Serge: What are your
musical 'roots'? Who has influenced you most in your music and
why? Maybe there was some collaboration between you and your brother
Mike? Did you help each other in any way at the beginning of your
musical careers? Could you tell me about your mutual creative
projects with Mike?
Terry Oldfield: Mike and I formed a band in 1970 called Barefoot. We played in clubs and universities in Britain for about a year. The music was a kind of heavy blues style and I played bass guitar at the time. Since then I have played the flute at the first Tubular Bells concert at Queen Elizabeth
Hall and one or two sessions on Ommadawn and Incantations playing
flute and Pan-pipes. Mike and I rarely see each other these days
but we get along well and play squash together occasionally. I
hope that I have not been too influenced by anyone in the past. To
be honest I have never been a great listener and can't remember
having any particular favorites.
Serge: I know, that in general your family consists of very creative and talented people. Could you tell me, why the members of your family have such an interest to music, how did it happen that all of
them became musicians?
Terry Oldfield: I cannot for the life of me imagine how all three of us have managed to make a living at music. I think it was the sixties atmosphere when everything suddenly seemed possible and if you had a strong enough intention you could make anything happen. There was such a freedom in the air! There were certainly no strong influences in our family as we were growing up, although Mike took to the guitar at the early age of eight years old.
Serge: Where do you usually find ideas and inspiration for the creation of your so many various albums? Maybe your travels to the places, your albums are devoted to, inspire you and give you the ideas for your albums?
Terry Oldfield: I owe a great deal of the inspiration in my work to my travels. Although I haven't been to all the places I focus on there is always a kind of ethnic roots similarity that is common to all and of course the nature of the places contain the same elements like water, wind, etc. I usually start with some natural sounds that are local to the environment and then see what comes out with the flute whilst listening and inhaling the atmosphere. It is like breathing- listening and responding.
Serge: Could
you please name those your albums, which are the most important
for you, and tell in short the history of their creation?
Terry Oldfield: 'Out of the Depths' is one that I still listen to myself from time to time. Water has always been important to me and the majesty of the whale and it's helplessness in the face of man's threat I find so moving. 'Spirit of Tibet' is another that I like and the sound of the children singing for me perfectly reflects the innocence of a nation dedicated to the search for enlightenment, which for me is the sole purpose of our existence here on Earth.
Serge: Could you please tell me a little about your last album "Spirit of the World". How did this idea of taking a musical journey around the world came to you? Why did you decide to create such an album now?
Terry Oldfield: Spirit of the World is a celebration of mankind, a tribute to the bravery of the ancient cultures of our planet that form the roots of where we are today. There may be another album to complete the picture as it was impossible to fit all of them on one CD.
Serge: Do you take part in the cover design of your albums? Who takes part and prepares the cover design of your albums?
Terry Oldfield: In the past I have had very little to do with the cover design. It was New World who organized all that. The last 3 albums have been designed with a larger input from myself. The original idea for Spirit of the World was mine.
Serge: In my opinion, you are on of the pioneers in the field of the new age music. You are the first author who devoted his albums to culture and traditions of various peoples of the world, and used their native instruments (as, for example didgideroo flute in "Australia"). How did you come to this field of creative work and where such ideas came to you from?
Terry Oldfield: Once I began playing the flute it was a natural progression towards blowing into more ethnic tubes as the principal is the same. Naturally I began to focus in on the cultures where particular instruments have developed according to the local flora and character of the people.
Serge: As far as I understand, your favorite musical instruments are flutes of various kind. Why is it so in your opinion? Do you have any other favorite instruments? Where do you usually record your music?
Terry Oldfield: The flute just one day came into my life and I knew it was for me, like love at first sight. You can't really explain these things! I record all my music at my home in the Cotswolds in England.
Serge: Could you please tell me a little about your work for a movie industry? What is the most interesting and successful your project for movie industry in your view.
Terry Oldfield: Before I began to release my music on CD all my work was concentrated on writing music for films. I used to do about 12 a year. As time passed I became bored with the limitations of working for so many other people with conflicting ideas and luckily my CD's were starting to sell quite well enough for me to put my energy more in that direction. My most successful project was a little film called 'Meerkats United" which has sold to over 80 countries several times over. I was nominated for a British Academy award for Kingdom of the Ice Bear,which Eric Clapton won that year, and two Emmy awards in the US for
'Twilight of the Dreamtime' and 'Land of the Tiger'.
Serge: How did your collaboration with the New World Music begin? Are you one of the founders of this company? Why did you choose this very company for distribution of your albums? Do you collaborate with
other music companies?
Terry Oldfield: My association with New World began quite by accident. I received a letter from an artist who had been recording my music off the television from various films and he wrote to me asking for a cassette of music from me. He later told me about New World which was a very small company in those days with only a handful of artists. I sent them a tape and we released a CD called Cascade. Since then I have released a further 17 albums on the label. Other albums have been released on BBC records and the Voiceprint label.
Serge: Are you in friendly relations with any of the New World Music Artists? Did you have (or are having now) any collaboration (joint projects, concerts, tours or something of this kind) with these (or any other) musicians? Are you planning any collaboration with your brother Mike?
Terry Oldfield: I am not planning any collaboration with my brother and apart from the odd session exchanged amongst New World artists there has not been much contact between myself and other artists on the label.
