Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brad Belmondo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Brad thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Maybe you’ve heard it online or on a movie or even from someone that a distant family member knows; being a musician is hard. Being a musician that wants to be different is even harder. Deciding to create genre-bending music for a popular genre that doesn’t fit a mold? Try excruciatingly difficult. That being said, look at all the incredible artists who have made something that they may or may not be proud of, but that has completely changed a field of art just by taking a chance.
Bluntly, I am very particular about my music and the messages/worlds I want to create. My newest project, The Chromesthetes: Into the Cloud, is what I would label a mix of avant-garde ideas with progressive rock and experimental classical music. Within it, there is a wide use of synthesizers and orchestral textures that tell and support a full storyline – like a movie without a visual. The purpose of it, however, is to attempt to share with the listener an idea of what it’s like to have synesthesia and/or chromesthesia while listening to the piece. Crazy right? Exactly. Crazy. Now, how am I to expect that this project will gain any traction?
Again, look at all of the people that have come before us with some of the whackiest ideas. Whacky is okay! In fact, without a whacky idea, everything sounds exactly the same. How much longer can we go using the same 2 chord progressions, samples, drum beats, and lyrical ideas. Until then, criticism of something new is bound to come about. And that is OKAY!
Growing up, I focused a lot on my work and my music, even when the other kids around me wanted to party, hang out, and be the kids they are. The way I see it now in retrospect, good for them; but, the way I was back then has gotten me to where I see myself soon. I hear a lot from people I grew up with about how I was perceived differently because I was always happy and I always had confidence in myself. Even nowadays as that remains true, occasionally, I feel that all of the perception may be mischaracterized as ego or being full of myself. Of course, being in the industry I am, ego is a MUST – but, attempting to be a nice person and having humility and humbleness should be equally as important.
This all being said, I feel like being misunderstood as an artist might be important at the beginning of a career. The people who want to understand you better and learn more about what you’re trying to say or who you are will eventually appear, that is, if you’re willing to wait for that day to come.
Brad, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My journey with music really started when I was little, maybe around 5 years old when I would pound on my dad’s old Dx7 and Roland D70 attempting desperately to play my favorite song, Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. It would take a few years before I really realized that my entire life, I have always had such an extremely close relationship to music, as I would sing and dance around everywhere, count my steps in rhythm, and never go a second without having some kind of ear worm that would play nonstop. As I grew up, one of the foundations of my interest in music stemmed from video game music. At the time, so many hours were put into playing my Wii and my DS, all of which led me to teaching myself my favorite video game songs on the synths. After a couple years of teaching myself to play, my skills on the keyboard as well as creating sounds progressed fairly quickly, especially when I realized that I am lucky enough to have perfect pitch, as well as synesthesia/chromesthesia. While most of my musical time was spent playing keys, in 5th grade I also began playing the trumpet. Since then, I am fortunate to have played with amazing groups of people ranging from the various orchestras, national honor bands, jazz ensembles, rock bands, reggae bands, concert bands, and more. Around 11 years old, I began producing and composing music, all of which, as rough as they were, have taught me valuable skills in both fields. As my abilities grew, my collection of gear and synths also grew. Many times, I have been asked the reasoning behind using/needing so many different synthesizers. My response is always the same – it’s fine to have the 12 colors of Crayola crayons; but when you have the 128 box, the options are limitless, especially with how it affects my chromesthesia. Teaching myself sound design since my collection started has opened up so many different avenues of how I can create music, and between that, performing, producing, and composing, it has been my absolute goal since I started to widen my abilities in every single musical field.
When I was 14, the perfect concoction of a heartbreak, bullying, and an ominous 2016 led me to write my first original album. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. My love for writing music grew exponentially and because I could produce, write, and perform everything alone, it became something that energized me to the extreme when I wasn’t playing my trumpet. For all of high school, I worked and worked and worked on my music, inspired by classic rock music and progressive rock like Bruce Springsteen, Supertramp, Genesis, and YES. While most times, I would write rock music, others I would focus on creating instrumental works as well, whether it be piano music or with my synths. It was during the years leading up to the pandemic that I wrote 5 albums of original songs and instrumental music. From 2016 to the beginning 2020, I was on a roll with my endeavors; All-State ensembles, tours in Europe and in the US, All-Eastern and All-Nationals for voice, handbells, and trumpet; musical theater, composition contests – you name it. I was accepted into my dream school, Berklee College of Music, with a sonata for trumpet that I had written for my audition. And then the world came crashing down.
