Steve’s Interview

1. Steve, what was your initial inspiration to becoming a musician?
When I was 81/2 months both of my birth parents were killed in a plane crash. I can remember being about 4years old and being entertained for hours listening to the music they left behind.

2. When did you first get involved in playing an instrument?
When I was 8 years old my grandparents presented me with my first acoustic guitar.

3. How do your compositions usually materialize?
That’s hard to explain. Every piece comes to me differently.

4. When you write, do the lyrics and music reflect who you are and what you feel inside?
Of course; Music is an art and allows you to venture into any direction you choose to go.

5. Do you feel as though your compositions are ever really finished?
I do now, but there are always those cases when you say, oh… I should have added this or taken that out…

6. What is your greatest inspiration behind your work?
My faith in God and belief that the music I’ve been privileged to create will live on.

7. Do you have a musical role model, if so, who is it and why?
Absolutely that would be Beethoven. I saw brilliance in his compositions and I realized how much more there was to music.

8. Steve, you seem to stay true to yourself keeping an original image. How do you do that without conforming?
I’m just who I am. I write how I’m naturally inspired.

9. Now briefly touching upon the Precious Gems instrumental Portraits album, I couldn’t help but notice that there were two compositions of dedication.
Yeah, that would be Rescue and Patriot Blues dedicated to the men and women who pay an ultimate price for our freedoms.

10. On the album, what is the backdrop to the song Portraits, which also happens to be the album title?
That’s simple. The music portrays a picturesque image which is captured in the awesome art work on the album by very special and talented artists.

11. Precious Gems is not only the name of your unit of musicians; it’s the title of one of your sound tracks as well. It’s obviously something that’s close to your heart.
A mutual friend of my wife and I had a screen name “Precious Gems” set up for the purpose of chatting with us  during a very difficult time. She considered us her precious gems. And we thought what a great idea because that’s exactly how we feel about our musical family.

12. I understand that you are now in the process of recording a vocal album. Care to elaborate?
I’d have to think that over. Each song was written for a very special person. Some we knew intimately, some we only knew from what their lives represented.