Sami Akbari: Great Things Come in Small Packages

The overwhelming presence and massive power behind Sami Akbari’s voice makes it hard to believe the vocally gifted entertainer stands at a mere five feet tall. With lyrics that reach untapped sectors of your soul, a quality of sound that both soothes and inspires, and a natural comedic flare, it’s impossible not to adore this fiery up-and-coming singer-songwriter.

Exploring the arts from a young age, Sami Akbari dabbled with piano, violin, and guitar beginning at five years old, and has been singing for as long as her memory serves. With Bob Denver, Ritchie Havens, Bob Marley, and Neil Diamond playing on the stereo in Akbari’s childhood home, a father who wrote poetry, a mother who played guitar, and a realization at age six that she could belt out Annie’s “Tomorrow,” Sami’s destiny laid on solid ground early on, simply waiting for the right moment to bring it to life.

Despite a passion for music and singing, along with an “unhealthy” obsession with The Beatles laced throughout her adolescence, it was not until freshman year of college that Akbari made the commitment to nurture her brimming talent. While on the committee “Mainstage” at Roanoke College, Sami held the responsibility of handling hospitality and taking care of the musical acts performing at the school- and the first act happened to be John Mayer. “It was the first time I was behind the scenes at a concert and able to see how the whole day was put together,” Akbari reveals. “Seeing the show and how people were reacting to him made me see it through new eyes.” Feeling relatively depressed after the event concluded, Sami longed to relive the experience and excitement, and immediately started back into guitar lessons and songwriting.

After college Sami picked up and moved to New York City, ready to pursue the dream and uncovering obstacles each step of the way. Finding tremendous support within the community, Akbari notes the lack of jealousy and the abundance of happiness artists exhibit for one another. “You come to New York with this image that there are so many people and musicians and it’s going to be so hard, and it is. But it’s actually a small community and it’s amazing how many people you end up knowing,” she observes with a smile. “It’s weird, it makes the rest of the music world smaller too because all of a sudden you’re connected to these people in different ways that would not have existed outside of New York.”

Akbari credits the Brooklyn-based group Local Correspondents, an organization that promotes independent artists, with helping to overcome a lack of confidence and getting her feet wet in the scene. Upon arriving in the city a little over a year ago, Sami spent most Tuesday evenings at Bar 4 in Williamsburg, where she met fellow artists Jessi Robertson and Brian Speaker, two people instrumental in helping her land her first gig at Piano’s top floor. The connection with Local Correspondents has kept the ball rolling as the venue list continually grows, now including Akbari’s favorite place to play, The Living Room, a place she adores for it’s loyal and attentive audiences and diversity of acts.

Commanding attention on any stage is effortless for Sami Akbari, who professes her favorite part of performing is simply audience interaction. “I love entertaining people!” she sparkles with enthusiasm. A harmonious voice dripping with longing, love, and heartache is often balanced with quirky banter, an engaging laugh, and honest commentary, keeping her listener’s emotions well rounded.

Inspired most often by music, different instruments, such as the micro-chord, will stimulate Akbari’s creative senses. The singer-songwriter often struggles with the “songwriting” end of the spectrum, finding it easier to compose music first, and then see where it flows lyrically. “It’s really hard for me,” Sami reveals, echoing a feeling familiar to many artists in this scene. “I know a lot of people who can sit down and write four amazing songs and I hate them. Sometimes it takes me a year to write a really good song.”

Regardless of the development process, Akbari continues to produce music that’s beautifully honest, absolutely relatable, and perfectly enchanting, as heard on her 2007 debut “Somebody Else’s Stranger,” a four-track EP that resonates with young love, self-discovery, and finding strength through pain. Propelling forward with recording new tracks and dominating live performances, Sami is making her way through the scene, bright-eyed and quick-tongued, proving once and for all amazing things come in small packages.

For more information on Sami Akbari visit www.myspace.com/samiakbari or find Sami on Facebook www.facebook.com.

Brent Shuttleworth: Finding Home

Brent Shuttleworth's guitar teacher at Bates College informed him he was so far behind in terms of understanding music that he wouldn't have a chance making a career out of it.  "I received a D+ at the end of the year," Shuttleworth said with a laugh.  While owning a guitar since age 10, Brent received no formal training until college, in a guitar class and a music theory course, investing a great deal of time and hard work to catch up.

