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Interview with Shirley
Cason
by
Edward Weiss
Shirley Cason's talent was
discovered by accident when her brother injured his hand. Her
parents bought him an theater organ to help rebuild the dexterity in
his hand. It was during that time that Shirley took an interest in
music from listening to her brother play. Years later... her Mom
decided to purchase Shirley her first synthesizer. Four more
keyboards followed, enabling her to expand her sounds. More info
below.
Edward: How Did
You Get Started Playing New Age Piano?
Shirley: I began
playing the organ at age 4. My talent was discovered by accident
when my brother injured his hand. My parents bought him a theater
organ to help rebuild the dexterity in his hand so he learn how to
re-used it. Through my teenage
years, I took piano, accordion, and drum lessons. During that time
my Mom decided to purchase me my first synthesizer. Four more
keyboards then followed, enabling me to expand my sounds and record
more orchestra arrangements.
In high school I was in the singing choir group which
performed mostly classical pieces for the school concerts. Mr.
Eckstein was our choir conductor. His musical theory classes
influenced my piano music greatly. He had the high school board
allow him to conduct college level music theory classes for students
that really wanted to learn how to write and score and arrange
music. The goal of these theory I and II music classes were to be
able to hear the music in your head... then write and score it on
paper while sitting in your chair in the class room! My piano
studies then moved onto more standard classical compositions during
this as well.
After completing college, I told myself that I would
buy any keyboard I wanted, so I bought the Kurzweil 2500. Then for 6
months I just recorded what came to my heart and from there I looked
at the music business to try figured out where my music would best
fit in. I came to the conclusion that New Age Piano would be the
best arena for the compositions for my first CD, "Forever In Bloom."
Becoming a New Age Pianist was the natural
thing for me to
be!
Edward: What Inspires and
Informs Your Music?
Shirley: During my teenage
years, life dealt me my first tragic blow; my Mom became ill and
passed away. After high school, I then joined a band called QUEST
and we toured the U.S. and the Virgin Islands. Yet, shortly after
coming home from this tour, life was once again would be unkind to
me, I lost my major source of inspiration, my father. Years later I
lost my sister, then a few years after that, my best friend of 25
years! I bring this up because people write to me and tell me that
my music has an deep melodic but peaceful sound to it. I pull these
sounds & feelings directly from my heart when I record my music.
The lost of these people are deeply rooted in my soul, thus then
appear in my music compositions.
The most important thing is
to accept who you are. Know what life has been to you! Once you
figure that out for yourself, then write about it and record it !
Just remember there are millions of people who feel exactly the same
way you do! Only write what you know about. Your
audience will find you through your
music!
Edward: What Is
Your Method for Composing a Piano Piece?
Shirley: Naturally you have
got to know your piano music theory! This way when you compose a
song, you have the theory tools to create a solid piano piece that
makes musical sense. With that in mind .. the music is theoretically
correct but people must be able to hear your heart in the
melody. All great composers had one thing in common.. People felt
their heart strings and emotions through their
music
Edward: Do You Get
Blocked Creatively, and If So, How Do You Get Past
It?
Shirley: Ah. This is a great
question! My writers block is subjective in that my mind these pass
few years has want me to move on and record a happy album. However,
with all the great loses of people in my life these pass few years,
my soul / heart was so broken that it kept me in the recording
studios creating another album like "Summer Dream" that I wrote for
my sister. During this time I have recorded an album titled "The
Crossing" which I will not release until I have a couple of soothing
CDs in between! I have gone 4 years since the "Winter Mornings" CD,
without releasing a CD due to this.
I wouldn't call it
writers block per say but definitely writers frustration at its
best! :) Finally I was able to work through these personal
creative struggles and have finally been able to record a album that
has made me even happy to release. It is titled, "Sharing Auras",
which the CD will be release at
Amazon.
Edward: What
Advice Would You Give To Aspiring New Age
Pianists?
Shirley:
Record from the heart!
I truly believe if a song that you write makes you feel love or
makes you cry every time you play it millions of people feel it will
too when they hear your music! What I do in the
studio is this.. I pull in my heart what the songs means to me.
Then I visualized and feel that emotion
and make it flow from my heart to my hands then down to the piano
keys from there just let that baby grand do the
talking!
Shirley
Cason's talent was discovered by accident when
her brother injured his hand. Her parents bought him an theater
organ to help rebuild the dexterity in his hand. It was during that
time that Shirley took an interest in music from listening to her
brother play. Years later... her Mom decided to purchase Shirley her
first synthesizer. Four more keyboards followed, enabling her to
expand her sounds. Learn more about Shirley at http://shirleycason.com
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