In a world where the status quo reigns supreme, the standout figures who take the path less traveled to find mesmerizing journeys and fulfillment in their lives are always intriguing to hear about, and today, we’ve had the privilege of sitting down with one of those standout figures.
Conrad Askland is a musician who has spent his life learning the ins and outs of the music world and climbing all the way to the top as a bandleader in Cirque Du Soleil.
Here are, in his own words, the highlights of his life, accomplishments, and goals.
Q. Can you tell us about your early life and what initially sparked your passion for music?
As a young boy I started classical training as a choirboy with the Northwest Boychoir in Seattle, WA (USA). This led to many opera performances with the Seattle Opera. My early training was very strict and solely Opera, Early Music and Baroque Music. I really wanted to study piano, but my father said I had to study French Horn for a year before piano. So, I started on French Horn, then added piano lessons, vocal lessons and eventually bass guitar lessons. For many years I was taking private lessons on all those instruments and then private music composition lessons at the Cornish Institute in Seattle, WA. Looking back, this was an immense amount of different music styles to take in as a young boy. I was very lucky that my parents supported all of those studies.
Q. Before joining Cirque du Soleil, what were some of the projects you worked on, and how did they shape your career?
For 16 years I managed a recording studio in Southern California. During that time, I worked on an immense variety of music from corporate soundtracks, punk bands, heavy metal, country and a lot of hip hop music. It gave me a background not just in audio engineering, but in creating charts and working with studio musicians on all the albums. Often, I would also add keyboard, orchestration and sweetener tracks – effectively also building my chops as a studio musician. While running the studio, I also gave piano lessons on the side and usually played with bar bands in the evenings and always for churches on Sunday morning. I think for about 10 years I kept this pace up working around the clock and I don’t regret any of it.
Q. How did you become involved with Cirque du Soleil, and what was that process like?
I’ve worked as bandleader on 3 shows for Cirque du Soleil so far. After doing auditions in Las Vegas they hired me to work on their show in Macau, China called “Zaia”. After that I worked on the arena tour of “Varekai” and now I’m on the world tour of their ice-skating show “Crystal”. We’ve performed on 5 continents with Crystal and we’re currently doing shows in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Q. In your recent YouTube video, “Cirque du Soleil Musicians Play ‘Steampunk Telegram’ from the Show KURIOS,” you collaborated with the Crystal Cirque du Soleil band to perform a piece from a different Cirque show. What was the experience like recording this music video while on tour in Christchurch, and how did playing a song from another Cirque show influence your creative process?
Cirque du Soleil casting asked the Cirque bands if they would like to cover a song from a different CDS show and we said “heck yeah, that sounds like fun”. We were given Steampunk Telegram from the show Kurios to record. There was no restriction on what the final sound needed to be so we adjusted to our small band to create a similar arrangement that has our own unique style. It was a really fun project and also very challenging to film and record while moving around on tour.
Q. How do you approach innovation in music production, and what are some techniques you use to keep your work fresh and exciting?
Every music project or show that I work on usually requires me to learn a new software, music style and/or skill set. Since I’m always working on new projects, it’s kind of built-in that I am always learning new techniques and software. I work with musicians from all over the world and they each have something unique to teach about their particular music specialty. Music software is always changing and updating from music notation to music recording and mastering.
Q. How have you seen the landscape of music releases and publishing change over the years?
Back in the 1990’s I was producing music for artists outside Los Angeles that all wanted to “get signed”. The goal was to get picked up by a major label. Then in the late 1990’s the game started to change with a lot of artists selling their own CD’s at concerts and online sales started to gain momentum around 2001. This was starting to be a great time for indie artists and I also was starting to sell a lot of CD’s online. The 2003 launch of the Apple iTunes store took a little bit to take off but many of us were doing very well with downloads by 2006 onwards. Around 2015 I noticed big drops in downloads and a slow trend toward streaming. Currently in 2024 streaming is where it’s at. All these changes over 30 years from indie CD’s, downloads and streaming – they force us as musicians to change our business strategies if we want to be successful. I’m very interested to see what the next major music industry shift will be.
Q. Can you tell us about any upcoming projects you are excited about?
My current Cirque du Soleil tour will finish in June of 2025. I’m excited to see what my next show will be. It’s always an adventure when you work as a music director and touring musician. I have dozens of new videos planned over the next year, at least 10 album releases and I just found out that one of my original musical theater shows will have another run in Washington State (USA) in 2025. Every year is something new for me in the world of music and entertainment.
Q. Who are some of the artists or producers that you admire and draw inspiration from?
J.S Bach, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein and David Foster. JS Bach is an unlimited source of keyboard inspiration for me. I have spent a lot of time reading about the “rules” and aesthetics of Sondheim and Bernstein. I can never match their genius but I do apply their guidelines to the theater works that I create.
Q. Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
For many years it felt like I was racking up items for my resume; trying to do bigger and better. Now, I work on the projects that I enjoy, and I find that my greatest treasure is the close friendships that have developed from working in theater and music. Those friendships have been forged in the flame of bringing shows to the stage.
Q. Do musicians need to have college degrees?
No, not for performing musicians. Every gig I’ve ever done was by audition and no one has ever asked about my education. But I do have a Bachelor’s Degree from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s Degree in Arts Leadership from Colorado State University. I also have professional certification in Pro Tools and Ableton Live software.
Throughout this interview, we’re not just graced with valuable insight into the life and world of a successful, globe-trotting musician at the top of his field. We receive the gift of first-hand knowledge being passed down to all the aspiring musicians who are just starting off on their journeys and still nerve wracked with all the possibilities and complexities that arise.
Conrad’s an inspiration to not just follow our own dreams and pursue our goals, but to ultimately evolve in an ever-changing world and embrace the journey along the way.
From singing in a boy-choir to seeing the entire industry change with the advent of iTunes, all the way to exploring the globe with the most renowned musical theater groups around, Conrad’s journey is one that provides a lifetime of experience and entertainment.
{ SOURCE: The Daily Scanner }
