Spring Issue, 2017
CENTER STAGE Music Center Corp.
“Breaking Boundaries”
Lorenza Ponce • Define Your Success • Heather Lee Marvin
THE TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF Angela O’Reilly MANAGING DIRECTOR Veronica Sanchez CREATIVE DIRECTOR & HEAD DESIGNER Christiana Kaimis TEAM WRITERS & EDITORS Kelby Khan Ulises Amaya
CONTRIBUTORS Crowd the Airwaves Heather Lee Marvin Kieran O’Connor Lorenza Ponce Matt McGuire Melanie Ramos Sefki
www.CenterStageMusicCenter.com
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CONTENTS
4 Letter From the Editor
6 Define Your Success
8 Chasing the Sun Playlist
Photo by: Melanie Ramos
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9 Lorenza Ponce Photo by: Mikiodo
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Crowd the Airwaves
Sit Down Session with: Lee Marvin
Photo by: Erika Bathory
Photo by: Scryer Photography
Meet Veronica: Managing Director of Center Stage Mag
22 Backstage with Kelby Khan Photo by: Michael Rathsam
Photo by: Melanie Ramos
Cover photo by: Mark Seliger
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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PHOTOGRAPHER
rowing up, my parents exposed me to almost every genre of music imaginable; from the very obscure, like whale songs and Tibetan throat signing, to Bach and The Beatles. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to make music a career. However, as a violinist for most of my life I have felt very boxed into the classical world. While I do love classical music and believe that classical training is extremely important...Do I actually listen to classical music when I’m driving to work or hanging out at home? Not really. Branching out into other genres was, and still is, incredibly difficult for me. Discovering musicians who are able to break boundaries and crossover into other genres is extremely inspiring to me. In this issue, we will meet the incredible Lorenza Ponce; a violinist who broke away from the strict world of classical repertoire and became one of the first touring rock violinists. We will also meet the all female group Crowd the Airwaves and hear how their front woman, Heather Lee Marvin, transitioned from opera singer to punk rock lead vocalist and bassist. Enjoy, Angela Lee Editor & Author
ABOUT CENTER STAGE Center Stage Magazine is a branch of Center Stage Music Center, a teaching studio in Westbury, New York. Since opening our doors in 2011, our goal has always been to create a comprehensive learning experience beyond what is taught in the classroom. This magazine is a natural extension of that goal and aims to provide an even greater array of musical knowledge for general readership and the budding musician. Written by musicians for music lovers, our desire is to bring all the diamonds in the rough to the masses and to inspire the next generation of artists, musicians, and listeners.
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DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS Written by Ulises Amaya
I’ve met a lot of musicians going back some 15 years now. I’ve known really talented people who are currently living their dream with different degrees of success. I also know way more that have moved away from performance or have left music behind entirely. Some of these people are just as talented as the ones touring the country in bands or establishing residencies in opera companies. What is the difference between those who are able to succeed and those who, for all intents and purposes, have given up on their dream?
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Myths vs. Realities
Firstly, people looking to get in the music world often have entirely unrealistic expectations. They often dream of the success they’d like to have but never ponder the steps towards getting there. The biggest myth young musicians tend to believe is the poisonous idea of overnight success. We’ve all heard this term thrown around, and it is often the carrot that lulls many a young musician into complacency. In this viral age, it seems so simple to throw something up on YouTube, sit back, and just watch the hits come in. The fact of the matter is, instant stardom in this way is INCREDIBLY rare. And I say it is poisonous because if all you’re doing is posting videos of yourself in your room and hoping that Usher is watching, then you’re essentially standing still. And after a few years of lackluster returns, it’s easy to say you’re just not catching fire and pack it up.
The Whole Package
A lot of new bands and artists fall into the trap of emphasizing one aspect of their pursuit and not the other. Maybe you’ve spent the last 6 months working on your magnum opus but you’ve got no marketing plan or social media presence. Have you been playing the same bars and local spots but have yet to get solid recordings together? Not having the full package can be a serious obstacle to your success and may be another path to giving up. Imagine being fortunate enough to have someone interested in your music but you don’t even have a card to give the person. As Scar once sang, “Be prepared!”
