Imagine
Open Labs Exclusive Artist Interview
- by Tatiana Ryckman, Open Labs Staff Writer
“Imagine what you want your life to be ... then make it happen!” For Gail Garner and John St. Jean this is more than a Myspace quote or a cute way to sign e-mails, it's what makes them Imagine – a two piece band that “sounds like six, eight, or ten.” With backgrounds ranging from musical theater to sneaking into clubs through the back door at age 11 to play bass, Imagine has been soaking music in for most of their lives and have been playing together for the last six and a half years.
In a single month, Gail and John may take breaks from their extensive teaching careers (Gail teaches special ed, tech, and at-risk students; and John teaches special ed students on top of music lessons and starting his own music equipment company, Cornerstone Music) to perform covers of classic songs at a teacher's conference in Nashville, a Marine Corps appreciation dinner in Ocean City, a handful of pool and deck parties, and even a few charity fund raisers. The range in size doesn't intimidate them, though, “Because of how we're using the technology that we're using, both the MiKo and NeKo, with the things that we do we can down-size for a very small, intimate setting, and we can up-size. We've played ballrooms and free festivals, we can go all the way huge to very small, and intimate.”
They've also prepared for the wide varied types of audiences they perform for. Armed with a plethora of video and images Imagine puts on a show that feels bigger than a woman with a keyboard and a man with a bass. “We use the MiKo as our video tool and we can actually pull Youtube video up – so if we're doing a song, say by Rolling Stones, on our screen you'll see Rolling Stones performing. And we've got slide shows of all these still shots that I've put together of different themes. I've got a patriotic set, and one that we're going to be using at the end of school picnic, and then one that's got all summer pictures. It gives people something to look at ... they like to watch people play, and after a while it's like, 'okay, same thing, same thing.'” Gail jokes about how entertaining she is to watch for an entire four hour set, “I'm cute, I'm not that cute.”
Entertaining isn't all the video capabilities are good for. With over 400 songs at request John and Gail can't be machines and remember every lyric, cue, and chord change, sometimes they need a few reminders. “We use the secondary video outputs to add additional monitors to the show, displaying notes, chords, key changes, lyrics, amps, effects configurations, etc. for our constantly growing repertoire of requests.” And that's how they do it.
Sequencing is the key to the small band's big sound and so, describes Gail, is the gear they use.
“We started out with a little Yamaha that ... we had to feed diskettes for our sequences; a diskette held 12 songs, and if it wasn't on that diskette, we had to find the diskette it was on. So we had to organize all these diskettes. They only held 12 songs—and no more than 12 songs.” With a play list over 400 songs long they were forced to tour under a small mountain of plastic hardware.
Eventually the duo upgraded to a “Yamaha, a PRS9000, which was a professional level keyboard ... but when we were creating sequences that we were using live we'd have to do it on a computer, then transfer it into the keyboard and then readjust what it sounded like on the keyboard, because what it sounded like on the keyboard is not what it sounded like on the computer.”
Finally they've found a piece of equipment that solves both problems without creating a new one. “Now with the computer as part of the keyboard, what you mix, is what you hear, is what you get. I don't have to create what I like and then try to recreate it on another piece of equipment. When I record, we're recording music off the MiKo and I know what I'm getting out is what I'm putting in. I'm not having to jump and hope my sounds are coming with me.”
Another benefit of the gear, says Gail, is that they've been able to update them so that they're just “short of being the gold ones,” making both their MiKo LX and NeKo LX Gen2s into Gen3s. “We've updated them and they're about as updated as they can go, and we love them.”
While Imagine is creating high-tech sequences and video to fill out their show, it didn't happen over-night. “Before we took it out on a gig we took four to five months to actually get to know it, because it was something totally new. We're still learning about it, and we've had them for a while.” Accustomed to the standard glitches of equipment, the band waited until they were comfortable enough to say, “Okay, if something happens, we know what to do,” before they took it out on the road. “For the next four to five months we did bring our old Yamaha with us – just in case ... After that we were like, 'why are we carting this thing around?' and we stopped taking the Yamaha.”
