Copper Rose has been fortunate to find and establish friendships with quite a few musicians and bands from across the Atlantic. All of those mentioned in this blog are in our top friends. In Valencia, Spain we have had many fruitful conversations with The Dinner Gong and Yedo’s Telescopic Head. Tom has just finished his second collaboration with The Dinner Gong (aka Ian), who gave him the opportunity to add his newly acquired fiddle skills (from our trip to Cajun Country in Louisiana last spring) and some backing vocals to complete his witty and upbeat song THE SENSITIVE TYPE. It is currently posted on The Dinner Gong’s site so take a listen if you wish at
www.myspace.com/thedinnergong . Don’t delay, since this talented musician is a prolific songwriter and he posts new material frequently. Previously, Tom sent Ian a piano track that he couldn’t seem to match with lyrics and Ian turned it into an interesting piece called CENTRAL PARK BLUES. Johnny found Ian’s choice of band name so intriguing, that he sculpted a gong from welded metal parts and a splash cymbal and we shipped it to Valencia. You can take a look at it in our pics section under Johnny’s Art.
Yedo (aka Dave) is another wonderful songwriter
www.myspace.com/yedostelescopichead . Check out his new song 1924 while it’s still up - it’s exceptional. If you miss this piece, there are many others well worth a listen. Dave has always provided helpful and supportive comments on our work.
Someone not to be missed is The Castlehaze (aka Dan) from Great Britain
www.myspace.com/thecastlehaze . Here is an extremely gifted musician and artist with advanced technical skills who creates magical pieces. He is very generous with his gifts and produces some amazing collaborations among his close circle of friends. Any praise or encouragement we get from him is treasured. A look at his site at any time will provide excellent and inspiring listening.
Two outstanding female friends are next. September 29
th (aka Olivia) from Italy is a unique artist
www.myspace.com/olgostin . She would say that she is "an acquired taste," but we took to her right away. She is warm hearted and sensitive and writes inspired pieces dealing with issues of our troubled world. She has an unforgettable voice and plays fine guitar and remains a pure spirit while casting a clear eye on important themes. She has provided uplifting messages to us and we encourage each other.
Our newest friend from Britain is Heartssong (aka Ingrid)
www.myspace.com/heartssong . She is gifted, energetic and muti-talented. Her poetry is just as inspiring as her music and she puts on frequent musical/poetry events in a local pub. She also interacts with other poets/musicians and collaborates extensively.
The common theme to all this dovetails with Copper Rose’s theme of "harmony." These artists are a few of many that we’ve met via MySpace who are based in Europe. I could have included more, but the list is long and hopefully we'll spotlight some others in the future. What they have in common is their generosity and intelligent, ego-free communications, which have provided us with much food for thought and encouragement. There are musicians on this side of the ocean who could benefit from trying this attitude, and those of us who already do will be pleased to find these kindred spirits.
Thank you all!
Maggie