Singer

SPOTLIGHT ON CLASSICAL PIANIST, SINGER and COMPOSER, SASHA PAPERNIK

Who is Sasha Papernik?

Sasha Papernik is a first generation Russian-American classical pianist, singer, and composer who draws on her dual heritage and wide range of talents to present concerts spanning the genre and continental divide. Lauded for her “lightly transparent performances of Chopin and Scriabin,” The Washington Post (July 2013) calls her “uncommonly attractive and entertaining…managing a comfortable balance of the formal and the casual.” Prokofiev, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, folk songs, and original compositions appear in her repertoire. Her 2013 self-released bilingual album, Victory, has been hailed by reviewers as “an eye opener,” (Wildy’s World) and “unparalleled in its aesthetics and musical elegance,” (Indiemunity). Sasha is currently a featured artist in this year’s 2013-2014 Lincoln Center Meet The Artist school series and Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers program. Her bilingual program, “I Speak Music,” has also toured New York City schools for The Center For Arts Education. Sasha was a recipient of a 2012 and 2013 Wildacres Artist Residency in North Carolina. Recent engagements include performances at The Smithsonian American Museum of Art in Washington, D.C., The David Rubinstein Atrium, Walter Reade Theater, Bruno Walter Theater, Clark Studio Theater in New York City, and The Joint, Las Vegas. Sasha is a Teaching Artist for Lincoln Center Education and The Center For Arts Education and she is on the piano faculty of the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Manhattan School of Music.

Do you have upcoming events you’d like people to attend?

Yes! I am presenting my program, I Speak Music, at Joe’s Pub on Sunday, June 1^st at 9pm. I have invited the other singers from my recent Carnegie Hall program to share the stage with me! It’s going to be a fantastic night of music and culture.

What is/are your favorite songs/albums?

A few of my favorite songs: Killing the Blues (John Prine), Jolene (Dolly Parton), Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young) What’ll I Do (Irving Berlin), Always (Irving Berlin), All of Me (Gerald Marx and Seymour Simons), Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Carole King and Gerry Goffin), Yesterday (Paul McCartney)

Favorite Albums: Ella and Louis, Raising Sand

Who are the songwriters you admire?

I come from a classical background and generally feel like I came to know rock, popular, and folk music as an adult. I love all genres of music. My top favorite songwriter is Irving Berlin because I admire his songwriting craft and identify with his being Russian-American. I also love that his popular tunes have become standards and were played at a time that all genres of music were kind of blending – classical, jazz, pop….they all were influenced by each other then. Other songwriters I love are John Prine, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Don Gibson, Leonard Cohen, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, Carole King. I’m sure I’m missing many!

Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

My parents are my greatest inspiration. I admire their tenacity and endurance for immigrating to a new country and building a new life here when they were already in their 30s. I can’t imagine packing two suitcases, saying goodbye to family and friends possibly forever, and starting again in a new world. They have taught me to be resilient and strong, to learn as much as I can, to value myself, and to follow my dreams.

What would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

1) Write a musical about the East River and Lower East Side immigrants of the early 20^th century!
2)Begin research and writing on a book about the female partners of great composers and their influence on their famous husband’s works.
3) Collaborate on an original program with a choreographer.
4) Collaborate on an original exhibit with a visual artist.
5) Place an original song in a movie or television show.

If you could dream of trying something in the arts you haven’t tried, but would like to, what would that be?

I love multi media collaboration. I have never collaborated with a visual artist on a large scale project – and visual art is the other art form I feel most drawn to. I would love to try to create an installation of original art and music that commented on the Multicultural-American experience.

What was the best gift that someone gave you that inspired or facilitated an interest in your art?

A close family friend bought me a grand piano when I was young. I was so enchanted and in love with this piano (and still am!)– it inspired me to spend long hours practicing and learning lots of new music. I also felt like just by giving it to me, the friend and also my family believed that I had something special that I should continue to pursue. And so I did!

"SPOTLIGHT ON" SINGER/SONGWRITER VINCENT CROSS

Who is Vincent Cross?

I’m an Irish-born, Australian-raised roots-oriented songwriter and composer, now based in New York City.

Do you have upcoming events you’d like people to attend?

Yes! I’ll be showcasing at this year’s Folk Alliance in Kansas, Missouri, touring California in the spring, and Australia in the summer. For folks interested in more details, you can find the dates and venues on my website: www.vincentcross.com

LISTEN TO VINCE SING: Home Away From Home

What is/are your favorite songs/albums?

