ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT
LOGO
HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS
SHORT BIO (ENGLISH)
When Estonian Rahel Aasrand and American Mike Beck met unexpectedly in Verona, Italy in the Spring of 2016, what appeared to be a mere coincidence now seems like a moment of destiny. Their musical voyage has been a continuous search for balance, harmony, time, listening, being heard and most of all exploring the intersection of their musical identities. This journey has brought their performances to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Italy, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Estonia. The combination of violin, acoustic guitar and voices blended in harmony give the duo a folkish sound but their repertoire defies constraint. Their original songs exhibit flavours of classical music mixed with traditional Irish, folk, country, blues and rock. Their ambition is to bring people together in harmony and song and help us all recognize that what unites us and what binds us is much stronger and more powerful than the differences that may exist between us.
LÜHIKE TUTVUSTUS (EESTI KEELES)
Eesti viiuldaja / vokalist / laulukirjutaja Rahel-Liis Aasrand ja ameerika kitarrist /vokalist / laulukirjutaja “Chicago” Mike Beck kohtusid juhuslikult 2016. aasta kevadel Itaalias Veronas. Mis toona tundus juhusliku kokkusattumusena, paistab nüüd ettemääratud hetkena. Nende muusikaline teekond on olnud pidev tasakaalu, harmoonia ja ühise aja otsing, sooviga kuulata, olla kuuldud ja leida kahe väga erineva taustaga muusiku muusikalise identiteedi ühisosa. See teekond on viinud neid esinema Grand Canyonisse Arizonas, Coloradosse, Floridasse ja Louisianasse Ameerika Ühendriikides, Itaaliasse, Bulgaariasse, Hollandisse, Saksamaale, Luksemburgi, Šveitsi ja Eestisse.
Viiuli, akustilise kitarri ja kahe hääle harmooniline sulam annab duole folgiliku kõla, kuid nende repertuaari pole kerge lahterdada. Rahel n Becki omaloomingus on tunda klassikalise muusika mõjutusi segatuna iiri rahvamuusika, folgi, kantri, bluusi ja rokiga. Kontserdi jooksul esitab Rahel n Beck iidseid eepilisi rahvalaule ja tänapäevaseid hitte, nii vähetuntud laulukirjutajate loomingut kui ka populaarseid laule, millele kaasa ümiseda. Nende eesmärk on tuua inimesed kokku harmoonias ja laulus ning aidata meil kõigil mõista, et see, mis meid ühendab ja seob, on palju tugevam ja võimsam, kui meie vahel esinevad erinevused.
FULL BIO (ENGLISH)
I am Rahel Aasrand.
I am Mike Beck.
And we are Rahel n Beck!
“Go, sirrah, trudge about
Through fair Verona. Find those persons out
Whose names are written there, and to them say
My house and welcome on their pleasure stay.”
Once upon a time…
When Estonian Rahel Aasrand and American Mike Beck met unexpectedly not far from the banks of the Adige river in Verona, Italy in the Spring of 2016, what appeared to be a mere coincidence now seems like a moment of destiny. Rahel was living in Verona, having recently completed her masters in violin performance at the Conservatorio di Musica di Verona. She stepped into an osteria with a friend after an afternoon of busking. As fate would have it, Mike was scheduled to perform there that very evening. He invited Rahel to join his performance – and here we find ourselves years later, recognizing that evening as the start of something extraordinary.
Rahel and Mike began performing together, eventually adopting the name Rahel n Beck for their duo. Their musical voyage has been a continuous search for balance, harmony, time, listening, being heard and most of all – with the push and pull inherent in their individual backgrounds – exploring the intersection of their musical identities.
The combination of violin, acoustic guitar and voices blended in harmony give the duo a folkish sound but their repertoire defies constraint. Their original songs exhibit flavours of classical music mixed with traditional Irish, folk, country, blues and rock.
Their varied influences are revealed through a diverse presentation of songs written by other artists. You’ll hear ancient epic folk tales amid modern hits, obscure songwriters followed by universal anthems. Each Rahel n Beck performance is a unique creation, a reciprocal exchange of energy between all those present.
From the sultry beaches of Key West, to the ancient remote banks of the Colorado River in the depths of the Grand Canyon, from intimate house concerts in Estonia to stormy songwriting sessions on the shores of Italy’s Adriatic coast, from lush green valleys in Luxembourg’s Eislick to bracing performances beneath the majestic backdrop of Switzerland’s Matterhorn, music has brought them to colourful amazing places in a dozen different countries.
Rahel n Beck recently started working on their first studio album. It will include some of Rahel’s compositions, a couple songs written by Mike (one of which he wrote as a duet in the year Rahel was born!) as well as new compositional collaborations between Mike and Rahel and a few select covers to which Rahel n Beck lend their voices and dicephalous interpretation.
Together Rahel n Beck strive to evolve, discover and grow as both musicians and human beings and keep themselves engaged in pushing the limits of what they think is possible. Their mission is to impact their audiences and the world with positivity and optimism, while they share their love for music and the beauty in it. Their ambition is to bring people together in harmony and song and help us all recognize that what unites us and what binds us is much stronger and more powerful than the differences that may exist between us.