Global Musicians Fish Pond

Ada Pasternak; a confident, consummate professional, a true performance artist with a highly credible, exceptional background in classical and popular music, and a Berklee gem. I first found her music, and in fact last reviewed her work, in 2013, just after she joined our Fish Pond family. These were the days of the quirky “Lonely Little Painting”, the embryo of an amazing string and vocal combo in one package. I’ve followed her various releases and posts over the years. Now it’s time for “Hope”.

“Been down and out, filled with doubt;
Had this little heart of mine, kicked around”

It’s funny how previous work can shape an expectation – I suppose I was imagining something run-filled, technical, all wow-factor.  A great artist always has the ability to surprise with new and interesting musical direction.  From the very start Ada’s maturity comes through with a lovely piece, simple in melody, building orchestrally, lyrically moving, vocally strong, raspy where needed and simple, with a lovely dynamic to haul you in.

“There’s still hope in this hook; belief that tomorrow
Will hold a silver lining to all of the sorrow”

The nice thing about reviewing any song is having to listen through it again and again, looking for different angles, to digest it slowly and completely, enjoying every nuance. Already by the third listen, I’m totally hooked. I realize the secret sauce is the simplicity, sweet repetition, and clarity of hope in the message, evoking an iridescent reflection of sunlight bouncing off the raindrops of a recent-passed dark storm.

“On the sunniest day, the sky can seem gray
But all of my warmth can’t be taken away”

I remember her fellow Berklee alumnus Paige Chaplin in the vocal, although both artists have their own unique flair, the style is pleasingly reminiscent. As the work swells through highs and lows, taking us through a nuanced and chart-worthy single, it winds down to nothingness, at which point I love the fact that there’s a glimpse of very early Ada in that last breathed word…

“Crying doesn’t make me weak,
This is my heart, just trying to…
…Speak”

You can buy the single here, or check out Ada’s website for more media links.

David Mark Smith
Founder, Global Musicians Fish Pond
CoFounder, My Lucky Fish
david@globalmusiciansfishpond.com

Bobby Borg’s career features writing, performance, and recording highlights from Warrant, Beggars & Thieves, and Left for Dead, creating a huge portfolio of skills and credits in recent years and sharing with thousands of other musicians, most notably as a well-respected industry author.

Some of his work well worth a mention are books Business Basics for Musicians, Music Marketing for the DIY Musician, and the Five Star Music Makeover. Also, check out his new video series on Groove3 called DIY Music Marketing.

A former international major label, independent, and DIY recording/touring artist with over 25 years experience working alongside the most respected musicians, songwriters, managers, producers, A&R executives, equipment manufacturers, tour agents, attorneys, and business managers in the music industry.

A recipient of UCLA Extension’s Distinguished Instructor of the Year Award, Borg teaches DIY music marketing, music publishing, and general music business classes both online and on-campus at UCLA.  He is the founder of Bobby Borg Consulting, where he helps global music business professionals turn their art into a more successful business.

Bobby also holds a degree in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, certificates in Marketing, Project Management, and Instructor Development from UCLA, and he is currently working toward a Masters in Communications Management (MCM) at the University of Southern California Annenberg School.

He lives in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.bobbyborg.com.

You can also check out one of his instructional videos right here.