TONY MOORE\’S BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!

On October 6, 2014, I posted my first interview with Singer/Songwriter, Mentor, Teacher…Tony Moore.   I’ve never in my life met someone with so many simultaneous jobs ensconced with JOY.  That is the one word I can use to describe Tony Moore, even when things are stacked against him – he always reacts in a positive manner.  I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s genuinely quite inspirational.  It’s taught me to be more patient with my life as well as proactive.  Now, you may ask, why am I telling you all of this today?  Because on this day in 1958 Tony Moore was born, this is my way of honouring Tony\’s birthday.  I wanted to do a big blown out BONANZA where I merge all three of his interviews – including a recent one on the origin story of Tony Moore’s Musical Emporium.

Every single Saturday regardless if it is live or in the archive, I ALWAYS listen to Tony Moore’s Musical Emporium on Soho Radio in London (Culture Channel).  The last couple of weeks I have been incredibly grateful — as the time to Tony’s show time slot had been changed to 12:00 pm UK time, which translates to 7:00 am EST.  I’ve learned so much about music and so much history with regards to the vast black hole that is the music industry.  If you’ve never listened to Tony’s show, I suggest you take a look at the archive and listen to last weeks show – here is the link  https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/tony-moores-musical-emporium-05102019/ and tune in tomorrow morning wherever you are.  

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with all three of my interviews with Tony, Happy Reading!!!!

Thank you so much to Tony for furnishing me with pictures for this EXTRAVAGANZA with minimal questions as to why!  For more information on Tony, please follow on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, YouTube, Spotifyand check out the website for any updates.  

Now, my Tony’s Musical Emporium Interview…

RMMW: What was the first day Tony\’s Musical Emporium aired on Soho Radio?

TM: April 26th 2014 – my guests were Chris Kimsey, Earl Okin and ILONA.

RMMW: What is the origin story of your weekly six degrees of celebration?

TM: I wanted to create a fun feature around music, and the idea of the 6 degrees of separation was in my head (the Kevin Bacon game)  – it came out of that, the idea of finding a way of linking very eclectic pieces of music.

RMMW: What is your favourite aspect of doing a weekly radio show on Soho Radio?

TM: Hearing people’s stories, I am naturally a very curious person.

RMMW: Your guests have such interesting back stories, who has been your favourite guest to interview?

TM: Impossible to say – sometimes a very well established/experienced has lots to say, at other times, younger guests can often have fascinating things to share – Ed Bicknell, Dire Straits manager was a particular favourite as was singer/songwriter/composer Randy Edelman.

RMMW: Who is your dream guest and why?

TM: I\’d love to interview Peter Gabriel, as he was one of the most important and influential performers that encouraged a young Tony Moore to have a career in music (although he didn\’t know it).

RMMW: Since starting Tony\’s Musical Emporium in April of 2014, what is the most valuable lesson you\’ve learned regarding hosting a radio show?

TM: Be prepared, do your research, have some structure to fall back on so you can \”fly\” creatively with confidence.

RMMW: Being on the radio means constantly having to think on your feet — as it\’s live anything can occur — what\’s been one of the most challenging situation to contend with while on air?

TM: Often having to set up lots of extra equipment for live performance sessions, when there wasn\’t time before the show – so i am doing it AS I am talking, trying to multi task – not easy for a Man..

RMMW: As a seasoned artist who has been both played on the radio as a host and singer/songwriter which is your favourite hat to wear and why?

TM: I love to write and perform my own songs above anything else.

RMMW: Behind the scenes, how many hours of prep work goes into hosting Tony\’s Musical Emporium?

TM: Each one takes anything from 2-4 hours.

RMMW: How has Tony\’s Musical Emporium evolved over the last 5 years?

TM: We have just got smoother at all we do!

June 30, Second Interview

About three years ago, I had the good fortune of interviewing a tremendous human being who without fail has got to be one of my all-time favourite Singer/Songwriters.   Now, I have the opportunity for a follow up interview…. I would just like to extend my gratitude to Tony Moore for sharing a snippet of his world with us!!

RMMW: Who have you been listening to lately?

TM: Ryan McMullan – he\’s going to be huge!

RMMW: Your single “Perfect & Beautiful” is such a powerful piece riddled with such honest lyrics and a haunting melody to ensconce the entire song with an air of vulnerability and strength. Now, that being said with the release of “Perfect & Beautiful” and now \”So Many Ways (Of Missing You)\” pending are there any plans in the works for a full-length album?

TM: There are always plans for an album, but we live in an age where people consume music \”song by song\” either by downloading single tracks from iTunes or listening to selected playlists on sites like Spotify. So for the time being I intend to keep regularly releasing new material as individual songs and then, as I build up a catalogue of work maybe put it all together as an album. However, I enjoy the spontaneity of writing, recording and planning to release my music as it happens.

