Hi folks! I was just pondering on the premise that I think keeps music interesting: the melding of different genres. Of course, as I have mentioned before in my Bio and one reviewer of my music had mentioned, the Classical influence in my music is prevalent. When I started writing songs, I had no idea that one day I would be influenced by the early Masters so much that it would be a characteristic of my songs. But do you know what? I am not the only pop composer who has been bitten by the Classical bug. Billy Joel mad a whole CD of piano compositioons a la Chopin.; Eric Carmen's classic "All by Myself" was based on Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto; Dan Fogelberg paid homage to Tchaikovsky's main motif in the 1812 Overture with the beginning notes of his song 'Another Auld Lang Syne" ; Paul McCartney , during his mature composing years before and after the Beatles, was heacvily influenced by Classical Composers ("Penny Lane" 's famous Bach trumpet solo composed and recorded after he hearing Bach on TV one evening; a Brandenburg Concerto, I believe). I could continue listing examples but what's my point? Well, I think theat composers should be very open-minded about the world around us and different musical elements are a result . I ahve always approached music with an open mind. Classical music has taught me how to go beyond the tape recorder, go beyond basic melodies and explore worlds that were hitherto unknown to me. For example, when I hear a score for a film, I know that the composer had to study or at least appreciate the old Masters in order to properly use an orchestra to convey all sorts of feelings. Strings are my particular favorite, for example. I remember listening to a lot of Ottorino Resphigi, Samuel Barber, and Ralph Vaughan Williams who wrote these lush pieces. I think Williams' Fantasia on a Them,e by Thomas Tallis uses a double string orchestra if I'm not mistaken! I did explore woodwinds to the extent of an oboe but if I am blessed with doing the next CD, TIME IS THE RIVER, I will most certainly keep strings of course, but also use more woodwinds and there are a few songs I have written with brass in mind as well. The challenge, naturally, will be to perform all of this music in public! Hopefully, I'll get the funding somehow. Well, those are some of my impressions on this topic. I hope you enjoyed reading them. Till next time! BKT