your music career.

I have had a great music career that has lasted over 60 years. I have played in over 17 states in bars, restaurants, hotels, large and small venues.

I have played with and met many famous musicians and performers like: Ms. Loretta Lynn, the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Trini Lopez, Vic Damone, the Letterman, Sha Na Na, Harry Chapin, and Steve Chapin.

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Share your memorable experiences and elaborate on your music career.

While playing in the duo David and Daniel, We were the featured entertainment for a special after the show party for Miss Loretta Lynn. While there; Bobby Vee came in and asked me if I would play lead guitar for him while he sang a few songs for Loretta. I played backup lead guitar for Bobby Vee.

David & Daniel were also were the entertainment for the Miss Grand Prix Beauty Pageant at Watkins Glenn, New York.

David and Daniel were playing in the lounge of the Holiday Inn in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and singing the song “Dream, Dream, Dream,” by the Everly Brothers when in the middle of the song, Don and Phil Everly walked into the lounge. They had a concert that night in Chapel Hill and were staying at the Holiday Inn where we were playing.

When we took a break Don and Phil asked us over to their table and told us how much they liked our arrangement of their song.

They said that they would like do it the way we were doing it from now on. They invited us the next day to their rehearsal and we spent the afternoon teaching them our arrangement of their song.

At the Bitter End in New York City, Harry Chapin asked me if I could stay there and back him up while he chased a record deal with Epic records. I declined and continued performing on the road and, while in North Carolina, I heard his song “Taxi “on the radio and knew that I had made a big mistake. I also could not go back and play with him now because when I said no, I told him about a guitarist friend of mine (Ron Palmer), who went to New York City and played with Harry. So Ron recorded and played in concert with Harry – and I blew it. LOL!

While performing as Daniel of the duo David and Daniel (a folk duo like Simon and Garfunkel) we performed as a warm-up group (front group) for The Letterman on two different occasions.

After the second time, Letterman lead singer Tony Batola said that they knew of someone in Nashville that was looking for a strong folk duo for a pilot television show. He also said that the show may or may not actually run. David and I were performing and making money traveling so we turned down the opportunity. That opportunity was the show called “Hee Haw” and the duo selected for the show were the “Hager Brothers“- the rest is music history.

In 1975 and 1976, while I was performing in New England, I was selected to be the Male Lead Singer in the Miss Vermont Pageant for 2 years in a row. The pageant was the Vermont State level final pageant for the Miss America Program. The Miss Vermont Pageant was large venue, 3 hour show, with 4 days of rehearsals. It was broadcast on Vermont TV stations.

Although I am not actively performing anymore because I’m now 70, I still write and record music looking for it to be picked up and used in Commercials or for Films and Television shows.

Olena Shostko – August Kiss

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Kolade Olamide

Olena Shostko – August Kiss

Olena Shostko impresses with her artistic and extraordinary music that emulates from an instrument based on her exceptional skills.

If you are searching for a musical treat for relaxation, then Olena Shostko will take you on that treat with her outstanding instrumental.

Olena Shostko was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

She played fortepiano and almost at once she composed the music of her own at six-year-old.

Olena got a music college diploma with honors in piano and she was a teacher at a music school for a while. Later she became the professional lawyer, but the music has always been her companion.

For many years Olena has played her compositions for a private audience of relatives and friends.

They often noted that her music was much better than some soundtracks for films or the music broadcast on radio or TV…

Only many years later did she dare to share her inner life to the wider audience.

In 2015 Olena Shostko recorded her romantic and sensual CD album ‘Untold’ that comprises six compositions: Enlightenment, My Secret, August Kiss, Dreams of you, Goodbye Dance, Untold.

Borys Sevastyanov, an Ukrainian musician from Kharkiv took care of the arrangement of the compositions.

“The songs included into the album are being my own feelings, emotions, and experience,” says Olena.

“When I miss words, my music is speaking. I have realized that I need to share the gift hidden for a long time,”.

The pianist also adds:

“ I would not have been able to write music without God’s blessing.