Work
It’s not just a Rihanna song anymore. Has it been 4 years since college and you’re friends are starting to get jobs that pay...well? No one can prepare you for how truly grueling it can be to pursue your own dream. Are you playing consistently and staying relevant with your fans? Are you honing your skills? Or is what you’re doing now the same thing you were doing last year? That daunting feeling that sits like a heavy sack at the bottom of your stomach can be the thing to make you quit. The most important thing you can do to help yourself succeed is to never stop working and practicing your craft.
Accept Criticism
Have you already been turned down several times and feel discouraged? Many musicians simply aren’t ready for rejection. However, rejection and failure are part of the process. Not accepting this will only lead to disillusionment. I challenge you to learn about anyone at the top of their field. You will find years of failure and evolution before they ever found true success.
Defining Success
What does success mean for you? Is it just getting on stage at an open mic and singing your song? Or does it mean a golden Ferrari outside of your beach house in Maui? Vision gives you direction. But it’s only a piece of the puzzle. If you aren’t taking the steps towards achieving whatever your version of success is, you will fall short.
Desire
At the end of the day, most people just don’t want it as bad as they say they do. I hesitate to even say want. It has to be a need. If you don’t need to make music that you believe in, then the likelihood of success is slim to thinner. It may seem trite, but it remains true: where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you need water, you will do everything in your power to get a drink. You can’t just want it. You have to need it. If it was just about talent then all those wonderful people in our lives who are fantastic musicians would be the ones leading the music industry. The truth is, it’s not about talent. It’s about drive, persistence, and the work. Photo taken at Niagara in NYC
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Chasing the Sun 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Born to Die - Lana Del Rey She’s Got You High - Mumm-ra Feels Like We Only Go Backwards - Tame Impala Feel it All Around - Washed Out Boyfriend -Best Coast All I Wanna Do - Splashh Go Outside – Cults Daylight – Matt and Kim Bad Kids - Black Lips Scar Tissue - RHCP Falling - HAIM Since I Left You - The Avalanches Paradise - Wild Nothing Flowers in Your Hair – The Lumineers
orenz Ponce Photo by: Harry Fellows CENTER STAGE 9
LORENZA
PONCE IS A WORLD-RENOWNED
VIOLINIST &VOCALIST who has been producing her own records and touring with some of the biggest names in the industry for over twenty years. Her classically trained technique and charismatic performances have made her one of the most sought after rock & new age violinists. Lorenza began her career touring with the new age Japanese recording artist, Kitaro. She then went on to tour with Bon Jovi, The Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds, and Hall and Oates. Lorenza is currently a member of Jon Bon Jovi’s solo group, whom she has played with for over fifteen years. Lorenza has also shared the stage with artists such as Sam Smith, Adele, Katy Perry, Pearl Jam, Sarah McLachlan, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Ray LaMontagne, Emmylou Harris, Cyndi Lauper, The Zombies, Paul Rodgers and more. She has garnered international acclaim as a soloist, producing six captivating records. As a violinist myself I know how hard it can be to break away from the classical world and branch out into more contemporary genres. You can easily be placed into a box where people expect you to play Bach and Mozart and that’s it. They don’t believe that the violin has any place on a stage with guitars and drums. I was able to sit down with Lorenza to hear how she broke away from the boundaries of the classical world and became one of the best known touring rock and new age violinists.
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You can listen and purchase Lorenza Ponce’s albums at WWW.LORENZAPONCE.COM
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WHEN DID YOU BEGIN TO VEER AWAY FROM THE CLASSICAL WORLD OF MUSIC? As far as learning how to play rock violin, it was basically just trial by fire. Right after college I moved back to New York and jumped right into playing in bands. The way I got into my first band was through my voice teacher. I was taking lessons and my teacher had a student who was looking for a violinist for her band. I went and auditioned and till this day, she is still one of my best friends. If I hadn’t met her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Her band’s manager was Kitaro’s manager. So, when Kitaro needed a violin player, they asked if I wanted to audition. I flew out to Colorado and got the gig. That all happened at about the same time when I was migrating from classical to this improvisational/ rock/ new age world. SO, YOU DIDN’T BEGIN YOUR CAREER AS A ROCK VIOLINIST? I started out as a new age violinist signed to Angel EMI Records. With them, I produced my first solo album, Imago. At about that same time, I was touring with Kitaro. Until that point, I went the classical route because that’s all there really was. The only other person I remember using violin in a non-classical way was a member of the band Kansas, but I was too young to understand how to do it. AFTER YOUR FIRST GIG WITH KITARO, DID YOU GET A MANAGER? After Kitaro, I started my solo career so I got a manager because of that. But I have to say; I’ve never had great luck with managers so I’ve always done most of it myself. For being a touring rock violin player you don’t really need a manager; you just need a good lawyer to look at your contracts! The most important thing is you have to be able to NETWORK! You have to get your name into a pool of potential hires, and that was what I was able to do. From Kitaro, I did my record, and then met Sheryl Crow and went on a four-year tour with her. I then worked with the Dixie Chicks and Jon Bon Jovi, who I’ve been working with for over 15 years. I also met Sarah McLachlan through Sheryl Crow. So, once you start getting in the circuit, you meet people.
