Member Since: 5/26/2006
Band Website: http://jasonwaltonyberg.com
Band Members:
Letter Back Home is a sort of musical scrapbook. It puts together music that was written over a fourteen year period in my development. The most recent pieces (On The Fringe, DPR and Da Banks) I wrote shortly before the recording session and the oldest (The Night's Delight)
I wrote while still in high school. Each piece reflects some aspect of my life over this time period which has struck me as being important and thus, important enough to write some music about.
On The Fringe: I have lived out in Oklahoma for two and a half years now. When I was first stationed out here to play with the 77th Army Band my wife and I thought it was a joke. Having lived on the East Coast our whole lives we had no idea what to expect. However, Oklahoma has been good to us. We have made many friends and currently both teach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. This tune is loosely based on a tune from a very famous musical from which Oklahoma takes its state song.
DPR: DPR stands for Dread Pirate Roberts (a character from a favorite movie of mine when growing up). I wrote this in dedication to a very dear friend of mine, Andrew Roberts.
Sandra: Having put up with me for going on eight years, my wife Sandra Lee is one of those special folks that you only meet every so often. How I convinced her to hang out with me I will never know but I am grateful for the opportunity. This song is dedicated to her.
Mentor and Disciple: To have a teacher is a good thing and to have a great teacher is even better. I have been fortunate to encounter many great teachers and owe them each a great debt of gratitude. This piece acknowledges that the relationship of teacher and student is first a foremost, a joyful thing.
4th Prayer: The title of the tune refers to the fourth prayer of the morning and evening practice of Nichiren Buddhism as practiced by the Soka Gakkai. It is during this prayer that one offers prayers for the deceased. Although totally inadequate, this melody is dedicated to all those who have passed away recently including the victims of the Iraq war on all sides (everyone is somebody's baby boy or girl, regardless of race, creed or political affiliation), the victims of the natural disasters that afflicted us last year and especially to my dear friend Ellen Schick who recently died due to cancer.
My Reflection: To me, our outer life is always and in a very strict way, the reflection of our inner life. Sometimes this can be a painful realization but ultimately I believe it is a source of tremendous empowerment. After all, if you don't like what you see around you, all you have to do to start is change within. Sounds easy? Not really, but I believe it is the only true solution to life's struggles.
The Night's Delight: This is the oldest song on the CD, written when I was still in high school. It refers to the cool evening air of the early summer evenings in Connecticut where I grew up. It truly is a beautiful experience to walk in the night air when the heat of the day is gone.
Da Banks: My Alma Mater, Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, sits nestled on the banks of the Raritan River. Over the years, many great jazz musicians have been born, grown up, worked, studied and performed here. While I hardly measure among the finest of these artists, I am happy to just be numbered as one of them and proud of the time I spent on da banks.
Influences: Daisaku Ikeda wrote,"Death will come to each of us some day. We can die having fought hard for our beliefs and convictions, or we can die having failed to do so. Since the reality of death is the same in either case, isn't it far better that we set
out on our journey toward the next existence in high spirits and with a
bright smile on our faces-knowing that in everything we did, we did the very
best we could, thrilling with the sense 'That was truly an interesting
life'?" From Today and Tomorrow, June 4.
Record Label: Waltony Music
Type of Label: Indie