By Emma Castleberry
The Okrend family is an artistic one, spanning a variety of genres and media alike. Elise Okrend, a pastel artist, and her husband Phil, a poet and musician, have collaborated on a number of projects, including four editions of Messages To The Heart: Reflections of Beauty and Truth, a book that pairs written passages by Phil with Elise’s pastel paintings.
A certified life coach, writer and musician, Phil has produced a number of original albums. More than a decade ago, Elise and Phil created their first music videos featuring her art and allowing listeners another, more visceral way to experience Phil’s music. “Picking the paintings to go with Phil’s music is an intuitive process,” says Elise. “We look at what emotions the painting brings up and pair it with the part of Phil’s musical pieces that convey a similar emotional feeling.”
Phil’s latest digital EP, PUZZLE, is a collection of 12 original pieces that feature distinctive guitar stylings by the couple’s son, Jordan, an accomplished musician in his own right. Jordan attended Berklee School of Music and has been living in France for the past five years playing as part of the “World Wide Party Band” The Phly Boyz. Jordan remotely uploaded his guitar parts for PUZZLE to the underlying tracks of piano, bass and drums.
Phil and Elise created several videos from the music from PUZZLE including one for the latest track, THE ROAD AHEAD. “We purposely placed Elise’s paintings to correspond to the tension and release you hear in the music,” says Phil. “Elise’s misty, mysterious cloud and mountain landscapes are a wonderful backdrop to some of the unsettledness you may hear, while her sky, light and floral pieces work well with the upbeat musical sections.”
The album has been a wonderful way for the Okrends to stay connected to their son while he lives abroad, and also continues their legacy of collaborative work that started with Messages To The Heart. “It has truly been a family affair,” says Elise. “We also believe that our creative pursuits are not only expressions of our talents but also have the power to heal and transform, to bring light to darkness.”
To view the videos, visit EliseOkrend.com. Listen to Phil’s music at PhilOkrendMusic.bandcamp.com and learn more about Jordan at JordanOkrend.com.