RMMW: You\’ve collaborated with so many Singer/Songwriters over the years, if you were offered the opportunity to collaborate with anyone you desire – who would you chose? And of course, why?

TM: I would love to work with Elton John. He has been so massively influential in my life as a writer, musician, performer and entertainer.

RMMW: Can you remember the first song that you ever wrote? And the feeling it evoked upon completion?

TM: I was maybe 12 or 13 and wrote some descending chords on the piano and sang my own melody but used the words of the poem “Ducks Ditty” from Wind In The Willows –

All along the backwater,

Through the rushes tall,

Ducks are a-dabbling,

Up tails all!

Ducks\’ tails, drakes\’ tails,

Yellow feet a-quiver,

Yellow bills all out of sight

Busy in the river!

Slushy green undergrowth

Where the roach swim–

Here we keep our larder,

Cool and full and dim.

Everyone for what he likes!

WE like to be

Heads down, tails up,

Dabbling free!

High in the blue above

Swifts whirl and call–

WE are down a-dabbling

Up tails all!

I felt a great sense if accomplishment – As I got older, I found that I had more things to sing about and started writing my own lyrics after that.

RMMW: What is your favourite song written by you and why?

TM: Most songwriters will say \” My newest song\” – which I often echo, others will often say \” I love all my songs like children, how can I pick favourites?\” which I also echo – But, I think if I could only choose one, then it would be a song called \”She\’s A Dreamer\” – I love to play it – and when I am not performing with a band, I lose myself in the \”piano solo\” in the middle. It\’s a fun and yet dramatic song to sing – and I always get such an amazing response from people when I do the song live. It never gets old for me…

RMMW: How do you select your Singer/Songwriters for your weekly show Tony Moore\’s Music Emporium on Soho Radio?

TM: I only invite artists that I personally love – sometimes PR companies \’Pitch\” ideas to me – but I only want to have people on the show that I feel strongly about their music and believe we can have an great conversation. So, they are drawn from people that play at my live shows, friends, friends OF friends and business suggestions.

RMMW: If there an audition process to be showcased on Tony Moore\’s Music Emporium? What are interested performers required to know about it?

TM: Nope – I listen to their music and if it speaks to me (or maybe \”sings\” to me) then I will book them – availability and timing dependent of course. If its not my thing I am polite and explain why it\’s not for my show

RMMW: What is your favourite aspect of doing a weekly radio show?

TM: After all the preparation (and each show require 2-3 hours of preparation) – what I love is just being \”in the moment\” of the show – jumping off at tangents in conversations – I have a motto \” Ask the unexpected question to get the unprepared response\”

RMMW: We all have an inner critic inside of us who just loves to criticize our work, how do you contend with yours?

TM: I follow my heart –

RMMW: Since music festival season has begun in the UK… which ones are you looking forward to playing at or frequenting?

TM: I am playing, headlining in fact, The Caffe Nero stage at Cornbury Festival on July 7th – Also going to see Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park.

 October 6, 2014, First Interview

In high school during our Christmas concert, I wore a sparkly indigo-blue bowtie with a matching  cummerbund, 12 pleated white tuxedo shirt, iridescent black pants and a covered denim jacket, ripped into a vest adorned with studs all over the front, on the back in shiny square studs spelt the name of the rock band “IRON MAIDEN” in large block letters. If someone had told me, back then, approximately 22 years later that I would have the good fortune to interview one of the original members of Iron Maiden, I would have cackled with laughter and called them CRAZY!

What Tony Moore has done for humanity, let alone the music industry is genuinely remarkable and all of this in one lifetime. Tony has seized every opportunity to not only succeed but consistently challenge himself, not exclusively as an artist more importantly as a human being. Tony is an innovator and trailblazer who has taken full advantage of our newfound modern day technology by brining tremendous music to the masses.

Rania: Are you a classically trained keyboard/synthesizer player?

Tony: No, my father was, and I grew up listening to him playing all the greats from Rachmaninov to Chopin. But although I had a few lessons when I was young, I found it hard to read music and follow a structure, I learnt to play by ear and was composing from about 12.

 

Rania: How many posts have you held in the music industry?

Tony: Hmmm, I have done so many things over the years but, Singer/Songwriter, Keyboard Player, Musical Director (in a band), Radio Presenter, Promoter, Producer and Manager.

Rania: Which one of these posts are your favourite and why?

Tony: Singer/Songwriter, I will often stay up all night writing and singing because it releases an energy in me that I can find in no other outlet, it gives me the greatest joy.

Rania: What inspired you not only to take up flying but also the concept of Acoustic Airwaves?