Graduating from Bates with a B.A. in both Philosophy and Political Science, Shuttleworth wanted to be a public defender.  Despite loving music and wanting to play, sing, and write songs, it was a strong desire to help people and be of service to those in need that led to the path of law and justice.  "I guess there was a period of time that I felt like [music] didn't provide practical use for people," Shuttleworth explains.  The realization came in moving to New York and starting a full-time job with a non-profit company, a career choice that opened Brent's eyes in defining what helps the less fortunate.  In discovering the way audiences responded to and were moved by art, it was easier to understand that music was equally significant in day to day existence.

This honest, genuine, compassionate attitude not only comes across in Shuttleworth's personality, but also in the truthful lyrics set gracefully amongst the soothing, warm melodies of his songs.  "The artistic side of me is a cross between arrogance and foolishness," claims Brent, a musician who strives for deeper, more purposeful words but understands technical limitations.  A major component of achieving success as an artist is bringing out the best in yourself and those around you, a concept Shuttleworth has mastered over time: "I surround myself with very technical, talented people.  I can hear things, I know what sounds good, and I know what I like."

Turning to early David Gray for musical and lyrical influence, Brent began to explore songwriting as a freshman in college.  Finding Gray's work to be bold, creative and inspiring, it was the balance of "abstract yet beautifully specific" wording that grabbed Shuttleworth, guiding the path to more powerful work.  In listening to "Witness," Brent's current album, that equilibrium is evident- "Nothing flashy, words that cut you, speak the truth, and convey what I'm feeling."

Moving every year and a half for most of his youth, Shuttleworth grew up experiencing the hardships of trying to fit in.  From eating alone at the lunch table to struggling to make friends and feel accepted, those memories left their scent well into adulthood.  Then, during a seven month stay in South Africa, studying at a Masters program at University of Cape Town, Brent felt an awe-inspiring sense of acceptance and belonging.  Being in a place where poverty and struggle were part of daily life, it was moving to attend services and see thousands of people so warm, open, and extending themselves.  The title track "Witness" was born through this experience, a concept that Brent explains: "The idea of acknowledging our existence, validated through saying hello and introducing ourselves.  It was overwhelming, I didn't know what to make of it."

Perhaps that's why the actual song lyrics did not come to Shuttleworth until some time later.  "I did not write it there," Brent divulged. "I sit down sometimes and a song will come out.  Other times I'll have an experience and the song won't come out for months, or even years.  Which is beautiful because seeds are planted at all these different points... sometimes they come to fruition and other times they don't.  They're just memories."

After the program in South Africa, Shuttleworth moved to New York City, a place called home since 2004.  The NYC scene has evolved greatly for Brent, whose first gig was at the Bowery Poetry Club.  Starting out as a regular at spoken word poetry venues such as Bar 13 and Poet's Cafe, it's been within the past two years that a following was cultivated. Shuttleworth's talent has graced the stage of most of the downtown scene, including Rockwood, The Cutting Room, The Bitter End, Arlene's Grocery, The Living Room, and Piano's to name a few.  Rockwood Music Hall has become a venue of it's own strengths, constantly exposing Brent and colleagues to people coming for the scene.

"Rockwood is like my home," states Brent, singing the praises of owner Ken Rockwood. "There's something inspiring when you meet people that are really about the music.  Ken is one of the sweetest, most genuine, authentic people.  He's doing sound until two in the morning every night just because he loves it.  There is nothing else attached to that.  It's about the purpose of providing a space where real things can happen."

Real things are happening every day for Brent Shuttleworth, a musician who understands the difference between great artists and everyone else.  "It comes to the point when it's not about them.  It's about the purpose behind what you do," Brent declares.  Focused, determined and insightful, Shuttleworth lists simply being happy as a main goal in life.  Being a career artist, having a family, writing songs well into old age, continuing to tour and expand the audience are all part of sustaining this goal.  Paraphrasing a quote once read, Brent reveals, "The main block in any transformation is being unhappy with where you are now."

Beautiful words to live by.

To hear Brent's music or check out a show visit www.myspace.com/brentshuttleworth or join the group Brent Shuttleworth Live on Facebook, www.facebook.com.

Dan Torres: Breaking the Silence

In this constantly evolving community one path inevitably leads to another, opening our eyes and ears to the talent that lies right in front of us.  A few weeks ago at The Living Room, the trail of scattered postcards strewn across tables at Madi Diaz's show guided me to the CD/DVD Release Party of yet another audibly stimulating artist, Dan Torres.

On Friday, March 13 at 9pm, an aura of respect hovered over the record release party at The Living Room, carefully slithering through the audience's anticipation of the next striking note.  Promoting "Dan Torres: Live," an acoustic mix of both previously recorded and brand new songs, Dan commanded the jam-packed crowd with a powerful voice and impressive guitar skills that rocked listeners into a silent trance, only to be awoken by the finale of egg shakers percussively highlighting an outstanding collaborative finale.  The exquisitely packaged CD/DVD offers a gorgeous arrangement of live music that takes its listeners through every emotion and back again; it's a collection that speaks of life, love, and the human condition that is raw, stripped and relatable. 

