Global fusion bands often fail due to cultural influences and/or a lack of decent charts. United Shades of Artistry is a celebration of the Eastern European roots of Levon Mikaelian, pianist and composer. It also draws from Latin and African music and rhythmic structures for a refreshing presentation that many artists have tried but failed to achieve. From www.criticaljazz.com Hi, my name is Levon Mikaelian. I am the founder and band leader of United Shades of Artistry. I was born in Yerevan, Armenia, and grew up in a musical family. I began playing the piano when I was 7. My parents supported me in keeping with the family tradition. My father, Mikael Mikaelian was an outstanding musician and teacher. I had many great teachers. The Soviet Union collapsed when I was 11 years old, and Armenia had to go through a tough transition. We lost our electricity, gas and most of the food resources. My life was not my choice. I had to learn a lot faster than I wanted. My responsibilities changed quickly from practicing and studying the piano to helping my family keep warm by finding firewood on the streets. We had a wood stove in our apartment, which was on the 10th floor. This was a common practice among families at that time. Those were interesting times, to put it mildly. The madness went on for many years. Despite the difficulties, I practiced, participated in national piano competitions and performed the Bach concertos D minor and F minor with my national chamber orchestra. The next year I was accepted into the Yerevan State Conservatory. There I continued my studies before moving to the States. My family and I won the green card lottery at 18 and we moved to the United States permanently. My first job was as an animal-caretaker. This basically meant that I cleaned mouse cages every day. My vocabulary will never contain enough words to express how much I miss playing the piano every morning as I stood at the cages. My family required my assistance so I continued to practice the piano for another year. I then started taking Peabody classes. Within one year, I was awarded a scholarship to continue my musical education at Berklee College of Music. With mixed feelings of excitement, sadness and joy, I moved to Boston. My then girlfriend, Nue, was in Baltimore attending college. She later became my wife. After a month in Boston, I decided to return home and marry my girlfriend. My life began to unfold in a very surprising way. I made life-long friendships, became the music director for the Maryland Youth Ballet, and continued to practice jazz every day. I met many great musicians in the DC area and began to play guitar. My childhood friend Arshak Sirunian, and I recorded a CD called “Witha song in my soul”, which was released by Double Sharp. I was the lead singer. These last few years have been a very significant milestone year that has led me to an avenue of insight and inspiration. Karen Chan, a dear friend of mine, introduced me to Buddhism. I have come to see every aspect of my daily life through a new lens since this introduction. This introduction has made me realize that every living thing, no matter how bad or good, is simply trying to be happy. This simple realization was both humble and empowering. This realization was my main inspiration to start this band. It is the simple truth that no matter where you come from or what faith you hold, we all face similar challenges in life. There is a common thread that unites us all on an essential level. Nune and me recently became proud parents to an amazing little boy named Davis. We’re also expecting another boy at the same time as the CD release. This is more than a coincidence to me. This is symbolic because Art was the one constant that I could rely on, even through all the changes in my life. It was the outlet that kept me grounded throughout all phases of my life. This album is the first step towards that goal. I am so grateful for your support and taking time to read my story. From www.reverbnation.com
