david michael & randy mead

Petals in the Stream (17041-2) is a delicate ensemble work born of the dynamic artistic relationship between David Michael and Randy Mead. Both are multi-instrumentalists, composers and ethnomusicologists. David Michael, though primarily a harpist, is skilled on a myriad of other stringed instruments such as guitars, zithers, cello, viola-da-gamba, bouzouki, and bowed psaltery. Randy Mead is a consummate flutist, electronic musician, and an expert on ancient and nonwestern tunings. The collaborative release is a testament to their individual musical talents and to the strength of their musical partnership.

David and Randy received their B.A.s in music from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where they met in 1973. Together they founded the five piece ensemble Rainbow Alley which performed David's compositions and experimented with freeform musical improvisation. In 1975 the duo moved to Seattle and founded the world-music consort Wind. Sponsored by the King County Arts Commission, Wind toured Washington State performing concerts and teaching workshops on improvisation. In addition, Wind collaborated with several dance troupes including The Whistlestop Improvisational Dance Company and were featured on numerous radio and television programs. Michael and Mead received Masters Degrees in Arts and Media Technology from Antioch University West.

David Michael composed/improvised most of the music on Petals in the Stream (17041-2) with assistance from Randy Mead on some of the pieces. He often began his recording sessions with only a slight musical sketch trusting that "his hands would know what to play". After improvising for a short time, he selected a "take that sounded true to him" and composed melodies from that improvisation. Randy would then play the composed melodies or be called upon for additional improvisation. David feels this resulted in the refreshing, spontaneous feeling of the recording. "I have known David Michael for many years," says David Darling, former cellist of the Paul Winter Consort," and have always enjoyed his beautiful and sensitive music."

The harp is a fairly recent acquisition for David. His musical training began at age six on the cello. By age fourteen, he was writing folk songs and had traded the cello for the guitar. Contact with the Paul Winter Consort while in college re-inspired David to play the cello and was also a great influence in opening his mind to new ideas about instrumental combinations for musical ensembles. Gradually he took up other instruments—studying the Flamenco guitar and playing bouzouki in a bellydance troupe.

In 1978, David Michael received the zith-harp as a present from Randy Mead. The zith-harp is a 40-string bass zither with slideable wooden bridges which allow the bending of notes. It was invented and constructed by Randy and is featured in Sunrise on Petals in the Stream (17041-2). At this time, David began experimenting with zithers and psalteries, and by 1984 had gravitated to a full-size nylon-strung neo-Celtic harp, now his primary instrument. In addition to a previous independently produced album, David has authored a book of original songs and photography entitled Songs of the Pacific Northwest.

Randy co-founded and performed with David in Rainbow Alley and Wind, and his Masters Degree Treatise dealt with various tuning systems and the invention and construction of new musical instruments, (i.e. the zith-harp). In 1980, Randy moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and performed with the groups Mosaic and the Eric Van der Wyk Jazz Quartet. Soon after, he joined the highly acclaimed world music ensemble Ancient Future with whom he performed for the next few years and recorded the album Quiet Fire.

For Randy, recording Petals in the Stream (17041-2) was a kind of respite from the world. It was during a challenging period in his life, and his improvisations and performances on the recording are infused with the powerful emotions he was experiencing. "In the way the feelings manifested in the music," Randy notes, "I always hear this sort of wistful and delicate reassurance."

Like David, Randy Mead is skilled on a variety of instruments. In high school, Randy played recorders with the Leo Christiansen Consort in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Maxwell Page Consort in Lugano, Switzerland where he finished high school. In college he developed his virtuosity as a flutist, and is also skilled on tenor and soprano saxophones, Lyricon (wind synthesizer), original baroque era instruments, recorder and keyboards. He owns an electronic studio and is currently involved as a synthesist and composer for independent video projects, film and network TV.

As the instrument repertoire for both musicians expanded, so did the ethnic influence in their music. David and Randy have collaborated with master musicians from India, including Krishna Bhatt and Anirudh Shastri. Both musicians enjoy incorporating the vast spectrum of their musical influences in their compositions and style. Randy "loves integrating difference things from difference culture, different styles, different viewpoints...I won't ever be happy with just one style of music." David feels that his partnership with Randy actually revolves around "blending all our favorite musical forms—Medieval, Renaissance, Early Baroque, and Ethnic folk musics."

Petals in the Stream (17041-2), a superbly crafted acoustic album of harps, zithers, psalteries, guitars, voice and flute, is the progeny of two multitalented musicians and their exceptionally creative musical partnership.