ARTIST STATEMENT
I want to be part of the positive social change and light that is sweeping globally and in the United States. The more I learn, the more I learn what I do not know; and the year 2020 taught me that I know very little. My experience and skill sets need to be put to the best use to be part of positive social change and I am committed to that end.
I am committed to learning. I am committed to growing. I am committed to being a more powerful and positive force than I have been in the past to the areas of equity, human rights and social justice.
I am ready. Bring it on.
It brings me great joy as a keyboardist and music director to create unique experiences through my music performance, audio compositions and theatre creations. Sometimes this leads me to projects that are farce, parody and pure entertainment and sometimes this leads me to higher aesthetic choices that give voice to an entity that I feel strongly needs to be heard. My goal is to create audio environments that entertain, give space to provoke new thoughts in the listener, or support larger works to generate a stronger impact on their audiences.
I choose projects where I feel that I can bring a unique voice and perspective to their final presentation. When a project hits a bullseye with an audience, it feels magical like plucking stars from the sky. Often I will view my subject in my mind’s eye as a three dimensional object in front of me, then I begin the process of viewing that object from different angles to gain insight for giving it musical form and expression. For many projects I make artistic decisions based on classic form and rules, but then begin listening to that small voice within to guide my gut reactions and decisions. The format and sound of my projects are varied and I adhere to the concept that content dictates form, meaning that in the creation process of a work as it begins to take form, the works themselves will naturally reveal how they need to be expressed.
There is an electricity of energy that is unique to live theater. To the best of my ability I try to capture that energy for pathos, catharsis, entertainment, and yes, pure fun. My background in musical theatre, opera, Las Vegas style shows and sacred music has evolved a dual artistic mandate within me: to entertain and engage the audience, but also to move emotionally and intellectually in the space where their life resides. Music and the arts can give a powerful voice to the truths and untruths we have discovered in this world, and it is my intent to use that voice wisely.
– Conrad Askland
Revised April 22, 2021