So to the albums, let’s line up the Dylan’s first. There’s the first album, Bob Dylan that has only two originals. Then Freewheelin,’ that was nearly all self-penned tunes, with the classic ‘Blowing in the Wind.’ My all time favorite, though, has to be the Times They Are a-Changin’. It was a game changer in terms of what can be done with great lyrics and simple acoustic accompaniment. You couldn’t help but be drawn into these hypnotic ancient tales of murder, pain, and loss. Who were these people? What history was this? To be honest, Dylan’s early albums formed my interest in roots music. It was the chance encounter with a 5-string banjo player while busking on the streets of Zurich in my late teens that continued my interest in acoustic roots music, as I was introduced to bluegrass. That was my second musical awakening.

Bluegrass seemed both familiar and challenging. I was writing songs but I was also seeking something musically that would help me grow as a musician. You could only go so far with Dylan and his solo guitar, and the electric stuff, well, which was electric anyway. So when I bumped into a bluegrass banjo player in Switzerland, and started busking, I received a first rate education on Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe and still my favorite, the Kentucky Colonels their Living in the Past, and Muleskinner still blowf my mind. I moved to London and became manic about playing guitar like Clarence White, and practiced all day long while playing bars and cafes and on the subway for living expenses. I kept that going for a couple of years listening to as much bluegrass as possible, and almost lost sight of the fact that I really was songwriter and that lead to my interest in other songwriters.

The emergence of songwriting as a force sort of began with an interest in Leonard Cohen’s Other Songs, andTom Waits, Rain Dogs. Those guys were fascinating, but their frame of reference was harder for me to focus on. They seemed to be more about the persona than the song, and so I wasn’t sure about their music. I didn’t really get to more contemporary artists and their albums until well after they had established themselves such as Ron Sexsmith’s, Ron Sexsmith and Wilco’s Being There.

Who are the songwriters you admire?

Woody Guthrie was fascinating but way beyond my comprehension when I first heard him. If you thought Dylan was rough and raw, then Guthrie was another world entirely. His songs were so real, and so I was happy to keep listening to Dylan. No songwriter completely obsessed my adolescent mind as much as Dylan, he just seemed to have put together the best of Americas roots music, and coupled that with the best songwriting ideas under one roof. He had the delta blues of Robert Johnson, the Appalachian high lonesome sound of Roscoe Holcomb, and the confessional voice of Hank Williams. After Dylan (AD) we had a whole slew of guys and gals that had something to offer: Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchel, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Ralph McTell, Christy Moore, Paul Brady, Shane MacGowan, Dick Gaughan, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Steve Earl, Ron Sexsmith, David Gray, Jeff Tweedy, Gillian Welch and Richard Buckner. I admire all these guys, and I bet I’ve left out a whole bunch of folks too.

Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

People should be inspiring but they don’t hold a candle to Nature. Nature would just blow that old candle out each time. It never ceases to amaze me and draw my attention to detail.

What are a few things you’d like to accomplish in the next five years?

1. In terms of recording I want to record a complete solo album straight to tape with just me on guitar. No over-dubbing and all live.

2. Touring globally in venues that are responsive to songwriters.

3. Maybe relocation, but it’s hard to leave New York. It’s still got everything going on.

If you could dream of trying something in the arts you haven’t tried, but would like to, what would that be?

Writing the memoir. This seems to be something hanging over most artists, so I’m waiting for justification, or at least the need to go on this adventure into the past.

Vincent Cross Facebook Page

Vincent Cross Website

"SPOTLIGHT ON" SINGER/SONGWRITER MATT KEATING

Who is Matt Keating?

I am a songwriter, singer, musician, performer, producer, and teacher. I’ve put out ten albums of my own over the past twenty years on various labels. I’ve toured the world playing music. I’ve produced dozens of albums by other songwriters. I’ve composed music for film and I’ve had my songs covered by other artists. As a coach and teacher I also enjoy helping other songwriters realize their artistic vision.

Do you have upcoming events you’d like people to attend?

I’m still in the process of finishing up my latest album and will be touring soon. I’ll keep you posted!

What is/are your favorite songs/albums?

God, I love and have listened to too much music to easily narrow it down. But if pressed, I’ll admit it usually comes down to all Beatles and Beatles related music; the music that inspired them, and the music inspired by them, which is pretty vast.

