New Age Artist/Piano

Contents: Biography

Reviews

Interview

Discography

Repertoire

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Richard Carr – Biography Composer/contemporary pianist Richard Carr is now living in the St. Louis area after spending 10 years working as a pianist in the night clubs, hotels and restaurants of the French Quarter of New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina. He has released fourteen solo albums and one collaboration in the contemporary instrumental /new age genre. Richard’s live performances take audiences on a journey away from the busy world and into a calmer, less chaotic mental and emotional environment. Drawing on his classical training, jazz and pop familiarity, Richard creates music thru an improvisational process. His music has been called a soothing elixir for the soul, mind and body. In May 2011, Richard began the Year of Music project. This project consists of a daily posting online of a new unreleased creation or a live recording. Aside from 3 months in 2012, this project has been ongoing till the present day. The entire project can be found at www.SoundCloud.com/richard-carr/playlists. The project is separated into monthly playlists. Aware of the meditative quality of his music, Richard has been exploring the healing side of his music. Working in the holistic community of St. Louis, Richard has developed the I AM Creative Sessions. These sessions are personal sessions in which Richard creates music for the client’s intention or focus. In essence, he creates a soundtrack for the intention. Although Richard has not been on tour very much in recent years, look for that to change in the Fall of 2015 and on into 2016.

Richard Carr – Reviews

Donovan Johnson’s review posted on Enlightened Piano Radio website http://www.enlightenedpiano.com/Enlightened-Piano-Richard-Carr.html Richard Carr Soul Rekindled 2013 "Soul Rekindled" is the latest album by Contemporary pianist Richard Carr of St. Louis MO. The album is his first non-holiday release of original piano compositions and improvisations in ten years, and it's well worth the wait. The tagline for the album is "music to get lost in," and Richard's vision in regard to this is very clear. The recording is a smorgasbord of musical textures and harmonies, blending together in an ebb and flow that challenges the listener to pay attention, which really goes against the whole idea of the album itself. "Soul Rekindled" is a single piece of art, made up of various music collections which work together to help create it. My favorite tracks on the album are numbers two, five and ten. Track two, "Embracing Change," is set in a minor key which balances the elusive melody of the piece. Dark and haunting, this piece reminds of something one might hear set to the background of a good murder mystery. The song reflects beautifully how difficult it can be to accept change, and the struggle that accompanies this process. Track five, "Forgiveness," is a similar piece of work, and it fits in perfectly with the feel of the album as a whole. Somewhat dark and moody, this piece takes liberties with it's flow and tempo to suggest the difficult act of letting go. The use of midrange and high register on the piano create a melancholy effect that's very light in it's feel, contrasting the darkness of the minor key. It's a lovely piece of work, and Richard really does a fantastic job of using each hand to tell a story. Track ten is very different from either of the above. "Idaho" is a song that will take you to a place that is rich in scenery; green, hilly, rugged and beautiful. One can almost feel the crisp, fresh air blowing on their skin when listening to this track. In one word, it's a "refreshing" piece that by it's end will bring you back to where you started. Home. A perfect ending to a journey of the soul.

Richard Carr – Reviews

I've listened to many of Richard's recordings and I have to say that "Soul Rekindled" is truly some of his best work. Clearly the passage of time has made its way into the soul of Richard Carr himself, and come into the world through the medium of the piano in this recording. I would suggest it to just about anyone who likes listening to piano music as a means to relax, and to "get lost in." And unlike many of Richard's previous releases, "Fogland" and "American Quixote" particularly, this album doesn't require a lot of concentrated listening effort. It's much more accessible than that, and I think it appeals to a much wider range of listeners for that reason. So have a listen, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Who knows, you might find your "soul rekindled" as you journey with Richard through these dynamic soundscapes.

Richard Carr – Reviews

Matt Borghi’s artist bio for ITunes and AllMusic.com (circa 2002) and can be found www.itunes.apple.com/us/artist/richard-carr/id6291702 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/richard-carr-mn0000348581/biography Richard Carr's contemporary instrumental piano style is unique and refreshing. He's crafted his style from many performance hours, and has subsequently created a distinguishing discography of exceptional releases. Richard Carr's improvisational composition style is full of whimsical melodic lines and rich harmonies. Much of his work is indicative of classical influences, particularly those of George Gershwin, Claude Debussy, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Additionally, the spirit of modern influences, such as John Adams, Keith Jarrett, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and George Winston, all leave a mark on Richard Carr's work. Richard Carr's first two releases, Through the Mind's Eye and Fogland, were quite indicative what was to come with Carr's work. There's a strange sentimentality in these works, and refreshing harmonic vocabulary. These early works are very reminiscent of what the young George Winston was doing, only these works are a little more moody. Richard Carr's follow-up to these two releases was An American Quixote. This record was equally refreshing, but Carr started to change around his music vocabulary a little bit. It also seemed like this was a bit of a transition recording. One that showed remnants of old works, but also began to reveal others. This was a solid effort, but one that showed some distraction at times. 2000 yielded another set of releases, particularly When Soul & Heart Collide and Christmas Fireside. Both of these recordings are reminiscent of the first two Carr recordings with their contemporary instrumental sentimentality, and almost drippy Muzak qualities. Say what you will, though, as this writer's come to enjoy those very same drippy sentimental qualities that plague Muzak, and many of the artists of the early Muzak era including 101 Strings, Living Strings, Ray Conniff, and particularly the excellent work of Jackie Gleason. The swan song of Richard Carr's catalog must be American Reflection. This recording came out in 2001, and in a lot of ways went back to some of the harmonic experiments of An American Quixote, thus proving that whatever experimentation had gone had finally yielded some interesting, and provocative results. Richard Carr's works is, seemingly, in a state of flux. As an artist, he's constantly striving toward a new tonality, or

