Welcome To My World
The Place Of Octavia's Dreaming
Composer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and performer/producer of all you hear!
My compositions are born from the love of the Piano, I create music inspired by what is around me, nature, art as well as fantasy and biographical, embellishing with voice & other acoustic instrumentation. Lying mostly in the 'Ethereal/Inspirational and New Age/Classical genres, but spilling into a wide range of others at times.
Lissa~Käthe Biography
Pianist, Musician, Composer, Singer, Songwriter, Daughter, Sister, Mother, Friend & Dancer
Since the age of around 2 the piano has been the inspiration of many melodies for me. on the family's 1920's upright Beale piano, which I still have. We have been to many musical worlds!
I was born in the beautiful creative city of Armidale in Northern NSW Australia, where I was raised free range on a diet of Carl Orff, German marching music, thanks to my mother, classical & early Australian folk, thanks to my father and of coarse 70s & 80s music, like Genisis, Supertramp, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Tears For Fears, Kate Bush and Supertramp, thanks to my many older siblings. With an ear also for movie themes, thanks to composer Bruce Rowland; In a landscape of extremities and fortunate to have had a beloved piano and many other instruments to express my world with.
My fingers were so small when I first touched the piano keys.
That vibration, that colourful sound, that bell-like ringing, calling me 'home', yet I had only just arrived on this planet!... I had definitely made a friend for life.
Lost in the melodies and patterns that unfolded in my small hands for hours, I listened and listened and listened and then expressing all my dreams on these worn out keys, this old Beale gave more back to me than I could ever be promised. I played every morning, every evening, there wasn't a day I did not spend time with my faithful friend. Indulging in all those worlds it opened up to me. Then the love for my beautiful horses became an inspiration for my music also
Because I have been composing music and songs for most of my life, I have an abundance of them, and they are naturally in their own collections, so to speak, some are very individual and have stayed on their own, but most know which other songs they belong with. Many of my compositions I play and perform now have been with me from a very early age. I composed a lot around the ages of 9 to 12 on my beloved Beale piano.
With many performances as a Pianist, fretless Bass player, keyboardist, accordion player and of coarse vocalist opportunities,including being part of the original dream/pop 6 piece 'ELEMENTAL' winner of the NSW battle of the bands 94, before attending The Northern Rivers Conservatorium Of Music & The Arts in '96. I then went on to play bass for the original band 'COPERNICA' Then vocals, accordion & Fretless Bass in the Celtic Band ‘Blackthorn’ with international fiddle player Kez Watson, in early 2000.
Stage musical's are also something I have been involved in. You can read about my musical theatre/stage work as well, in this Info menu selection.
I have a concept Album of music I started composing in 2007, inspired by the courageous 'Emilie du Chatelet, the French 17th century self educated mathematician and her passionate liaison with the cheeky writer Voltaire. This is still in the forming and may well take me many years to complete, I want it to be just right. I would so love one day for it to be performed by a full orchestra! I also have a stirring collection of songs called 'Pool Of Sound' and then there's my sweet and intimate album 'My Garden'. which was the very first music I shared online in 2005. I wish to get them all produced and released one day. So many more to share with you.
Now is the task of recording my music and bringing it to it's full integrity to you! Early pieces and new compositions all finding a place in respective albums. Please feel free to listen here on my site to my music and if you like my sounds, then you can support my projects by purchasing my CDs here as digital download or the physical albums. lovingly designed and created by myself for you.
Visit MY STORE
Octavia's Dream Recordings
Here in Octavia's Dream, music is born
Octavia's Dream Recordings is my record label. It is appropriate that I release my music under this name, as since I was a child, recording my piano tunes and songs onto an old tape recorder, I would always introduced the songs as "Octavia's songs' and so all my old original cassette tapes have 'Octavia' written on them. (I was far too shy as a little girl to admit that is was me)
*A most amazing and incredible surprise was- I did not know until very recently, that my innocent imagination for the name 'Octavia' bringing the music out of my piano, was the name of the actual man who built the Beale Piano in Australia 'Octavius Beale'*
Introducing Octavia
Octavia is the one with the wisdom, with arms wide open. She is positive and inspires us.
