Welcome. Thank you for visiting this most recent upgrade and refinement of my website. The different look and fresh content coincide with another change: I am back in the studio, in earnest! It feels great to be creating again in the studio environment. I’m putting my full energy into recording in the upcoming months. With this site, I will keep you posted on progress, developments and breakthroughs. Knowing the members of Onomatopoeia and Tom Tompkins in particular, there will be not only intense, exacting effort but also the occasional hi jinks (a.k.a. “Tomfoolery”) to report. So here’s to change. It often results in growth.
Change consistently informs my artistic process. It ignites self discovery and expands frontiers. We jazz musicians refer to the chord progressions used to develop a song as “the changes”. This is how songs grow. To grow professionally, it’s indispensable to change formats. This is why I perform solo, in a duo or trio, collaborate with my favorite 7 piece band and sometimes gig with a full orchestra. Growth takes place for me during long walks in nature, while playing on my piano at home or when sharing music with listeners in small clubs, performance halls, even as part of a nationally broadcast television show.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often”
– Winston Churchill
“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading”
– Lao Tzu
Beginning in 2007, I became seriously invested in projects that took years to be fully realized. I have been working 7 days a week in intimate to medium sized jazz venues all without compromising major Onomatopoeia concerts. It was truly a privileged to design and produce ongoing music programs involving over 50, handpicked musicians while serving as the director of music at 2 prominent venues. Most recently, I was part of a small but devoted group of folks who dreamed up, then designed and built a world class, state of the art jazz club. It was a significant accomplishment. I did not have time to produce music in the recording studio. Clearly, it was time for some “Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes”.
This change of focus requires recording and fully producing 11 original songs, some of our finest work ever, resulting in the band’s 6th release.
“Kevin Kirk & Onomatopoeia – Abridged to Nowhere”
Soon after the manufacturing of what we still nostalgically refer to as an “album” we will celebrate with a special concert for our patient fans. The band will then be out touring in support of this CD.
As good and nurturing as change can be, some things will never change. This includes my total love, undying gratitude, deepest devotion, respect and admiration for lovely Ginger. Without her, none of this would be happening. Ginger’s wisdom and encouragement mean everything to me. Her insights keep me authentic. As an artist, with all life’s changes and possible misdirections, she is my constant star. Additionally, Kevin Kirk & Onomatopoeia will not change our need and passion to create hopeful, positive music, to boldly go where no band has gone before. None of us will change our intense commitment to you, our listeners. We will continue to compose and share music from our hearts, hopefully exhilarating the heart of the music lover in you. Other than in these immutable realities, as we bandmates often say to each other, stay “tuned” for more “changes”.
