About Me
"Music has a way of easing its way into a persons' heart without their conscious recognition of it. It has a way of exploding its message deep into the crevices of one's spirit, heart and mind. Such is the power of art at large."
This is a journey. It is here that I learn most about myself, here that I discover myself, become myself, transform myself, and blossom into the self which is yet unknown.
It is the endless search for that perfect moment- when observation meets thought, meets emotion which meets words that hit melodies, when pen meets paper and voice meets air, and the chord is struck. It is the constant journey ready to make the right turn, at the right time, at the right corner. One must keep their eyes wide open, so as not to miss the signs.
For me, this path of sound making has been so much a series of "inexplicable" coincidences, miracles, and of course, hard work. It all began backwards, when meeting Stefan Podgrabinski of Om Corporation Studios. After sharing a few rough tracks over some beats at his studio in the Toronto beaches, I began the recording of "The Very First". The 2004, 7 track CD became a demo of the very first sounds literally- the discovery of taking my dedication as a writer, singer and musician to the next level of seriousness.
Through the process of recording, I began building a network of musicians who came to be a part of the CD, and later the collective built around my music.
The sounds have changed greatly since that time. From working with a full 7 piece band, to working with a four piece, a trio, to working with a duo and sometimes playing solo, and also, again, working with electronic producers. The sounds are currently shared with Jason Dandeno on the upright bass, myself on vocals, guitar and other fun toys, and Dan Driscol as producer/dj/electronic creationist. I am constantly reaching out, and welcoming new collaborations, projects, stories and styles to grow from.
The music itself has warped greatly through time. From the sweet, optimistic electro-folk sounds of the first album, which have slowly transformed, and added various layers of influences often attributing to hip hop, blues, jazz, dancehall, reggae, folk, world beat, experimental vocal play, to spoken word. It's a meeting place for many genres and sonic influences.
Music has a way of easing its way into a persons' heart without their conscious recognition of it. It has a way of exploding its message deep into the crevices of one's spirit, heart and mind. Such is the power of art at large. It is for this reason that I find such strength in the creation and sharing of art, particularly when it is directed towards some greater message or meaning.
I have always been an activist to some degree. I have also always been an artist- beginning with theatre and dance, my love of art grew into visual art, performance art, piano, cello, percussion, steel band, viola, and guitar. Now, finding myself completely submerged in the world of music, I am finding new ways of using it to express messages about the state of the world- politically, socially, environmentally, emotionally and spiritually, while providing positively informed solutions. If you look closely, you will see that most everything I write is somehow charged with some sort of deeper meaning. I try to provide my listeners with a new way of experiencing music, so that between the sounds, there are always lessons to be shared, and teachings that may help us to grow.
However, I see the importance of balancing the use of art as a tool for change, while equally providing sounds and melodies that penetrate deep into the heart of the listener. There are times when it is safe to speak the word revolution hard into the face of your audience, and then there are times when we must whisper the words softly within our melodies. It is my goal to continue learning about this balance, to find ways of reaching a wide range of listeners so that those who are less inclined, might one day realize that they have been humming along to a tune that spell the words "freedom fighter" all along.
Seeing as my background has been a conglomerate of artistic passions, I often incorporate my network of multi-media artists using video, performance art, photography, dance, writing, story telling, zine art, print making and sculpture as additional forms of expression to be shared as individual works and integral parts of my live performances. We strive to create environments for open dialogue and interaction with our audiences, with communities and with artists through performance, workshops, skill sharing sessions, collective projects, event organizing and networking. Because of my desire to reach out using various forms of "artistic interactions", I have found myself not only in large music venues, but I often share my skills in highschools, libraries, temples, churches, in parks, on the back of trucks, galleries, cafes, and community centers around the world.
My creative vision is to continue cultivating new and engaging ways of sharing my messages across the globe. I will persist to learn and grow as both a performer and activist, and I hope to expand my world travels, adding stories, inspirations, hopes, and struggles, to my musical vocabulary.
***To learn more, please go to www.lilarose.ca
