Indies
When Passion Soars – In the Spotlight, Kitt Wakeley
By |
“We must act out passion before we can feel it.” -Jean-Paul Sartre
Often connected to love and even anger, passion is a powerful emotion usually associated with an intense feeling that motivates one to do the things they love. It ignites a strong desire, enabling people to create extraordinary things in life and is better described as a fuel that keeps the fire burning. When someone is passionate about something, the emotion gives them a sense of purpose. The same is the case with Kitt Wakeley, who is passionate about the music that he creates.
“Follow your passion. The rest will attend to itself. If I can do it, anybody can do it. It’s possible. And it’s your turn. So go for it. It’s never too late to become what you always wanted to be in the first place.” – J. Michael Straczynski
Passion not only gives people a reason to work towards perfection, but it also gives them a reason to keep learning. There are several reasons why it is so important for one’s happiness. When one feels the emotion of passion in life, one acquires a more positive outlook, has great energy and is more confident. It enables people to experience the motions and actively take steps to build the success that they want to. Passion plays a great role in leading people to success.
Wakeley’s music journey is one that is filled with great passion. The artist believes that it is only by expressing his passion that he has put himself out there for the universe to hear him. That has allowed others to hold him responsible for achieving his goals. The multi-talented keyboardist/pianist and composer played at Carnegie Hall after being inspired by friends who played there. Earlier, Wakeley also performed his 2019 hybrid symphonic rock album Midnight in Macedonia.
The artist has a unique mission and philosophy, encouraging people to recognize their goals, pursue their passions, and form a vision that eventually becomes their purpose. He has already been working with an underwriter to ensure that the Harmony Program, an NYC non-profit, receives the earnings from the tickets sold, apart from the $25 donation for each attending individual. According to Kitt, “Needless to say, I love the big epic, cinematic scores that trigger all the emotions,” and “Musically, I like to say it’s one of the advantages of growing up with ADD, where you want to do everything, you love but are told you can’t, so you find a path that allows you to do just that. I played trumpet from the time I was in fifth grade, but things really took off when I started on piano at 15.
I loved classic film scores, rock and roll, and electronica equally, and my inability to focus on a single style has now manifested in this hybrid style I play. As I always say, whether in the studio or live, if I haven’t triggered all your emotions, I’ve failed. I love interacting with the audience. If I can’t motivate you or get you to cry during my performances, I have let you down. Those are always my primary goals.”
As can be seen from what Wakeley has said, the artist’s struggles are unique. Not only this, but his relentless passion for music has enabled him to go above and beyond to conquer all of his difficulties. For instance, Kitt has focused on developing his solo artistry after years of traveling and playing in multiple cover brands. In 2016, he appeared as a successful instrumentalist with the release of a hard rock electronica album known as AudioKaoz that Wakeley produced with Tre Nagella, a three-time Grammy winner. The artist’s collection climaxed at #2 for individual artists per Music X-Ray, Sound Exchange, and Music Box, which later paved the way for Wakeley’s success with Midnight in Macedonia that he recorded at the Fames Recording Studio in Skopje with a 20-piece choir and 67-piece Macedonian Orchestra. Later, the talents of numerous other musicians were also added from all around the world, including the legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi), Colombian electric guitarist Daniel Uribe, and various other Grammy winners. For the time being, the artist is collaborating with Joe Satriani (guitar legend), Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper guitarist), and Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme guitarist).
From all of Wakeley’s achievements listed above, passion has driven the artist to soar in success. Despite facing numerous struggles and difficult times, the artist has conquered all battles and difficulties to get to where he is. According to him, “People often wonder how I have been able to create and produce music on this scale, and my best response is that when I set my mind to something, I am just one of those people who believes he is going to win.” He further added, “To me, winning is knowing that you found success, whether it’s selling or streaming a million albums or simply looking in people’s eyes and knowing that I’ve made a genuine difference in their lives with my music.”
“I always have two goals when I approach a project. First, to take the listener on an emotional journey, and secondly, to appeal to as many senses as possible.” He further says how, “Sometimes, I’m in the mood to write an energetic rock or electronica tune, and other days it’s an orchestral piece, a simple piano line or the need to smash it all into one! There’s no rule that says I can’t mix an orchestra with electronica, guitar and rock drums – which the audience at Carnegie Hall is about to find out!”
0 comments