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KEEP MUSIC ARE YOU PREFORMING WHEN YOU ARE NOT TOURING?
Jon Bon Jovi is one of my main clients and he does a lot of gigs so I am constantly touring with him. But, when I’m not on the road I am still super busy. I have a string quartet called Quartteto Tomassini and we play all over performing tango and other popular music. I also help my friend who is a music teacher in Scarsdale, NY with her 90 elementary aged orchestra students because she hurt her shoulder. I’m a studio musician and there are also a few bands I play in. You just have to be open. When you’re a musician you can’t be a snob. You can work with one musician who will pay you a lot of money and then work with someone else whose super talented and they only pay you $100. So what!? If you’re a musician, you’re a musician for all. It’s not about the money. If you get into it for the money you’re going to be sorely disappointed! WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH THE KIDS IN SCARSDALE? The kids are great! They’re so good at their instruments too. All kids should play music. It makes them smarter and it will help them in every aspect of their life. If you can keep music in your life for joy then that’s wonderful.
IN YOUR LIFE
DID YOU PICK UP MUSIC ON YOUR OWN OR WERE YOU INFLUENCED FROM YOUR PARENTS? I was definitely influenced from my parents. My mom was a pianist, and since I can remember, there was always classical music playing in my house. My father is Mexican, so I also heard a lot of ethnic music growing up as well.
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Photo by: Linda Marie Vena
Photo by: Brian Jospeh 14
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MUSICIAN FOR ALL
It varies. For me it could be anywhere from three months to four years. My first tour with Kitaro was a year and a half long. And it was full on; Japan for six weeks, then Southeast Asia, South America, the U.S., Europe etc. SO, YOU GOT TO SEE THE WORLD? Oh yeah, I’ve seen the world many times. The greatest thing about being a musician in the rock world is you get to see the world. And you’re getting paid to see it! WHEN YOU TOUR WITH DIFFERENT MUSICIANS, ARE YOU GIVEN MUSIC OR DO YOU WRITE YOUR OWN PARTS? USUALLY I write my own parts because I am also an arranger. If I have to take a quartet on tour, then I will write the parts for everybody. This is not always the case though. For example, Sam Smith had an arranger. ON A TOUR, WILL YOU PLAY ON EVERY SONG? OR JUST A FEW SPECIFIC SONGS DURING A SHOW? It depends on the artist. Sometimes I would play on most of the songs, sometimes on half the songs, sometimes only on five songs. You just have to be mellow and whatever it is, it is. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TIP TO BEING A SUCCESSFUL TOURING MUSICIAN. You just have to do a good job. You have to be prepared. For whatever it is you’re doing. Whether that’s for a tour, a gig, or a lesson, you have to be prepared. The only way you’re going to work in this business is if you show that you’re reliable and prepared. Get the music ahead of time and come up with a part. I think that is the reason that I continue to work now. I have had many failures. But you pick yourself back up and get back out there.
“IF YOU´RE A MUSICIAN, YOU´RE A
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FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LOOKING TO BECOME A TOURING MUSICIAN, HOW LONG CAN A TOUR LAST?
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THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS IN A DIFFICULT PLACE RIGHT NOW. DO YOU FEEL IT IS MORE CHALLENGING TO BECOME A PERFORMING MUSICIAN TODAY? The reason to do music is because you love it. The business now is not great. When I started it was great. There was tons of money, tons of recordings… it was amazing. I am lucky because I broke in when I did. Then the mp3 hit, and it’s been downhill ever since. It’s not impossible, but this is a tough business. Another thing that’s hard is people’s criticism. Everyone has an opinion and it’s way worse today because everyone has access to the Internet. So, if your going to be in this business you have to have a thick skin…or just not read what people write. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN LOOKING TO GET INTO THE WORLD OF ROCK MUSIC? You have to get in bands. You have to hone your craft somehow before ever even trying to get on tour. If you have friends in a rock band, ask if you can sit in. I actually started taking jazz lessons after college in order to learn improvisation and chords. However, if you want to be a rock violinist, you have to study fiddle. It’s more basic than jazz in the chord structure and it’s about fitting into a groove. Another thing you need to study to be a rock violinist is rhythm guitar. You don’t actually have to play it, but you need to listen to what it does. You might not solo that much on stage but you have to find a way to fit into a band with your instrument. That’s where rhythm guitar will help. Also, Get a tuning pedal. One of the hardest parts about playing in a rock band is playing in tune because you can’t hear yourself. ARE YOU STILL RECORDING YOUR OWN MUSIC? Of course. Once it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood. I have four new age records, Imago, Mystic Fiddler, The Instrumentals and The Song of Songs. I also have one rock record, Soul Shifter, and I have one Christmas EP, which I did a couple years ago. I just write what I like.
Photo by: Mikiodo 16
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OU HAVE TO HAVE THICK SKIN.
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CROWD THE AIRWAVES Written by Angela O’Reilly
Photo by: Alice Mari
Photo by: Erika Bathory
Although I had passed the small Brooklyn storefront many times, I had never been to The Rock Shop before I went to see Crowd the Airwaves at Gotham Rocks Weekend of Wreckage; a two-night showcase of local heavy rock and metal acts from the NYC area. The space was a perfect fit for the bands that were about to play. It’s been a few years since I had been in a venue this raw. Whether that was from the crowd that Weekend of Wreckage drew in, or from the venue’s spirit itself is hard to tell. Either way, it was nostalgic to see the dark walls, red lights, ripped jean shorts and everyone’s hair dripping with sweat. It happened to be 101 degrees and very humid that evening. However, rock fans will pack together in the smallest venues and on the hottest of nights, essentially bathing in the sweat of whoever is next to them, all to support the music and have a great time.
Photo by: Erika Bathory
Photo by: Alice Mari
Photo by: Erika Bathory
Crowd the Airwaves, an all-female, three-piece garage punk rock group hailing from NYC, was the first band to kick off the evening. The groups bassist and vocalist, Heather Lee Marvin engaged the crowd with her sarcastic and humorous banter before they played their first chord. Throughout their set you could feel their undeniable edge and bad ass stage presence. Songs like “Blood” have the catchy melodies and driving rhythm guitar you would expect from a typical punk rock song, while some other songs like “Burn” have a straight up hard-rock DNA. After their set I met up with Heather Lee Marvin, along with guitarist/vocalist Christina Elliott to talk. The band formed on August 6th, 2013 in a stuffy practice room at Queens College with Heather, Christina and drummer/guitarist/vocalist Lindsay Dragan (who was out on maternity leave.) Although the band has gone through many member changes, their sound has never swayed.
Listen to Crowd the Airwaves at www.CrowdtheAirwaves.bandcamp.com www.reverbnation.com/crowdtheairwaves www.soundcloud.com/crowdtheairwaves 18
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SIT DOWN SESSION WITH... HEATHER LEE MARVIN is a classically trained mezzo-soprano who has been described as a magnetic,
What are your musical backgrounds?
bombastic front woman for her band, Crowd the Airwaves. With a background of musical theater to opera to rock n’ roll, Heather’s vocals expand across every genre imaginable. Along with advancing her passion for singing, Heather has recently picked up the electric bass and has found a new love for a fresh instrument. With an additional background in music theory and composition, she has written half of the musical catalogue for Crowd the Airwaves and plans to continue writing new songs for the band as they release their new EP: “ALL THE THINGS WE DON’T SAY”
Heather: I have a music theory degree and sang opera for 10 years. I learned how to play bass by myself when we lost our bassist. Classical music is very much in a box and I kinda like to break out of it every once in a while, which is one of the reasons why we started Crowd the Airwaves. Christina: Although I am primarily a visual artist, I started playing the viola in the second grade. I’m self taught on guitar and vocals and started that about 4 years ago. I plan on incorporating the viola into our songs in the future.
