The Keys, and Beyond…

The following review is by Kathy Parsons of MainlyPiano.com. I must say, this is one of the better reviews I’ve ever received, and I’ve received a lot of reviews over the course of the 11 albums that I’ve released! After reading, be sure to check out Kathy’s site at MainlyPiano.com for more reviews - lots of wonderful music to find there. And now, without further ado, the review:

Ticket To Antarctica is an exciting album of electronic music inspired by a cruise KevOz and his wife took to Antarctica in January 2008. Something of a soundtrack for the trip, the music ranges from quiet and meditative to very bold, upbeat, and fun. Some of the atmospheric sounds that accompany the music suggest icy cold, but the music is consistently upbeat and overflowing with the joy of discovery. KevOz has been creating electronic music for quite a number of years, but I believe this is the first time I’ve heard any of his albums from start to finish - and it certainly won’t be the last! This is music that is personal yet accessible, complex enough to stay interesting with many listens, and very positive in spirit.

Appropriately, the album begins with the title track. The sound of a cold wind starts our musical journey. The first minute or so of music is mysterious and quietly majestic. Then a rhythm track is added that quickens the pulse and suggests a building excitement as the travelers approach their destination. “Crossing The Drake Passage” has a strong sense of adventure and drama, moving forward with a pulsing beat. “Deception Island” is much more ambient and eerie. When the rhythm kicks in, the mood becomes much lighter. I really like this one! “Blue Ice” is gorgeous, suggesting the majesty and awesome beauty of the surrounding landscape - also a favorite. “Penguin Dance” is pure musical fun. Carefree and energetic yet not quite graceful, it is easy to imagine these large birds moving and grooving to the music. The marimba and other tropical sounds near the end are a bit of a surprise, but add to the party atmosphere. “Antarctic Lullaby” has a simple, beautiful melody on a bell or crystal-like sound with a strong rhythm and strings in the background - a fascinating combination. As the piece evolves, the soothing melody goes into the background as the strings and percussion come to the front, adding energy and excitement. “Iceberg Maker” is darker, more mysterious, and a little bit ominous. Chilly winds and crashing sounds contrast with sparkles and a gentle rhythm - another favorite! “Return Voyage” brings us back home with high spirits and many thrilling memories.

Ticket To Antarctica is a joy to listen to on many levels. It can provide a bright, uplifting musical background, but don’t leave it in the background too much because you’ll miss a lot of the beauty and fun! It is available from www.kevoz.com, Amazon, CD Baby, and iTunes. Recommended!

I just put together a music player widget that has all of the tracks from my Ticket To Antarctica album. It’s yours for free to add to your website or blog! Here it is:

You just need to click the “Get Widget” thing right above here, and then copy the code to add to your site or blog. Easy! I made this widget - and many more - at Widgetbox.com.

Hope you enjoy the widget!

Have you ever noticed that when logging into Facebook, that Antarctica isn’t on the map? What’s up with that? It is a continent, after all. And while they’re aren’t necessarily people living there full-time, there are several bases (scientific research and such) and thousands of tourists who visit each year. And I’m sure that someone over there is on the internet…and on Facebook, too.

Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve been to Antarctica…and I’ve got your “ticket”, too. My album “Ticket To Antarctica” was just released. It’s currently at CD Baby and iTunes (Amazon and others soon to follow). I could go on and on about the album, but I’ll let you read about it and listen for yourself.

