Bryan Nord (born 1973) is an electronic musician and composer whose current work includes primarily ambient and thematic electronic music. Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he recently completed a two and a half year long project and his first self-produced solo album entitled Aniagiasi (released March 2018). This instrumental concept album explores the history, advancements and possibilities of artificial intelligence and it’s ultimate impact on humanity.
Music is an artistic voice to express ideas, feelings, concepts, etc. in a way beyond simple words. It connects us a human beings, elevates us and brings us together. Music can reach beyond cultures, break through language barriers and thread us all together through that which music carries between the notes - our humanity.
My dream is to simply share music in both listening and writing. It would be wonderful to find success through my music but it is not a necessity. I enjoy writing music because it is simply a part of who I am and a way for me to express myself. If someone comes across something I have recorded and it moves them or connects them with a thought or feeling I hope they reach out and share that with me. That is such a rewarding thing and helps with the motivation to continue.
I think ignorance destroys so much of what we can all accomplish. We move to judge others or separate so quickly because we don't remember how much we all share. We have all laughed, cried, and celebrated. We all feel pain, loss, joy, and happiness. The amounts and conditions may be different but the connections are there. That is why people come together in difficult times, they remember this fact. I would change how much we remember what we all share in our humanity. I think that would make the world a very different place.
I guess my most memorable song from childhood would be "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" by B.J. Thomas. It was the first song I learned the words to as a child and have always been reminded of how I used to sing it all the time.
My number one favorite band is Marillion, hands down. I have always been a fan of prog. rock so you can throw in Rush, ELP, Yes, Asia, and Genesis (up until Steve Hackett left). Outside of this genre I have a huge respect for the talent of Chris Thile was is currently in Punch Brothers. I could go on since I enjoy listening to such variety but, I'll throw in two more at random... Bill Evans Trio and composer, Hans Zimmer.
The simple joy of writing music is what inspires me most. I think about writing a lot and wish I had more time for it. Writing music is kind of like an itch. If I can't get to it for a while it starts to drive me crazy.
There is no sweeping message behind all the music. There is a story in the album Aniagiasi which is my first album released in 2018 but other past and I assume future works will be very different. I don't think I could blanket them all with a single message.
When performing in front of an audience I feel a lot of things... nervous, excited, alive. What I enjoy is the connection. It doesn't matter if it is one person or a room filled with people.
A musician’s reality nowadays is more difficult in some aspects, more exciting in others. Technology has changed things for music drastically. It is easier to write and produce, easier to collaborate, and much easier to share. Having said that it is also harder to get noticed by a large audience and make money with streaming on the various platforms. Musicians now need to know much more than their craft. They need to understand social media, streaming online, and how to produce until they can get enough backing to pay for it all.
I really love Drooble. The community of musicians at various levels of success and stages in the lives or career is great. It doesn't take long to find connections, good music, interesting discussions, etc. I just got a message today with links to files for collaboration. We never met in person, the opportunity just came out of a chat on Drooble. Pretty cool.
Not being able to find the time to write or play. Music is far from a lucrative pursuit for me so I can't pick up and play whenever. There are a lot of things that need to come first.
I try to. I would like to more but again, it isn't easy to find the time.
I think fans want someone the can connect with, beyond just the music. They want to know the person, see their drive or work ethic, and understand their story. You could say the musician is their own brand but I don't mean that to sound as cold as it does.
Many people have never heard of Marillion, they are like a best kept secret among their fans. Oh, and if you haven't heard of Chris Thile then you need to educate yourself now. Seriously, stop reading this and look him up... Some others? Darrell Scott is a great song writer, Tuak is an instrumental band that is fantastic, and Steve Wilson has written some amazing music both with Porcupine Tree and since then.