Richard Carr – Reviews

melodic vocabulary. Over the course of his half-dozen recordings, he's hit the mark numerous times, and has demonstrated that his artistry isn't separate from his self. Carr's work is strong, and he manages to create an emotional vibrancy with each successive release. ~ Matt Borghi

Richard Carr – Reviews

Michael Diamond review of Soul Rekindled. Currently found http://michaeldiamondmusic.com/2013/07/04/soul-rekindled-by-richard-carr/ Soul Rekindled by Richard Carr July 4, 2013 CD: Soul Rekindled Artist: Richard Carr Contact: www.richardcarr.com On his latest release, Soul Rekindled, pianist/composer Richard Carr provides a musical glimpse into his spiritual journey after Hurricane Katrina. The story is told in a language he speaks fluently – solo piano. Although he now lives in St. Louis, Richard lived in New Orleans for 10 years and worked as a performer in the clubs, hotel’s, and restaurants in the French Quarter, prior to and at the time of hurricane, when 4 to 5 feet of murky water flooded his street in the Bayou St. John area. Since then he has picked up the pieces and gone on to do some amazing work in his chosen field.Having earned Bachelor’s degree in Music as well as doing graduate study in Music Composition, Richard now spends part of his time educating others as an Artist In Residence of the Midwest Music Conservatory where he has over 25 private piano and composition students. This is in addition recording and releasing 14 albums since 1997. But it was another of Richard’s undertakings that I found quite intriguing – his “Year of Music” project. The first one began on May 1, 2011 and ended on April 30, 2012. In that time Richard posted a new piece of music every day for the entire year! Amazingly, this was offered as a free subscription. The project was such a success, that he decided to do it again. The second round began on September 1, 2012, and runs through August 30, 2013. Listeners can find a free subscription form on his website and after signing up, will receive a link to the day’s tune every morning. “Year of Music” compositions from past months can be heard on Richard Carr’s Soundcloud page.

Richard Carr – Reviews

While creating a new piece of music every day sounds like a daunting task, spontaneity plays a big part. In Richard’s words, “My creative process literally takes place in the studio or at the keyboard. In other words, I can create a new song or melody at almost any time. 95% of the original cuts on my albums are first time creations. They come out as whole pieces … no edits. The other 5% are re-creations of an original idea that I really like.” Alignment with his inner being is also part of the equation. He goes on to say: “My music is directly connected to my soul & heart. Wherever I am at in my life, emotionally and mentally, has a direct effect of the resulting music. Since I have been blessed with an extraordinary life, the music is usually fresh with my current state of existence.” He also brings all these elements into play in another unique service he offers to individuals. As Richard explains: “An “I AM Creative Session” is a one-on-one session creating music with combined focused energy of the person and myself with a specific intention or purpose in mind. I sometimes call it a soundtrack for an aspect of one’s life. The music is created and recorded in real time. The person requesting the session receives a copy of the music (usually 21-24 minutes in length) for them to use whenever they want to focus on that particular intention.” While Richard sees himself primarily as a performer and composer, his personal work with others has benefits for himself as well as for the person he is working with. From his perspective: “Teaching is not playing. Yet, it has energized my performing in ways I cannot explain.” Richard’s album “Soul Rekindled” has an interesting subtitle: “music to get lost in.” And after listening to it, I can attest that is easy to do. As mentioned before, there is a spontaneous energy to Richard’s playing. It doesn’t have the structured compositional feel of classical music, for example, but has a wonderful sense of flow and emotional expression. The first track entitled “NEW Beginning,” brims with positive energy and a feeling of moving forward with enthusiasm. Its life-affirming quality not only marks the beginning of the album, but of a new chapter for Richard after the devastation of Katrina. This idea is carried over with the next track, appropriately called, “Embracing Change.” The theme of change is present in the music as well, which starts off pensively, yet picks up momentum as it goes along, dropping briefly into a quieter interlude.

