GigMaven

Interview with Gary Gray who has been commissioned to produce an album, film, and live concert/DVD production on the order of an international “We Are The World” type of project for Tuesday’s Children.

Tuesday’s Children is a non-profit family service organization that has made a long-term commitment to every individual who was directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001 and more recently those lives that have been affected forever by the effects of terrorism around the globe.

We are following Gary throughout his commission. Please feel free to comment and share these posts.

GigMaven: Brief background on you?

Gary Gray: I grew up as a young prodigy drummer, winning several first place medals in the state of Ohio as a teenager for Snare Drum competitions. My younger brother and I built our first recording studio in our bedroom closet. As a child, I woke up next to a vibraphone, a huge drum-set, microphones, tape machines, a keyboard, bass guitar, and loads of percussion instruments. It was like Christmas every morning. Growing up in Cleveland, I was exposed to one of the best symphony orchestras in the world, several members from whom I took lessons. This opened up my world to melody and harmony and I began teaching myself piano and writing songs. I played in several rock bands, polka bands, wedding bands, big bands, a comedy rock band, chamber ensembles, orchestras, symphonies, black gospel groups, country bands, any group that would allow me to join. I then received a music scholarship to Northwestern University in Chicago, where I studied orchestration, theory and percussion. From there I moved to Hollywood, where I secured the position of advertising and promotion manager for Music Connection Magazine by day, and by night I was playing drums under Berry Gordy and Suzanne DePasse for Motown Records live productions. I also managed the talent showcase in Hollywood, Starcase, which became the biggest feeder line for the television show StarSearch (pre-cursor of American Idol). On a trip back home to Cleveland, I discovered and mentored a band of 14 year-old kids. Three months later, they held the distinction of being the youngest band to ever enter (and win first place) in the Cleveland Rock-Off.  Held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I was then asked to be a judge for the competition. I recently came off the road after several years of being musical director for several acts, playing both keyboards and drums on stage – sometimes both at the same time! (no kidding). From my childhood bedroom studio until today, I’ve been producing and engineering. I constantly apply the philosophy of my heroes in the field of production/engineering (Sir George Martin, Yoshiki Hayashi, Tom Dowd, David Foster) always asking the question, “What If?” It’s a constant experimentation, along with using tried and tested approaches to creating and recording music, in order to give the artist what they are looking for.

GigMaven: What is the Tuesday’s Children commission?

Gary Gray: I have been commissioned by Terry Grace Sears, the executive director of the international charity organization Tuesday’s Chidren to produce an album, a film and a live concert/DVD production on the order of an International “We Are The World” type of project. Tuesday’s Children helps children and families impacted by acts of terror around the world.

- To see a copy of the letter of commission and for more information and updates on the project you can go here.

We are working towards a single release, a film accompanying the single, an album, and an HBO live concert apecial, flanked by a major telethon on Sept 11, 2011. Different than the “We Are The World” video, where singers are shown at the mic singing, the single will be accompanied by a film, produced to major motion picture quality, telling the story of Tuesday’s Children and increasing the awareness internationally, therefore creating more donations for this vital cause. This is key as it opens the door not only to the music industry, but to the entire entertainment and business communities around the world. We are getting interest already from sports figures, models, actors, actresses, entrepreneurs, role models, on-air personalities, etc. The list of participants will be growing quickly and steadily from this point forward. And equally as gratifying, we are already getting people donating directly to Tuesday’s Children, which I encourage you to do now. - Visit this page to donate.

I happen to believe that because of the actions being taken by people like Terry Grace Sears and those who are helping around the world, the attempted airline bombing on Christmas Day over Detroit and the recent attempt to bomb Times Square in New York failed. I don’t believe in coincidences. This work is not being done for entertainment value. That is not it’s purpose. It is being done to make a real-life difference to the lives of the children and families who have been impacted by terror around the world and to stop further similar incidents.

GigMaven: Why did Tuesday’s Children pick you?

Gary Gray: A good friend of mine, Diane Nobles, sent me a link to the Tuesday’s Children website after she heard a song I had written about 9/11. I got in touch with Terry Grace Sears, executive director of Tuesday’s Children, by email to tell her I thought what she was doing was incredible. Terry found out that I had produced a children’s charity concert in England with Jermaine Jackson and Isaac Hayes and a music industry All-Star Band, so she asked me if I could carry out her vision of an International “We Are The World” type of project. I said absolutely.

GigMaven: How has this commission inspired you?

