Interview with Jon Appleton [updated]

Jon Appleton taught me nearly everything important I know about music and composing. Here's a wonderful interview he just posted on YouTube. Enjoy his creativity and warmth!



I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned from him and remain grateful for the opportunities he provided, the wisdom he imparted, and the challenges he set before me.

His pedagogical style, what he taught, and why he taught were main drivers for my own educational efforts at the Duke University Talent Identification Program and related projects.

[Updated to include the latest version of the video. Thanks, Ray!]

The Ghost Town: Status and Preview

The album is being mastered by the incredibly talented Michael Hateley of Lotus Mastering, who has mastered such illustrious bands as Green Day, Built To Spill, Mastodon, Slayer, Neil Young, The White Stripes, Tegan And Sara, Josh Groban, Circle Jerks, Rise Against!, Linkin Park, and Sid Luscious and The Pants.

The artwork is being created by the amazing James Carrière, who has done the artwork for 2009's "Overcast" and the yet-to-be-released 2010 "Reflection". ["Reflection" is taking a long time because the book design is both complex and spectacular.]

The book is being designed by the lovely and award-winning Iran Narges, who has been a favorite collaborator for a decade.

I expect to have a listening/release party in a month or two.

For the time being, you can listen to these low bit rate, unmastered MP3s.

Jinsai's player: