Published: May 12, 2010 7:36 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA
(Juniorscave.com)

New Music Spotlight
May 2010 Edition

Andreas

Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Our Webzine recently spent some time speaking to Greek composer Andreas who enlightened us on his music and his passion for making that wonderful instrumental music that he does. Here is what developed from this online conversation. Enjoy!

Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Signs of Love". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?

ANDREAS: "Signs of Love" is my favorite song from my new album "Summer Dreams" and it is for this reason that I created a professional video clip that is available for viewing at www.andreasonline.com. As you can easily see from the song titles, the whole album is inspired by the summer which is my favorite time of the year. Since I am also working as a Physics, Chemistry and Music Theory professor, I have the privilege to enjoy a 3-month summer vacation! I also am lucky enough to have a house by the sea and live in a country like Greece where summers are hot and sunny, the beaches are golden and the seas are colored with an endless blue.

During my annual summer vacations, I move my studio to my summer home and stay there for more than 2 months. I absorb the sea and the sun, I watch the stars with my telescope and I work on my music-actually my best work is usually done during these summer vacations. "Signs of Love" was composed literally when going to the beach one sunny afternoon of July. At the same time, it is aromantic melody and I am a hopeless romantic. So, there you have the inspiration behind the title.

Isaac: Who were your influences?

ANDREAS: Although I listen to lots of pop and soundtrack music, my main influences are the three composers who are the pillars of instrumental music worldwide: Yanni, Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre. Interestingly, two of them are Greek! I do not really copy them, but I like the different styles of songs they have composed and therefore I also composed songs in these wildly different styles with my own personal signature.

For example: "Signs of Love" and "Samos" are very Yanni-like, while "Sea of Flags" is Vangelisinspired and "Summer Dreams" sounds like Jean Michel Jarre.

Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?

ANDREAS: The highlights have to do with some international songwriting competitions of the last 5 years: I won the "Instrumental" category of the ISSA 2008 Competition with "Heart Full of Love", I was selected as finalist at the Unisong Songwriting Competition with "Signs of Love" and "Sifnos", as finalist of the Independent Music Awards with "Sifnos" and as finalist of the Great American SongContest with "Prayer Under The Stars" and "The Beauty of Nature" (this one just a month ago!).

The low points were being rejected by some major record companies in the past with older material. But I do intend to approach this summer all the major and smaller record companies specializing ininstrumental music with my latest albums "Summer Dreams" and "Melodic Winds (Revisited)" and my new video clip.

Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.

ANDREAS: I have a degree in Music Harmony and I have also studied Keyboards with the Yamaha method and piano. But since 1989, I have learned to arrange, perform, mix and produce my albums, and operate a music computer full with lots of the latest music programs-actually my studio is entirely computer based. I am constantly updating my hardware and software tools, learn to use them and read professional music magazines like Keyboard.

As for the style, it is contemporary instrumental music with a variety of styles like pop, dance-electronic, contemporary classical, Latin and new age. Although there is a lot of variety, I have the principle to represent ALL these styles in each album and to always have a strong melodic theme following thewell-known pop structure of verse-chorus and bridge. If there is no melody, then there is no song, because the melody is the soul and the identity of the song.

Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?

ANDREAS: For my genre, it is impossible to get a gig. Instrumental music has its considerable audience but there is no interest from music scenes to stage and finance such a concert. I need a lot of money to prepare a proper concert with other musicians, projections and lights. I want to do it, but I want to do it right. If you remember, the story of my main influences Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Yanni you will see that they had the same problems...

Isaac: What do you think of the state of music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?

ANDREAS:The state of the music is actually horrible because we are buried under the continuous bombardment of music coming from young rock groups and blonde starlets where everything about them is image. I have to tell you, I don't look as good as these people, but my music is definitely better! If you don't believe me, listen for yourself at www.andreasonline.com

ANDREAS: Despite all that, every genre of music is able to have an audience thanks to the Internet. I also have many fans in USA which would have been impossible without the Internet. At the same time, the Internet CANNOT make me a star because thousands of independent artists are trying to attractattention and it is very hard to be discovered in that mess. Major record companies, mainstream television and magazines still rule and are able to expose you to large numbers of people under a favorable light.

Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?

ANDREAS: In my style of music I can give solo concerts with guest musicians, so forming a band is not a necessity. BUT I would love to play once with my influences as their guest in one song and I would love to give big concerts with a major symphony orchestra, a hugely talented drummer like CharlieAdams (plays with Yanni), an electric guitar player like Patrick Rondat (plays with Jarre) and a second keyboard player like Francis Rimbert (plays with Jarre).

Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

ANDREAS: I have the CDs "When The Sea Remembers" and "Summer Dreams" which were released in 2004 and 2008 respectively.

In May of this month, I will also have the new release of my 1998 debut album "Melodic Winds", which is a remake with improved arrangements, totally new sounds with fantastic quality and premium sound quality: it is like I wanted it to sound like back in 1998 when our current computer tools just weren'tavailable.

There is an older album as well called "Life Images" as well, but I will remake it this year just like I am remaking "Melodic Winds", so it is better to wait for next year for this one!

The CDs can be purchased from www.andreasonline.com/shop.html and www.cdbaby.com/all/andreas. In mp3 form you can get the songs you like or the whole albums from www.cdbaby.com/all/andreas (30% off all other digital download stores) as well as iTunes and Napster.

Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?

ANDREAS: The most important site is Andreas Online www.andreasonline.com and you can also find me at My Space www.myspace.com/andreasonline andFacebook www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=901410295

Isaac: Message to your fans?

ANDREAS: Expect more great melodies and albums, enjoy the forthcoming release "Melodic Winds (Revisited) and...You have seen nothing yet!

Andreas-A Greek composer of instrumental musicAndreas Online: www.andreasonline.comAndreas at CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/all/andreasSummer Dreams at iTunes: www.itunes.com/andreas/summerdreams