They perform and record in Colorado as a duo called Take Two, having just released an album in the second half of April, with new songs already written towards a follow-up project. He is a pianist, composer, and vocalist who has created and released over 30 CDs of original music. And, he has been on this show before, well over three years ago on Episode 207. She is a composer, performer, and teacher, and is the owner and founder of Boulder Music and Reel Kids. All of her large scale musical compositions (some over 60 performers) were successfully and completely funded with grants, donations and commissions. And, it is said that she found that her niche in the composition world was to not have a “niche,” but rather never limit herself or others.
(Joshua) "The 1920s to the 1940s... is a time period we really relate to and we always say that we think we were born in the wrong time period."
(Joshua) "Kari and I are different kinds of composers... It's kind of a Lennon and McCartney thing, where they really -- the tension between their different writing actually really helped each other. I think that Kari and I have a similar thing where we bring out different things in each other's writing that wouldn't normally be there."
(Kari) "We both kind of learned a lot from each other. I've definitely learned to be more traditional in my form, which I think is most certainly reflected in the songs that we write together 'cause there's a definite form to them and it's really reflective of that era. And I think (Joshua) has learned to take a little more risks, kind of from my atonal background. So, it's been a good balance."
(Joshua) "I call it kind of old-fashioned jazz because a lot of the jazz from the 50s and up isn't quite as accessible or melodic as the music was from the 20s on, up until the 50s."
(Joshua) "Producing is really like directing a movie version of the album. So, it's the person kind of steering the ship."
(Kari) "When it comes to composition, especially for some of these seemingly simpler songs, I was always limited to what my small, little hands could do. And so, it's been very nice to be, like, 'Okay, I want this' and describe it and give (Joshua) a chord structure and just watch him go. It's been kind of, like, a miracle."
(Joshua) "I think that alone we haven't been as strong as we are together."
(Joshua) "I really firmly believe that this kind of music... is timeless and people really want to hear it. It's just kind of sometimes a little bit of a challenge to find the places where they do want to go to hear it."
(Kari) "There's always been talk of, we both write musicals and plays as well -- we haven't written one together -- so, that's always been something we've talked about."
(Kari) "The different social media outlets, primarily TikTok, has really reinvigorated a lot of these old standards. So now... just your typical teen is asking to sing Fly Me To The Moon 'cause she heard it on TikTok."
(Joshua) "I think if the music's great, I think if it touches your soul, I think if it moves your heart, it will be around forever."
"Love's Refrain"
"Under the Yellow Umbrella"