Kirsten Mason interview with Hardcoremix.com

I grew up near New Haven, CT. My first concert was Sonny and Cher at the Yale Bowl. As I grew older I went to small shows at Toad's Place and other small clubs like The Grotto. The music scene was eclectic and diverse. I was exposed to Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Punk, and many others. I was fortunate enough to have every possible genre of music at my fingertips.

I have always loved singing. I wanted to be Annie on stage and would sing in the house very loudly from a very young age. I have always sung for my own personal pleasure. It wasn't until I joined the school chorus that I even considered singing in front of an audience. I sang The Rose with three other girls at a competition and I remember thinking that we sounded amazing. That was a great feeling. I am still not convinced that I have a professional "singing voice" but it is something I love working toward.

It is always difficult, but as I grow older I have come to realize that if I take time to do the things that I love for myself, my children benefit too. It is important to do the things that make you feel whole and take some time to create some beauty in the world.

I have recorded only at Long Hill Recording in Shelton CT. I can't say enough about the owner and music producer-Paul Opalach. He is a wealth of music knowledge and he knows how to bring out the best in me.

Roger Conway is my Dad. He has always encouraged my singing. He has been a professor of English and Media Studies, a writer, and now a songwriter. Vinnie Cleary is my stepmother's cousin. He is a talented musician and music writer. I have known Vinnie for almost 30 years but have gotten to know him better through this project. He has a heart of gold and is a great counterpart to my father. Through collaboration and disagreement, they have created some great songs. I met Paul Opalach for the first time a year ago when we went to his studio to start recording some songs. He makes the process of recording fun, relaxing, non-threatening, and non-judgmental. All very important to allow me the confidence to record my singing voice.

I have never written my own songs. I have helped with some of the melodies of the songs I sing to make them more my own but they are really the creation of Roger, Vinnie, and Paul. I have a pretty good internal personal music library that I draw from to help create the melodies. I learned guitar at the age of 14 because my best friend played and I wanted to play and sing with her. I am not an expert but piano and guitar playing allowed me to make music whenever the mood struck me. Playing piano or guitar and singing has always been a form of meditation for me. It helps me to relax, focus on the music and be creative.

In my free time I listen to Bluegrass, Pop, Blues, Reggae, Rap, Classic Rock, Classical, etc. I like to channel surf and find new music. I like most genres except hard rock like ACDC or Ozzy Osborne.

We have new songs in the works at various stages. Two were just released in the last two weeks. We currently have six songs available for upload and hope to have ten ready by the end of the year.

I would like to try performing live some of the songs we have recorded. I would love to put out a CD that can be purchased. Some of my fans don't like to upload their music. They would rather buy a CD. My biggest hope is to continue singing and making music.