All Entries Tagged With: "The Music of NoCo"
UMSL composer teams with the London Philharmonic
You can add this to the list of things people don’t know about North County….. One of the preeminent American composers of classical music works right here in NoCo. UMSL professor Barbara Harbach, who tours the world as a concert organist and harpsichordist, is also a prolific composer with a large catalog of works.
She has written music for symphonies, operas, chamber ensembles, musicals, film scores, and modern ballets. And now, her latest project – a CD recorded by the esteemed London Philharmonic Orchestra – is set to be released just in time for the holidays.
“Music for Strings” is her seventh CD for the independent label MSR, and if it’s anything like her lovely “Chamber Music 3,” it would make a great gift! To learn more about Harbach, visit her website. Or jump over to MSR, where you can listen to samples and purchase CDs.
Wanna help the Strings Attached kids record a CD?
The talented young musicians of Strings Attached played at Ferguson Streetfest last fall, and now they're hoping to record an album.
As you may have noticed, I mention St. Stephen’s Church quite a bit here on NOCO. It’s not because I’m a church-goer or even because St. Stephen’s pays me to help them with their website and marketing. It’s because this little Episcopal parish in the heart of Ferguson is currently at the epicenter of some of the coolest things happening in North County.
EarthDance hosts movies and lectures here. You can learn to swing dance or do yoga here. This is also where the Ferguson Farmers Market took up residence for the winter, and where you’ll find a wonderful community music project called Strings Attached.
Founded in October 2009 by two amazing guys, Rev. Steve Lawler and musician Steve Housewright, Strings Attached provides guitar lessons and music education for local youth (ages 5-17) who might not otherwise be able to afford instruction. Using instruments donated by the church and others, the kids pay just $5 per lesson. And though most of them started with zero musical experience, so far the Strings Attached “Guitarkestra” has already collaborated with an adult jug band, appeared on TV, and performed several concerts.
Now the kids are setting a new goal: to record their very own CD. And guess what? You can help!
For the next 42 days, Strings Attached is seeking donations to help fund its CD, which will feature classic American roots music like “Arkansas Traveler” and “Salty Dog Blues.” Out of $500 needed, $395 has already been pledged, and if you donate at least $10, you’ll get two tickets to the next Strings Attached recital. Donate $20 and you’ll also get a copy of the CD.
For more information about Strings Attached, you can check out their blog or Facebook page, or take a look at this neat video. Or, if you’d just like to go ahead and donate some cash to this very worthy project, head on over to Kickstarter. Just remember, the fund drive ends April 14. Thank you!
Florissant recording artist signed by EMI
Willie "P-Dub" Moore (center) was recently signed by EMI Gospel.
Life is good for Willie “P-Dub” Moore. After years of steadily building his music career, the Florissant resident and his Kingdom Music label recently signed an exclusive licensing agreement with EMI Gospel, which will market and distribute his music around the world!
Growing up in Berkeley, Moore was once a “gangsta” rapper known as Pretty Willie, cutting his first album at the age of 12 and eventually gaining national attention. But these days, the singer’s church choir roots have led him in another direction, and he now specializes in his own unique brand of hip hop/urban gospel.
Through his social media movement, Young Fly & Saved, Moore aims to “spread the word of God in a new, dynamic way” and reach out to youth “through music and testimonies.” And if his past accomplishments are any indication, he’s very likely to succeed.
In 1997, Moore was the Missouri State Champion in the 100-meter dash, which led to a full track scholarship at University of Mississippi. After graduating with a degree in psychology, he went on to sign a recording contract with Universal Music, provide songs for two hit movies, perform as an opening act for Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, and launch a popular radio show on St. Louis’ KATZ 100.3, the Beat.
With news of his EMI deal, Moore says, “I thank God for this opportunity with EMI to influence the world, change lives and make history in the process with Kingdom Music.” His new CD, The Turning Point, will be released September 14, 2010. Congratulations, Willie!
The Music of NoCo: Brian Owens
Though he lives right here in Ferguson, Brian Owens is quickly building a name for himself on the national music scene. Known for his soulful take on jazz classics, the 2008 UMSL Music graduate has appeared on Good Morning America, The Wayne Brady Show and BET’s Jazz Discovery, and this fall, he’s launching a 15-city tour to promote his latest album. Here’s what NOCO contributor Beth von Behren recently learned about this very talented local musician…
If you get the chance to see Brian Owens in person, on one of the rare occasions when he performs in St. Louis, you might be tempted to describe him as a jazz singer. If you talk to Owens, however, he describes himself as a soul singer. And if you ask him to define what that is, he’ll tell you to put on some Sam Cooke, sit back and listen, and you’ll know.
Owens is the youngest of Thomas and Roberta Owens’ three children. He grew up in Centerville and attended Belleville West High School, where music teacher Sharon Carter was an early influence. He went to Milliken University for a couple of years before dropping out to join the Air Force, where he ended up spending three years as a lead vocalist with the Air Force Band of Mid-America.
Owens grew up in a musical household. There was gospel music, blues, and jazz, but he also heard rock, big band music, and country. And there was a lot of 60s soul music being played in the Owens’ home. He cites Cooke, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Lou Rawls, and Sam and Dave as big influences, but when you hear him sing, it’s Marvin Gaye and Nat King Cole that come to mind.
Owens’ father Thomas had his own musical career that he walked away from when he married his wife and started to raise a family, a career that Brian really didn’t know much about until his own career took off. One day after Brian was living on his own, his father picked up Brian’s guitar and started playing it and singing. “Dude,” Brian remembers saying. “Why didn’t you teach me any of this stuff?”
“He does everything by ear,” Brian says of his father. “He seriously could have had a very successful musical career, but he chose other things…faith, family.” And when you see father and son perform together at the end of Brian’s December 2009 concert at the Sheldon (available on DVD from Southern Roots Records), you tend to believe it.
Owens spent a lot of his youth at church, singing in the choir at the Centerville Church of Christ, where his family were active members. “I was nurtured with good music, acapella music, gospel singing,” he says. He admits to sneaking in some Snoop Dog during his teen years, but it’s the memory of hearing Nat King Cole at the age of 13 that still resonates with him today. “It was like, wow.”
Owens is a serious young man. At 30, he is married to Amanda, who teaches music in the Jennings School District, and they have two children under the age of two. He and his wife have settled in Ferguson, where they are active in their new church, Ferguson Heights Church of Christ.
He’s committed to his family, his church, and his music. He calls himself “grounded.” When talking to Owens, the conversation loops back to Sam Cooke again and again. Cooke is his musical hero, but he’s more than that. “He’s like a blueprint,” Owens said. “As an artist, as a business owner, he was just a huge influence.”
Soul man, jazz singer, family man, artist, and businessman with a website…Owens is ready for the next big thing. His Midwest tour, which kicks off in the fall, will visit 15 cities, on the first leg of an extended tour that will then travel to the west coast. “I think it’s gonna be a good year,” he says. Indeed.
To see Brian Owens in action, check out this clip from the Sheldon. You can also listen to his original music here.
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Beth von Behren is the Public Information Officer for the City of Kirkwood. She grew up in North County and is a Normandy HS alum. She is writing her Great American Novel and invites you to read her blog at http://bethstake.blogspot.com.
