Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
It is my inner need to compose, to create music, to be a musician. I can’t exist without composing. My piano, which was always there for me, made me become addicted to its sound and touch. I always felt some kind of longing that could only be a little bit satisfied by bringing the music I hear in my head alive.
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
Growing up, I was surrounded by melodic Armenian pop music (my dad played in an Armenian band) and epic Rachmaninov piano sounds (favourite composer of my mom). I loved playing Debussy and Satie, Chopin, Bach, but I also listened to the catchy pop music on the radio a lot. Around 10, when I was allowed to watch movies, I become very fascinated by the huge impact film music has on the mood in a film. The fact that you can just listen to a melody of a soundtrack and you immediately get thrown back into the film’s mood. Melodies can tell stories.
The music from films such as ‘War of the buttons’ (Rachel Portman), ‘Harry Potter’ (John Williams), or a German film ‘Das fliegende Klassenzimmer’ (Niki Reiser) took me into different worlds. Later on, I experienced the music of Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt and some electronic music artists like Jon Hopkins. Their trance-like music and the way they combine rational and emotional pleasure had a big influence on my music and the way I see music now.
It is all a matter of perspective.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
The biggest challenge of my career so far was, I guess, to find myself. To find my style. To understand what I would die for and give my inner musical me a voice that I can listen to. Not being distracted by musical roles or the popularity of a certain style. It is so important to be authentic. But you can only do authentic music if you’ve found your own inner musical voice which leads you.
What are the pleasures and challenges of working with other musicians?
Working with other musicians you get lots of different impacts which are really beautiful as long as you take the right amount of it. It can be super inspiring to see things from a different perspective. Lots of trust and respect is required.
How would you describe your compositional/musical style?
I think my music is melodic, longingly meditative, infinite and nostalgic.
As a composer, how do you work?
Firstly, I get inspired. I hear music in my head which gets so loud after a while that it forces me to bring it alive. Mostly I choose the piano to bring it to this world, sometimes I write it down in notes, or I produce it directly as a track in my studio with sounds I recorded and build myself. The composing process brings me into a kind of trance, a beautiful and painful feeling of longing. It can take days…
Tell us more about your album ‘STARDUST’….
‘Stardust’ is all about melodies. I really wanted to get back to the core of every composition, to the beginning of every cosmos. Every track is concentrated on its own melody and every melody shows its own universe. I wanted to go back to the original honest emotion, the pureness and to just play what I heard in my head. At some point we all came from stardust, it’s our origin. Stardust came together to create our world. Composing the music of ‘Stardust’ made me go back to the very beginning of everything.
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
I think musicians succeed if they find the true reason of their existence, why they need to make music. Whenever you find this reason you become really happy and you get a feeling of being at home. You can focus better and explore possibilities and develop your musical voice and bring the music itself to the next chapter. There is so much more…
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
Finding your own authentic musical voice is the most important thing. Being patient, not giving up and continuously working on your music is a part of it. Filter constructive criticism. Listen to lots of music and analyze it, but be careful that you leave the needed space for your output. Find things that inspire you. Work hard and try to also make your subconsciousness work for you. Feel!
What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is the music in my head.
‘Stardust’, Meredi ‘s debut album, is released on 17 July 2020.
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