Richard Carr – Reviews

Part of moving on in life is learning to forgive, and this thought is reflected in a track called “Forgiveness.” This was one of my favorite tracks and I especially appreciated its heartfelt softness and gentle nature, as well as the way Richard made use of space, sometimes allowing his notes to linger in the air at the end of a phrase. A similar feeling and dynamic is found on a lovely lilting piece entitled “Fond Memories.” Another favorite of mine is the spacious and emotionally evocative “Reflections ON THE PATH.” As I listened to that music and looked at the album cover art, they seemed to express each other perfectly. I was impressed with Richard’s stylistic range and his ability to tell a story in sound. Also inspirational are the thoughts and words of advice he shares with his students, and which make for a motivational conclusion to this article: “Always keep yourself in a place where your creative spirit can grow and thrive. Always continue to move forward…don’t allow yourself to get into a rut. Give yourself permission to fail. Learn from the mistakes and move forward. Don’t let someone else’s beliefs pressure you into abandoning anything that feeds your soul. Always be true to yourself!”

Richard Carr – Reviews

This review by RJ Lannan can be found on the Zone Music Reporter website http://zonemusicreporter.com/recording/viewreviews.asp?rvwbrd=2&rvwbrdpstn=1&rvwbrdcmmt=1162 The Sounding Board by R J Lannan Get Lost, No Really How does a guy who plays what I would call honky-tonk end up converting to the church of New Age music? Sheer creativity. Richard Carr began his career playing in bars in the French Quarter of New Orleans. That might explain how he knew his way around the area when I first met him. He also has quite a hold on the practice of using music to heal. Furthermore, he is noted for creating music for specific occasions and purposes tailored to the listener. He offers ten tracks of solo piano music for us on his latest release Soul Rekindled, subtitled, Music To Get Lost In. He even presents a labyrinth on the disc face, a metaphoric maze for those that are battling the evils of cancer and, through his music, offers a bit of hope, a lot of comfort and perhaps a way out of the maze. Richard opens the album with a track called New Beginning. The upbeat melody presents a new horizon for one to gravitate towards and offers a light at the end of the tunnel. The music volunteers to be a guide and maybe even coach. Just follow along. Questions, with its gradual pace, allows one to ponder the imponderable without fear. I do not know what kind of dread accompanies a long illness, but I know of fear. The music is neutral ground. You can ask without repercussions, but unfortunately no answers are guaranteed.

Richard Carr – Reviews

Forgiveness. I never get tired of writing about this subject only because I learned the hard way. Richard's gentle tune called Forgiveness is a transformation from recognition to action. My experience is that there are two kinds of forgiveness which have equal weight. The first is the forgiveness of others, those which erred, hurt, maligned or forgot you. The other may be more important for it is the forgiveness of one’s self. Either one is a burden that should not be carried for very long. One of my favorites on Soul Rekindled is called Finding the Treasure Within. With all the technical and digital data at our fingertips these days, we tend to forget that the answers may be found in each of us. And each answer is a reward in itself. Asking the right question or searching deep enough to get the results may be long in coming, but the music reminds us to keep on going. The last cut, Idaho, is the only live performance on the album and it is inspired by one of the circumstances than required Richard's special touch. It sounds like a good improvisation to a fond memory. Whether it was clean white snow, cascading waterfalls or mountainous landscapes or that someone that made your dreams come true that led to the creation of the music, it sounds like the music added just the right colors. Richard Carr has released more than a dozen albums that reflect his migration from one state to another (and not just geographically) and with the inspiration to heal the mind and body. He continues to teach and compose in St. Louis, but his music is far reaching. Rating: Good - reviewed by RJ Lannan on 11/15/2013

Richard Carr – Interviews

Kathy Parsons of MainlyPiano.com interview from 2004 http://www.mainlypiano.com/Older_Interviews/Carr,_Richard_04.html I first became aware of Richard Carr and his music while writing for “Wind and Wire” magazine in 1999. “Fogland” was sent to me for review, and I was fascinated by the fact that one of the songs, “Sonoma Coast Sunset,” was inspired by one of my favorite beaches, Goat Rock near Jenner. Carr’s recordings are improvised in the studio, and are generally without edits. Over the past several years, I have reviewed all of Richard’s albums except his first one, and I thought it would be fun to meet while I was in New Orleans last May. As it turned out, Richard lives right around the corner from our hotel in The French Quarter, and we had a delightful evening at a neighborhood cafe. He told me then that he planned to be in California early this year and would like to do a concert or a workshop with my students, so we’ve been working on this event for awhile. We did this interview by email, but first some biographical information: Richard Carr was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1960’s. He started piano lessons at the age of six, and continued lessons for nine years; he also took lessons for two years in college. Richard started improvising at age 11 or 12, and wrote his first song at 12. In high school, he played French horn for four years without any lessons. In college, he played French horn, euphonium, trumpet, and mallet percussion for the university bands. Richard says he hasn’t touched any of those instruments in years, but plays pipe organ and synthesizers in addition to the piano. Richard attended Benedictine College in Kansas from 1980-82 as a Business/Accounting major. He then went to Southern Illinois University for three years, and earned a BM in Music Theory/Composition. From 1985-90, he attended The University of North Texas, doing graduate work in Music Composition. He then took a totally different direction and went to The