Tony: I had always been intrigued by the idea of flying, but later in life, when I did some consultancy for a very good wage, I decided to use the money to invest in my wild dream. I immediately loved the challenge and focus it required and I love the precision that is required…as I was learning I not only felt that it was a privilege to be able to do it, but that I wanted to do something with the flying that had a purpose (more than just flying around in big circles for a few hours) I saw that there was space in the plane and felt it was like a flying transit in some ways. I thought wouldn\’t it be cool to fly to gigs with all my gear in the plane…that quickly morphed into the idea of doing it to raise money and awareness for Teenage Cancer Trust. In the last month of my training I started booking 15 airfields and telling them about my idea, some got behind it and others didn’t really understand what I wanted to do (or even why), I started the tour about a month after I got my license, it was insanely ambitious and there were a few moments I thought I might die! It was far beyond my skill level but naivety and enthusiasm are very contagious as they say, fools rush in where Angels fear to tread. At the end of it, my awareness of flying was incredibly sharpened, but as I look back on it now I get a chill and wonder how I ever did it! However, we raised money and lots of press for TCT and I am very proud of it.

Rania: What lesson do you want your students to take with them after leaving your “History of Song writing” class at the Institute Of Contemporary Music and Performance in North London?

Tony: That there are 3 keys to success you have to have: a hit song, sung by a hit voice arranged and recorded with a hit production as history proves this to be the case!

Rania: How does the ICMP fit into the wider music industry?

Tony: It is part of the whole new explosion of music in education – it is exciting and challenging to try and gather together a faculty of great educators who can share their wisdom and experience and help a whole new generation find their way.

Rania: What does ICMP offer artists/students over studying at another institution such as The Brit School?

Tony: The Brit School has many more disciplines across the entertainment world, they both focus on different but essential skill sets.

Rania: You’ve dedicated your life to music, what did earning the Gold Badge mean to you?

Tony: It was one of the most memorable days of my life and I feel honoured (literally.) It is an award from my peers and so it has a priceless place in my heart. I never did anything with my life except focus on the things I loved and tried to share my passion with those who would listen, so to be recognised for that was a surprise and extremely touching.

Rania: What do you feel are some of the challenge emerging artists face today in a high tech world as opposed to when you first started out?

Tony: Well, the competition is fierce, it\’s hard to be completely original, often the short cuts (celebrity focus) take artists to far too fast and they don’t have the experience to support themselves. It has always been hard – but I also feel music has become less \”vital\” to people and is more of a social experience. You hardly ever saw a camera at gigs when I was starting out – now your performance might be filmed from 10,000 different angles if you are a big star. However, I think there are fantastic opportunities for artists that never existed before and so often the challenges are balanced by new ways of working and being able to promote yourself.

Rania: What is the most valuable lesson you feel every musician should learn about his or her interactions within the music industry?

Tony: Never take it personally, don\’t be surprised if people let you down and be the best you can be ALL the time.

Rania: Does The Bedford automatically live stream every performance?

Tony: Unless there are technical issues, we try and share the shows as much as we can, usually every show is webcast.

Rania: Has The Bedford ever thought of having audience participation via Skype/Google Hangout during a performance?

Tony: Yes, but we try and create sustainable, long term online streams, and that requires us to be as simple as possible, in the future we are looking at ways of being even more interactive.

Rania: How has streaming live performances helped both the artist and The Bedford?

Tony: I know of some acts that have had music released and shows booked outside of the UK by industry people who saw them online. It has helped build our reputation worldwide, we often get people come to London, and visit for the first time after having watched live for a long time because they feel part of the extended Bedford family.

Rania: Is there a place that you have not travelled or performed at that you would like to?

Tony: Australia and New Zealand and the Philippines.

Rania: What do you feel are some of the struggles modern day venues face with regards to current technology and promotion?

Tony: I think one major struggle is having enough man power/man hours to dedicate to filling the never ending void of social media that demands feeding all the time

Rania: What is the secret to establishing and maintaining a successful venue such as The Kashmir and The Bedford to entice people to actually go to the venue?

Tony: Making it personal, going beyond the extra mile in creating great sound and a great experience and booking the best music you can find, I always like to think that the events I organise are INCLUSIVE rather than EXCLUSIVE.

Rania: Do you have any artist rituals before composing a new piece?

Tony: I just drop everything when I feel inspired and try and find the nearest instrument!

Rania: All artists go through a creative block, how do you deal with yours?

Tony: I don’t worry, I look back at the (sometimes years) when I have written nothing and seen that suddenly, when the moment is right, I will write!

Rania: If you had a super-power, what would it be?

Tony: To Manipulate time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY!!! 

Thank you for the constant gift of music!