Arts
Global Village at the Ground Up Music Festival
Global Village heads back to Miami Beach for another program in our festival series featuring concert performances from the innovative and eclectic Ground Up Music Festival. This time it’s the nine-member world music ensemble Bokante. The ensemble brings together musicians from five continents who have worked with such acclaimed performers as Snarky Puppy, Sting, the Lee Boys, YoYo Ma, Vasen, David Crosby’s Lighthouse Band, and Cecile McLoren Salvant, to name just a few. Together they create a dynamic and dramatic new sound, with roots in African, Caribbean, and Arabic styles, along with American rock and blues – that all merge into powerful and danceable rhythms with sharp social messaging. We’ll hear them (along with a special guest appearance from Richard Bona) from a performance at Ground Up shortly after the release of their Grammy-nominated album What Heat.
The Alchemy of Sound: Insights from George Martin
The Fifth Beatle on creativity, constraint & the invisible orchestra of human potential
The Big Picture: Before he was “The Fifth Beatle,” Sir George Martin was a curious mind with a deep knowledge of orchestration — and an even deeper understanding of people. His legacy wasn’t just producing hits. It was producing possibility.
“I think a producer has to look inside the person and say, ‘What is there that I need to get out of them?’… There is a lot of psychology in it.”
Why it matters
In a world drowning in noise and instant content, Martin’s ethos reminds us: Constraints spark creativity. Mastery takes time. And human connection is the real instrument.
What made Martin different?
1. He listened to people like they were instruments.
Not just for what they were saying, but for what they could become.
“Each artist is very different… you’ve got to get inside the person.”
2. He asked ‘What if?’—constantly.
“Isn’t it the producer’s job to keep asking questions?”
3. He valued limitations.
“People say to me, ‘I can’t believe you made that on a four-track!’ But the constraints made me think more creatively.”
On innovation in an era of overproduction:
“When you’re hungry and have to work hard for something, you can be more creative than when something is handed to you on a plate.”
“Technology has helped music and creation—but we shouldn’t abuse it.”
Creative systems thinking:
“Whether you make cars or records, you’ll do a better job when you learn your craft before you attempt to work at it. And don’t bullshit people.”
Lessons for makers, managers & visionaries:
- ✅ Master your fundamentals before reinventing the wheel
- ✅ Ask better questions—not just for answers, but for insight
- ✅ Embrace limitations. They unlock your hidden genius
- ✅ Study across disciplines (film scores, comedy, orchestration)
- ✅ Great collaboration is an ecosystem: Epstein, Lennon, McCartney & Martin weren’t just talents—they were timing
“It’s wonderful what happens when the stars align.”
Case Study: Eleanor Rigby
Martin drew inspiration from film composers to shape iconic sounds.
“My role model for that was Bernard Herrmann… the jagged strings came from Fahrenheit 451.”
Then vs. Now:
THEN: Producers were part therapist, part composer, part innovator.
NOW:
“The people who run record companies today don’t make records. They’re marketers.”
Result: Music as commerce. Not communion.
Final thought:
“Have confidence. You have to have confidence, or people will walk all over you.”
The takeaway?
- Whether you’re mixing sound, designing systems, or building futures—listen deeply.
- Learn the rules. Then reshape them.
- Don’t chase trends—shape timelessness.
Bottom line:
Martin’s genius wasn’t just in how he recorded music — it was how he helped people hear themselves more clearly.
Sound is fleeting. Vision is forever.
“Staying true to my heart gives me a constant continuum of a life well-lived. It chooses me.”
Composer/Singer/Multi-Instrumentalist/Producer Ray Andersen, was a full time band member of Meat Loaf, as his guitarist, keyboardist, backup singer, from ’98-’02, touring all of Europe and the US and US and European TV shows.
As part of the Asbury Park NJ Stone Pony house band through most of the 80s, he performed with Bruce Springsteen as his backup band, multiple times, as well as many other events. He’s also played keyboards for rock pioneer, Chuck Berry.
He’s recorded music for many national TV commercials including 20 Publishers Clearing House commercials, recorded in his home studio, and in 2023, he recorded the Linda Ronstadt classic hit, “Different Drum,” for the Netflix Top Ten movie, “The Tutor”, starring Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things.
For over 25 years, he has written and performed music for children and families as Mr. RAY…writing, recording and performing original songs with messages of kindness, inclusion, being creative and staying healthy & active. His streams for kids music was over 9 million in 2024.
He recently composed music for a short documentary called “Vienna: Suddenly an Angel,” which was just included in the Garden State Film Festival in March 2025.
In January 2021, Ray became an Official United Nations NGO (a non-governmental, non-political organization) Representative of Pathways To Peace, on behalf of his musical work and message of kindness, diversity and inclusion, with children… an ambassador of peace through his music.
Let’s get right into it. What makes him tick, so that others can talk. (more…)
It was a day unlike any other day. But this day was different.
We were glued to our television sets. Black and White. Only three major channels. ABC. NBC. And tonight it was CBS.
The Ed Sullivan Show, specifically, and while most young girls were screaming passionately at the top of their lungs, the boys were discovering their life paths. Most boys wanted to be the boys in the band. And this night, the band was The Beatles. Yeah, yeah, yeah, most of the guys wanted to be the band because, it was assumed that the band got all the girls. And all the attention. To this five year old kid, I wanted to be Ed Sullivan. The man who introduced great talent to the world.
I met Beatles’ producer, George Martin at the infamous Sardis restaurant in New York City. A celebration honoring the return of The Who’s legendary “Tommy” to Broadway. It was a charity engagement, which charity I do not recall, but I went to have a few words with Pete Townshend, who conceived the rock opera.
Little did I know that one hour into the party, my friend told me about the affair confronted me, telling me that Sir George Martin was ten feet away from where I was standing on the second floor of the restaurant.
“My God! The Father of God!” I thought.
Going over to say hello to him, he asked me if we could talk a bit later. Naturally, Yes! I’ve waiting my entire life to meet him!
Sir George tapped me on the left shoulder, “Hello, you wanted to have a word with me?”
I looked at him, shook his hand, introduced myself and said, “I’ve waited over thirty years to say these two words to you!” He asked for the words: and said “Thank you!”
He patted my shoulder this time, and said, “Well, Thank you!”
It was all that music we grew up with that I felt compelled to thank him for. Afterall, he produced the soundtrack to my early childhood.
A few years later, I had the idea to ask for an interview. I wanted to know what made him tick. And these “ticks” made others talk. I had to know how he came up with such brilliant arrangements, and was the man who signed the Beatles to EMI.
