Can't get enough of Omar's "Forever Red" music?  Have you been eager to find out what the latest news is regarding his new album?  Are you wanting get a closer look behind the scenes during the production of his newest music at Everdrift Studio?  Do you want to know more about upcoming concerts as they are booked?  Want some insight into his social life outside of the music?  Well, Omar is now a member of both Facebook and Twitter! 

Become a Fan on his Facebook Page!

Follow him on Twitter!

See you there!

Greetings, friends and fans!

Omar has had a very busy summer but has taken a break from performing "live in concert" to finish producing his new album.  It has been an envigorating and exciting process, and the title of this album, which will be Omar's third official release (not counting the "FOREVER RED: DELUXE EDITION" re-release/compilation, which is still available) will be revealed soon!

Although there are private functions scheduled, Omar will not be playing with his band until after the album's release.  He has been working hard at Everdrift Studio with co-producer Mark Ford and has been there four nights a week, finalizing pre-production mixes, orchestrations, and arrangements on the new music before he begins recording the band, strings, and backup vocalists in September.  He will then record his final violin and vocal parts. 

In the meantime, get ready for an opportunity to get a sneak preview of the new music!  In a few weeks, Omar will post "advance listen" versions of a few of the new tracks that feature his work not only as a violinist and singer but as a producer and composer as well.  These are exciting times!

Stay tuned!

Regards,
The Team @ Omar Lopez Music

After a year of creating new music, violinist, singer,
and composer Omar Lopez has gone back into the studio to begin the
pre-production phase of recording his third album. This time around, he
is working at Everdrift Recording Studios with contributing producer and recording engineer Mark Ford, who is an
accomplished cellist and string arranger in addition to being
well-versed on guitar and keyboards. Ford is assisting Omar in creating
the synth sequences and orchestral foundations of twelve brand-new
original songs, and Omar's live band and backing vocalists will be
recording their parts later this spring with Omar's longtime
collaborator Adam Whaley. Whaley will also be a contributing producer
on this project - his Means of Production Studio
recently moved into a larger space in North Austin. In March 2009, Omar
will begin filming a long-planned video documentary which will
chronicle the creation of the new album from start to finish. Stay
tuned to his Official Website and this MySpace for more information!

VIOLINS:
ZETA "Jazz Fusion" MIDI-capable 5-string electric violin (2005) - Translucent Red (Omar's main instrument)
ZETA "Acoustic Pro" 4-string acoustic-electric violin (2002) - Translucent Red (Omar's secondary instrument)
Barcus-Berry 4-string acoustic-electric violin (2000) - Red Sunburst
Acoustic violin made by Walter Sandner (2001) w/ L.R. Baggs pickup

WIRELESS:
AKG WMS-40 Diversity Guitar Bug system (for the ZETA and Barcus-Berry violins)
Shure ULX-S14J1 electric instrument system (for the acoustic violin)

SOUND EFFECTS AND PROCESSING:
BOSS GT-6 effects processor (for reverb, delay, chorus, wah, distortion, and synth ambience)

AMPLIFICATION:
ZETA AP-12 Pro amplifier for electric stringed instruments (large venues)
Fishman Loudbox Pro amplifier for acoustic instruments (small venues)

A lot of you out there may not know this, but I actually got my start on the viola.  I dabbled in violin here and there throughout elementary and middle school but I had such long fingers and arms as an awkward preteen that my instructors thought it best for me to stay on viola. 

I wear glasses because of my blurred vision, and so my sightreading was not great, and to add to that, my intonation was terrible (due to the instrument's size and the discomfort it caused me) and I hated practicing as a result.

To add to that, there were times where I wanted to quit playing all through high school, because my peers in the orchestra were not the kindest people.  (You know how kids and teens can be!)  What kept me playing was the fact that I loved it, and I was also in my church orchestra and they were extremely warm and supportive.  Even my friends in my church youth group encouraged me to keep on playing.

That being said, I played both violin and viola through my lessons in high school, and my private teacher noticed that I was better on violin, but my high school's viola section was so small (it went from 4 players to 2 players during my senior year) that my orchestra teacher preferred that I play viola for the concerts.  By that time I think I had grown into my body, and that viola was really large and uncomfortable, which I think affected my playing.   Even my senior year solo recital wasn't as good as I thought it should be. 

