Please introduce yourself?
My name is Alex Adorno; I grew up in the mists of the Australian bushland of Scotsburn, Victoria.
How would you describe the genre of music you play?
The best way to describe my music is Eclectic Storyteller, I range from orchestral ballads and Pop to Groove and Rock.
Can you tell us about your musical journey to this point, when did you start performing etc.?
I started performing publicly at 15 with a guitar and my voice doing covers of popular music. I wrote my first song when I was 16 about the feeling of slowly growing icy with age; I was unsure where I was going with life, I was feeling the absence of myself under the pressures of what was expected of me. I made sense of it the only way I could with a melody, piano and words on a page.
As an artist, what is your biggest strength? And what is something you need to improve?
Personally, my improvisational skills vocally and lyrically are the most developed. If you give me a piece of music with no melody I can come up with one and scattered lyrics without thinking about it too much. If you make me listen to a modern pop song I can parody it within a few listens.
As for an area to improve… My sight singing is something I have trouble with. I tend to need to hear something to parrot it back. I’m currently working to improve this.
Do you write your own music, tell us about your writing process? Where when with what?
Ordinarily I treat my lyrics as a story of sorts or a poem. Every word is crucial to it, no vowel is wasted. I will go for long walks, take pictures, collect curiosities and quotes to inspire me. As for music, just listen… It’s all around you: in the traffic, whispers of wind, people murmuring their wants, a glass falling, anything and everything is my inspiration.
Sometimes I will just sit at a keyboard for hours playing one note then another just to test what could work. After I have notes that work well together I arrange it into scenes. There you have a full song.
Name one person in your life that shaped your musical interests and influences, describe how so?
My mother from a young age introduced me to artists such as Crowded House, Lionel Richie, Delta Goodrem, Elton John, Evanescence, Bliss ‘n Esso, Guns & Roses, Weird Al Yancovic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and various works from old musicals (so many others besides). As soon as I could talk she and I would spend whole days singing songs written by Alan Menken or dancing to old Celtic music she had on CD from when she was young. This shaped me to enjoy a wide variety of genres and styles allowing me to take inspiration from music in all forms.
You can collaborate with one musician dead or alive, who is it?
There are many incredible artists to choose from but I would have to say Alecia Moore (Pink). Her voice, lyrics and general arrangement skills are gorgeous.
Finish this paragraph “ in ten years I am…”
Performing around the world, teaching others how to express themselves with music and spreading the all-important message that no one in this world is truly alone, even if you sometimes might feel that way.
Alex is a student in our Artist Development Program. If you are a musician and would like all the tools, teaching and mentoring to get the most out of your musicianship, enquire with the College today about our 2018 intake.