What Jan Smith has to say… 

 

For twenty plus years, Jan Smith has been a prominent figure in the music industry. Most notably, this vocal coach/producer has tended to some of the most distinctive voices in the business; Justin Beiber, Usher, and Rob Thomas, to name  a few.

 

 

 

 

 

“Nature IS music…sounds of nature are quite literally the rhythm of the real soundtrack of our lives.” ~Jan Smith

When did you first start in the music industry?
I guess you’d say I started “officially” in the music industry when I recorded my first record at the age of 15. But truth is, I was harmonizing with the drone of my Mom’s vacuum cleaner when I was 2 years old, so it all started WAY back there for me.

What was it about music that you connected to?
I don’t ever remember a time when I didn’t hear in color. As a child, I always harmonized with everything and emulated anything. Sound was my window to the world and I experienced life through my ears. Why? I have no clue. And then I learned how to write!!

What types of music are you most associated with?
Well, I grew up in the south being influenced by gospel churches and playing folk/rock, so southern-based rock and singer/songwriter stuff would be me. But I love jazz and blues and am a classically trained flutist of 15 years. There’s not a whole lot I don’t listen to, but in my heart of hearts, you could find me standing next to a piano just singing my butt off.

How can nature affect the tone of the music being created?
Nature IS music!! God is the greatest artist and creator of all!! It’s so crazy to me that people don’t “get” that or hear it or see it! God is EVERYWHERE and the sounds of nature are quite literally the rhythm of the real soundtrack of our lives.

How do you personally connect with nature?
First, I live on ten acres of land attached to another 30 acres that is, as yet undeveloped. It’s like living on 40 acres of pure nature! I have deer, wild turkeys, tons of birds, a couple of foxes, an hoot owl, bunnies, several varieties of snakes, and an assortment of other creatures that visit my property. I connect pretty much on a daily basis just based on all that alone.

Have you produced music specific to the holiday season or inspired by the holidays?
You know, I haven’t yet recorded a holiday album but I have written a couple of cool Christmas tunes.

What kinds of project are you considering partnering with PFI on?
Are you kidding? PFI is the only call I make for helping me bring some of that nature INTO my home and studio office. I’m not very good at understanding what all greenery can live indoors and PFI has been great at helping to customize plants that can live with me!

What Freiman Stoltzfus has to say…

 

New York artist and PFI fan Freiman Stoltzfus is a painter and sculptor. His works can be seen in private and corporate collections in the United States and abroad as well as the Freiman Stoltzfus Gallery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He has illustrated and published four books, and has designed posters for the Sylvan Opera Company of Philadelphia and for the Oratorio Society of New York.

 

 

At his recent exhibit we had a chance to interview Freiman Stoltzfus:

When did you first start painting?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing or painting. Picasso is famous for this quote: All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. My mother was and is a huge encouragement. I often say that I wouldn’t be an artist had it not been for her insistence and unwavering support.

What was it about painting that you connected to?
For me, painting, and making art, is like eating, drinking, walking, sleeping, praying. It took me years to come to a more thoughtful, philosophical frame of mind about what it means to live and work as an artist.

What is it about nature that inspires you and how does it affect your work?
Nature is fundamentally inspiring to me. The seasons, cycles of life and loss, and ultimately rebirth most poignantly present in Spring. And the changing sky — from morning to night. The new moon often appears in my work. I prefer it, finding it more poetic and suggestive when compared to the full moon.

What types of works are you mostly known for?
My inspirations are many, but the primary recurring themes are sacred (Gothic) architecture and geometric forms, which often merge with quilt patterns. My sculptural work is figurative, and all my work has allegorical significance in the sense that the image is a springboard into a larger idea. For example, a woman is never just a woman — she represents a madonna, or one of the three graces. A tree represents eternal hope, and the return of life.

How do you personally connect to nature?
I am convinced that glades of trees are sacred spaces. In Berks County, PA, where I spend a lot of time, I see cathedrals everywhere – the branches form arches that are as lovely and dramatic as any Gothic church. I love the seasons and in the northeast the four seasons are so vivid and unmistakable. I find that one’s emotional life is enriched when you realize that you are, on a deeper level, alternately experiencing spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Any special works that you create just for the holiday season, or work that has been inspired by this time of year?
At Christmas I make ornaments. I’ve been doing hand-painted glass balls for 15 years. And I’ve been designing Christmas cards for at least that time or longer. This year, I’m excited to release a collection of very special ornaments, manufactured in Pennsylvania and in Virginia. I’m proud to keep all the production in the USA.

What kinds of projects are you considering partnering with PFI on?
PFI and I are in conversation about a dynamic exchange of art in corporate settings. Art has a way of engaging the senses, and the work of PFI is sensually based as well – plants, flowers, and atmosphere.

What do you think makes PFI so special?
PFI is vital, very simply because they make the world a more beautiful place. In the rush and chaos of everyday life, beauty is often forgotten, and PFI reminds all of us to slow down, breathe, rejuvenate, and enjoy our surroundings and each moment.

To see his work visit FreimanStoltzfus.com