Joseph Curiale - Music of Life

Q: What is your background? Although this is a common and frequently asked question, it is one I find that I'm just not interested in answering for several reasons. First of all, in my opinion it is the music that is most important, and not I. If people are interested in knowing about the background of the music, I am more than willing to share what I know. In fact it is joyful to share. I know there can be a human-interest aspect to wanting to know about my background, but it seems to be an all-important obsession with many people that I find rather meaningless and irrelevant. Of what importance is it what university I went to or what teachers I studied with? The music is not a result of any of those things. People are always looking for a formula or a neat set of steps they can follow that will hopefully insure their own success, and frequently look to those who in their eyes are 'successful' for the answers. Just look at all the self-help books ... 7 steps to 'this' and 12 steps to 'that' ... etc... If it was that clear and easy that there were only 7 steps to success or whatever, why are there hundreds of other books saying there are 12 steps or 5 steps or five billion steps to accomplish the same goal??? I think this is very misleading and giving this kind of false information and false hope to people is a great injustice. I don't believe that is the root of true success. I believe it goes much deeper than that and yet is very simple. It starts with fundamental things like love and compassion and kindness. And 'success' might be different for different people. It might be living a simple and quiet life with dignity and honesty with a family, and not what the media or 'pop' culture has dictated success to be. Unfortunately people buy into 'the system' and it is their choice in allowing themselves to be led around by the nose as to what is 'success,' 'beauty,' 'happiness,' etc. I think this is because people are lazy. They rather be told, because then they don't have to dig up the courage to find out for themselves. But there seems to be no escaping that we must look within ourselves for the answers. All my life I have been presented with challenges just like anyone, and have had to make choices out of the endless possibilities based on my experience and intuition. The circumstances of my life are uniquely my own. Although we can learn from the experiences of others, it seems the tendency is to copy, and even though it appears that imitation is a part of growing, most people never seem to get out of that phase, perhaps out of fear. It seems safe... The path is known... But I tend to agree with an eastern philosophy, 'don't be afraid of the unknown, be afraid of the KNOWN.'I believe each person has something special to do that only they can do in this life. To copy my path or anyone else's would be counterproductive to a person discovering who they really are and what their purpose really is. There is another reason I hesitate to discuss my history. Given enough information, people start developing labels, and labels are limiting and ultimately cause division, prejudice, and judgement. Unfortunately people don't seem to feel comfortable unless they can categorize you. When you are beyond being categorized, most become fearful and don't know what to do with you or how to react to you. It is a terrible failing of the intellect and a fire I have no interest in fueling because this is a metaphor of many ugly aspects of life that contribute to the divisions that cause war, hatred, and so many other such things. Labels, such as those associated with certain groups (ethnic or otherwise), fashionable cliques, etc, can also bring out a very ugly pride that ultimately separates people. I am more of the belief that we are one huge cosmic body and not separate, as many choose to believe. If people hear the music and feel beauty, or peace, or love, or some kind of 'healing,' then hopefully the music has fulfilled it's reason for coming into existence, and that should be enough in itself. The music is pure, so why would anyone want to taint the beautiful experience they have with it by clouding it with all kinds of unimportant information? How can knowing what my hobbies are add to anything? And I'm really not interested in listing any awards and accolades because that's all very ego-based and really has no meaning. Do you think an Emmy Nomination means anything to a peasant in Mongolia? I don't think so, but I feel sure love and kindness do. They are universal. And that's hopefully what the music is about. Q: Can you explain how you write the compositions? A: Since I usually do not plan to write what I consider to be the best of what I do (the music of the 'Awakening' CD and The Music of Life CD, for example), it's not easy to come up with an answer to this question. Writing the compositions was one of the most mystical experiences I have ever had. I never really sit down and say, 'today I'm going to write a piece about the Chinese-American experience' or 'I'm going to write a piece honoring my sister'... At this point in my life, it seems the more I let go of everything and refrain from forcing things or clinging to desires, etc., and just observe life as silently as possible, then everything, including the music, seems to flow rather effortlessly. If the music wishes to express itself through me, it seems to do so. It always comes as a great surprise to me and it is 'all there'...the themes, melodies, mood, colors and minute details of the orchestration. I can even see how a musician will breathe and gesture with their face and hands and general body language. I see how their eyes look at me as we come to a cadence. It is all there in totality and really requires no 'effort.' The only help it needs from me is to write it down and give it all the love I have. The only labor is to try to keep up with the flow of information at that point! When I am done I am usually exhausted physically and mentally and sometimes take a break for weeks. My usual reaction when finished is one of complete discovery. I feel like I am witnessing the whole experience as an observer for the first time. I often don't even remember writing the music! (This was very much the case with the first movement of 'Gates of Gold.' When it was finished and I woke up the next morning and 'listened' to it, I said to myself, 'What is this???') I remember sitting there with a pencil and score paper but the details are left for me to discover at a later time. Perhaps I don't remember things because I don't question them as they appear. I just follow the flow...I do not intellectualize...just allow myself to 'feel.' The more 'centered' I feel 'spiritually' the more creativity seems to flow. Many of the compositions have come while being in a very meditative state or while fasting. (However, much of 'Call of the Mountain' was written while I just escaped death in Singapore and was barely hanging on. The spirit and will of that music to be born was so strong that even 'near death' wouldn't stop it from coming to be.) I told musicians of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra during one of the recording sessions at Abbey Road Studio 1, that I have never felt more sacredness and a sense of 'God' then while bringing forth the music with them. The studio becomes a big temple or church and we are all there to learn and experience a beautiful expression of divinity. Honestly I have had the feeling of ultimate bliss so many times in this way that during the sessions I would say a prayer that if I was not given the chance to live another moment, it was OK, because I have experienced heaven. Ultimately, all of this is not about 'me,' but all about the music. I believe the music is a living entity. Perhaps the closest I will come to being a parent in this lifetime is through my relationship to the music. I helped to bring it into the world, have sacrificed everything I have for it's sake, have given it all the love I