Gail says they've wowed both their audiences and the bands that inspired them in the beginning. Marines have been touched by the intimate sideshows while audience members have been flattered by Gail's ability to recall them by name and song request. And bands, like Synergy, who were initially teaching them, are now looking to Imagine for knowledge. Gail says, “The learning curve has flipped the other way and we're teaching them, now. Now they're saying 'How did you get that video?' and 'How did you get that slide show?' and 'How are you getting that done?' Last week we actually had two members of Synergy in our house and we had to say, “Guys, you have to gig tonight, you have to go,” and practically kick them out.”
With years of experience and tools to make the music they love, Imagine is as busy as ever. As their list of shows to perform catches up to their long list of songs, this duo has only begun to imagine the possibilities that are ahead.
Artist Q&A
Q: How did you first hear about Open Labs?
A: John was on the Harmony Central Forum and heard some guys talking about the NeKo. Then he checked out the Open Labs Forum and met Rich, a local musician who had a Gen1 and was willing to meet with us. After that, it was all over but the singin'. We worked through the labor and delivery pangs of our first-born, NeKo, and named Victor as Godfather to our Big Boy. After eight months of infancy and toddlerhood, we were "On the Road Again." Then, of course, came Baby MiKo, with all its additional video capabilities. Another period of toddlerhood and we're out there again.
Q: How has the NeKo/MiKo changed your method of work?
A: We can now take our midi tracks and add audio and video, both pre-recorded and real-time to our show. Our MiKo helps us combine video clips, still photos, print art, and a live video feed to create instant music videos. Who knows how many of our fans will become video stars. We will be using the NeKo for most of our studio work. We can record right off the NeKo, burn CDs, even put a demo on a cell phone so that it is always with us. The MiKo will be our primary road instrument. We use the secondary video outputs to add additional monitors to the show, displaying notes, chords, key changes, lyrics, amps, effects configurations, etc. for our constantly growing repertoire of requests. We are musicians who are out there performing at the most interactive level with our audiences. There is a lot of give and take, people making requests, recognizing special events, etc. We play everything from deck/pool parties to weddings, balls and galas to antique car shows, fire hall dedications to crab feasts, fundraisers to beach parties and street festivals. We have played in large ballrooms, intimate dining rooms, and senior centers. Our music gets people out of their chairs and, quite literally, "Dancing in the Street." We are the band that gives a little something different. We are the band that sounds like six, but costs like two. The Neko and MiKo have allowed us to improve the quality of our sound. We can provide the full, live sound that everyone wants, even with limit space or funds. We are the viable option to those who think that the only choice left to them is to hire a DJ. We strive to put live music back into the lives of everyone who wants to truly enjoy a music experience. Our motto in music has always been that "Good music has no age limit." The NeKo and MiKo are helping us to bring "The Good Stuff" out of the radio. We're "Taking it to the Streets" so everyone has a chance to "Listen to the Music" and "Get the Party Started."
Q: How have you integrated the NeKo/MiKo into your current studio setting?
A: The NeKo has virtually replaced a ton of other equipment from recording CDs to playing CDs, from amps and monitors to huge notebooks of information sitting precariously on music stands, to multiple keyboards, MP3 players and sequencers. We are in the process of mounting a 37" flat screen to use in the video production aspects that have come into our studio and performance areas with the arrival of the MiKo. Our whole studio operation has been modernized and streamlined.
Q: Have you had any experience with our Tech Support?
A: There is no company that I have ever encountered that provides more commitment to seeing that customers are satisfied with their purchases. Everything from the Forum to the remote internet assistance is designed to ensure the quality of the instrument. Matthew and David W. are great about answering questions, searching out solutions, or just brainstorming to find new and better ways for the NeKo and MiKo to work for each individual musician's needs. When you make a plea for help, they are there to hear your call.
Equipment Used
Purchased NeKo LX (Gen2) upgraded to (Gen3)
Purchased MiKo LX (Gen3)
Artist Links