Date: Fri 04-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A9

Quick Words:

Ophelia-Handberry-April-Storm

Full Text:

(feature on singer-songwriter-pianist Ophelia Handberry, 1/4/96)

Be Ready For The Eclectic Sounds Of Ophelia's April Storm

(with photo, album cover)

BY SHANNON HICKS

BETHEL - Music has always been an integral part of Ophelia Handberry's life.

This Saturday evening, the 28-year old Bethel resident will make her public

debut at Western CT State University's Ives Concert Hall, having just

self-produced and released her first album, April Storm , on her own label,

Ohklectic Records.

The musician labels her music "eclectic," which does not make it an easy

categorization to fill when she visits the music stores in the area. But

undaunted, Ophelia continues moving forward with her music.

"It's really like New Age jazz, New Age Latin... it's a variety of things,"

says Ophelia, who uses the single-name moniker for her music life. "I describe

it as eclectic because every time I speak to somebody, they always say it's

New Age-slash-something else.

"It's not just New Age music where you meditate and relax. It's not just that.

Some of it's a little funky, and some of it is jazz. Some of it is classical,

and some of it's very ethnic... So it's not necessarily New Age, it's New

Age-slash- something . I try to stress that: It's eclectic music," she said

last week while in her studio.

The first thing that strikes when listening to the piece she performed during

the interview was the strength in the music. Not yet fully awake and still

feeling a little nervous, Ophelia was at her piano and offered to play

something.

"Ice Rain," off April Rain , is just what she said it would be: funky, jazz,

New Age-slash-something. The song is a wake-up call to the mind, a beautiful,

upbeat piano performance that immediately establishes Ophelia's creative,

music making talent.

Writing is something Ophelia has always done. The first song she remembers

writing came when she was eight years old, which means she has been writing

for two decades.

Untrained in songwriting, Ophelia has what many people who want to make a

living in music wish for: Natural talent. The courses she has taken had to do

with teaching music, which helps her now that she has piano students of her

own.

"There is always music going through me," she contends. "Usually I'm humming

or whistling, very musical I suppose."

Coming from a musical background, it is not surprising Ophelia has taken such

a love of music and turned it into a lifetime of work. Brenda Handberry taught

her daughter the building blocks of piano playing, sitting at the immense

instrument when Ophelia was still a toddler.

"Music is a very important part of all of our lives," Ophelia shared. "When we

get together for family gatherings, there's music. There's always music. You

eat dinner, there's music; you wake up, there's music," she laughed.

Her mother writes poetry, sings and plays piano, while her father, Virgil

Handberry, used to play drums, "has a very nice voice" ... and "can build just

about anything," Ophelia said. "They've taught me a lot. They have taught me

to work hard and strive for anything I want.

"I have really been blessed to have such supportive parents."

Ophelia is the middle child of three Handberry children; she has a younger

sister, Paula, and an older brother, Virgil, Jr. The Handberry family seems

pretty close-knit. Ophelia speaks of each immediate family member lovingly;

her sister will be on stage with her Saturday night in fact, backing up her

older sister by playing background keyboard.

Then there is Ophelia's own love affair with the piano: She took Suzuki

courses at Julie's Piano Workshop in Newtown when she was 19 to help her teach

more efficiently; she still has quite a few students from Newtown.

Piano lessons began at age seven, when Ophelia and her brother would walk

downtown every week for lessons with the late Veronica Williamson. A very

disciplined teacher, Ophelia recalled, Williamson trained the students

classically, which appreciates to this day.

The lessons continued with Rosemary McLaughlin when Ophelia was 14. "An

excellent teacher," Ophelia says with reverence, "If I ever find the time, or

make the time, to take lessons again, I would go back to her."

Ms McLaughlin taught Ophelia how to express yourself through music, rather

than just play notes written on paper. Ophelia stayed with Ms McLaughlin for

three years.

"When she teaches you, she's not saying you have to do this or have to do

that," the former student said. "She makes you think about the feeling of the

music, the warmth of it. It could be a slow song or it could be a fast song,

but it always has to have some sort of expression to make it touch somebody

else's heart."

Listening to Ophelia's music, it is clear this important lesson remains close

to the performer's heart.

April Storm , an album of 13 songs composed and produced by Ophelia, was

initially recorded in 1994 and part of 1995; it was finalized over the next

year. The CDs were pressed last June and available for sale July 15. The

album's formal release date was August 1.

On recording an album of her own music, being able to record it and ultimately

have it begin appearing on store shelves, Ophelia said, "It's really

incredible, because... It's just so many mixed emotions. It's a wonderful

feeling, I just can't express it. I feel very, very happy and blessed. I don't

know what else to say... It's a wonderful feeling.

"It's nice, too, because I've received a lot of calls from people who say

`I've been inspired to do this or that,' so it's nice to know that something

you've made, an expression of who you are, has helped somebody get through

something or encouraged them to do something that they wanted to do.

"I think that's wonderful. I think that's great."

Between distributing and heavily promoting her music these days, Ophelia has

taken a break - a leave of absence - from her day job as a student counselor

at the Institute of Children's Literature in West Redding. The singer,

songwriter and piano player is also a piano instructor on the side. Music has

begun to encompass her entire life. And she is very happy about this.

"Right now this seems to be my full-time job," Ophelia said last week,

comfortably at home in her studio on Midway Drive in Bethel. In order to

promote her music, Ophelia opened her own record label, Ohklectic.

Self-promotion includes a lot of calls, and a lot of traveling from store to

store and gigs in the area. Her family is very supportive, helping at

different promotion, management and distribution levels.

April Storm can be found at Volt Records (both locations, in Ridgefield and

Danbury), Record Empire in Bethel, Gerosa Records in Brookfield, and at Art

Tenders Gallery in Bethel.

While the October 5 performance at WestConn is the debut of her album's

material, Ophelia has been playing private parties and weddings for years. She

has written songs especially for certain occasions, and her most recent public

performance was at the Bethel Arts Festival, September 21-22.

"I'm working right now on a score to a cartoon, and my major gig is the

concert on October 5. And then I have arrangements to play at different book

stores that will be selling my tape. [These haven't] been confirmed yet, but

it's in progress, and it will be ready by next week." She already has dates

set up for shows in Alaska and Vermont.

Before the intriguing musician packs up to go on the road, however, there is

the concert October 5. While the CD is a collection of performances by the

musician alone, she will be accompanied in this concert by musicians all very

close to her: sister Paula on keyboard; percussionist Mark Ingram, a resident

of Newtown; Sean Ferrin of Bethel on drums; guitarist Mike Brown of Danbury;

and bass guitar player Ara Yapoujian of Brookfield.

Local music lovers should make the ride to the university, because the music

is fun, bright, a little different... it is eclectic.

"I've been very busy, yes, but I really wanted to do this," she said.

For information on Ophelia, the album April Storm or the concert Saturday

night at WestConn, contact Ohkletic Records at 748-5131. Admission to the

concert is free; the public is welcome.