1. Could you please tell me where you are from? Where you were
born?
Lorraine: Robert and I were both born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
and we now live in Toronto.
2. A good classical school is felt in your music. What is your
education? Where did you study?
Lorraine: Robert and I are classically trained musicians and we
both studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. I
studied flute, piano, music theory and composition.
Robert: I studied classical and jazz guitar, piano, music theory
and composition. We both have participated in various masterclasses
across North America. Even though our formal musical training
has been completed many years ago, I believe music is a lifelong
learning process.
3. When listening to your music, one can feel that you add some
smooth jazz in it. How is that connected to your musical preferences?
Lorraine: We enjoy many different styles of music and smooth jazz
is definitely a sound that we both enjoy listening to. Some of
our personal favorites include Spyro Gyra, Acoustic Alchemy, Steely
Dan, Lee Ritenour, Nestor Torres and Stevie Wonder. There are
many more artists that we enjoy listening to.
4. You are a family duet. How did you meet each other? How do
you work together?
Robert: Lorraine and I met at the Royal Conservatory of Music
in 1982 and soon began performing together as a flute and guitar
duo for many years until including our band in 1996. We were married
in 1987 and for us music is a way of life. We each have our own
individual responsibilities that bring about the final result.
5. What does your music mean to you? What do you want to pass
on to your listeners? What concepts are you expressing in your
creative work?
Lorraine: We believe music is the art of expressing emotions and
feelings that go beyond words and barriers. Our music is our gift
to this world.
6. How was your album "It's a Mystery" created?
Lorraine: The inspiration for composing the songs gave birth to
the creation of "It's a Mystery". Flute and guitar are
the featured instruments, but we hired five additional musicians
to join us with the recording: keyboards, alto and soprano saxophone,
bass, drums and percussion.
7. How did you come to the idea of this album? Was the success
of your debut album unexpected for you?
Lorraine: The idea for this album came from many years of performing
as full time musicians. Artistically, we wanted to grow and move
on. Success is very elusive and cannot be compared to recognition.
After we finished recording "It's a Mystery" we felt
that the project had been a success. Even if we never received
any recognition, we knew in our hearts that we had been successful
because we had given our best. So, I must say the success of "It's
a Mystery" was neither unexpected or expected. We believe
nothing in life is expectable.
8. Why was "It's a Mystery" released only in 1997?
Robert: From the original idea to the final concept, it took us
three years to produce and develop the sound and songs that we
wanted.
9. Why did you decide to record an album with Christmas melodies
("A Christmas Wish") after the release of "It's
a Mystery"?
Lorraine: We believed we could record an album that had a unique
and refreshing approach to the traditional Christmas carols.
10. What are you working on now?
Lorraine: We are currently working on our third CD/Cassette which
will be available this year from our label Arrow Records.
It will include original, instrumental compositions that feature
flute and guitar with piano, saxophone, bass, drums and percussion.
11. The name of "It's a Mystery" was inspired by a Deepak
Chopra book "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: The past
is history, the present is a gift and the future... it's a mystery".
Why did the lines from this very book inspire you to choose this
name for your album? What does the book by Deepak Chopra mean
to you?
Robert: The "The past is history, the present is a gift and
the future...it's a mystery" was written by Lorraine, which
was inspired from the Deepak Chopra book "The Seven Spiritual
Laws of Success".
Lorraine: This book is one of the many wonderful "guides"
for living spiritually well.
"It's a Mystery" is the title of one of the songs on
the album. This quote best expresses one of our beliefs of living
in the present moment.
12. What are your interests in life?
Robert: Some of our many and diverse interests include hiking,
bicycling, swimming, organic gardening, cross country skiing,
hockey, philosophy, health issues, meditation, cooking, art and
computer technology.
13. What religious and philosophical views are you close to? What
is your spiritual search?
Lorraine: I believe we all come from the same place. Each person
has a unique gift to contribute/give to this world. I am on a
path, I am an explorer, on a endless journey. I am not searching.
The "Spirit" is within us all.
14. Are you practicing any spiritual exercises (techniques)? Do
you belong to a particular religion?
Lorraine: We both meditate daily and do not belong to any particular
religion. We believe in God: but not in creating boundaries that
separate us from each other.
15. What is important for you to express in your music?
Lorraine: It is important to express the joy of life and love.
Robert: To express the many moods of life's journey.
16. What is the New Age music in your view? How do you define
it?
Lorraine: New Age music covers a wide spectrum of styles. We find
the style names of music too limiting, because everyone has their
own bias toward a certain style of music. If you like what you
hear-that is all that matters. If we had to, we would classify
our music as contemporary instrumental: that includes the textures
and colors of smooth jazz, new age, classical, pop, and world
music. Go in peace and live well.
