Page 13 - ION Indie Magazine MayJune 2023

Jovaniel Rosario (Drums): I like to spend time mixing live tracks and making videos.
I really enjoy outdoor stuff like hiking and exploring. I need the silence and time to
reflect -- and away from the day-to-day noise.

MH: When you’re writing music, what is your creative process? How do you
decide what songs to work on and perform?

Jordan Stafford: My creative process involves trying things I have never tried before.
For me, it's important not to be confined in a box. When I write, I try to write backwards
and forwards. For each album we try to explore new territory, while simultaneously
adding my personal signatures. Each note, each word. each track is deliberate.

John Stafford: The creative process varies. Sometimes it feels like I am in control of
it, and sometimes it feels like I am just a conduit, and it controls me.

Kathi McKay: For me, it's like giving birth. It's organic. It grows and it takes on a life
of its own as it forms. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it flows, but the result is
always rewarding.

MH: Like many other bands and artists, has the band ever dealt with
performance anxiety? Maybe share a story.
Jordan Stafford: Funny thing…no. Maybe at first, we had moments of slight
insecurity. Those times have pretty much subsided until the next big step for us. We
have been building this for over a decade. We are ready for the next challenge. We
love what we are doing, and we realize that challenges just make us better.

MH: Like any other job, what is your favorite part about working in music and
your least favorite and why?

Kathi McKay: I love the positive effect we have on the people. We have so many
people come up to us and tell us how much our music has spoken to them. I love the
whole process. I try to stay true to my calling, and hope that my dedication to it is
beneficial to anyone that takes the time to listen. I am eternally grateful for the
opportunity. We all have private music students. We want to connect with our music,
and we want to connect with other musicians. Music speaks to our emotions and
teaching the language of music is very fulfilling.

Jovaniel Rosario: My favorite part about music is that it provides a way for me to
express feelings and ideas. It's a language for me. I feel free when I am speaking the
language of music. It's more than just a hobby, it's a way for me to communicate and
connect with other people.

Brock Lange: As an artist, the process of creation is amazing. There's something
special about taking all of the ideas and inspirations that float around in your mind
and synthesizing them into something that's never existed before. Also, since we play
out live so much, feeding off of the energy of the crowd is a special feeling that is
really hard to match anywhere else.