Christine Sweeney – Life is Music, Music is Life

By Darryl Maraj

I first met Christine Sweeney two years ago when we both worked in a music store. I was behind the counter, and she taught lessons. During our breaks, Sweeney (which is what I solely knew her as) and I would talk mostly about crazy store patrons and Breaking Bad. But, whether it was the shortness of our breaks or because Breaking Bad was just that awesome, we never really talked about ourselves or our music. So, everything you’re about to read, I only learned a few hours before you.

Christine is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, where she majored in music theory and composition. According to Christine, one of her major accomplishments right now is being a full time musician- without having to work in retail anymore. “It’s a lot of work, but I can say that I’m doing what a love for a living,” said Christine, who now lives in Lindenhurst. She teaches lessons in voice, guitar and piano in studios as well as in homes. One of the bands she’s a part of is reggae band, Free Noise Brigade, where she sings backup vocals. However, Christine’s crown jewel and the focus of most of her time, effort and heart is her band – Christine Sweeney and the Dirty Stayouts. This is the project that allows Christine to show off the completeness her vocal prowess as well as her astounding songwriting.

Christine’s music is a combination of acoustic rock’s rawness and power, with the sweet and memorable melodies of pop music. She draws many of her influences from artists such as Grace Potter, John Mayer, Regina Spektor and KT Tunstall. Songwriting for Christine usually starts in her car. While driving to her various jobs, or to gigs, Christine will hear a melody and immediately start creating lyrics to go along with them. I asked her was her lyrics were typically about. She said, “I draw from my own experience when writing… I have a lot of relationship songs, but also have ones about addiction, hope, wanting, wondering. I work out my inner demons through songs.” Christine Sweeney and the Dirty Stayouts’ newest album is going to be released towards the very end of August, so keep your ears to the ground on that one.

When Christine isn’t making music, she’s usually hanging out with friends, or relaxing at home. She also enjoys crafty things like drawing, knitting and photoshopping (mostly for gig posters and such).

For more on Christine Sweeney, you can visit her website or her Facebook page. And if the internet just isn’t enough, you can catch her performing live at SPARKBOOM’s ArtSpace Unplugged, at 20 Terry St, Patchogue, NY 11772, from 6-10 PM. She goes on at 6:30 PM.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Maraj graduated from Five Towns College with a degree in Music Education. At Five Towns, he worked with the great vocal professional and renowned educator, Stephen C. Pagano in jazz, classical, Broadway and pop styles of singing. Currently, Darryl splits his time between his job at the Islip School District, his church- where he is the Music Coordinator, and his band, Slang (facebook.com/slangthebandli). When taking a break from music, Darryl likes to draw, play video games and attempt cooking.

Discovering Cloud Caverns

Credit: Hurricane of Lions

By Darryl Maraj

Although the band has only been in existence for about two years, Cloud Caverns is quickly and quietly raising the standard of music on Long Island. By seamlessly blending the musical styles of Indie Rock and Folk music, along with outstanding storytelling, Brandon Peterson and Dan Bouza are on their way to greatness. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Brandon and Dan and I found out that they’re not only great musicians, but really great guys too.

Even though Cloud Caverns is relatively new, Brandon and Dan have been writing together since their days at East Islip High School. Each of them were in different bands at the time. However, they would periodically meet up just to jam. Nothing was really taken seriously, but they bonded over shared musical interests. They were briefly separated when Dan went to the Crane School of Music in SUNY Potsdam, where he majored in Music Business with a concentration in classical guitar, while Brandon spent some time at Five Towns College also for music business as well as audio engineering. Once the duo reunited, they continued in their noncommittal jams, until one day, they realized that they may have stumbled upon something brilliant. They decided to get more serious about the music they were making together, and Cloud Caverns was born.

Credit: Hurricane of Lions

As previously mentioned, Cloud Caverns, typically is a mix of folk and Indie rock. They noted that some of the main influences on this group were Tom Waits, Iron & Wine and As Tall as Lions. However, one of the main musical philosophies of the band is experimentation with sounds. Brandon, being the main songwriter, will bring a basic sketch of a song. Then the partners go to work finding what the song needs. Does it need horns? Does is need strings? Does it need a drum? Does it need a drum with a can resting on the head? Does it need a drum with a can filled with pennies resting one the head? You get the idea; the process these two go through to make their vision of a song a reality is extremely time and energy consuming. But, based on the way they talk about the process, they love every minute of it.