Describe your songwriting process: Heather: I tend to start with lyrics and melody because of my opera background. Lindsay comes to us with a full product because she is a multi-instrumentalist. Christina: The lyrics are usually secondary and my songs tend to come from a riff that gets stuck in my head. Because of my classical background with the viola, I’m really into composing.
Heather: We have our new EP coming out soon called “All the Things We Don’t Say” It’s definitely going to be a darker direction that we’ve taken our music in but we’re excited about that.
Photo by: Erika Bathory
What’s coming up for Crowd the Airwaves?
Photo by: Alice Mari
IN THIS SIT DOWN SESSION: Viewers will learn how to crossover from singing in the style of opera to singing rock and pop. We will hear from Heather as she gives tips and tricks on how to successfully break away from the classical world into other genres. CENTER STAGE
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MEET VERONICA
Managing Director of Center Stage Mag
WHAT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU WON’T
Emitting the most organic entrepreneurial passion, Veronica directs all branches of Center Stage Music Center. From music education to music culture and lifestyle, she has been able to influence over 350 students and thousands of readers from all over the world. Veronica is the glue that holds everything together, the reason why things get done, and the driving force of the company. She is just a girl from Queens, NY with a lot of fire, passion and drive to make things happen. The child of hardworking Ecuadorian immigrant parents, Veronica believes that being grateful for every single bit of what she owns is the secret to life. “I find so much happiness in creating.... Making something out of nothing. Taking that something and making it great.”
CHANGE YOU.
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KIERAN
O’CONNOR
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chae l
- @Taylor_Rusch Musician & Composer
To speak for every musician’s personal experience on this would be unfair. That said, I could break down my own observations on this topic into two categories; “trained” or “schooled” musicians and “untrained” or “self-taught” musicians. I am the product of a few music schools, and generally speaking, one does study and perform mainly other people’s music as a student. Even as a music composition student, you will study score after score of different composers’ works before attempting your own. The same can be said for jazz students when learning to improvise; you study other musicians’ solos first, then attempt your own. Music school drills you with rules so that you may hopefully break them creatively later on. This being said, what should happen behind the scenes is constant creating and writing, using the information you learn in school. Unfortunately, what happens more often (especially in classical music) is that students don’t branch out and instead wind up staying in a bubble of learning other people’s’ works for their entire music education. While I did study piano technique in school, there were many instruments, such as guitar, that I taught myself. While my guitar skills can’t hold a flame to my piano abilities, what I’ve noticed for myself is that it’s easier to write a simple tune on guitar rather than piano. I chalk this up to being limited on guitar. Therefore, my creative musical options are also limited, which actually results in me sometimes coming up with a melody faster! (Not always true though.) If you look interviews of musicians that were self taught such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Paige, Keith Richards, Buddy Rich, Ray Charles etc. you will find that they always gravitated to sources of music to enrich their education. This sometimes meant listening to rock ‘n roll records over and over, or sneaking out to the local brothel as a kid to hear the latest jazz tunes. The late David Bowie reinvented himself multiple times by absorbing the music around him and incorporating it into his own musical language. Even the 22
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“I would love to know more about how much time successful musicians spend learning other artist’s music versus creating their own. I focus on creating my own music but sometimes feel the pull to take time learning to play the music of other artists”
Rath
Dear Kelby,
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BACKSTAGE WITH KELBY KHAN
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most famous musicians to date can be seen in concert covering other peoples’ songs. Schooled or unschooled, what results is that you end up learning something. The more you learn and expose yourself, the more complex and intricate your music can get. Robert Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin, started with heavy blues and folk music influences. Nowadays his style has evolved to incorporate more world elements from countries such as Morocco and India. His music still rocks but it has an undeniably different and perhaps even more intricate sound than Led Zeppelin. If you feel a natural urge to study other peoples’ music I’d say go for it! Don’t think your time is wasted - it takes a while for your creative ideas to mesh with what you’re studying. After you see a couple of these influences come through in your own music, I think then it will be easier to balance how much you should observe versus how much you should create!
MATT
MCGUIRE CENTER STAGE
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