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My music “career” started in the year 1980, when my mother took me, a five-year-old child, to J. Naujalis Secondary Arts School. Since I was a passionate admirer of Nikola Paganini (having just seen a Russian movie about him), my only desirable instrument was… a violin. Of course, that was only until there was a need to play a violin several hours per day and to learn it earnestly and in a responsible way.
When I was in the 4th grade, I realized that I would never become a violinist – virtuoso. Besides, my fingers stopped growing, meanwhile the long and thin fingers are the advantage of the violinist. The instrument had to be changed. I chose the contra boss. There were only three or four contrabossist of different age in the school, but this speciallity was appreciated and respected. No orchestra can manage without the boss. Also the boss is very important in the jazz or the pop music. But how serious a jazzman can be of the 11-year-old pupil? I don’t remember the name of our band, but having played half a year we split up – our attitudes towards the music couldn’t get on. But the only concert in one of the secondary schools of Kaunas has been our first serious test. Soon afterwards happened something, what gave a real stimulus to be interested in the alternative music. On my way home, I met an old pal from the neighbourhood, who let it out about the creation of the band. I offered my help. Since I was studying in the music school, I gained a great authority among the friends. The band was called “Delirium Tremens”, what in Latin meant “The White Fever” and the music style accordingly was … the punk rock. Of course, we had little in common with the real punks, since we were the kids of the educated families; we studied in the strong schools of English, music and just enjoyed our lives. I was 13 then and played the self-made boss guitar given by my uncle. I remember that the volume regulator was made of the handle of the gas stove.J
The first serous concert was in 1983 in the alternative music festival “Purvinoji Žiema” (The Dirty Winter) in Kaunas “Šilelis” culture house. We received good evaluations, and were even mentioned in the youth magazine “Moksleivis” (The Pupil). Afterwards followed the concert trip to Dūkštas and Didžiasalis. There the rebelling youth was playing thrash, punk, ska and other music of this sort. Soon afterwards I left off the band, since I met guys playing the different music. The banc was called “Vieni Vartai” (The One Gate). It was 1992 and we played the music that reminded of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or Jimmy Hendrix. This seemed a revolution back then. We rehearsed together with the group SH, who just started their work then. We had a lot of admirers then, we played in the festivals and students’ feasts. There has even been a case when we played in Kaunas Sports’ Hall concert, supporting the candidate to president S. Lozoraitis (though we did not care about the politics). There were around 2000 onlookers, since the “stars” such as Arina and Veto Bank, Išjunk Šviesą (Turn off the Light), Bix, etc had to play as well. Our show coincided with the arrival of Lozoraits and showing up on the stage. Standing by the microphone and singing I thought that the public went crazy about our music. Then I felt a friendly Lozoraitis’ tap on the shoulder. This slip went to the documentary about Stasys Lozoraitis. The activity of the band ended after the drummer Thomas passed away in the car accident in Germany. We did not dare to revive the band, since the loss of Thomas was too painful.
I graduated the school and left for Vilnius to study culture management in Vilnius Conservatoire. The new stage of life began. The uproarious life in the capital, acquaintance with more famous people and musicians formed the corresponding attitude towards the music life in Lithuania. Practice in the “Life” festival, music club “Langas” (the Window), Litpoliinter TV, Kaunas Jazz Festival, work in “Bomba” gave the opportunity to take a closer look to the behind of Lithuanian music life scene. I tried to play in the band “Bovy”. However their music style did not fit mine. This is when I met the boys of “Blyškūs Veidai” (The Pale Faces). By that time the bands Nirvana, Sound Garden, etc were especially popular. We played in the festivals, TV shows. It was fun. We made the demo records in Panevėžys, some of the songs went down to the collections. The band had a face, even though it was pale.J
After the studies I came back to Kaunas. I worked as a
director in radio station “Pūkas”. The music playing there
went through our ears. We could hardly hear it, since
one could go crazy listening to it. Meanwhile at home
I would entertain the neighbours playing the piano and
singing new compositions each time. This was a good experience.
I saw and heard the vanities and banalities all around,
meanwhile at home, as if in the oasis, I created interesting
songs. For example the song “Sweet Summer Breeze” was
born back then, though the text was thought of later.
I played some time with the Kaunas group “Mountain Side”, who were my old mates. We used to jam in the same place together with SH.
While working in the radio station, I also produced the ads. This was the first acquaintance with computer and the soundtrack. After a year I received an invitation to work in the advertisement company Vide. My job was to work with the music studios where the music was created for the ads and the voices were recorded. Soon afterwards I sat by the keyboard and computer and created. Though there was a dream to arrange my own studio and experiment, learn and create…
After a couple of years we moved together with the company to Vilnius. I met Linas Rimša. This was an interesting, creatively rich acquaintance. In the studio, where he worjed, I created the soundtrack for the ads, TV shows, viniete. There were days, when we would create two soundtrack per day. And so was all year long.
I‘ve counted that over all time I‘ve created thousands of soundtracks, compositions, made adaptations. That’s really much.
After some time I initiated my own music studio at work – in a producer firm Creator. Guitars, keyboards ant other instruments have appeared. That encouraged me to record part of my music, go deeper into sound specialties. Songs “As Long As I Remember”, “Love Love Love” took over high places on RC LT-top 20. Other songs have been played on air in other radio stations; however, people wouldn’t recognize that it’s a Lithuanian guy that’s performing them, and were deeply surprised that there’s such music in Lithuania.
Around the year 2001 by a contract I introduced a reggae style song “Pa Para Pa Pa” to an influential internet portal, which let people meet this song all over the world. I was very pleased getting their positive opinion and even…great compliments. At that time this song was one of most listened-to of this kind of style, taking over top ratings. By the way, I was called Jamaica baby by mistake, and that pleased me even more – cause reggae in fact is Jamaica’s musicians’ baby.
In year 2002 I delivered my song “You’re The Biggest Star Of My Life” to Eurovision national tour commission under the pseudonym Mark. That was a completely new name, and nobody knew either how Mark looks like, or who he is. From 150 songs only 15 were selected. I am glad that only my music won, not the name, look, contacts or money – that’s professional music. Viewers and listeners who watched the battles of Eurovision in Lithuania also noticed it. We perfectly know the corruption in Lithuanian music industry – it’s hard to keep in without a rearward, spine, wise management and marketing. It’s a very unthankful country to musicians – thinkers, but now that’s what provides more chances to break into wider waters. There are a lot of yet unused possibilities in music industry.
Now I’m studying LMA composition.
Nice to meet you :)
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