All of these factors led me to a disappointing situation when I started college - I had been the first chair violist in high school, and now I was the third chair in my university's symphony orchestra.  I felt brushed aside and inadequate.  They didn't view my private teacher's recommendation for me to move to violin as legit because I didn't have enough experience actually playing the violin during concerts. 

It felt so political.  It really was, and I got burned out.  I wasn't all that interested in classical music by that point because by the time I was in college, I had already seen Yanni and John Tesh concerts and Irish-dance shows Riverdance and Lord of the Dance on PBS during the summer, and I knew that there was something else out there for me because those productions prominently featured violinists such as Karen Briggs, Charlie Bisharat, Lorenza Ponce, and Eileen Ivers - all of whom have become my friends and mentors in some way since my college days.  Some friends also turned me on to the jazz violin pioneer, Jean-Luc Ponty. 

What I'm getting at is that these people were improvising all over the place in different genres of music, such as world, Latin, rock, jazz, and Celtic, and I had also seen Vanessa-Mae (who is my age!) doing her thing with dance and pop-classical, so I too began improvising in my own time, outside of classes.

I was blessed to come across several great and very different opportunities after making the decision to leave college and pursue my dream of becoming a full-time professional musician.  Since that point, it's not always been easy, but I've been blessed by God with many musical opportunities that have helped me get to where I am now - and this is only the beginning.  From touring with a large internationally-based rock orchestra to playing in salsa clubs with a Latin-jazz band, and from writing my first songs like "Dawn" and "Resurrection" and releasing the "Forever Red" CD in 2005 to being on my way to releasing an album of all-new original music next year, I know that there is another force at work here.

There was a reason for everything that happened during my younger years.  Although I'm far from blind and can drive, type, walk, and see perfectly with my glasses, my vision problems helped me to develop the ear and sound that I have, and I have not read sheet music in ten years as a result.  That, in and of itself, is a gift, because I believe and trust that there's more music in my heart and soul, waiting to come out onto my violin and through my voice, than could ever be put on paper.   

That being said, let it be known and understood I am not the star of my life or my concerts.  I know it comes across that way, but it's only because I love life, I love music, and I love performing.  Although my onstage persona may seem pompous and dominant, I am truly humble because I am a born-again Christian.  Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, He is the star of my life, and with Him, all things are possible.  I have always known this and believed in Him, but my actions, my words, and my life have not always been a testimony of that. 

As a result of my re-dedication of my life to Him, my music is headed in a new direction, filled with light and love and hope.  This will be reflected in my next album, which I hope to release by Summer or Fall 2009.  I will continue to perform my music and minister to concert audiences and church congregations, who have always been so supportive of my journey.  However, I will also begin to minister through the music of Jason and deMarco, a devoted, loving, and commited couple whose star in Christ and in music is rising, as they have asked me to be a part of their live worship band for several occasions throughout the fall and next year. 

If I've offended anyone, please know that I do not do this to offend, because I am not here to force my beliefs on anyone - I'm only here to share my story to anyone who will listen or who also believes.  That being said, know that I am here and that my music is what it is, not because of me, but because of something inside me and around us all that I believe is greater than all of us. 

I love you all, just as much as I love the Lord and the music that he has put in my soul.  Thank you for being my friends.

In Christ,
Omar

This Wednesday (October 15, 2008) at 6:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (United States), Violinist Omar Lopez will be hosting his first-ever fan exclusive live chat on Yahoo Messenger.  Fans, friends, and fellow musicians will be able to chat with Omar for an hour on Yahoo Messenger by sending an instant message to his screenname (OmarLopezChat).  He's very excited to premiere his "FOREVER RED: DELUXE EDITION" album on Tuesday, October 21 (the official release date), so he will be onhand to learn more about all of you and talk about his own music, the music and artists that he's currently into, what he does for fun during his free time, etc.  This will be the first of many live chats that he will be hosting, and he can't wait to talk to you, so mark your calendars - and again, send an IM to OmarLopezChat on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 6:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (4:00 P.M. on the West Coast and 7:00 P.M. on the East Coast) and he'll be waiting! 

With love,
Omar Lopez Music