Stage presence and vocal control come so naturally to this performer, it's hard to believe Dan just started playing the NYC circuit in 2005.  With formal training in music and composition, his guitar skills were self-taught and vocals came much later in life.  Torres started writing a bit in high school, more in college, but preferred to seek out others to perform his songs.  "I was very reluctant, I hated it," Dan says about singing, "I was just figuring it out." Influenced musically by the big chords and interesting voicings of guitarists from Stone Temple Pilots, Tonic, and Nirvana, it was singers like Jimmy Gnecco, Bono, Matthew Bellamy, Freddie Mercury, and Jeff Buckley who guided his voice.  In singing along with albums like Buckley's "Grace," Torres learned more about his range and vocal capabilities, developing a style uniquely his own.

Digging through the layers of Torres' striking music, a journal of lyrics sits peacefully, composed on mostly real-life events, with a bit of fantasizing over how things could have happened.  When first starting the writing process Dan claimed, "I had no experience with writing, I had experience with living."  As life moved on, new lyrics became more imaginative, letting the listeners take away what they wanted from it.  "I tell a lot of secrets very publicly, and that's kind of a relief, " Torres admits.  "Everything is a metaphor for something else."  

Enticing for spectators, who are captured by the artistic and comfortable flow of the live acoustic album, Dan's writing offers something for everyone.  "I try to write music where musicians will respect it and the average listener will still enjoy it."  Mission accomplished, as evident by the blend of people who find pleasure, excitement, and a little piece of themselves in each of Torres' songs.

Dan Torres' musical journey began not too long ago, in New York City circa 2005.  Recording started immediately, his first album "Where I Stand" was released in Fall 2006 and a tour was booked by Summer 2007.  The country-wide tour ended in Portland, Oregon, where Torres ended up living for a year. In October 2007, Dan's manager set up a performance at CMJ in New York, followed by a 6-week tour in England with percussionist Ryan Vaughn, before finally returning to NYC last summer. 

While being on the road can be tough, this 25-year-old understands the importance of moving around, meeting new people, and treating this career path like the business it is.  Success has come naturally because of this attitude, with Torres filling listening rooms and clubs all over New York City in the past year.  Perhaps its because he truly gets the scene, from understanding the different neighborhoods, time slots, and venues to realizing starting at the bottom and working your way up, just like any other job.  Favorite places to play include Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room, despite the fact these free venues pull in little income.  "For the artists who need to make money it sucks, but at the same time we meet so many more people," Torres explains, "It's more important for me to have a line out the door than to force people to buy my CD."

Dan acknowledges while NYC is vast in opportunities, it's also pertinent to an artist's progression to leave, go on tour, and meet "normal" people.  These "normal" people include music lovers, not just music players; the average downloader or listener who simply respect and like music.  "I would like to play for 1,000 strangers every night," Torres states as his personal goal.  "Beyond that it's not intimate anymore."  Specific venue types include concert halls where classical musicians play, where "you don't need a mic because they are so well built."  

To think this musician's career began in a small TriBeca bar that no longer exists called "The Orange Bear."  Over spring break in college, Dan placed a call to the owner asking if he could play an open mic on a random weekday night.  The owner agreed, leading to his first gig where the audience consisted of three friends, the bartender and the owner.  Instead of being disheartened, the young Torres saw this as a business opportunity, and started organizing gigs, advertising, and bringing in other bands.  Eventually more night gigs, including weekends, were added and crowds grew; a fantastic discovery into gaining fans and incorporating musicians.  Over time Dan began playing at larger, more established venues in the city, and now practically calls Rockwood home.  "Thanks [to that opportunity] I figured out how to promote bigger things," Torres states. "I want to be able to call a venue and say I want to play tomorrow."

One of the most impressive aspects of Dan's show for both the listeners and the artist is how breathtakingly quiet a room becomes.  Listing this as his favorite part of performing, Torres declares, "Silence.  When the audience is totally silent when I'm singing.  Because it's really hard for people to sit quietly and it must mean what I'm doing really means something to them."  A true observer of human nature, Dan doesn't always come with a set list prepared, opting to watch the audience to figure out what to play next; probably the reason why songs resonate so personally to each individual eagerly hanging on the next chord.

