Sakis Gouzonis is a multi-award-winning Greek composer, arranger, orchestrator, producer and performer of electronic music. I’m really happy to interview him today and get you discovered his artistic universe.
Sakis Gouzonis Interview:
“Be teachable, hone your talent, have a good attitude, and be willing to make sacrifices to succeed.“
Sakis Gouzonis, please tell us a bit about yourself and your universe?
Before I answer your first question, Olivier, I would like to thank you for interviewing me and giving me the opportunity to showcase my music. I am an independent artist from Greece. I compose, arrange, orchestrate, produce and perform electronic and cinematic music. To this day, I have released 9 studio albums, each containing ten original music tracks; First Contact (2008), New Earth (2009), The Tree Of Life (2010), Ultimate Love (2011), Vast Victory (2012), Spiritual Unity (2013), Golden Heart (2014), A World At Peace (2015), and Liberating Truth (2016). Music is the best way to express myself and communicate with the world. I can’t imagine my life without it.
Were you always interested in music growing up?
Yes. Music had an enormous impact on me as a child. At a very young age, I asked my parents to buy me an electronic keyboard. Even though I didn’t have any knowledge of musical notation, I had the innate ability to create original compositions and play music by ear. The day I completed my first composition, I knew that being a composer and playing music was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. And I haven’t stopped since that day.
How did you get into music composition?
Young people are often attracted by seeing their friends or famous artists exercising their gift. But that was not the case with me. Nobody in my family was an artist, and I had never been to a concert before. Then, one day, I found a few old tapes at my parents’ home with some Christian music on them. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with all the exciting melodies and powerful orchestrations. Soon afterwards, I asked my parents to buy me an electronic keyboard. When I touched my first electronic keyboard for the very first time, I felt a very strange power all over my body. I instantly understood that music was my gift and what I was going to do forever.
Could you tell us about your style and the music you love?
My music is instrumental, electronic and cinematic, as well as very melodic and atmospheric. My music compositions and orchestrations are written and performed with a lot of passion and positive energy. I always do my best to keep my music interesting and exciting. Most people are not indifferent when listening to something with a lot of heart and soul. In my free time, I usually listen to electronic music with vocals. But when I work on my computer, I listen to instrumental music only, because vocals distract my concentration.
Do you have or have had a mentor or other special person to guide you?
I take matters into my own hands when it comes to guiding my music career. I haven’t always made perfect decisions, but they usually end up being valuable learning experiences. However, I have plenty of role models from both within and outside of music, but I don’t have a mentor that I meet with periodically one on one.
Where do you derive your influence? Do you have a favorite place or technique that helps you find inspiration?
My inspiration comes from the infinite beauty of our universe. I get inspired by everything I can touch, feel, sense, measure or detect. Intelligent beings, planets, stars, life, light, love, and even time can inspire me to write music.
What is your dream project?
To compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Eurovision Song Contest, which is organized by the European Broadcasting Union, is the only Pan-European cultural event. It is a very important tool with which to build bridges between nations. Viewers in about forty countries come together once a year to enjoy this one-of-a-kind event.
Is artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
Being an artist doesn’t equal a lonely life, that’s up to the artist. To speak for myself, I am a very social person, but when it comes to music production, I prefer to work in isolation. Every time I work on a project, I don’t like having anyone around that might disturb my concentration.
What’s the best piece of advice you would give to someone who dreams to be a music composer?
Be teachable, hone your talent, have a good attitude, and be willing to make sacrifices to succeed. Keep up with the new technology. Play music with your friends. Play music with strangers. Take chances. Love the music, and share that love with everyone. Have fun.
and then