Richard Carr – Interviews

University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, from 1990-93, earning his Masters Degree in Sports Management. He was part of the coaching staff of the men’s volleyball team and was the assistant director of campus recreation, among many other things, in the Athletic Department. Richard moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the fall of 1995 to take a job at a university, running their campus recreation program and developing the men’s volleyball program in the state of Louisiana. That job lasted about five months, and Richard has been a full-time musician ever since. In addition to composing and performing his own music, Richard hosts a weekly series called “The Original Music Series” that has been running for 18 months and features some of the best singer/songwriters in New Orleans. Every April, they have a two-night showcase with more than 60 performers that benefits the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic. KP: Were you encouraged to improvise or compose by your piano teachers? Carr: No, not early on. Although it wasn’t encouraged, it wasn’t completely frowned on, either. I liked to browse through my music books, which was the beginning of my sight-reading skills. Browsing increased my appetite for wanting to learn more music, but it didn’t help me practice what I was supposed to be working on! It did, however, keep me at the piano much longer than my one hour of daily practice. KP: Did you play with any rock bands in high school and/or college? Carr: In high school, I was in a basement band for a couple of years. We only played out once in a great while. In college, I was in a Dixieland ensemble and a Jazz Combo for a few semesters. That was more or less for class credit. Also in college, I spent two years as Elwood Blooz in The Blooz Brothers Band. It was a lot of fun! KP: At what point in your life did you know or decide that you were going to be a professional musician? Carr: This time? January 9, 1996. I had just left a job, and was given an opportunity to play at The Blacksmith Shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I haven’t stopped playing professionally since then.

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: Did your parents or family object? Carr: Once my family got over the shock that I had left the other job, they were quite happy I was back into music. Most of my family figured I belonged in music long before I realized it was the right place for me, so it was no surprise to them that I came back to music after a while in another career. KP: Who or what are your biggest musical influences? Carr: Creative influences in my music can be found in the music of Keith Jarrett, George Winston, John Adams, Steve Reich, Tangerine Dream, the Russian composers, and the French Impressionist composers, among others. KP: What inspired you to start composing your own music? Carr: Exploring different sounds on the pipe organ got me started. My improvising on the piano continued that process. One day I said, “Hey, that sounds good! Maybe I should write it down.” KP: Is there a particular philosophy that you try to convey in your music? Carr: This is something I have been exploring lately. My music has an underlying healing spirit that is recognized by many. I call my music “soundtracks for the soul, mind, and body,” so I guess I have developed a philosophy for my music without actually thinking about it. KP: With New Orleans being such a traditional jazz center, how is it for an artist who is composing new music that doesn’t fit that genre? Carr: I am flying under the radar most of the time when it comes to the music scene here in New Orleans. Most people want to hear the jazz that made the town famous. It is only when I slide one of my own compositions in with the rest of the music that people take notice. Because of my work with the singer/songwriters, many people know who I am. The musicians appreciate my music, and sometimes the appreciation of my peers is all I have to work with here in this city.

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: Most performing musicians have to work at playing other people’s music in bars and restaurants while they get their own careers launched. How about you? Carr: I played in restaurants in the French Quarter for 6 1/2 years. Much of the time, I was playing somewhere every night of the week. By the time I stopped playing regularly scheduled gigs, I was playing about 40% of my own music. Playing covers allowed me to rebuild my chops to where they are today (which is better than they ever were before). It also reaffirmed my sight-reading skills, which are genuinely helpful in many circumstances. Playing covers is refreshing at times - especially when the request isn’t a common one. I had two guys from Finland swear I play Elton John’s music better than he does! KP: I’ve read that you have several things you do on a regular basis before and during a recording session. What kinds of things do you do? Carr: The recording aspect is what I consider the most rewarding part of the whole process. It can also be the most frustrating when it is not going well or you are not prepared. I spend most of my day thinking about the recording session (which is usually at night). Generally, I will spend the first 30 minutes of a session reworking a previous improvisation, and then the rest of time is all fresh improvisation. I rarely record more than two hours at a time because after two hours, things start to sound the same to me. I like to get into the recording situation as often as possible - at least once a month, ideally. My belief is that the more often one is in the recording situation, the more comfortable and more productive one can be in the studio. Recording is second nature to me now, and I can focus on the creation process rather than worrying about it. During a recording session, my engineer and I drink Arizona Iced tea. We dim the lights real low for ambiance. Then we let the soul and heart and hands do the rest. Eating is also involved, either before or after the session.

