Trance /Healing & EasyListening / Ambient / Experimental
from Dayton, OH

“We all have dreams, I just put mine to music!”

About VÆRNA

I’ve met on-line and in person so many wonderful people! Listen up you young folk, you have it easy with all this wonderful new technology that gives me brain damage. I started playing an old upright piano and an old Conn organ at the age of four. Vinyl at the time, was a luxury and all tapes were reel to reel. I was born partially blind so my ears developed much more than my eyes and I have this odd way of memorizing and reproducing music. I began formal training when I was 7. My first teacher, a retired harpist, helped me compose and publish my first piece of music at age 10. I stayed with training in school and with private teachers and have won awards for performances. I stuck with training, taught myself guitar, recorder, and discovered electronic keyboards as I began college. I began to play in bands and with other local musicians during college and after graduation, began working in the visual arts field where some of my art has been used commercially. I learned old school recording, including sore fingers and lots of tape. I purchased my first synth (a DX 7 with the band) and a Roland D-20 soon after and began the process of recording and sequencing on my own. I learned to play and adore handbells in later years in church along with guitar and my synth. At this time, Hearts of Space began it’s radio broadcasts which I listened to religiously and still do but only via the computer now as it isn’t broadcasted here. I began collecting that music as fast as I could. I now listen to Alpha Rhythms, a local broadcast that has introduced me to more music and will be playing my music as soon as that album is completed. If I have the chance I also listen to Echoes another broadcast. My music is a compilation of pieces composed as late as 28 years ago to the present day and is a reflection of my life’s experiences. As ordinary life sometimes interferes with this type of hobby, (I’m not quitting a day job!:P) I’ve had dry years of surviving life given setbacks, and the arrival of my greatest creation, my son, who demanded my time and attention. I never lost my music, nor my art, never gave up, just put it on hold. Thank you VS23 for getting my dream launched and running

Now that I have the means, emotional support (Love you, Dave), equipment and the time to complete my projects, I can finally finish what I started and get back to where I need to be so I can feel happy and fulfilled. I finally purchased (after saving and getting a windfall) 2 new Fantom Roland Keyboards, an A6 and an Arturia to go with my original older model Roland D-20 (still works :D) and now a Kaossilator for my pocket. I own both a twelve and a 6 string vintage Yamaha guitar, two wooden recorders, and various other equipment and toys including Logic Pro and Garage Band that one would find in a musician’s home. (Like Rock Band that interacts with my equipment :P) I have attempted to play every instrument in my lifetime so I could have a feel for their sounds and that includes some of the more stranger instruments. (I’ve always wanted a Didgeredoo.) Certain songs I write call for pure patches as in orchestral instruments and others I use various techniques to blend and alter pre-made patches with created ones. As I get things properly through the legal channels and copyrights, I’ll be uploading the music as fast as I can. I’m open to digitally mastering tips and tricks and patch creation tricks as I’m pretty much old school but I’m a quick study. A very quick study. I do tend to sequence old school fashion for organic flow but I’m still teaching myself a lot of new tricks, including html. I’m open to listening to a lot of different styles of music and believe me I learn from them. If I really enjoy your tracks I’ll say so. When chatting with me via any boards, mind your manners and I won’t call you an idiot. If you want, you can actually talk to me on xbox live under the gamertag silverberserker. Just ask for the ms. silverberserker or my stage name. I’d love to chat. XD

Band Members:

VÆRNA is my artistic pseudonym (and for those who know my real name, know that I hate my real name) that I’ve had since I was 20. It was bestowed on me when I began playing D&D and the name has stuck. It is also my visual artwork trademark. I even had my TM on my car plate until it became too expensive. I’m a mom, hold a full time job, might be considered an old fart, but music (and art) is my true passion, especially ambient and ambient trance. Most of the kids call me Nate’s Mom or the cool mom. What I read and what my interests are can also be found at http://www.shelfari.com/vaerna. You may also find my music videos at Vaerna6 on UTube.

Influences:

Anyone played on Hearts of Space radio, our local broadcast of Alpha Rhythms and Echoes. ELO, Kraftwerk, Animusic, Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Mannheim Steamroller, Tangerine Dream, Constance Demby, David Arkenstone, Ray Lynch, John Serrie, Chris Spheeris, Yanni, Synchestra, Robert Rich, Steve Roach and his collaborators, Ray Lynch, Brian Eno, Enya, Clannad, Peatbog Faeries, Andreas Vollenweider, Vangelis, Pink Floyd, Blue Oyster Cult, Rush, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Patrick O’Hearn, Asia, Dance Trance stuff like Daft Punk, Enigma, Delerium, Mythos, and a growing list of wonderful musical friends and new bands. I’m discovering new stuff to listen to every day.. Classical and cinematic soundtracks which include lots of John Williams and Danny Elfman for modern as well as the composers for the most popular movies. I was raised on the Classics, like Mozart and Beethoven. I enjoy and have performed musicals new and old. Big Band, I love that old music (played it ad nauseum with my dad) Jazz like Herb Alpert and older bouncy type jazz. Acoustic stuff like Red Sky Beat, Craig Chaquico and Liona Boyd… OMG my list is endless. I’m a music pack rat. My latest influence is VESL who’s Nephilim track inspired Dragon’s Wings, DecibelFlekx’s Pretend to Bleed track and Vapah’s art sparked Be Mine or Trance, and especially SKAVEN who wrote music for Bejeweled 2 and Bejeweled Twist, Bookworm and other game titles and composers of the wonderful music from xbox games such as Lumines, Halo, Mass Effect, Gears, Command and Conquer, Final Fantasy, Castlevania and Transformers and others. I will listen to the older and newer country tunes but it’s so overplayed around here that I’m tuning it out. About the only music I really avoid is what I consider to be grating, annoying, attitudinal, overly nasty lyrics or content, too loud, (that would be death metal or screamed lyrics or annoying vocals like Bob Dylan(he’s a good songwriter, I just don’t care for his voice) adapted rap from previous rock hits) or just plain overplayed where I get burned out. However, I’ll listen to about anything at least once. As I gather more and more friends, the more influences I get. It can get overwhelming at times. Books and Book covers. If stories or artwork hit me the right way I’ll write a song just based on the cover or tale alone. If someone else’s music or art hits me the right way I’ll get catalyzed and write in that genre. If I have an experience or go somewhere that hits me the right way I’ll compose about that. Sometimes someone else’s song can cause me to write a hook or lead line. I’ve done it professionally for recording but now I have more fun just playing along.

Vaerna on Myspace.com