Ava Luna: A Band in Transition

Posted by musichistorian on September 14, 2011

A band undergoes several transformations, hardships and disappointments before they gain recognition from music lovers and record producers. Brooklyn-based band, Ava Luna, is no exception. This band has persevered through some of the toughest and, sometimes, seemingly impassible obstacles and are now reaping the benefits. Front man, Carlos Hernandez has been with Ava Luna every step of the way. He enumerates on his experiences in this first full-length band feature article for Hear; Don’t Listen.

“Hated to practice; but loved to write”

Carlos started the band at 17 years old. Over the course of his music training, Carlos consistently trained in classical piano. Over the course of his training, Carlos learned he “hated to practice but loved to write.” This led to an interest and pursuit in piano composition. Carlos also developed an interest in rock and roll; and the band, Weezer became his favorite group. At 17 years of age, Carlos had a new passion and goal: writing music that people his age would listen to and love.

Along with his best friend at the time, Nathan, a synthesizer player, Carlos stared a band called Ava. In later years, the original band members adopted the second name, Luna, after they learned about another band also called Ava.

The band’s early fall-outs

In the early years, Ava Luna created three albums, all of which Carlos claims were “disasters.”

“Back when Ava Luna first started, people called it cabaret; somebody even described it as the Rocky Horror Picture show – something I definitely didn’t want to hear.” In his mind, Carlos perceived the band’s sound as something darker and with less pizazz. Comments like these shocked him.

In addition to the response from audiences; problems started brewing between Carlos and Nathan. The two original Ava Luna members ended their friendship once they both finished college. Afterward, Carlos decided to continue Ava Luna as a one-man band.

“How can I make this group sound?”

After the band broke-up, Carlos rethought a lot about what he wanted in a band. “I literally sat down one day and thought ‘how can I make a band with no people in it, and how can I make this group’s sound?’ If I wanted to have a future with this band, I had to define a clear sound. I thought about my musical background and asked myself how I could make a band that represents this and gives me the opportunity to compose and offset the soul music influence.”

(Left to Right) Carlos, Julian, Becca, Anna, and Felicia

Carlos also thought of how he could contribute instrumentally to the band, and picked up singing and guitar in addition to playing synthesizer. He also asked his younger brother to play drums. Eventually, Carlos decided to compose intricate vocal lines for multiple singers, and this led to inviting three back-up singers to the group. A drummer would soon follow, and Carlos’s old band mate and friend, Nathan, reunited with Ava Luna.

Ava Luna today is a “group of musicians that come together and combine their eclectic tastes”

Ava Luna is now a 6 person band. They managed to go on tour after only a year of performing. And though they were still experimenting as a band, they received a greater response from audience members.

Carlos describes Ava Luna today as “the group of musicians that come together and combine their eclectic tastes.” Ava Luna might

Ava Luna perform at the Baseline Stage of the U.S. Open

have started as an experiment but over time, it became a long-lasting band in which everybody has a free say and the ability to play around with how ever much they want.

Carlos adds, “I can now understand what makes my band members like this music, and my job is to see how I can make everybody feel satisfied.” Their latest performance at the U.S. Open in Flushing, Queens, New York proves this.

The group’s musical magnitude, dedicated and flawless performance stirred the most attention from the passing crowds that day. I was in the middle of that crowd photographing and video recording this band the entire time. I might have gotten the back of many people’s heads but the performance was worth every minute!

Recently, a record label invited Ava Luna to create a new album titled “Service LP.” They will also tour New England, Canada and some of the mid-west as an opening act for Toro Y Moi. Their first show is tonight at Webster Hall in New York City, and their last show is on September 25th in Minneapolis.

Greater opportunities and commitments also equates more complicated time and work management for the band. In my conversation with Carlos, I learned four of the band members have full-time jobs. They all try to make it to rehearsals 2-3 times a week and when they can’t, all singers and instrumentalists perform their parts in their own times. At rehearsals, Carlos conjures up ways he can synthesize rehearsals to temporarily fill the absent instrumentalist or singer.

“We have day jobs, but we play enough shows to support the band…It’s a lot of work”

Carlos also works several part-time jobs in order to make time for the band. On a normal day, Carlos communicates with the band members through constant emails concerning Ava Luna’s upcoming performances.

Becca, Felicia and Anna: Ava Luna's back-up singers

“We have day jobs, but we play enough shows to support the band; it is self sufficient. It is a lot of work,” concludes Carlos with conviction. Yet, Carlos wants to continue the group and further develop it professionally.

“When you step back and look at how far this band has come, it’s an accomplishment”

I asked Carlos where he would like to see Ava Luna a few years from now. One of his wishes is for Ava Luna to keep their sound without any compromises, or without changing their music in order to satisfy another major band’s musical taste. Carlos also says, “I want to see how far this can go. When you step back and look at how far this band has come, it’s a great accomplishment.”

Ava Luna’s mix of blues, soul, rhythm and blues, and folk in their songs, makes this independent group unlike any I’ve ever heard. I hope this band will go on more tours and make more albums. I finally asked Carlos what keeps him motivated to stay in the music business and he candidly replied, “It’s not a choice; this is just what I do.”

Hear People Listen, Part 2: Tapping into part of my father’s life

Posted by musichistorian on August 11, 2011

I recently interviewed my father, a former Cold War refugee from Romania, and learned about the power of forgetting and remembering stories. Such stories linger in people’s minds but rarely surface in conversation.

His flee to the United States

This past April, I visited my parents’ native Romania. My parents, sister and I stayed at, what used to be, our grandparents home in the center of the capital city, Bucharest. I brought with me a story kit from StoryCorps to initially record a conversation with my mother and her best friend. My father became excited by the idea and asked if I would interview him and his two life-long friends, Dan and Marian.

I had to limit the conversation between these three friends to 45 minutes. Along with the “ice-breaking” background questions – how did you meet, describe me a favorite childhood memory, etc. – I also saw this as a golden opportunity to tap into a specific part of my father’s life – his flee to the United States.

After 30 minutes of listening to their walk down memory lane, they finally ambled to the year of my father’s daring escape from Romania – 1980. I then asked the following: “When you learned Tomi (my father) was going to make a perilous journey to America during the Romania’s communist occupation, what thoughts came to your minds?” So, the story began.

“My leave in 1980 was a dangerous matter…those who know will do well to forget”

I watched my father lean back into his chair with his arms folded across his chest as he enumerated.

“My leave from Romania in 1980 was a dangerous matter and one that was kept confidential. My wish for all my friends and family was this: those who know will do well to forget.”

And forget they did. As far as all his friends knew, my father was going on a month-long trip to Israel to visit an aunt. Marian elaborates.

“Tomi and I attended a sports club every Sunday to play tennis in pairs. Since we were both enthusiasts we always showed up on time.

“A month had passed since he left for Israel and I knew he was supposed to be back; so I waited for him at the club one Sunday after his return but he never came. I was incredibly amazed but I assumed he hadn’t come home from Israel yet. His prolonged absence eventually worried me.

“Sometime later, I stopped by his parents’ house to see if they had heard from Tomi. They invited me inside to listen to a homemade tape recording of a telephone conversation between them and Tomi. Making that tape was courageous because in those days, government authorities tapped most phones.

“I listened to the conversation. Tomi had gone to Italy to get an exit visa for the United States. On the tape, Tomi told his father about his arduous time abroad. He was exonerated by the application process and didn’t feel confident about continuing his journey. In the conversation, his father encouraged him to push forward. Mr. Trutescu said to Tomi, “You left here for this reason, and you’ve traveled too far to turn back now. Keep going.”” My father eventually finished his journey safely.

“You could only imagine what my friends thought when they learned I wasn’t coming back”

“I started my journey on Jun 10, 1980 in Israel,” said my Dad. “In September, I boarded a charter plane from Italy and landed in America.” He then remarked, “You could only imagine what my friends thought when they learned I wasn’t coming back.” Dan then told his story.

“It was 1982, two years after Tomi left when I learned he wasn’t returning home.

Romania during communism

“It all happened at my parents’ house on Christmas of that year. Marian and his fiancée, Veronica stopped by, and I saw they brought Tomi’s father along with them.