While listening to my tunes may not exactly bring Antarctica into view on Facebook’s map, at least you can feel like you were there. ;-)

Well, I’m working on the final track for the new CD. I know, I know - it has been a long time coming. But hey, I’ve had a busy year. :) I got married, honeymooned in Belize, went to Egypt earlier in the year, completed a half marathon (and am currently training for another), and did lots of other great stuff. But I digress…

The final song’s title is The Last Continent. And it looks like there will be 11 tracks on Ticket To Antarctica, and here they are (song order not official, yet):

1. Ticket To Antarctica
2. Crossing The Drake Passage
3. Deception Island
4. Zodiac Cruise
5. Blue Ice
6. Penguin Dance
7. Antarctic Lullaby
8. The Last Continent
9. 20 Hours Of Sunshine
10. Iceberg Maker
11. Return Voyage

Anyone who has been to Antarctica, or has some knowledge of it, will recognize a couple of the song titles, as I’ve opted to name a couple of the tracks after actual locations. But each and every track is inspired by actual experiences. This is the first album I’ve done this way. Sure, there’s usually a theme or at least a method to my song-making madness, but I’m truly inspired about how this project has taken shape, from start to (almost) finish. It has been really fun putting songs together based on actual events that I’ve experienced during my time on and around Antarctica.

And, I’ve even got most of the artwork ready. Here’s the cover. I took this picture just outside the Lemaire Channel. And I didn’t do anything to the photo - that’s really how it looked there! Just an amazing place…there’s an eerie beauty about it, if that makes any sense.

I plan on putting as many photos as I can within the CD packaging, and I’ll have those - and many more - on my Ticket To Antarctica webpage once it’s all set. And a few other fun things, too.

Well, back to work. Even though I’ve got just this last in-progress song left to go, there’s much still to do before I unleash Ticket To Antarctica on the musical world.

This weekend, I’m putting some finishing touches on Ticket To Antarctica. And, I’m eager to have as many people as possible listen to it once it’s all done. So, I’m giving it away for free (for a limited time). I just set up a contest on Facebook, and here’s what you need to do to enter and win. As you’ll see below, both entering - and winning - are amazingly easy!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Become my “Fan” on Facebook - if you’re not already. :)

2. Take a picture of yourself (or have a friend help) holding a sign, CD - or maybe even wear one of my T-shirts - that has something to do with KevOz.com. For example, you can just take a marker and write on a piece of paper “I love KevOz.com!”, or “KevOz.com Rules!”, or even just “Go to KevOz.com”… and then snap a picture of yourself holding that sign. Of course, the more creative you are here, the better - as you will soon see.

3. Post that creative “KevOz.com” photo/picture/artwork as your main profile pic on Facebook.

4. Also, you need to add it to my fan photo section on my wall, at http://www.facebook.com/kevozmusic.

5. Your “KevOz.com” image needs to remain as your main profile pic (and on my fan page) through 8/31/09.

6. Please note that any pics that are deemed too crazy, crude, obnoxious, or offensive to the general populace will not be condoned or considered as valid entries, and will be deleted ASAP. Let’s keep it clean, people. :)

7. The contest starts NOW - if you’re reading this, you can enter.

8. The contest ends on 8/31/09, so the sooner you post your “KevOz.com” pic, the better (and remember, your “KevOz.com” picture needs to still be posted as your main profile pic through the end of August, 8/31/09)!

9. Only one entry per Facebook account. And please don’t make multiple accounts so that you can enter multiple times. We’re talkin’ good karma, man.

10. Winners will be announced on 9/9/09.

11. Oh, what can you win? Here are the prizes:

*** To all who submit a qualifying entry according to the above guidelines = the link to download my new album, “Ticket To Antarctica”.

*** To the top three most creative “KevOz.com” submissions = the “Ticket To Antarctica” free album download link, and two physical copies of my CD “Into Orbit” (give one to a friend!).

*** And to the very most creative “KevOz.com” submission = one lucky winner will receive the “Ticket To Antarctica” free album download link, and one physical copy each of every CD I’ve released - that is, the entire KevOz collection!

So, there you have it - simple, right? And everyone who submits a valid entry according to the guidelines listed above will be a winner…so you’ve got nothing to lose, and a lot of wonderful new music to gain!

If you’ve got questions or comments, please drop me a line and let me know. Sound good?

Thanks in advance for entering!