Feb 15, 2008

New package, same classic flavor

Long serves instrumental music with an effervescent twist

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Roll over Beethoven. Composer/pianist Helen Jane Long, a gifted young Englishwoman, breathes new life into the classical genre.

"In general, people struggle with new music, because you have the word 'classical,' which in most people's minds means composers that are dead," said Long, with a gentle laugh. "To be living and doing music which sounds slightly classical is a struggle for people to understand. It's a matter of breaking those boundaries down."

Long says exposure on MySpace helped her reach a broad-based audience. "To me, it's about making music accessible. I hear from people who are into heavy rock, saying, 'I usually hate classical, but I love your album. I can't tell you why, but I do.'"

Her lovely debut album, "Porcelain," like its name, is delicate, charming and exquisitely fashioned. In addition to the nuanced piano work on the recordings, Long also plays cello, guitar and double bass. She's accompanied by Jonathan Hill on violin and viola.

The enthusiastic response to the CD caught Long off guard. "I've gotten so many e-mails, particularly from the San Francisco area. They'll tell you why they love a certain piece and what it means to them. It's absolutely fantastic!"

In the Bay Area, Long's music has been made popular by exposure on KDFC. This is one classical radio station that also relishes barrier-breaking.

"Many classical stations would find (Long's music) too lightweight, not serious enough. They're worried that their core constituency will give them a hard time," KDFC program director Bill Lueth said. "But we're the No. 3 station in the market now. KDFC's success has been in not only playing things that are important, but also things that just sound nice to the average classical fan."

Artists such as Long are bringing classical a new audience. "People are educated less and less about classical music. Even though we live in a very educated community, they're not educated about music necessarily. But they like more than just rock and pop music," Lueth said. "They have a more sophisticated appetite for everything around here."

Long had contemplated recording a piano album for years. "It's something that's just been floating around in my mind," she said. "When I started writing these pieces, they just kept coming. It's my therapy, my way of expressing emotions without using words. Each one to me is very special, very different."

Instrumental music allows the listeners to exercise their own imaginations. It can serve to create an atmosphere, a mood.

"Love songs will tell you what you're feeling - I'm upset, I'm hurt, I hate him - or whatever it is," Long said, with a laugh. "But equally, it's nice to have music that is easy to listen to in the background. You can read a book and hear the music without being distracted by lyrics. It gives people the space just to be."

And listeners respond on an emotional, rather than intellectual level. "Music is entertainment and it should just be about enjoying what you hear," Long said. "If it makes you laugh, makes you angry, makes you cry, then whatever you feel, it's the right reaction.

"That's why, to me, San Francisco is brilliant, because (the people here) either like something or they don't. And they love the album. That's all that matters. They don't care about anything other than how it sounds. That's how music should be - making your own mind up about what you like and what you don't."

Her mother plays piano and Long's fascination with music began early. "When we went on holiday, there would always be classical music playing, but there would also be a tape of the Hollies, just a real mixture of stuff," Long said. "As we rode along, I'd be asleep, soaking in all the music being played. All that was absorbed into my system."

When her older brother was taking piano lessons, the moment he would finish practicing, 4-year-old Long would scramble onto the piano bench and duplicate what she had just heard. Her parents immediately signed her up for lessons.

"Everybody's born with a talent," Long said. "Whether or not you have the opportunity to get it nurtured is the key."

Long, whose tastes range from Debussy to the Flaming Lips, taught herself arranging, recording, mixing, producing and scoring. She has worked with film composing greats Jerry Goldsmith and, on "Lord of the Rings," Howard Shore. She has several film and documentary scores in the works. She also contributes music to advertisements. In addition, she's planning another piano album. She manages her life well.

"I've learned that you don't have to be writing at three in the morning to have a great tune," she said. "I have a 7-month-old baby. I structure my day so I can write between normal hours. And it works. The key is to be organized."

Soon she'll be organizing a full North American tour. But for now, she's thrilled to be making her U.S. debut in the Bay Area on Feb. 19. The Little Fox date will be one of several KDFC is presenting in club settings this month.

"We call it 'taking it out of church,'" Lueth said. "We put (the artist) in a casual setting, to attract an audience that may not be comfortable yet going to a recital hall, but they listen to (KDFC) regularly. So we make a halfway step for them, saying, 'Come into an environment that's laid-back, almost like a jazz club in feel, have a glass of wine or a martini and hear classical music there.'"

Long said performing in a club makes the experience more intimate. "I can interact with the audience, which I love to do. They can get to know me," she said.

"I want them to come away with a smile on their face, feeling relaxed, mellow, feeling that they've been transported. That to me would make a perfect evening."