Ivory Mosaic- A Diverse Group (Rising Musicians & Band) (November 2021)

Issue Nineteen- November 2021:

By Mercedes Barreto

How can something be so rare yet so exotic and potentially mainstream? How does one describe this phenomenon? Ivory Mosaic creates music that is bound for the masses, yet so unique. We read all about their musical gifts and aspirations in this guided yet informative rising talent article.

How did Ivory Mosaic gets its name, and a start? What’s the story there?

“Great question. Mosaic is essentially a object that is comprised of various types of materials that collectively contribute towards a beautiful unique design. We are a very diverse group, musically, culturally & creatively, so naturally, that definition seemed to suit us pretty well. Ivory is an outlawed material that is incredibly beautiful but very, very rare. We feel that the unique aspects of our group do make us stand out from the crowd so to speak, thus making what we do, somewhat uncommon or rare. Lastly, it’s 2021, and hundreds and hundreds of years of written music & recordings make it incredibly difficult to find a unique but interesting name that isn’t already taken. This was just an additional benefit to stumbling across ivory mosaic!”

What is the ideal performance venue for the band, and especially if you could pick any venue of choice?

“Festivals, festivals, festivals. We are a very spontaneous band that leaves TONS of room for improvisation in our live performances. In our experience, music festivals attendees seem to be so much more energetic, connected in the moment with the band & open minded to listening to a new group such as ourselves. We also have somewhat struggled to find a musical community we fit into in our local upstate New York scene. We feel that festivals are a great way to share our music with new people & connect with other like minded artists!”

What are 2 words that describe your style to a world of people out there who might be potentially interested in your work?

“Evolutionary and diverse.

Evolutionary- Because we leave room for improvisation in our music. We never end up playing the same thing twice, which is incredible for both us and our audience, and they never get the same show twice, so you can always expect something different at each of our performances! Diverse- we have arrangements spanning from many different genres, such as progressive rock, blues, r&b, funk, country, psychedelic & jazz.”

What would be an original song that the band feels resonates most with listeners? Why and how so?

“It’s tough to say. We have been writing as a group for about 6-7 months now & have only done a handful of live performances. We have had great reactions to The Traveler and On The Run at our live performances. All of our music will be accessible on streaming platforms soon!”

What is in store for 2022? The rest of 2021?

“Right now, we are actually in a studio writing and recording our first album. We have been blessed with an amazing opportunity to be a part of an up and coming recording studio based out of Germantown, NY called Wading Nine productions. The studio owner, Eric, has been nice enough to allow us to come in to his space, work at our own pace & utilize his studio & his engineering knowledge to help capture the essence of our sound. We are incredibly excited to announce that an album is in the works, & while there isn’t a set date for the release yet, I can tell you that it is coming in 2022 and it will shake the earth to its core! Follow us on our Instagram, @ivorymosaicofficial or on our Facebook, Ivory Mosaic to stay updated with the progress of our album and any upcoming live performances.”

Where can we find your music, and why should we do it? What makes Ivory Mosaic iconic?

“We unfortunately don’t have any music available on Spotify or Apple Music, but we do have some live performances on our YouTube channel, IvoryMosaicOfficial. You may be interested in hearing our cover of Blind Faiths “can’t find my way home” to hear our vocalist Dan McCabe do and incredible job of channeling the spirit of Steve Winwood; and trust me, he nails it! You can also find one of our original arrangements “The Traveler” which is an instrumental tune that stemmed from the mind of our second guitar player, John Baldelli.

Anything you would like to add?

“We would just like to say thank you to all of those that have supported us through this journey. Thank you to Eric Sagarin of Wading Nine productions for sacrificing all of your time and hard work on us to help us get our sound out into the universe. Thank you to our fans that attend our performances. Thank you to our drummer, Ricky and his father for letting us use the space at their home to make all of this happen. Thank you to our families who have supported all of us throughout the years. Thank you for giving us this interview, and for an opportunity to interact with the public off the stage on a more personal level.

We all appreciate all of these efforts made and promise to continue giving back to you through music, gratitude & the great vibes at our shows. This is just the beginning.”

Questions For The Photographer-

What convinces you that ivory mosaic is the top of the line in performance and music? Does this portray itself in your photography of them?

“I met these guys on the shoot, and they are a nice bunch of young musicians. Then I watched a video that they had posted on their page, and that did it for me. The vocals, the musicianship and the dedication are all there. I hope these guys stay together in this same personnel configuration and they will go far. I will be there for them to help in any way I can. I’m not sure my photos portrayed this since it was not a performance shoot, but I hope it did.”

Would you photograph them again and why? What would you say to other photographers that photo them further along, in recognition to this band?

“I would photograph them again in a minute. This next time, I hope it will be a performance shoot to capture the emotion of the musicians as they perform. If other photographers get the chance to capture them in performance, I hope they enjoy them as much as I did.”

Photography Courtesy of Joe Mack’s Event Photography.