IB: Did you create any recent albums with this same set-up?
JM: Yes, my own CD, Speaking in Mamma Tongue (Raven Records) incorporates colors, moods, and interpretations of many musicians playing instruments from five continents. I've also used my Logic Audio program for Krishna Das' Pilgrim Heart (Triloka Records), Ram Dass' Meditations on the Gita (Karuna Music), and Shyam Das' Beloved Chants (Sacred Woods).
IB: What happens when you go into the field to record in distant lands?
JM: This year I brought my laptop to India to record sacred Hindu temple music. The Royal family of Nathdwara in Rajasthan asked me to record this music for the first time. Creating these CD's for them became a historic event, archiving music, which may have been lost to future generations. Each day I recorded on a one-gig flashcard from a Digital Audio machine and downloaded it to my Mac. The results were 99 tracks, which were mixed and mastered onto a set of recordings.
IB: Were the locals familiar with this technology?
JM: Not at all. No one in this town has an Apple I-book and they were seeing it for the first time. I made eight different CD's for them in this remote region where it felt like I was transported to another era. Now that it is for sale, millions of people have heard it on CD and blasting through temple loudspeakers resounding for miles.
IB: Do you have any endorsement affiliations?
JM: Yes, with Sabian Cymbals, Toka Percussion, TC Electronics, Faust/Harrison Pianos, EMU, and Pre Sonus, and of course, the Logic group at Apple.
IB: What's special about Logic?
JM: I started working with Logic Audio about eight years ago. For a composer, it's ideal for a digital platform because of compatibility of audio and MIDI technology. It's also really good for mixing music and customizing windows visually for making your own personal set-up. My sound engineering/mixing and producing partner, Daniel Baruch also works exclusively with Logic. He started using it for recording over a dozen years ago and then worked with logic and his computer on stage during live shows, touring through Europe where he was particularly impressed with its dependability and depth of its conception.
IB: How does Logic compare to other digital audio software?
JM: Daniel did tests to determine which software had the best conversion and maneuverability of audio files. We checked Logic Audio, Digital Performer, Pro Tools, and Cuebase. Logic Audio was the winner.
IB: You are also a winner. Your praises have been sung from Vice President Al Gore, who calls your music beautiful, to David Bowie who speaks of how wonderfully you mix cultural strains together with continuity. What's next?
JM: I'm beginning a new film score incorporating environmental field recordings. Like usual, we'll spend most of our time in the studio working with my Mac and Logic.
IB: Sounds logical to me.
Iris Brooks is a cultural writer who served as the Editor of EAR Magazine, the New York Philharmonic, and the Lincoln Center Festival. Hundreds of her articles have appeared in a variety of publications.