Credit: Hurricane of Lions

Monday, June 30th will mark the very first live performance of Cloud Caverns! They’re going to be playing for the SPARKBOOM After Party of the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre’s viewing of the Documentary “Mistaken for Strangers” following Indie Rock band, The National. They both were extremely excited for three reasons. 1) It’s their first live performance with this band. Cloud Caverns’ natural habitat is in the studio but, they’re no strangers to playing live. Dan currently plays in a Bluegrass band called Three Suits and a Mandolin, and Brandon plays in rock band, Hotel of the Laughing Tree (who will actually be playing with Cloud Caverns that night on stage!). But, Cloud Caverns is immensely enthusiastic to play the music from their premier album, Gypsy Loft, to a live audience. 2) They’re big fans of The National! They feel honored to follow up a film about one of their favorite bands. And 3) These guys are really excited to be working with SPARKBOOM. The guys said they’re “happy to be a part of… an organization that is working to jump-start the art community on Long Island.”

So, don’t forget, Cloud Caverns will be making a scene, on Monday, June 30th, 9:30 PM, at the Cinema Arts Center, right after the screening of “Mistaken for Strangers” at 7:30 PM. RSVP here via FB / Purchase tickets. Don’t miss out!

You can stream Cloud Caverns’ “Gypsy Life” by clicking here.

Visit Cinema Arts Centre or SPARKBOOM’s FB page for more info.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Maraj graduated from Five Towns College with a degree in Music Education. At Five Towns, he worked with the great vocal professional and renowned educator, Stephen C. Pagano in jazz, classical, Broadway and pop styles of singing. Currently, Darryl splits his time between his job at the Islip School District, his church- where he is the Music Coordinator, and his band, Slang (facebook.com/slangthebandli). When taking a break from music, Darryl likes to draw, play video games and attempt cooking.

A Glimpse into Robert Sloan

Robert Sloan is a Long Island native. He was born and raised in Massapequa Park, only leaving his hometown when he went to school in Oneonta for Music Business. I had a chance to sit and talk with Robert and get a glimpse into who this artists really is.

Though Robert played clarinet and sang in school programs, his musical life really began at the age of thirteen. That’s when Robert first heard the music of Jimi Hendrix. The mesmerizing and psychedelic nature of Hendrix’s music really spoke to Robert. It was then that Robert knew he needed — not just wanted –needed a guitar. He received a few lessons, and learned the basic scales and chords, but soon, that style of practicing would not be enough. Over time, Robert developed a unique method of practice, that some haven’t heard of and others call crazy. Robert began a method of meditation that helped him practice the guitar while lucidly dreaming. Before sleep, Robert would play one chord over and over, clearing his mind while focusing on his guitar and the sounds it created. He would then go to bed and, through training, would lay with as little movement possible until his body fell asleep. Through these dreams, Robert would practice his playing-techniques and become inspired through his mind’s creations to write songs.

Robert’s songs mainly come from the inspirations found in his dream-scape. When he talks about the music that came about from his dreams, he described it more as being sent to him, rather than being created. He considers his sound to be Folk with some aspects of Jam, Funk and Pop music. But, he doesn’t like to be viewed solely as a folk musician. Though, one of his main inspirations is the renowned English folk artist, Nick Drake, he has many other musical influences, ranging from Cat Stevens to Donovan to Green Day to John Mayer to World musicians, like Habib Koite. He believes that his music is always supplementary to the message he is trying to convey.

Robert reads a lot of books to help him. He uses messages of positive growth, redemption and love in all of his songs. He believes that his lyrics can inspire others, cause change, and better our world. Because Robert is an avid reader, he strives to make his sounds and lyrics come together to make musical novels. Robert told me that while he is very happy with the music he makes now, but is still looking to do more. He wants to use some harder messages in his music, perhaps delving into topics such as politics and society as a whole.

Outside of his own music, Robert actually owns his own booking and promoting agency called InterROBang Productions. He enjoys cult movies like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. Robert also spends a lot of his time working to help people less fortunate than himself. He has started working in a home with special needs individuals, and has found that it to be extremely rewarding. He has also worked with Unicef in raising money to help people affected by natural disasters.

