MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you Ed, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.
What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?
Ed Roman: Hey… ! it’s an absolute pleasure and I can’t thank you enough for having me as a guest. My house was always a very busy place and music seemed to be paramount. I saw such a spark in peoples emotions when it came to the subject matter and the stories that the songs were portraying. For me passion begins at home and as a result I followed it. I guess I was about the age of five when I started writing songs and performing for family and friends when they came to the house. It’s been about 40 years my friends. Half of a lifetime.
MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?
Ed: There so many people that motivate me and quite often some of them are not even musicians. As I fell in love with the electric base at an early age, Jaco Pastorius had a huge impact on me and like most young bass players were greatly affected by this man. He was like our Jimi Hendrix and Moses all rolled into one. A lot of progressive music like Rush, Yes, Phish and so many others that push the envelope. Then there is a huge jazz impact with artists like Charles Mingus, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. Some of the most exquisitely written melodies and lyrics that the 20th century. It’s a huge bag.
MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?
Ed: The ultimate goal is to keep talking about the human condition and reflecting on it’s ever-changing landscape. One of the amazing things about music is it’s historical factor which helps the modern mind come to grips with its development and where it maybe heading. I plan on taking my music all over the world and sharing it with as many humans and animals as I possibly can.
MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?
Ed: I played to up to 20,000 people and at the same time to very few but the important thing is the connection that you have to that moment and the music. Music is written out of a kinetic response to certain situations and feelings that we have as people. Live shows are very similar in the sense that they are happening in the moment and being created in a spontaneous fashion between the performer and the audience. This is a form of creation itself and a pleasure to be a part of.
MuzicNotez: You create music in a wide variety of genres, is there a particular genre you haven’t worked in yet but would like to in the future?
Ed: I never really want to shut myself off to anything when it comes to experimenting in pursuing new styles and genres. The most important thing to me as I follow the emotion and where it leads me. It behooves me as an artist to try to follow these new trails as they cross pollinate and from a multitude of new ripples. This what creates something new and exciting. Usually not readily understood by most. That’s how you know.
MuzicNotez: The music you create is truly yours, as you write and play every note. It has to be great to have that kind of creative control over the music you create, but I’m sure there are a lot of challenges to it, what are some of those challenges?
Ed: What I have learned to do is succumb to the moment. Music in its initial spark is the figurehead for all idea. The important thing is that you follow the trail as it requires you to. So often we have preconceived ideas as a result of our conditioning as to what music should sound like. What I’ve realized is that the pulse of the music happens as a result of you being pulled through it. This is where the control happens. You may be flying the aircraft, flight plan, telemetry, airspeed, fuel, landing gear but the reality of it is wind velocity could change at any given moment in time, unforeseen storms and weather approaches from nowhere and as a result your fuel consumption changes. Navigation is always changing in music important thing is that you become a good pilot in order to steer your craft through its destination and make an incredible landing..
MuzicNotez: Beyond your music, and with your music, you take time to give back. Tell us a little bit about what you’ve done in that regard.
Ed: We always have the ability to give back. A true act of generosity comes with no name attached so I am a little uncomfortable about talking about this. I’ve been lucky enough in my life to have traveled to many parts of the world because of music. There are so many similarities between us all that the differences to me are no longer. We all struggle in our lives at points in time and with that said achieve great accomplishments. We are all humans going through life hopefully in a loving and caring fashion. In order to do that we must reach out to those that are less fortunate than us. There are people in your own neighborhoods that need food, a warm bed and a roof over their heads but as we are her doorway into the 21st-century there are so many things that defocus us from giving to our fellow brethren. It’s not only the simple materialistic aspects of things that need to be massaged and cared about but even those that are weak at heart and feeble in morals. These sometimes are the people that have the most materialistic things but lack of spiritual pocketbook. Anytime we can give and/or connect to those that need it is the most important thing of all.
MuzicNotez: What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?
Ed: I have most recently released a video for single off the latest record Red Omen entitled “The Way She Goes”. I really enjoy putting these video vignettes together as they are wonderful and illustrating even more of the tapestry of ideas in the lyrics. I plan on doing a number of these over the next year. I’m also trying to put together a tour for the spring and summer of 2017 to take more of the music on the road and meet more people. I’m always writing so you never know when a new album is going to pop out..
MuzicNotez: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?
Ed: I’d like to say thank you so kindly for having me and it’s been a pleasure to be able to speak with you and talk about my craft. There is so much amazing music all over the place and some of it is happening in your backyard. The important thing is that we pay attention. The 21st-century is fast moving and sometimes art requires a subtle calm like approach to listening. If I may quote Jim Mars “The mind is like a parachute.. it works best when it’s open.”