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: You are known as a solo piano artist, but I understand you are moving in other directions. What are your newest projects? Carr: Recently, I spent a few days exploring the capabilities of my Kurzweil keyboard. The results were about eight hours of improvisations. We took some of the best of these and put them into a project called “At Heaven’s Edge.” Most of the project would be considered ambient space music. This has opened the doors to music with a wider palette of sound. The CD will be ready for release very soon. Another project is a two-piano release entitled “Four Healing Hands.” Pianist, Alx (not a typo) Uttermann was directed to meet me about four years ago by her teacher/mentor, John Milak, who happened to be my high school band director and a mentor of sorts. We met in New Orleans during JazzFest and realized that there is something special between us. We spent a few hours on the 9’ Steinways at Tulane University, and recorded some really magical music. All freely improvised, this music has a very mystical, healing quality to it. Alx has been in India ever since we recorded in 2000, but is planning to return to California soon. We are trying to time the release of “Four Healing Hands” with her return to the US, probably July 2004. I will be finishing the recording of a meditation CD with Native American flute player, Bradford Smith. I found Brad at a New Age Exposition in St. Louis, and asked him if he was interested in doing a collaborative effort. We spent a few hours in his home studio and recorded three improvised meditations. After the experiment, we agreed to do another eight tracks or so for a CD release. Look for this sometime in the late spring/early summer of 2004. In late April, I have two, maybe three, phenomenal guitarists coming to New Orleans to record. The two confirmed guitarists are Josef Glaude from Tulsa and Dave Isaacs from New York City. Both are classically trained and have really wonderful touch and sound. Josef also plays and designs harp guitars, which creates some additional opportunities for the sound palette. I am really looking forward to these sessions - maybe we will do a “two guitars and a piano session.”

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: How is your plan to tour and play concerts in churches all over the country working out? Carr: Things are coming together slowly. As every touring musician knows, it takes a lot of time and effort to put tours together. Sometimes I have to call 30-40 churches in one part of the country before I get 5-10 places to perform in. It takes time and patience to get it done and make it work smoothly. I spent all of December in the Midwest, traveling 5000 miles in 25 days, with 19 appearances in five states. The West Coast tour is going to be ten weeks long. I am planning a tour of the Upper Midwest in June and July, and the East Coast is on the schedule for August through October. Then the Christmas tour will be creeping up! KP: Your recorded music is highly improvised. Do you ever start with pre-composed themes? How much editing do you do to your music once it’s recorded? Carr: For as long as I have been composing, I have always started by doodling ideas on the piano. In college, before writing anything down, I would play the ideas out completely several times. Then I’d take a walk or head to the gym, and then come back to see if the idea was still there. If it was, then it was an idea worth working on. Occasionally, a tune will travel around in my head for a few days before I get it down on tape. Hopefully I will be getting more of those ideas down as my computer and keyboard become more compatible. Until “Momente Intimate,” [Richard’s newest release] there was never any editing done to the recorded music. It is my belief that we need to record the music as it comes - the music of the moment, so to speak. However, there has been some professional criticism that suggests that the piano recordings should be error free. When I was recording “Momente Intimate,” if I made a mistake, I would replay the phrase within the improvisation so we could edit out the errors. In this way, the integrity of the improvisation is not compromised. Even with that concept in place, there were only two such spots in the entire 75+ minutes of music.

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: Since your recorded music is spontaneous and off-the-cuff, how do you prepare the music for live performance? Carr: I literally put the CD into my player, plug the headphones in, and play along with it. My notes from the recording sessions will tell me the key structure, sometimes the basic pattern or idea, but not much more. Once I have performed the music a few times, the essential concepts of the compositions are retained in my mind. I believe that my music is alive - constantly growing and developing. Very few of my compositions are played the same way every time. With some of them, I never know where they will go. If listeners want to hear a certain composition just like it sounds on the CD, they might be disappointed, but they will hear the composition in its current form. KP: How do approach a live performance? Carr: I generally have the program developed a few days in advance. There are several pieces that are on each and every program, but I vary the program enough to make each concert unique. Of course, the improvisations created on the spot will be different at each concert. There is a general routine that I go through, time permitting, before each concert. A couple of hours before the concert, I go through the program, starting each piece, sometimes playing all of it (especially if I recently added it to the program). Then I set up the merchandise and take a brief walk. After that, I change into my concert attire. Generally, 15-20 minutes before a concert, I find a quiet spot to get focused; then it is concert time! KP: You have mentioned that emerging artists need to be prepared to deal with a lot of rejection. How do you toughen yourself to rejection and keep your self-confidence up? Carr: For every YES I get, I have heard many NO!’s. You have to have a conviction and belief in yourself. It certainly helps if you have other people who believe in you, too. You have to be honest with yourself and cannot place unrealistic challenges in front of you. The competition is extremely intense. Most artists have to prove themselves through a long series of showcases and appearances, selling CDs at gigs, etc. It is a lot of work, and the level of commitment has to be very high. One of the biggest things I have going for me is

