Born in Caracas, Venezuela. composer-keyboardist
Amilcar started playing the melodica at age four,
and two years later began formal piano lessons.
"Growing up listening to classical music," he says,
"felt natural to me... it was very calming,
expressive and harmonic." But his early training got
a bumpy start, thanks to his teacher innovative
methods. "She told me 'You have to learn to
differentiate between low and high tones' ,"Amilcar
explains. "When she would play a low tone, I would
have to take few steps backwards with my eyes
closed. Then, when she played a high tone, I was to
take a few steps forward, my eyes still closed. I
loved that idea! Unfortunately, I ended up at the
hospital with four stitches on my forehead when she
played a very high octave and I ran into a wall!"
Things progressed smoothly after that, and the
piano remains Amilcar's favorite instrument though
he now plays a wide range of keyboards. "It is very
romantic and inspirational", he enthuses. "I love the
acoustic and resonance it generates, and how the
piano displaces vibrations into air, giving you a
tremendous range of tonal possibilities."
By the age 12, Amilcar owned hundreds of records
and started a DJ business with a friend from school.
"We used to mix records," he shares, and even
experiment with sounds and lights." His album
collection was a source of pride and joy to the
budding professional. "I consider musical recording
like books", he explains. "Each one has a story to
tell, something to teach, something to share."
Amilcar himself shares his own passion for classical instrumentation and the pulsing natural rhythms of the tropical rainforest on his recorded debut, VACUUMING THE FOREST, which was released in 2005 after years spent composing music jingles for telecommunication companies and Internet Radio stations. Drawing upon these experiences and others, Amilcar brings a fresh perspective to his music.