I asked Robert if he had any advice for up-and-coming Long Island artists. He had a lot of wisdom for them, stating;

“You have to play all the time. You have to work on your craft. You have to put yourself out there. Find your audience and just go do it!”

Robert Sloan will be performing on Saturday, June 21st at SPARKBOOM‘s 2014 kickoff event “Beards, Bards and BOOM” at The Walt Whitman Birthplace. Robert already has a beard, and a pretty impressive one at that. He promises to dress it up even more come June 21st.

For more info, visit sparkboom.org. RSVP to our FB event here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Maraj graduated from Five Towns College with a degree in Music Education. At Five Towns, he worked with the great vocal professional and renowned educator, Stephen C. Pagano in jazz, classical, Broadway and pop styles of singing. Currently, Darryl splits his time between his job at the Islip School District, his church- where he is the Music Coordinator, and his band, Slang (facebook.com/slangthebandli). When taking a break from music, Darryl likes to draw, play video games and attempt cooking.

MEET THE TEAM – OUR BLOGGERS ARE ON THE BEAT!

As a new, exciting season arrives in the SPARKBOOM^TM world, we are proud to have a team of talented writers who are in-tune with Long Island’s emerging, creative talent….So, without further ado, meet our bloggers:

Jenna Weis grew up on Long Island and graduated from Commack High School in 2007. She received her Associates Degree in Visual Arts from Suffolk Community College then went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Criticism from Stony Brook University. This is her second summer working for SPARKBOOM^TM, first as Lead Blogger. She hopes the blog will really engage readers to want to see more of the artists work at our SPARKBOOM^TM events and help further promote the artists themselves.

Moe Tompkins, a native of Islip, New York, holds a double degree in jazz studies and music education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Upon acceptance to the College-Conservatory of Music he began simultaneous study both with Ray Charles Orchestra alumnus Marc Fields, and Tim Anderson of the Dayton Philharmonic. For several years he worked as a highly-in-demand trombonist on the Cincinnati scene and beyond playing everything from salsa, to reggae, neo-brass band sharing the stage with the likes of Streetlight Manifesto, The Aggrolites, and Foxy Shazam, just to name a few. He currently resides in Islip, working with the Long Island Arts Alliance and finally pursuing his own musical vision with his original group Slang (facebook.com/slangthebandli). When not making music, Moe can typically be found enjoying horror movies, fusion jazz, or White Castle.

Caitlyn Shea is a professional fine art painter. She studied Studio Art and Art History at Pratt Institute and Skidmore College before graduating with a BFA from Adelphi University in 2011. Outside of her studio, Shea is captivated by the pluralism that exists in art today, and the ways in which individual artists define themselves and their practices in order to carve out a unique career. By interviewing participating SPARKBOOM^TM artists, Shea looks to develop a dialogue between practicing artists and an audience that does not only include other art experts, but people who have a newfound urge to become involved in experiencing the work of fresh, exciting artists.

Darryl Maraj graduated from Five Towns College with a degree in Music Education. At Five Towns, he worked with the great vocal professional and renowned educator, Stephen C. Pagano in jazz, classical, Broadway and pop styles of singing. Currently, Darryl splits his time between his job at the Islip School District, his church- where he is the Music Coordinator, and his band, Slang (facebook.com/slangthebandli). When taking a break from music, Darryl likes to draw, play video games and attempt cooking.

Steven T. Licardi (The Sven-Bo!) is the author of “Death By Active Movement” (Local Gems Press, 2013) and is a spoken word poet, actor, artist, and public speaker from West Islip, NY. Steven uses his many projects to raise awareness of social issues, for advocacy, and as a means to educate others to be compassionate. He hosts as blog called “Cross My Heart And Hope To Write” that explores the relationship between love, beauty, and the human condition. Find out where he will be performing next at TheSvenBo.com.

Erin Corrigan is an aspiring writer with an open mind. She believes that music, art and poetry are the essential nutrients for every soul. Giving a voice to the budding faces of the literary and fine arts community is what she’s here to accomplish!

Be on the lookout for fresh, weekly articles from our Bloggers, as they cover the local scene and expose the best talent that Long island has to offer!

– SB