Richard Carr – Interviews

that I am very patient and am willing to do the work myself. I am quite realistic about where my music has a chance of being successful, and the amount of radio success I’ve had validates that what I have been doing is worthwhile. I have been a full-time musician for several years. There have been some very lean times, but I have had a lot of support when things looked pretty bleak. There are a number of people who have given me the opportunity to continue my music without being worried about a day job that has absolutely nothing to do with music. Working another job, even if it is only 20-30 hours a week is too distracting for me. Playing covers in a hotel lounge can be considered an opportunity for practice or to try out new music, so that isn’t as bad. Working as a cook, waiting tables, or selling shoes or real estate would be a major distraction to being a musician - at least for me. KP: Do you have a favorite of your CD’s? Carr: I generally say that my favorite is the one I am working on. However, I suppose “An American Quixote” is still my favorite. It stretched my ability as a pianist and broadened my listeners’ ears to a different harmonic set. It challenges the listener - something I really like to do. That CD is also fairly autobiographical. KP: What is your best-selling album to date? Carr: “Fogland” - I’ll be doing the fourth pressing of it very soon. “When Soul and Heart Collide” is right behind it, and will be going into its third pressing. KP: When we were arranging to meet in New Orleans last May, you said I’d have no trouble finding you because you’re a “big guy.” How tall are you? Carr: I am 6’6”. KP: Where did your label name, Rec’D Music come from? How do you pronounce it? Carr: Rec’D Music is pronounced similarly to “wrecked music.” My initials are REC. Therefore, the music coming from my label has my stamp on it, so to speak. It is also convenient that it could be construed (or misconstrued!) as “Recorded Music” or “Received Music.”

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: You mentioned that you have a huge record collection. How many (approximately) albums do you have, and what styles of music are included? Carr: Right now I have approximately 11,000 album titles in my collection. There is an eclectic blend of 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s keyboard-oriented rock, an enormous amount of classical symphonic and piano music, and a good variety of jazz and blues. There is a heavy concentration on 20th century classical music of all varieties. KP: You also mentioned that you often spend many hours a day on the internet. What kinds of things are you researching? Carr: I am constantly looking for places to promote my music online, searching for venues to perform in, locating radio stations that might be interested in programming my music, reading and learning about various aspects of the music business. The whole music world is in a constant state of change, so I try to stay on top of the changes. Occasionally, I will permit myself some time at the JigZone (an online jigsaw puzzle website) or playing one of the four or five games I have on my computer. KP: Who are your favorite composers? Carr: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Shostakovitch, John Adams, Steve Reich, William Schuman, Ives, Gershwin, Scriabin, Debussy, Ravel, and Chopin. KP: Who are your favorite performers? Carr: As far as pianists go, Keith Jarrett, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Henry Butler (New Orleans’ best pianist, in my opinion). Other performers in the music world I really like are David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Ian Anderson, and Leonard Slatkin (conductor). KP: Do you have any hobbies? Carr: Record collecting, stamp collecting, wine tasting, traveling. I play pool once a week in a league in The French Quarter. Lately, my recording engineer has gotten me interested in playing poker.

Richard Carr – Interviews

KP: If you could have any three wishes, what would they be? Carr: 1) That all children have two caring parents in their home, all the time - it would probably solve many of society’s problems. 2) That all composer/performers such as myself would be willing to join together and form a cooperative effort rather than re-creating the wheel for themselves. 3) One wish for me personally - to have just enough success to be able to create and work in my chosen career without having to be constantly worried about the financial aspects of the career and just general living. KP: Do you have any words of advice for young people who are studying music now? Carr: Don’t forget to explore all aspects of life. If you are meant to be a professional musician, it will happen - but not without lots of effort on your part. The life experiences outside of music will only enhance your music and the interpretation of other’s music. Be able to accept rejection, but do not let it stop you - find out what caused the rejection and learn or correct the problems. Nothing ever happens without being prepared for it to happen - if you think it does, then you will be disappointed constantly. No matter how much you think you know, there is always more to learn. The most important thoughts I might be able to give are for everyone, but especially those studying music: remember how to laugh at yourself; remember how to have fun; never forget to relax; take 5 minutes each day just for you and your thoughts, completely away from the rest of the world. Richard’s Website Richard’s Artist Page on MainlyPiano Interviews MainlyPiano home

Richard Carr – Interviews

This interview currently found at this location. Posted in July 2015 http://www.unity.org/resources/articles/voices-unity-conversation-richard-carr Voices in Unity: A Conversation With Richard Carr By Annie L. Scholl Richard Carr, 52, creates original piano and synthesizer music. About four years ago, he volunteered to put music behind Silent Unity® prayer services read by his friend, Rev. Blaine Tinsley. While neither is involved in the endeavor any longer, Richard continues to create and perform piano/keyboard soundtracks for the “soul, mind, and body.” Since 1997, he has released 14 albums. He lived in New Orleans, Louisiana for 10 years, but moved back to his native St. Louis, Missouri, after Hurricane Katrina. In May 2011, he began the Year of Music project, which involved posting a new piece of music every day for the entire year. Richard had so much success that he hasn’t stopped. He continues to post a new creation every morning, which people can sign up to receive free of charge. Here he talks about his music. Unity: Why did you volunteer to provide music for the Silent Unity prayer services? Richard: Like a lot of things, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. In my mind, music always enhances meditation. I really believe there’s some sort of spiritual tie that runs into meditations. The Silent Unity prayer service was just a written meditation, not something to give one the chance to really move into a meditative state. So Rev. Blaine and I decided to create an aural presentation for the entire Silent Unity community. There are some Sundays when I play music to a meditation and it’s just like, Whoa, that was right on target. There’s kind of zoning out and letting your fingers do the talking, and it’s obvious I’m not in charge. … Instead of using strings, you can slide to a wood flute. Or maybe you start with a wood flute and then the piano slides in somewhere along the line. I compare myself to an artist with a palette, and my palette is the different sounds I have to work with.