“I found it unusual how Marian and Mr. Trutescu stopped by without bringing Tomi. At this point, I started thinking he already fled the country; a thought I kept to myself because I was so afraid of possibly exposing Tomi.” Dan didn’t know about the cassette recording Marian had heard and thus, wasn’t sure if my father had already made it to the States or discontinued the trip.

These memories and stories were seldom shared, even though communism was long gone

For a few seconds, I noticed a remarkable silence. My father still had his arms crossed; this time seated all the way back into his chair. Dan adopted a similar posture. Meanwhile, a gloomy expression came over Marian’s face as he turned his head downward toward his seat. It was clear to me that these memories and stories of my father’s escape were seldom shared, even though communism was long gone.

Further into the conversation, my father talked about his return to Romania for the first time in 10 years – right after communism collapsed in 1989. During those 10 years he was in the States, the only contact he made with his friends was through a Christmas card. Marian pulled that Christmas card out of a manila envelope and showed it to me. He kept it in mint condition for over 3o years.

A holiday greeting card can mean many things, but for my father’s friends, it was a sign of hope that their friend, Tomi was alive and well and somewhere safe.

Remembering and preserving some of life’s most important stories

Romanians today no longer adhere to secrecy and forgetfulness. However; those who lived in a time where certain speeches, knowledge and verbal speculations opened a door to danger, still remember this protocol: forgetting is the best way to protect yourself and those around you. Today, remembering and preserving some of life’s most important stories is essential; especially among friends, family, and generations to come.

I am happy to preserve and share my father’s story. It is a story about freedom, danger, perseverance and friendships that have passed the tests of time.

Hear People Listen, Part 1

Posted by musichistorian on May 8, 2011

Hello again. It is my first entry of 2011 and I feel I have to explain myself a little. The New Year started with a busy communications job in Brooklyn and evening classes at NYU. At the end of March and beginning of April, I found myself in Romania interviewing family members and friends about their histories and pasts.

Now that you know what has happened to me, the Music Historian brings you a special first entry of the year.

Throughout my experience with a non-profit called StoryCorps, I learned that sometimes, the greatest soundtracks of our lives are without music.

Dave Isay, Founder of StoryCorps

Dave Isay, a former radio producer and recipient of the MacArthur’s “Genius” Fellowship, started this non-profit in 2003, recording and preserving the stories of everyday Americans from all walks of life. Today, StoryCorps has recorded and archived more than 30,000 interviews from over 60,000 Americans. In addition to preserving these stories at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, StoryCorps also broadcasts stories on NPR’s Morning Edition every Friday and animations on PBS. Dave also published people’s stories in his original bestsellers – Listening is an Act of Love and Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps.

The big question is – why do people find others’ life stories so intriguing? One reason might reside in the fact we are all individuals or a collective group of individuals who come from different backgrounds and are interested in learning about “ways of living” that are unfamiliar to us.

One StoryCorps recording that struck this chord with me is the story of “Danny and Annie”— a couple who had a late-life romance and happy marriage.

Danny and Annie

Judging from the number of views this animation received – about 1 million – it has struck a chord with other listeners as well.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, many people like it when strangers, close friends or family listen to their stories. I discovered this after I was interviewed by StoryCorps in January. I then decided to share the gift of recording and interviewing by taking StoryCorps’ portable interview kit abroad to family members in my parent’s native Bucharest in Romania.

My mother’s life-long friend in Bucharest fell gravely ill and was spending her time in Bucharest’s oncology center. My Mother planned to go to Romania to visit her friend and then I suggested the idea of going with my Mother to record their conversations and preserving them for her friend’s family. Excited by the idea, my Mom agreed to bring me along.

When we got to Bucharest however; we discovered the branch of the oncology center where my Mother’s friend was placed was completely quarantined and recording devices were not permitted in her room. Luckily, my father and his life-long friends wanted to record their story and two of my Mother’s other close friends also wanted a chance to tell their stories.

On April 7^th, I returned to the United States with great stories from my parents’ native country, Romania. I cannot wait to translate these stories into English and share them with readers.