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Bio
Montana Skies creates a unique new sound, from finger-picking to flamenco, with
the unusual pairing of cello and guitar. The core of the group Montana Skies is
husband and wife team Jonathan Adams on guitars (steel string and
spanish/nylon) and Jennifer Adams on cellos (acoustic cello and her custom
6-String Electric cello). Montana Skies has an extensive tour schedule which
has taken them all across the US, Canada and to Asia. As the group moves ahead,
they continue to explore the boundaries of contemporary instrumental music.
Montana Skies’ debut recording Montana Skies reached #1 on world and
instrumental music radio charts in April and May of 2004 and helped them win
the title of “Best New Artist” in the 2004 Lifestyle Radio Awards. Highlights
from the cd’s airplay include broadcasts nationally on the NPR radio program
“Echoes” and the TV program “Soundcapes”. Montana Skies has enjoyed perfoming
live on radio and TV programs throughout the country and internationally. The
duo’ recently completed a cross country tour of the US in the spring of 2004
and made their international debut last summer in Seoul, Korea.
Jonathan and Jennifer Adams are the originators of Montana Skies. The couple
met almost a decade ago while studying music at the University of Georgia in
Athens. At first the two planned on collaborating on classical music but after
a trip to the University Library to investigate repertoire, they discovered
that music written for cello/guitar was as rare as the combination itself.
Jonathan and Jennifer were not discouraged; they began writing their own
arrangements to classics and composing music for themselves. Not having set
repertoire has given these music artists a great freedom in their musical
expression. Jonathan explains, "Throughout the years, we have developed many of
our own arrangements ranging from world music and classical to original
compositions. The fact that 'ready made' repertoire is not available for our
combination of instruments really what pushes us to be more creative with our
music. We love composing and arranging, and appreciate the opportunity to
present old favorites, along with newer music, to our audiences."
Montana Skies’ name is taken from one of the first songs Jonathan composed for
the group entitled “Montana Skies”. Jonathan studied music at Montana State
University in Bozeman and this song was written specifically about those
times. Jonathan and Jennifer named themselves after this first song
because it captures the essence of the duo’s music, and marked the
beginning of their newly formed sound.
Forging ahead artistically, Montana Skies is releasing their newest album
Chasing the Sun which was inspired by their most recent cross-country tour.
Many of the songs were composed while traveling across the USA and seeing it’s
national treasures. Chasing the Sun is an homage to the “road trip". Jonathan
explains, “This cd is not only about the literal road trip, but also the
metaphorical “road trip” of life. We’ve learned a lot on both so far, but
mostly we’ve learned that it’s never about the place, but always about the
people. Much of this music was written and arranged on our cross country tour
in the spring of 2004 and draws from the sights and sounds that we absorbed as
we crisscrossed the US. We hope our fans will enjoy the ride as much as we
did.”
The Adams' live in the Atlanta, Georgia metro area. They maintain an active
touring schedule and conduct community and educational outreach programs in
conjunction with concerts. Montana Skies performs in a variety of settings from
outdoor music festivals, indoor concert halls, on the campuses of college and
universities, and community concerts. Jonathan's full length instructional book
and CD, "Getting Into Fingerstyle Guitar" was published in 2002 by Mel-Bay
Publications. Additional publications are in-the-works. For tour schedule,
video and more please visit montanaskiesmusic.com
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