Who are the songwriters you admire?

Lennon/McCartney, Bob Dylan, Richard Rogers, Harry Nilsson, Willie Nelson, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Morrissey….man…I could go on forever!

Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

John Lennon. He not only wrote some of the most mind blowingly original pop songs in history, after having put together the greatest band of all time, but he used his platform of celebrity towards a greater vision of freedom of thought and the importance of world peace as a goal.

What are the top five things you’d like to accomplish in the next five years?

1) Record an album with my friend Claudia Chopek’s awesome string quartet, The New Retro Strings.

2) Explore musical styles from other cultures.

3) Have a consistently touring band.

4) Write the music for a musical.

5) Compose a soundtrack for a feature length film.

If you could dream of trying something in the arts you haven’t tried, but would like to, what would that be?

Whenever I come back from a gig and my wife asks me how it went, I usually reply, “Not so good, they didn’t laugh at any of my jokes”, or “Great, they laughed at my jokes,” to which she usually replies, “But you’re a musician, not a comedian.” I also had a pretty good audition for the musical, ONCE where I had to do a little acting…it felt fun and natural, so I’d like to pursue that as well if I ever get the gumption!

What was the best gift that someone gave you that inspired or facilitated an interest in your art?

It was advice that I received from an older woman I worked with many years ago in an office. After seeing her type so fast, I asked her how fast she could type and she said 120 words a minute. She then looked me straight in the eye and said, “Be very careful what you do because you’ll get good at it.” I’ve never forgotten that.

Matt Keating on Facebook

Matt Keating at Amazon

Matt Keating Website

"SPOTLIGHT ON" SINGER/SONGWRITER HONOR FINNEGAN

Who is Honor Finnegan?

A kid from the south side of Chicago, a spunky little chick, Milo’s mom.

What are you working on at the moment?

My life! What are you working on? Let me get back to it!

I’m getting ready for the the New Folk Songwriting Contest in Kerrville, Texas. I’m a finalist! Kerrville is so much more than a music festival. It’s Lourdes for folkie songwriters. The song is sacred there.

Do you have upcoming events you’d like people to attend?

But of course! Check out my website below for details.

Playing a set, and teaching a workshop on songwriting at the NYC Ukulele Festival on May 31st.

Performing in Joni Mitchell’s Blue: A 40th Anniversary Celebration at First Acoustics on June 1st in Brooklyn Heights.

Who are the singer/songwriters, past and present, you admire?

I admire a range of performers including singers, singer/songwriters, actors, and comedians. I tend to get into women more. Judy Garland, Carol Burnette, Ella, Billie, Piaf, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Judy Collins, Suzanne Vega, Joni Mitchell, Gilda Radner, Barbara Stanwick, Kate Hepburn, Sarah Siskind, Anais Mitchell, Susan McKeown, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Amy Sedaris, and Patti Smith. Doris Lessing is a great writer.

What are your three (more if you like) all-time favorite songs or pieces of music?

What a pleasurably agonizing task. “Where is Love?” from Oliver, for sentimental reasons, but all of West Side Story is dear to me. “God Bless the Child” for my Chicago soul. “Kisses Sweeter than Wine”, “If I Had a Hammer” from the American folk tradition. “Sweet Music Roll On” by Christy Moore reminds me of my father. Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” or Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” are both rich in joyful, vivid music-storytelling. So much more, especially stuff that makes you dance. “ABC” by The Jackson Five!

Who/what is your greatest inspiration and why?

I have a guru, spiritual guide, master, sensie, whatever you want to call it. It’s tough to describe why he is so inspirational because his greatness is something unseen like the depths of an iceberg, Love itself.

Name five things you’d like to do or accomplish in the next five years.

1)Establish a solid fan-base in folk music.

2)Have more people (possibly famous people!) cover my songs.

3)Make three or more CDs.

4)Feel inspired and write more songs that I’m proud of.

5)Fall in love with a man who is my equal, and who will be a true companion.

If you could dream of trying something in the arts you haven’t tried, but would like to, what would that be?

Something visual and tactile. I used to paint as a hobby. I would like to do that again someday. I enjoy getting absorbed in it.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I’m a big fan of being lazy so I try to fit that in as much as possible, but I tend to be driven even in my idle time. I like to stalk people on the internet. I find them fascinating. I like to make stuff up in my head, daydream, fantasize, think.

Please check out my website where you can sign up for my mailing list and please like my Facebook page!

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