Interview with the American pianist and composer who has recently released her latest ep "Epiphany". Nils Frahm, Agnes Obel, Hania Rani and Yann Tiersen among her artistic influences.
An original artist who soon began studying and producing music in various genres and styles.
Music was a big part of my life from an early age. One of my first memories is my grandparents playing Beethoven and Mozart in the car and how much I connected immediately with classical music.
Hi Rebecca, Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?
Music was a big part of my life from an early age. One of my first memories is my grandparents playing Beethoven and Mozart in the car and how much I connected immediately with classical music. I think I decided that I wanted to be a musician when I was around 12 years old. I'd been studying the piano since the age of 6 but it was Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude" that really inspired me to start taking music more seriously.
I remember when I first lost myself in this piece, and how transcendental it felt. I wanted to follow that feeling wherever it might lead me in life.
Choosing to be a musician wasn't a hard decision internally; the difficulty was trying to convince my family!
Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?
I was for a time very interested in writing, and thought that maybe one day I would like to be a fiction writer. I'm so glad I stuck with music as I think it is a more abstract art form in which emotional catharsis knows no bounds, and I'm much more naturally drawn to it.
Rebecca reveals us ...
The biggest surprise for me is that I am a composer. I always thought that maybe I could become a chamber music pianist, or an accompanist. But as high of a bar I imagined those paths would have, I imagined that composition would be even more challenging.
What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?
The biggest surprise for me is that I am a composer. I always thought that maybe I could become a chamber music pianist, or an accompanist. But as high of a bar I imagined those paths would have, I imagined that composition would be even more challenging. Though I started writing music relatively early, I'd always felt like somewhat of an imposter compared to the ideals of music I had in my head and the great composers/songwriters I grew up listening to!
An unexpected difficulty for me (but maybe blessing in disguise) was when I developed elbow tendonitis about a year and a half ago, and the only music I could really play was the music I was composing. So I decided to put more of it out there, and here we are!
Let’s talk about your brand new project. What was the inspiration for this album? How do you think it prepares listeners for more music from you?
The inspiration for "Epiphany" was, in a way, my own realization that composing was where I needed to put more of my musical energy. Up until this EP, I'd been kind of spreading myself too thin with identifying as more of a classical pianist who happened to produce electronic music (I used to do so under the moniker "Krystalmath").
This EP marks my first attempt to combine those two aspects in order to play to my own personal musical strengths, the result of which are some cinematic/atmospheric piano compositions that I feel really represent who I am as an artist (finally). Some of us are late bloomers!😬
I think this EP sets the stage for more music to come, as I have finally found the genre where I feel most at home. Stay tuned for some more cinematic piano drama!
I think like most of us, I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with social media. I really love that I can reach more people and find new potential fans, but from time to time I feel frustrated that the popular format is always changing a little bit and one has to keep up.
What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now? What has social media done for your career?
I think like most of us, I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with social media. I really love that I can reach more people and find new potential fans, but from time to time I feel frustrated that the popular format is always changing a little bit and one has to keep up. Like now, everything artists and influencers announce is communicated via Tik Tok videos and Reels on Instagram! I certainly can't dance but I am slowly planning a way of translating what I do into that video/reel format.😬
I've never gone "viral" exactly, but I think the social aspect of Spotify has been quite helpful for the growth of my fan base.
Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?
I love Nils Frahm, Agnes Obel, Hania Rani, and Yann Tiersen.
I would love to meet Nils Frahm because I think he has accomplished so much in the world of music plugins/recording and has been so innovative in changing the landscape of what is considered a normal "piano sound". Also, his compositions are, needless to say, brilliant!
At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?
I hope that people find my music calming, and I hope it helps give people a safe space to explore their own emotions like it does for me.
I hope it connects with listeners outside of their usual genres and opens them up to a whole new world of music and other composers like me- and perhaps gives them a brief respite from all the noise.
What are some goals that you have for yourself this year? How close are you to reaching them?
One of my other musical goals is to compose music for film. I am working on a couple of projects now that I hope one day could lead me to more opportunities in that area!
I would also like to tour again one day, or at least play some live shows again soon!
Artist bio
Rebecca Jean Rossi is a pianist, composer, and producer who studied at the Eastman School of Music and splits her time between New York and Milan. She has written and produced music in a variety of genres including electronic, pop, dance, and indie under her pseudonym, Krystalmath, and has collaborated with artists such as Prodigy from Mobb Deep, Snowmine, and Emmrose. She has toured Europe and the US supporting other indie groups as a pianist and vocalist. Her shift into composing cinematic piano music was inspired by revisiting some of her favorite pieces by Yann Tiersen and concurrently discovered the music of Nils Frahm, Agnes Obel, Hania Rani, and Max Richter. All of these influences and more can be heard on her most recent EP, “Epiphany”, to be released on Blue Spiral Records in 2021.
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