These are the adventures of Octavia, the music she creates and her journey to inspire and comfort this little blue world
Octavia was a grown up when I was a child and guarded my muse. Now I am grown, she remains the child, so I must guard her muse.
A most amazing and incredible surprise was- I did not know until very recently, that my innocent imagination for the name 'Octavia' bringing the music out of my piano, was the name of the actual man who built the Beale Piano in Australia 'Octavius Beale'
There is no escaping the music that comes through me, it is never really planned, the joy for me is the surrender to its unfolding.
Lissa-Käthe 'Debut Concert' - 2006
In 2006 I finally debut my own music in a wonderful concert, complete with quartet, percussionist and 4 backing vocalists to a thrilled audience. Exposing my musings, this launched continuous song writing, collaborations, performances and travel.
*You can see more clips from this concert in this menu under 'Past Performances'
Lissa-Käthe 2006 concert - Photo Amy Irwin
The Piano Is My Confidant
The Piano, a wonderfully crafted instrument, it resonates all our mortal emotions, it expresses every conceivable dream we dare to dream..!
I adore the presence, beauty and soothing of the piano as a solo instrument, but it opens up so many possibilities, I hear more than just the notes I am playing, it is always so difficult for me to resist exploring and adding other instruments to it. I am enormously grateful to be born in this era of technology, so as a solo musician, I can do exactly that.
I have played many piano's in my life, but although my old Beale has been carted around the countryside, rolled end on end through narrow doorways, frozen in sheds in Armidale winters, traveled on bumpy trailers, had broken strings, has many ivories chipped, split, re-glued, replaced and now has key straps holding together by a moths breath, it is still like being home when I play it. I would never want it to be 'done up', I would never want it to change.
I am thirstier now for exploring more of the classical realm and learn more of the 'mind', pattern and structure of what makes for a dynamic and intricate 'Symphonic' musical journey. All those colours and the landscapes it conjures. I can 'feel' it all and I so want to be able to convey that. Harmony being my most favorite thing, I have sung in many choral performances and adore harmonic parts and how they make us feel.
I have eagerly been an alternative health products consultant/retailer and learned so much in a family run Emporium for over 10 years. There are many ways to approach healing, physically and emotionally and this is something that is close to my heart. Music being one of our greatest healers and teachers.
Inspiration
I embrace this little Earth, it is more beautiful than we could ever be promised.
I love to compose music about it, or as it feels, it composes me. I adore nature and all its elements, I am grateful to be here, such an astonishing life!
~Music is the language of all our souls~
My Fretless Bass, accordion, guitars, Cello, Bodhrán and any other instruments and percussion at hand are my allies. Sometimes I feel like a conduit, the music playing me, so I simply trust it as it unfolds. The music that is born gives me comfort, grounds me and heals my heart. It has done so ever since I could reach up to the piano key to hear and feel it's vibration, the piano itself inspires me, as if it were filled with entire worlds!. I do my best to interpret these worlds, playing all the instruments myself, I am no master at all of them, but what a beautiful thing to at least express with them...
I am simply grateful to be able to share my sounds in this way and share the music with you. If it can bring comfort, joy or healing to any part of your soul, then that is the most important part of why I create music and wish to share it with you.
I want my children to know that the world really does hold enormous love, no matter the turmoil, pain and failings it struggles with, we all struggle with, and that there is infinite potential for creating more Love in every day. Music is the messenger, revealing a window to a most beautiful place we are all a part of. I have learned, that those seemingly 'bad' times we find ourselves in, hold jewels and are for enriching us.
Sometimes all the beautiful music around me is so overwhelming that I hardly feel worthy to be attempting to make any kind of sound myself in comparison. But the muse is so strong in me and my life would be so, so empty and worthless without any effort for me to create music each day. whether any other soul witnesses it or not, to me it's value is just as significant.
I love to express a sense of 'inspiration', 'hope' and comfort in my music, I feel this is of great value, even if just one person feels this when listening to my music. One soul is as important as 7 billion.
