Composer
Greg Federico
began writing music in the summer of 1988. In an effort to hear his compositions spring to life, Greg
began a recording documentation of his tunes in
the fall of 1988 at S.S. Sound Studios in
Hamilton Square, NJ.
The material that would be used on his
first commercial recording began in February
1989 with a piece entitled "February".
Greg is often asked:
“What is it that most influences your
music writing?”
The following are some of the main
influences that define Greg Federico --
composer:
Given
that much of the music that Federico writes is
instrumental by design, he finds a high level of
artistic inspiration in nature and his
experiences of natural phenomenon as
compositional subject matter.
Greg finds that the abstract quality of
instrumental tunes, or what he likes to call
“musical or tone portraits”, is well
represented within the context of nature in that
he feels that nature is, in a sense, an art form
of God. “If
earth is the canvass”, Federico explains,
“then nature is everything that God chooses to
put on that canvass.
As a painter draws from inspiration to
paint on his canvass, so does (whatever abstract
notion we have of) God in the form of nature.”
The listener may hear examples of the
influence of nature on Greg’s writing in such
tunes as "Maryland Route 137" from Greg’s
first record, Returning,
as well as Lonely
Tree and Beneath
The Stars from Greg’s latest record, Live
To Love, Love To Live.
On an upcoming recording that Federico
has entitled Forever Now, there will be myriad
musical examples of Greg’s experiences of
nature as the main theme of this record is the
documentation of his travels across the United
States in 1991.
During
his years of study at Villanova University Greg
developed a high level of interest in philosophy
and subsequently received his BA in 1991 in this
discipline.
Since that time, he has maintained
interest in philosophy and this avocation
influenced his writing directly on the title
tracks to both his debut album, Returning, as well as his follow up
record, Another
Viewpoint.
Other examples of philosophy and its’
abstract quality, which Federico attempts to
convey in many of his instrumental compositions,
can be heard on tunes like "Transformation"
from his third album, Purity,
as well as Faith,
"A Special Place" and the title track,
Live
To Love, Love To Live, from the release of
the same name.
Finally,
and not least so, people also influence
Federico’s writing.
"Lena 1981", from the album, Returning,
is an example of this.
But one can find this no more directly
and obviously than on Greg’s recording, Purity.
Many of the tunes from this record were
written about, and dedicated to, several of the musicians
who recorded with him on this project:
"Blues For B.D." (for guitarist B.D.
Lenz); Cousin
Dave (for multi-instrumentalist Dave
Edwards); Veeskee
(for bassist Ron Velosky - may his soul rest in
peace); The
Rosochacha (for bassist James Rosocha), and
"Rising Above" (for guitarist John Sheridan) are
all examples.
On this same album there is First
Date, written for Greg’s then fiancée
Karen, who is now his wife.
And rounding out the group of
people-inspired tunes is "Pat Metheny",
written for one the most important jazz
musicians of our time and one of the most
inspirational composers for Federico.
Other examples within this context that can be
heard on Live To Love,
Love To Live are:
"Your Soul Shines" (for Greg’s
mother), The
Promise (for Greg’s wife Karen and their
wedding day), and "Lullaby For Alexis" (for
Greg’s niece).
While
Greg has also composed many pieces that include
lyrics (which typically describe the “story”
of the tune), he draws great pleasure from
composing instrumental pieces which lay the
foundation for a listeners’ imagination –
and he is always very interested in the
varieties of pictures that are conjured up from
person to person via his music.
In
summary, Greg Federico thoroughly enjoys writing
and performing music that stirs the emotions and
stimulates thought.