Marty Balin and Gary Gray

Gary Gray: Incredibly. I have taught children music lessons for years. I have always seen the power and life-changing lightening that music instills in a child. It cannot be underestimated or oversold. Music changes the course of lives for the better. In this case, I am very moved by the purpose of Tuesday’s Children. I’ve always wanted my work in the music industry to help the world for the better. Along with the purpose, the people who have climbed aboard and who are participating are a very special breed of people; my good friend Diane Nobles, executive director of Tuesday’s Children Terry Grace Sears, my manager Simone Moore, multi-platinum recording artists Marty Balin, Steve Gadd, Charlie DeChant, Ashley Parker Angel, actress and singer Riselle Bain, talent co-ordinator Natasha Nuhanovic, Lonnie Senstock, Mark Gonzales, James Love, Joanne Perica, Lettrice Lawrence, Leo James. The amazing thing about this project and the reason I know the future holds great things for this project is the speed at which participation is occurring. I haven’t even finished the business plan and word spread like wildfire and I’ve had people calling me asking to participate. - Contact Gary at 818 53 MUSIC or simone@sculptorofmusic.com. In a big way, this is testament to the fact that Terry Grace Sears has established and expanded an incredible organization that is very needed. If you go to her website, http://www.tuesdayschildren.org, and watch the 60 Minutes interview video, you’ll see exactly what I mean. This is real-life help that is making a positive difference in the world right now. I was moved to tears while watching that video when I heard 15 year-old Rena Wang make the statement, “You can’t destroy love.” Rena’s father perished in 9/11.

GigMaven: Have you started writing/producing the music?

Gary Gray: Yes, there are several A-list celebrities who will be co-writing the theme song with me. After speaking with Terry Grace Sears several times, and studying the Tuesday’s Children website, this idea hit me at 3AM and I literally ran from bed to my home studio set-up and laid down this idea. It just flowed out from me, first time, no changes. I sang the rough track (I’m not a lead singer) that night. During the day, I had singer Lettrice Lawrence from LA come in and lay down the demo vocals. So far it’s an intro, verse, and pre-chorus. It will lead into a huge, powerful and positive chorus, bigger than “We Are The World.”

GigMaven Editors Note: Gary Gray Productions has agreed to share with you the copyrighted unfinished work in progress recording of the first draft of the theme song for the Tuesday’s Children charity project. This is rarely, if ever done in our industry, but Gary felt that sharing this captured moment of the first draft of the single for this project might inspire more people to donate and to get involved. Here is a rare behind the scene glimpse at what goes into such a project.

These are the lyrics for this work in progress so far:

Lyrics:

“Tuesday’s Children” © 2010 Gary Gray [Unfinished work in progress]

I awake to the sound of crying
This child is trying
hard to hide
The pain inside
from so long ago
But it seems like only yesterday
But it seems like only yesterday
To this child
Like only yesterday
To this child
Too many times this sadness rhymes
With many children all around the world
In every land we understand
That every child deserves our helping hand. . . (Build to huge positive powerful Chorus)

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- Leave a comment for Gary and let him know what you think.

GigMaven: What format are you working in? What programs are you using?

Gary Gray and Ashley Parker Angel

Gary Gray: I’m working with one of the best filmscore composing formats on the market; Cubase Studio 5. Steinberg, which makes Cubase, was recently purchased by Yamaha, so there is an incredible bonus to working with this format. It comes complete with a Yamaha Motif keyboard virtual instrument inside the program. Yamaha saw that Steinberg, which invented VST technology, has a clear advantage in this virtual playground for composers, songwriters and producer/engineers. Add to that my favorite symphonic orchestra program by far, my East/West symphonic orchestra program gold edition (used by Danny Elfman, Paul McCartney, etc) with the new “Play” engine made by East/West. It’s breathtaking really. East/West developed a proprietary “Direct From Disc” technology that enhances their library of actual symphonic orchestra musicians playing each note in this way; When you lift your finger off the key of your midi controller keyboard, the program knows to instantaneously and seamlessly meld the note you were playing with the exact moment the instrumentalist stopped playing, (lifting his bow off of the violin for instance) and instead of giving you some concocted reverb, you get the sound of the hall resonating for real, as the note on the instrument comes to a halt. This, psychoacoustically, is what gives the ear and the mind the pleasure and realism of the actual instrument being played. It’s how the instrument fills up the actual room, including when the note stops and the room itself “keeps going”. It’s an incredible experience to write on this equipment. It’s impossible to have “writer’s block” when you are being totally inspired by the sound of your instrument. The keyboard begs you to write your next note or lay down your next instrument.

GigMaven: What should we expect to see with this commission in the future?

Gary Gray: More celebrity participation. More corporate sponsor participation. More donations to Tuesday’s Children. We’ll be setting up the recording sessions for A-list celebrity vocal singers as well as an all-star band.

In addition, we are liaising with members of the sports Industry, film industry, and other aspects of the entertainment industry, to set up the foundations of the album, the release of the single, the film and the HBO concert/DVD.

And all of this so children and families are able to find closure, peace and happiness after being impacted by acts of terror. And ultimately, a world without terror.

GigMaven: Thanks for granting us this opportunity to go behind the scenes with you and for your willingness to share your passion with the world. We anticipate what’s to come.

Gary Gray: Thank YOU Chris for GigMaven helping this incredible cause.