As music comes out on its own when I am playing.”

Olena Shostko released her first CD in 2018, recorded by the National Radio Company of Ukraine.

Performers: Ensemble of Symphony Orchestra of the National Radio Company of Ukraine,

Conductor: Volodymyr Sheiko.

TTilawok

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Kolade Olamide

TTilawok

ARTIST NAME: TTilawok

SONG TITLE: Rooted

ALBUM TITLE: Into Memory

RELEASE DATE: May 25th, 2018

GENRE: Minimal Techno

TTilawok

TTilawok is a photographer and electronic music producer based in Stockholm, Sweden hailing from San Luis Obispo, California. His photography utilizes double exposure to create unique scenes from both natural and human born landscapes. His musical style ranges from house and techno to lo-fi, minimal, and ambient. Drawing upon a range of influences such as jazz, psych, and synthesizer-based music, TTilawok translates the surreal realms created in his photos and videos with his electronic soundscapes. Combining samples, synthesis, and analog drum machines, he traverses acid, ambient, low-fi and downbeat with his first full-length release, Into Memory.

State your reason for choosing music as a career.

Music has always intrigued me since it is a timeless form of art that can make connections with people regardless of their background and what language they speak. I make music to help me process and grow as a person, and I want to release music which translates the different feelings and emotions we go through into sound. The reason for committing to this album, “Into Memory”, was to produce a listening experience dedicated to the feelings that come with living and traveling abroad, or simply starting life on your own.

Tell us how you write the lyrics to your song.

The songs on the album are mostly instrumental, but there are some sampled vocals on “Changing Color” and “Long Way From Home” which came from searching the deep web for inspiration.

Share your press release and reviews with us.

Postseason Franchise Records is happy to announce Into Memory, the debut album from Stockholm-based house and techno artist TTilawok. Set for release on May 25th, Into Memory marks the completion of a yearlong residency at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion) in Stockholmm, Sweden. It includes ten tracks which highlight the wide array of genres and styles which influence TTilawok, the California-born producer behind the album’s futuristic sound. Combining samples, synthesis, and analog drum machines, he manages to traverse the realms of acid, ambient, low-fi, and downbeat with his first full-length release. “Into Memory” will be available in all online stores on May 25th, 2018. The lead single and music video, “Rooted”, is out now on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube. In conjunction with the release, a limited run of 100 clear blue cassette tapes designed by TTilawok and the label’s resident artist Eimi Tagore-Erwin are available for pre-order on Postseason Franchise Records’ Bandcamp.

Discuss your life outside the music world.

I’m originally from a small beach town in California and I have been living in Stockholm, Sweden since late 2015. I got the travel bug in college which led me on a trip around Europe and eventually got me a job in Sweden. I really appreciate Scandinavia for being so organized and focused on individual health and happiness. The work-life balance here is great, and I love Scandinavian design. Lately, I’ve been traveling around a lot and just got back from trips to Hawaii and Japan.

Discuss your music career.

I was a drummer for six years until moving away to college. Since I couldn’t move with my drum kit, I stopped drumming and didn’t get back into music until discovering the possibilities of portable gear when living in Copenhagen. I played drums on the guitarist’s midi keyboard and our keyboard player had this little synth that fit in his backpack. This is when I realized I could get a full-on production going with drum machines and synthesizers. Since I’ve been on the road the last four years, I really enjoy being able to make music on a laptop with a few pieces of gear. Apart from working on producing more tracks, I’ll start to play my new album live.

Elaborate on your artist’s name.

TTilawok is an anagram based on the word Kilowatt. I use to have a blog called Kilowatt and when I decided to shut that down and spend more time on music and photography I rearranged the name to fit the new medium. It all connects back to the theme of light.

List your five favorite music videos with reasons.

I like “Kiasmos – Gaunt” and “Daniel Avery – Space Echo [From DJ-Kicks]” because of the way the music fits with the environment. They are very surreal and transport you into that reality.

