Unusual performing experience: Scrambling down a Mayan pyramid, running across a huge field, and hiking my way up another pyramid, to meet a violinist playing his Norwegian Hardanger fiddle. We met, and I played an American fiddle tune on it. It was rather surreal.

What was your first concert?
My first concert that I can recall was a pops performance by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, with my father conducting. Later on -- a bit of contrast - in high school I heard the Dead Milkmen and Mike Watt (of the Minutemen).

You had the chance of studying biology in the past, but you decided to go into the music business. What was your inspiration to leap into music?
My family is now fully supportive of my choice to be a musician, but initially, when I was entering college, they felt like I had every option open to me. Coming from a family where my parents and grandparents are musicians, they were all too familiar with the challenges of making a living in this artistic field. While in college I found myself drawn to the idea of pursuing medicine. I interviewed and even got as far as landing a spot on a waiting list at one med school. However, life went on, and I worked at a bookstore for a while, and then spent 2 years working as a web-developer, all the while taking on more and more gigs at night. I was running myself ragged, working days and gigging at night, and finally decided to make the leap to make my living solely as a musician. I've never regretted it, and it's a great feeling of independence to work for myself. I'd been a musician since my early childhood and it was such a big part of me that it was only a matter of time before music revealed itself as the path I was meant to take

Seems to be that in today's audio recording everything has to be perfectly edited, passed through sound effects adding all quantity of equalizers and levels to make it sound like “radio ready”. Instead, your recordings are plain and simple, based on the quality of the musician, composition and meaning, vocalization, interpretation. What's your main goal when it comes to writing and composition? Do you think you should be more into cut and duplicate audio, sampling recording and editing with special effects just like what we hear on the radio today?
I write as the songs come to me. The goal is to share beauty and emotion, and sometimes humor, but ultimately to share something from within. In the process of recording an album I am open to the use of some cutting and duplicating, say for instance if a string part repeats itself later. EQ'ing is important and a little delay and reverb are fine. Right now I'm more interested in creating an organic, acoustic sound, but for future projects I'd be open to other approaches, maybe delving into electronica and sampling. My husband has a background in that.


Your songs are not “Pop” modern. Do you think you should get into composing Pop songs like Shakira, Britney, Usher, David Gray, Coldplay, etc?
When it comes to my songwriting, I don't think in terms of trying to sound like anyone else. I have to write what is inside of me. If I have a sound that is unlike popular modern music, I need to look at that as a good thing, that I have a unique sound of my own, and that I will find my niche of listeners.



Do you consider yourself modern?
I would consider myself more retro, considering that my roots are in classical music, later developing interest in jazz standards and bossa nova. In high school, I was listening to some Top 40 music, but I was more interested in listening to The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Roches. However, I'm influenced the music my friends create and listen to, so who knows, I could end up doing an album with beats and electronica elements in the future.

When you are directing your music style or your new recording, How do you alter the dynamics and the interpretation of the music and the way you approach it so it doesn't sound like regular pop songs we hear on the radio?
For some of the tunes that are more lushly arranged ("We Didn't Bother", "Dolores", and "Your Voice" for instance), I've got no agenda. I simply write the parts that I hear in my head. The classical music and orchestra arrangements I was exposed through from early childhood through college years have certainly influenced my arrangements.



How do you get ready to record knowing that you have to play in one take. Do you have to practice for as long as it takes for the music to go into your head to the point where you don't have to think about it?
If we are doing a jazz recording, then yes, we have to go into it with the mindset of doing everything in a live take. However, with my original music - Japanese Bathhouse and the new album, as yet untitled -- the songs are recorded in layers so we can do as many takes as we need to. Of course, it's a better use of time if you can be a one-take wonder.

Any tequila shot before recording? How about before going on stage?
Ha! Well, right now, as a mom-to-be, the tequila shot is out of the question.

As such a high-profile (Family) and professional musician, do you feel like you are putting yourself on the line every time you make a record or step onto playing on stage?
Whatever profession you are in, you want to make a good name for yourself every time you do your job. When I do a gig, I never know who may be watching/listening. There may be someone in the audience who wants to buy my CD, or hire me to play on their recording project, or hire my group to play for an event.

Do you get nervous before you go on stage?
I do get nervous sometimes, especially if I know there are other musicians in the audience. A wonderful saxophonist I know, John Ricci, reminded me before our performance at my CD release of Hummingbird, "You're creating a small, beautiful thing". Sometimes we can build things up so that they're so big and intimidating in our mind, but the reality is that we're just trying to create a small beautiful thing. Also, if I'm nervous I ask myself if this will even matter 5 years from now.

Despite your happy-go-lucky persona you are deadly serious about music, aren't you?
I consider myself an optimistic realist. I do take music seriously because I value it deeply, and because I do it for a living.

How do you get into the zone before a bigger concert or playing a festival? Is there any tequila bottle in your ukelele case?
I'd like to take more time getting into the zone with relaxation, but more often than not, I am rushing around and next thing I know, I am up on the stage and it's time to play.


Interview with Rebecca Zapen continues...
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