Richard Carr – Interviews

Unity: What does it feel like when you’re in that space of creating? Richard: I am in that creative mode all the time. It’s just part of me now. My creative switch got turned on a long time ago and it has not stopped. Unity: Have you ever had a period where it did stop? Richard: When I was in grad school (for music composition) it came to a complete halt. I was still producing stuff, but it wasn’t anything I really liked. I was more or less doing it because the professor said I had to do this or that. I thought, Why? This is not music to me. This is not what I want to be doing. That’s probably why I don’t have my master’s degree in composition either. Unity: How old were you when you started playing the piano?

Richard: I had formal lessons when I was 6. Unity: Whose idea was it? Richard: Probably mom and dad’s. We had a little Magnus electric air organ at home and I had been playing around with it for a year and a half or so. My grandma had a bigger one upstairs. My mom and dad said, “Well, he might have some talent here.” They took me over to my Catholic grade school and there were a couple of nuns who were teaching piano. The first nun said, ‘I won’t take him until third grade.’ I was in first grade. The other nun received an invitation from my parents, “Come over for dinner. We’ll have a nice dinner and then see what Richard can do and then you make a choice.” We started lessons right away. I ended up at a local Catholic college in their music education program … Another nun there said she’d like to take me as her student. I had her for seven years. I flourished. That was my foundation there. Unity: Then you stopped lessons at age 14, is that right? Richard: Yeah, I was a freshman in high school. High school got in the way of lessons. I just didn’t have time to practice. I didn’t stop playing. I just stopped playing classical music, basically. Instead I was playing Billy Joel, Elton John, Emerson, Lake and Palmer—all the stuff in the early to mid-70s … Being able to sit down at the piano any time, it got me through all those hard, emotional teenage years. I tell people music has kept me sane all these years.

Richard Carr – Interviews

Unity: How does music help you? Richard: I think it’s different now than what it was back then. Nowadays, when I sit down and play what I call the ‘other people’s music,’ it’s a form of release for me. You just let go of everything else. It just takes you away from the pressures of whatever you’re thinking about right now. Whatever your troubles are, music is always able to ease that away for a little while. There’s a Harry Chapin song called ‟Let Time Go Lightly.” There’s a point in the lyrics that goes, ‘Music, has been my oldest friend, my fiercest foe, ’cause it can take me so high, yes it can make me so low.’ And that’s what it does. With music, you can reach out and pluck someone’s heartstrings, which is what I do regularly in a concert. Not intentionally, mind you. I’m just playing. I sometimes tell people, “I’m not playing for you, I’m playing for me and you guys get to come along for the ride.” At almost every concert at some point in time, there will be tears—tears of joy, tears of release, and tears of a fond memory. People wonder why they are crying. I say, “I don’t know.” But at the same time, you don’t have to know why. It’s just there. Unity: Talk about the Year of Music project. Richard: The Year of Music project started out to be one year. I had all kinds of material sitting around and I really didn’t have the wherewithal to just continuously put out CDs. So I was looking for a way to share this music because what good is creating music for if you can’t share it? So I thought,I’ll just put it up on my website. I got through the first year, and after taking a few months off, I began again putting it up on Sound Cloud and haven’t stopped since then … It’s gotten to the point where now I record any time I sit down at the piano. I have no idea what’s coming. It’s just part of me. I’ve been doing Year of Music for four and a half years now. It’s an enormous amount of music. I have a Facebook fan page and it’s up on Twitter. It’s a personal way of sharing my music and I’ve never really had any bad comments. Some days people will say, “It’s just what I needed.” Those are the kinds of things that keep me going.