“lofi hip hop radio – beats to relax/study to” is a classic. Always live-streaming good tunes.

“In Rainbows: From The Basement – Radiohead” – because “In Rainbows” and Thom.

“Blue Hawaii Boiler Room LIVE Show” is one of my favorite live boiler rooms to watch or listen to.

Tell us your source of inspiration.

I am inspired by people who bring positive change, nature, and clean minimal design.

Tell us your impression on dealing with paparazzi.

There is a time and a place I guess. No one wants to be bothered in privacy, but getting recognition for what people achieve is important to foster new ideas.

Elaborate on the recording of this song.

“Rooted” was recorded in Stockholm in October. It was super cold and dark out, but I recently got a new Elektron drum machine. This was pretty exciting for me, so that can probably explain some of the energy behind the song. I decided to change out all the drums previously used for the Elektron. That machine makes such a difference.

Tell us your future projects.

I recorded an album with “The Space Wanderer” who traveled from New York to Stockholm for a week-long residency at EMS (Elektronmusikstudion). It was the dead of winter in December 2017, so we housed ourselves up in the studio for a week and the result was the formation of our side project, Rymdeko, which means space echo in Swedish. We will release the album sometime in 2018. The future will mean more music released as TTilawok and Rymdeko.

List the names of those that have supported you so far.

Eimi Tagore-Erwin, Nick Comaratta, Nic Justice, Josh Newport, Joe Camilleri, Alex MacDonald, Nurzada Sultanova, family, friends in Sweden and beyond in no particular order.

Tell us your point of view on vocal tuning.

Works for some.

Tell us your thought on quality and quantity for the release of songs.

I am more on the quality side. I got rid of a lot of draft songs in the making of “Into Memory”. The whole process took over a year from ideas to recording, production, and mastering, but quality does not always take time. I am quite fond of the tracks we made as Rymdeko and those were all produced at a rate of two songs per day. I know some people release songs with an emphasis on quantity, but I don’t think that always works. It takes a balance. The greatest artists have used both ways so it’s no formula.

Tell us your viewpoint on comparing music career to non-music career.

A career is a career, whether it’s in music or not. If you treat music like a 9-5 you can get a lot more done. If you pursue it after your 9-5 you are just working two jobs and it takes a lot of focus and motivation to get anything done.

Tell us your opinion on categorizing music into genres and sub-genres.

I understand the need for genres to categorize music and make it easier for people to find the movements they like. I think genres can be limiting though, if you become genre locked then that can just prevent you from experimenting with things like bpm, song structure, or different instruments. Cross-genre experimentation is what keeps the music interesting, so I don’t think genres should be used as more than a way to group your music with other artists that have similarities.

State the genre you despise most with reason.

I don’t really like to despise things; I get that people like music totally different than what I would listen to. I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but personally, I don’t really find any joy in listening to the sub-genre “bro-country.”

List your five favorite movies with reasons.

Almost Famous – Totally influenced me as a kid to see the lives of each character and how messing up is a part of life.

Across the Universe – Cool to see what life must have been like in my parents’ time.

A Clockwork Orange – Because the author made up too many words for the book to make sense. The movie puts things into perspective and calls out a lot of issues with our society.

Life Aquatic – Wes Anderson is an all-around wizard. This one, in particular, is great because of the story, soundtrack, and uniforms.

Rango – Totally took me off-guard at a time when I thought all hope was lost in humanity and filmmaking.

State the title of the song and the meaning.

“Rooted” – To me it describes the feeling of being firmly planted where you are. Swedish winter can be pretty desolate, so having things going for you during that is important. Be it with your relationship, friends, apartment, music gear, etc. Everything makes a difference and feeling rooted is a good thing when things are going your way.

State the title of the album and the reason for choosing the title.

The album is called “Into Memory” because it tells the story of living abroad and on the road. All ten songs refer back to a memory from the last few years, good or bad. These were the years where life really started, after school and leaving home. “Into Memory” stands for the process of navigating back to those memories, and not forgetting the process.