FREQUENTLY AVOIDED QUESTIONS
Q. Do you have a CD or online audio of your music? How can I get a copy?
A. YES. In April 2004, I recorded a five-song demo at Tullen Sound Recording in Morristown, NJ. CDs can be picked up at any of m shows. Streaming audio is up on the sounds page.
Q. Are your songs from works of musical theatre?
A. No. My songs are just songs that hypothetically (or eventually) would exist together on an album. So many different people, for as long as I've been performing my songs, have commented that my music is well-suited for the stage. It is something I have never attempted, perhaps it's worth considering.
Q. What inspired you to write “The Giraffe Can Dance?”
A. Considered by many to be my signature song, "Giraffe..." was written as an assignment in my sophomore year of college, when we were studying modal scales. The instructions were to write a short original piece in a tonality other than a major or minor key. So, I chose the Locrian mode and wrote an instrumental melody over a driving rock rhythm and bassline. (A favorite song of mine at the moment was Live’s “Pain Lies on the Riverside.” It’s awesome noodleing bassline was a direct influence.) Since the Locrian mode (the rarest) bears such tonal tension and melodic unrest, I titled the piece “The Trouble Is Not With Your Set.” About a year later I recycled the assignment and rearranged it when I joined the school’s Electronic Ensemble. This is when it got a little more "funkified" and loose…and danceable…and somehow sparked an image of a giraffe…so this is when it took on its current title. After college, I found myself without the wide assortment of musicians at each others’ disposal. I became the solo singer-songwriter I am today. “Giraffe…” just could not be done justice as a solo piano instrumental. But not wanting to put the tune away "on the shelf," I added lyrics by simply building a story based on the title, making it the song it is today. It is such a nonsensical novelty when you hear it, but unbeknownst to many, the underlying musical theory is about as advanced as a pop tune can ever get.
Q. For goodness sake! Why on earth didn't you record "The Giraffe Can Dance" on the demo?
A. I know how much you love it, and at my solo live shows it's a hit. The demo is for promotion, designed for ears that have never heard my music. I chose songs that would make the best first impressions. I think a solo recording of "Giraffe..." could not capture its live energy. I have always maintained that a recording of "Giraffe..." would work best with a full-band arrangement. So, I'll wait for right time to put it on wax. Once I have the time and resources to invest in a fully-produced, full-length album, it will happen. Until then, come enjoy the show.
Q. Wait! Did you say "full-length album?"
A. Shut up.
Q. I don't understand your email announcements. I mean, I get all the info, like the time and place and such, but then there's some random comment that comes out of nowhere. I'm confused.
A. GOOD! You'll be laughing soon enough. In every general announcement I include an inside joke with should cause one of you to collapse in hysterics at your computer and the rest of you to scratch your heads in utter confusion.
©2006 Slider Barks Music.
Designed by Terence Chumer. Based on a concept by Jenifer Bischak.