Serge: In
general, which musicians can be named as your friends? Who helps
you in your creative work?
Terry Oldfield: I generally work alone but have a very good friend David Pash who helps a lot with arrangements on my film work and also plays guitar on many of my releases.
Serge: What is your touring activity? Do you give and/or take part in any concerts?
Terry Oldfield: I don't do any live work whatsoever but recently have been asked to do several concerts including the Sydney Opera House and things could very well change in the near future.
Serge: What are your creative plans? When could we listen to your new album?
Terry Oldfield: I am currently working on a new album to be released on the 1st May. It is a mixture of songs and instrumental tracks and has a working title of e.motion.
Serge: What are your interests in life? What is your family?
Terry Oldfield: I go walking a lot and play Tennis, Squash and Badminton. I have also been a keen flyfisher since the age of 8.
Terry Oldfield: I live in the Cotswolds with my Australian wife Rhonda, my 17 year old son Oliver (who is soon to seek his fortune down - under) and my two daughters, Allegra (14) and Clemmie (8), who are both at a local school. There are also two members of the family that live away from home, my son Matthew (19) who lives nearby and is an aspiring singer-songwriter, and my oldest daughter Rachel (25), who after receiving a BA Hons degree in Illustration is away globetrotting at present.
Serge: Do you like traveling (and why)? What places have you visited? What place did you like most? Where would you like to live?
Terry Oldfield: I would have to say that India is the most exciting place that I have visited, although I have a love/hate relationship with the place. It is a disturbing and beautiful country with life oozing from every crevice and it really hits you in the heart if you are at all open. I love travelling in general and have visited over 30 different countries so far.(ref to Q.3)
Serge: Could you please tell me where do you live at present? Why did you choose this very place to live?
Terry Oldfield: I live in the Cotswolds which I find has a rustic beauty combined with a kind of sophistication which I like. I think we are drawn to places by circumstances more than anything and can't remember ever making a conscious decision to move here.
Serge: What does your music mean for you? What do you want to pass to your listeners by your music?
Terry Oldfield: I would like to pass on a touch of joyous emotion and peace to everyone, to instill a sense of calm into their lives.
Serge: You are world famous musician. What is your attitude towards that?
Terry Oldfield: I don't relate too strongly to that fact as I can't quite believe it to be true.
Serge: Many of your albums (for example Zen, Out of the Depths, Spirit of the World, etc), in my opinion, are connected with various world philosophies and spiritual teachings. Are you practicing any spiritual exercises (techniques)? Did you take part in any spiritual courses and meetings, or visit some centers (for example, ashrams in India)? Do you have a spiritual teacher? Do you belong to a particular
religion?
Terry Oldfield: Since the age of 18 or so I have been intensely involved in a search for a deeper meaning in life. I have been meditating almost every day since then and have developed a style which works for me. I have of course read all the books but what I am looking for could never be found in any book although they can be signposts on the way to what I can only refer to as an experience of complete nothingness-- in other words - that which is beyond thought - the indescribable.
ZEN is of course a way of describing the inexplicable and I have been often inspired by reading books by such as D.T.Suzuki and Alan Watts among others. I have visited India 5 times in my life and each time it has been an important step for me-always a love-hate thing where I can't
wait to get home and then can't wait to get back. I once was involved
in a 7 day Satori intensive there and for 3 weeks afterward was
in a blissful and empty state but wasn't ready to sustain that
and it faded and became no more than a momentary glimpse. I do
feel that these intensives are a bit like taking a drug because
there is always an underlying reason for the experience, no matter
how enlightened one feels at the time and like a drug therefore
it will wear off after a while. There can be no reason involved
in true experience as by it's very nature it cannot involve thought
which is time and memory. It must therefore be seen to come as
a gift from 'the wild blue yonder'.
Serge: What is important for you to express in your music?
Terry Oldfield: Feeling (ref Q 18 )
Serge: When and how did the idea of creating your personal web-site appeared? What ideas and thoughts were used during the creation of the site? Who helped you in realizing of this project?
Terry Oldfield: The website was originally conceived as a way of reaching and communicating with people. It is also an attempt to keep abreast of the times with everything heading more towards internet sales. I will soon be running an online shop like many others and I hope that this will open up contact for me with new sectors of society all over the World. Colin Bradshaw, a friend of mine, helped me originally to start my site and now Stephen Page, another friend, is helping me to
rebuild and update it. The site will soon be online with a brand
new look and direction.
Serge: What long-term goals do you have in your life?
Terry Oldfield: To continue composing and recording as long as I live. To continue to travel from time to time. In about ten years I would like to take off for a year at least with a knapsack and wander aimlessly across the world.
Serge: What is the new age music in your view? How could you define it?
Terry Oldfield: I don't like the term new age music as it tends to limit things in peoples' minds. The term ambient better describes my music. It suggests flowing and moving and to me music is movement both inward and outward like breathing.
Serge: What else, in your view, is important to tell me and your fans in Belarus?
Terry Oldfield: I think everything has been covered in the questions so far.
Serge: What would you like to wish to the readers of our magazine and your admirers here?
Terry Oldfield: The courage and determination to reach for liberation and the peace that inevitably follows! (ref Q 18 )