Richard Carr – Interviews

Unity: Do you have a sense of why your music connects with people? Richard: Honestly, no. I always believe, and I tell my students, if you cannot play with passion, don’t bother. I play with full emotion and passion. Maybe in that way it becomes more real for people, because they can feel the emotion and the passion of the music coming out. That would be my best guess. Unity: What is your hope for your music? Richard: I want it to find its audience. Unity has more or less embraced what I do. Somebody said, “Why don’t you write song lyrics?” I don’t feel that calling to create words with my music … I would love to be on the road much more than I am, playing, bringing my music to different churches. I also do some one-on-one music therapy-type stuff called, I Am Creative Sessions, which is a whole other world. I would love to be able to go into a church on a Saturday and do workshops, and then play the Sunday service, and have a concert on a Saturday night or Sunday afternoon. Unity: But it sounds like you’ve been able to make a livelihood? Richard: My high school buddies say, “Oh, man, you’re living the dream … you’re out playing music every week and you’re making a living.” Let’s call it eking out a living. I do teach piano and composition and theory too. Unity: What would be your dream scenario? Richard: Being able to introduce my music to a new set of ears two or three times a month. Being able to perform six to 10 concerts a month, and continue writing. Maybe start collaborating with other musicians more. I have started. I have a couple of projects that are in the very early infancy with other musicians. Ideally, I would like to have someone else handle the business part so I have the freedom to create and perform.

Richard Carr – Interviews

Unity: What keeps you doing this? Richard: Every time I’m ready to throw in the towel, someone, or several ‘someone’s,’ come up and say how much my music has affected their lives. When I’m ready to quit, it’s like, Nope. Nope, you can’t quit. I have been blessed with all of this creativity in me. It would be a waste of what God gave to me if I don’t do it. Listen to a Silent Unity prayer service recording with music by Richard Carr. Listen to more of his music or learn more about Richard at richardcarr.com. ________________________________________ About the Author Annie L. Scholl is a freelance writer and native Iowan who lives in North Carolina. In addition to writing for unity.org and Unity Magazine®, she is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and blogs at her website, anniescholl.com. rr#sthash.Au1WEstf.dpuf

Richard Carr – Discography/Repertoire

Discography: Soul Rekindled (Solo piano - released 3/7/13) Christmas Cradle (Solo piano - released 12/1/10) Abundant Joy, Joyouse Abundance (Synthesizer - Single released 11/27/08) Journey to Light (Synthesizer - locally released 10/25/08) Becoming Aware (Synthesizer - locally released 9/15/08) Dimensional Interplay w/ Bradford Smith (Piano/synth w/ Native American Flute - released 9/1/08) Christmastide (Solo piano - released 09/01/05) New Age Reporter Top 100 (12/05) Highest rank #10 At Heaven's Edge (Synthesizer - released 03/22/05) Momente' Intimate (Solo piano - released 10/17/03) Crystalline Christmas (Solo piano - released 12/1/02) New Age Reporter Top 100 (12/02) Highest rank #1 New Age Voice Top 100 (12/02) Highest rank #23 American Reflection (Solo piano - released 7/4/01)

New Age Voice Top 100 (8/01-10/01) Highest rank #78 When Soul & Heart Collide Solo piano - (released 10/25/00)

New Age Voice Top 100 (11/00 - 5/01) Highest rank #4 Christmas Fireside (Solo piano - released 11/2/00)

New Age Voice Top 100 (12/00) Highest rank #4 Nominee for Best Holiday Album - Just Plain Folks Music Awards 2001

An American Quixote (Solo piano - released 8/4/99) New Age Voice Top 100 (11/99 - 1/01) Highest rank #31 First Runner-up Best New Age Album Just Plain Folks Music Awards 2000

Fogland (Solo piano - released Oct 20, 1998) New Age Voice Top 100 (12/98 - 3/99) Highest rank #18

Through the Mind's Eye (Solo piano - released 12/7/97) New Age Voice Top 100 (11/98) #96

Richard Carr – Discography/Repertoire

Additional catalog: Year of Music Project: Posting online of a new unreleased creation or a live cut every day. The entire project by month will be found at www.SoundCloud.com/richard-carr/playlists Currently December 2011 thru April 30, 2012 is not on SoundCloud (but will be there within 10 days or so). Year I: May 1, 2011 thru April 30, 2012 Year II: September 1, 2012 thru August 31, 2013 Year III: September 1, 2013 thru August 31, 2014 Year IV: September 1, 2014 thru August 31, 2015 Year V: September 1, 2015 to the present

Richard Carr – YouTube Links

RICHARD CARR PIANO YouTube Channel PIANO Fogland LIVE @ Church of the Wayfarer, Carmel CA 11/14/14 www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn7algQrwt0 Opening Improv LIVE @ Church of the Wayfarer, Carmel CA 11/14/14 www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFOPDJ_0vq0 Improv LIVE @ Church of the Wayfarer, Carmel CA 11/14/14 www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7OxbWSC2mE Hope LIVE @ Church of the Wayfarer, Carmel CA 11/14/14 www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qe2aJPTKOA Dance of the Morning Mist www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec1gTzLNpkc SYNTH Nepal www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9c4XcCmMlQ FOUND OUTSIDE OF RICHARD CARR PIANO channel PIANO A Horse’s Winter Respite www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9c4XcCmMlQ

using LIVE version of Sonoma Coast Sunset from the album Fogland. When Soul & Heart Collide / Fogland (incomplete) www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzFr2fqIPD4&list=PL5wxMMrAAKjBzRaur7W6-2pUJHVpEf6UV

Artist Website: http://www.richardcarr.com