Robert R Patterson An interview with singer, songwriter, guitarist Robert R Patterson. Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Robert: I have been playing music for a hobby for the past 35 years while I raised a family and worked as a Quality Engineer for a large international company. My focus has always been to improve the quality of life for people. Over the past 5 years I have built up my own studio and written songs based on my experiences. I am now a full time musician thanks in part to the global economic meltdown. My focus is still to help improve the quality of life for the listener. It is a great feeling to know that people relax when they hear your songs. Daily concerns seem to disappear. Some of my songs could be described as lullabies. Other songs are in the folk music genre, or eclectic jazz. I don't like to categorize the songs however because they really do have a sound of their own. I never try to fit into a genre. LB: How did you start out making music? Robert: When I was 3 years old when started playing the piano by ear. I would play melodies that came to me. Over the years I played French Horn in the Orchestra, and sang in Renaissance and Baroque (madrigal) groups. I majored in Music composition and minored in Classical guitar when I was in school and played in Southern Rock and Stones style bands at Motorcycle bars. I quit playing seriously when Disco destroyed the live band opportunities in the late 70s. I began to play again in 1996 so that I could teach my kids how to play. In 1997 my daughter was diagnosed with Scoliosis. I began writing songs to kind of cope with the situation. I have not stopped since. Music publication was never in the cards however as I did not have the time or money to pursue it. My first CD "Just Sparrows" was written to help our children sleep at night. I published in the hopes that other people could find some relaxation as well. The experience has been great. Selling music to people all over the world from my home in Pontiac, Illinois has been a real joy. LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Robert: I grew up listening to all kinds of music. My only stipulation was that it was an art form and not a commercial enterprise. The great influences in my life were Bach, Steeley Dan, Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, The Who, Pete Townshend, The St. Olaf Choir, Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Billy Preston, Motown, Django Reinhart, John McGlaughlin, and Andres Segovia. The feeling achieved by these artists serves as a reference for my songs. I never try to imitate any of them, but do find myself creating the feelings in my songs that were in their music. LB: Tell us about your latest release. Robert: My latest release was created as a memorial to Kyle Patrick Lowe. He was a 24 year old that died in a motorcycle accident in 2007. The title track was created with the help of his friends and family. Every year there is a memorial motorcycle run to help children's charities in LaSalle County Illinois. This year the event raised $20000. The purpose of the CD was twofold. The primary purpose was to help people deal with loss and help them move on with their lives while helping contribute to the charities. My wife and I did radio interviews to promote the event and had songs played on the radio from the CD. The second purpose was for me to publish a wide variety of my material so that people could get to know a little more about my style. The genres range from simple folk music on "Thank You", to aggressive slide guitar on "Five Dollar Mohawk". There are three different instrumentals on the CD as well. "Claire" was written for my dad over 20 years ago. This was my first opportunity to publish it. The title cut "Never Said Good Bye" features Kyle’s friends as well as a clip of his dad driving off on his 2003 Heritage Soft Tail Harley Davidson. It should be listened to with head phones and elevated volume to appreciate it. Feedback has been positive from those that have bought it. I hope that it helps others as well. LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Robert: I have not been out playing live because of the number of songs that are still being recorded. I hope to change this soon however. There are several types of shows that I do when I am performing. There is the purely instrumental performance as background at a dinner or wedding. Most of the time however I will perform a mix of songs that are similar to the ones found on "Never Said Good Bye". People can expect to be run through a full range of emotions and leave the show with a smile on their face and a feeling of contentment. LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Robert: I enjoy the process of creating a new song the most. It just kind of comes to me and I feel like I have always known it. It is a great feeling when it all comes together. I enjoy all aspects of the process however. Recording, mixing, publishing and promoting are all enjoyable too. I just really enjoy the creation process. LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Robert: My music is available through CD Baby, I-tunes, Amazon, Napster, etc.. Full length copies of the tunes can be listened to on my website (link below). Downloads can be purchased through this site as well. http://robertrpatterson.com