Above all, it's the natural, genuine nature of Dan Torres, a man who values the importance of being a good person, that will keep drawing audiences and filling those 1,000 person concert halls.  People often forget that artists are regular people, placing them on pedestals or idolizing them for the wrong reasons.  Dan makes it clear that is not his intent.  "I make it a point when I play to ask everyone to come say hello, and I mean it."

Check out Dan Torres at www.dantorresmusic.net or www.myspace.com/dantorres.  And the next time you are at a show, be sure to say hello. 

Caleb Hawley: Welcome to the Show.

If the culture and arts of New York City were to be an integral part of a daily diet, Caleb Hawley would be the main course. This well-balanced musician understands the value and importance of entertainment, incorporating humor, song variety, audience participation, and even a few sweet dances moves that flavor even the quietest venues. No stranger to the stage, Hawley has spent the past year touring the country, playing colleges, coffee houses, and a medley of local music spots, impressing audiences with a uniquely powerful voice and charming stage presence.

Hailing from the Midwest, Hawley is the youngest of three and grew up in a household with musician parents and a singer/songwriter brother. “Our vacations every summer were never to Mexico,” Caleb says, “We went to folk festivals.” Formal music lessons started at age 11, first with the drums, moving onto the guitar. Inspired by rock music like Metallica and Nirvana, Caleb joined the jazz band with dreams of pursuing the electric guitar. With three possible life goals in place at age 16, it was the singer/songwriter path that won, beating out college music professor and singing in a local acappella group. After high school he spent a year at community college, transferring later to Berklee College in Boston to complete his music degree. The move to New York came directly after graduation, along with marriage to high school sweetheart Samantha.

The 24-year-old’s music is a delicious blend of acoustic, funk and pop, with a dash of “white boy soul.” Growing up listening to a song’s lyrical content led to Hawley’s folk-based writing, but a significant jazz background gave way to gospel and blues influences. Another highlight of the act is Caleb’s use of the loop pedal, an increasingly popular instrument used by guitarists “to create looping layers of melody or texture during a live performance.”

“I first started using it at colleges because they wanted to hear pop songs,” clarifies Hawley. With a bag full of tricks to “spice thing up," including a musical caterpillar, wooden spoon, frying pan, shaker, and whistle, the audience is treated to radio hits like “Senorita” and “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough,” along with Caleb’s personal introductory rap, a clever, catchy marketing technique to introduce his website.

A true observer of human nature and social aspects, Caleb was originally drawn to satirical music, citing Randy Newman and Nelly McKay as two major influences. “What comes to me naturally is making fun of people,” Hawley laughs, but understands, “I love funny music, but I’ll listen to the CD and few times and that’s what it’s good for.” As a result, recent songs have taken a more serious turn, with chords that sing of beauty, sadness, struggle, and hope. The outcome: Music you can listen to over and over again; time capsules of the writer’s life.

The next wind of Caleb’s tour swirls through major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Portland, as well local gigs in Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. A self-made musician, Hawley started booking tours when he was 16, taking the family van to various locations in the Midwest. One of the most difficult aspects of this lifestyle is the do-it-yourself attitude that must prevail in order to succeed. A lesson taught at a young age: “The effort you put into it in the long run will get you further.” This is particularly true in the NYC scene, loaded with options and talented young artists; it’s hard to stand out in the crowd. Previously discouraged by the “hard to impress” atmosphere in New York, Caleb felt an enormous boost of confidence and energy after a warm reception at Rockwood Music Hall last week. “It was amazing,” he said, “When the crowd is good it is easy to feed off of.”

One of the top 12 finalists in “New York Songwriter’s Circle” last year, Caleb continues to perform with this incredible operation, next appearing in a live showcase at World Café Live in Philadelphia. The networking provided by this intimate and exclusive group offers publicity to the artists, a chance put forth their most powerful music, and camaraderie between producers, musicians, and club owners. Another remarkable facet of the New York artists scene, “Songwriter’s Circle” brought Hawley one step closer to his short-term goal: to be able to walk into any town, at any given time, and draw a crowd of fifty strangers who are there solely to see him play.

What will lure these crowds is Caleb’s phenomenal ability to capture the energy of a performance. “That’s something that has always been important to me, putting on a full, entertaining show. As a solo singer/songwriter, you can be so much like everyone else, so you just have to keep switching it up. I strive to make the show fun,” Hawley explains. "Fun" is certainly the vibe radiated at a Caleb Hawley show, where you walk away smiling, happy, fulfilled, and enthused; a main course that satisfies so wholly, there’s no need for dessert.

For more information and tour dates please check out www.calebhawley.com or www.myspace.com/calebhawley.