5 days after my All-Eastern performance, everything shut down and I was trapped at home. I would sit in my studio and think and write and play and focus so much on music that I think my parents sometimes wondered if I was even still existing (of course, they could hear the music from my room blasting at around 30dB hahaha). Everything happened that year. Protests, COVID, fires, etc. One day, I opened up my notation software and just started to write. Within 2 weeks, I am not sure how or where it came from, but I had written my first symphony of five movements for full orchestra. By the end of the summer, I had created a whole new album of rock music – the first of which I released publicly on streaming platforms. I just kept going and nothing was going to stop me. At this point, not only did I learn that I love writing and playing rock, but I loved composing for orchestra, as well. Eventually, there was a day that I took a walk and listened to my first Coldplay album all the way through. From then on, everything about my rock music changed. I fell in love with what I heard and the feeling I get when I hear it. To me, it had all changed and my music shifted into what I refer to as progressive pop/rock.
When I started Berklee, I sat in front of my computer online in my bedroom. Did it suck? Yes. Did I get through it and make the best of it? Yes. It was my honor to be chosen to be one of twelve students showcased in Berklee’s 75th Anniversary show. There was so much I had to say and so much that needed to come out from my head. Throughout it all, I was pushed to be someone other than myself. Not to do my music, not to be the artist I was, and to be like everyone else. In the end, it never stopped me. When the show aired, my original song was showcased in the concert, joined by Quincy Jones and many other Berklee alumni. Following that semester, I made my way to Boston to start my new life as a college student. Today, as I sit here writing this, I recount the many concerts and events I took part in, the many bands that I am so happy to have been a part of, and the experience of growing up as a college student. It was here that I also found my love for composing for film and video games, both of which I do on a daily basis for my career.
I am very appreciative of the skills I’ve been given and the career that I have now. Currently, I balance working as a multi-media composer, a producer, a performer (trumpet/synthesizer and keys/voice/etc.) and studio musician, a songwriter, and on rare occasions, I take a small break. Anything that is needed, regardless of genre, is something I can do and enjoy doing. In the next coming months, please look forward to my 5 upcoming albums, ranging from video game and film music, a live album, and acoustic album, and another regular progressive pop/rock album! Everything I do on a daily basis can be seen on my social medias – especially on my Instagram @brad_belmondo_music.
All in all, throughout my entire journey, one thing has always remained true and always will: I believe that music is a source of power, love, and humanity. It has extreme potential to change lives and I really feel that it needs to be used correctly. I have become so aware of the happenings around me in the United States and around the world, that a lot of what I think about everyday and what appears in my music is routed from empathy hope that I have for change that suits everyone for the better. There is so much to work on together in order to create a world that we can be happy and comfortable living in, as well as a society in which we can accept each other and be unified. Although now, it seems as there are many forces that attempt to keep us apart, there is not one day that goes by that I don’t believe that there is hope to become better versions of ourselves. In the years to come, I look forward to becoming a leader, not only in music, but in love, hope, and humanity. Where there is adversity, there is an avenue for music to impact even just one person. To me, changing lives is the best part of being a musician.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Perhaps nowadays it seems cliché to say that I have a huge drive to talk about social and environmental/climate change in my music, but regardless of who else has those messages to share, they remain something in which I almost can’t help but to write about. The way I see it is we are all living together on a planet that has been able to support us for a gargantuan amount of time and can continue to, but instead of taking the necessarily precautions, we are lazy and allow greedy people to maintain their businesses on the downfall of… US! Yes, writing songs about love and having a fun time at the beach with your friends is fantastic, but personally, I feel like it would be a waste of time for me to write about some of those topics that are just so overwritten. Don’t get me wrong – they have their moments in my creative space. Some of the artists I most look up to (Springsteen, CSNY, Coldplay, etc.) all have devoted so much to sending messages and to standing up for good in a time of bad or a time of need. I say it all the time: music is an incredibly powerful source of energy to power the sails of change. My goals revolve around creating a base as an artist that can empower anyone from any underrepresented group to speak up, take control of our future, and stop waiting for someone with power to fix things – it just won’t happen. In parallel to this, I hope to inspire my fellow musicians and future peers to write music that pushes the lines of what we are used to – not just something that MIGHT get 100 views on TikTok. In my opinion, minimalism is the epitome of depression in art these days. Where is the fun??? Where is the wackiness? Where is the soul. I want to be a factor in giving our society its soul back.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Hands down, two of the best and rewarding compliments I can receive after a performance or after someone listens to my music is either “I love seeing how much doing this makes you smile” or “I love the way that this made me feel.” To me, I can’t help but to embody all of the fun energy that is created as a performer. It just makes me smile uncontrollably. Along with this, is the pleasure of enjoying the moment with others. I fondly remember one of my professors at Berklee saying “we are in the business of creating and living in a moment.” What does this mean? Sure, you can listen to something on repeat 20 times, but what happens when it ends? What happens when the lights turn on after the concert and reality seems to haunt you again? Looking up from my keyboard or looking over the valves of my trumpet at my fellow band members gives me this uncontrollable urge to smile and laugh. I can’t help but to enjoy every inkling of the moment I am in. With that, honestly, I feel we should all remember that more in our every day lives.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brad_belmondo_music/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bradbel442/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-belmondo/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradbelmondomusic
Image Credits
Eliott Allemand
Jake Colson
Doug/Karen Belmondo