The high notes splash like rain. The music gradually builds into
waves crashing against a stony shore, watery fingers flying high
into the air and then falling back to sea. The tide dies down and
recedes slowly until it is almost completely silent. Andoni leans
in closer to the piano keys as the final notes resound, leaving
traces of ocean foam behind.
The high notes splash like rain. The music gradually builds into waves crashing against a stony shore, watery fingers flying high into the air and then falling back to sea. The tide dies down and recedes slowly until it is almost completely silent. Andoni leans in closer to the piano keys as the final notes resound, leaving traces of ocean foam behind.
These were just a few of the images conjured to mind as I listened to “This Is What the Nihilist Sang as She Watched the Sun Set Into the Pacific,” a song composed by local musician Andoni Bundros. The lifelong Gilroyan and his bandmates have co-written every song for the debut performance of their new band, ANIIMUL, Sept. 4 at The Gaslighter Theater downtown.
It is no easy feat in a town the size of Gilroy, but through his willingness to embrace all genres of music, as well as the ability to collaborate with a wide range of different personalities, 25-year-old Bundros is managing to carve out a living for himself as a musician.
ANIIMUL is a collaborative effort between Bundros and three friends he grew up with in Gilroy. It features Tomas Carrillo on lead guitar and vocals, brother Daniel Carrillo on bass and drums, and Kevin Pfeffer on lead vocals and guitar. Bundros performs on synths, keyboards, and vocals as well. The band has developed its own unique blend of musical styles influenced by jazz, new age and classical that they call “intellectual pop rock.”
Bundros’ bandmates are known for their alternative rock band, “Five Minutes to Freedom,” which performed at this year’s Garlic Festival. Bundros performed jazz at the festival with the Greg Chambers Band.
“Having a vibrant music scene is invaluable to our community,” Bundros said. “It increases the cultural capital of our community. Fortunately, we are having more live music in Gilroy. You don’t have to drive to San Jose. We need to let people know how much good music we have right here in town.”
Bundros’ own musical training began on the keyboards at age 6 and continued through to his years as a Gilroy High Chamber singer, where he credits Choral Director Phil Robb with having the most influence in shaping his musical evolution. After training at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Bundros returned to his hometown where he teaches at the Music Academy of Gilroy. His students range in age from 6 to adult.
“I enjoy the students. It’s an honor to be able to pass on my knowledge and passion for music,” he said.
Although he came up with his first original tune at 8 years old, it has only been in the last three years that he has experienced his most prolific time as a composer. He has begun to express himself as an artist with a new energy and devotion.
“I fall into the moment,” he said. “You turn your mind off and fully experience the music. It can be a transcendent experience for both artist and audience.
“The exciting thing about music is the way it is a unique experience that is happening inside a person’s head,” Bundros said. “I have no control over it. Every single person brings their own feelings and ideas to the piece and has a different personal inward experience.”
Bundros also serves as choir director at the United Methodist Church, where he works with a very diverse group of singers, ranging in age from 19 to 80. There is a synchronicity between him and the choir members – he learns new hymns while they gain more of a blend and balance to their overall dynamics as a group.
Bundros fills in as needed at Saint John the Divine Episcopal Church in Morgan Hill, where they enjoy his prelude and postlude solos (plus the women think he’s handsome).
“It’s ridiculously irresponsible,” Bundros says of the way he makes his living. “I get to live in the world of art.
“I go play the piano, while someone else builds a building or feeds the homeless. But at the end of the day when it’s time to leave stress behind, go out for a beer, and unwind to some music – that’s what I have to offer.”
Homegrown music in Gilroy
What: ANIIMUL (“intellectual pop rock”); Transit Studio (rock, metal); 12 Gauge Promise (pop, punk); and Wilderness (funky rock, post punk)
Where: The Gaslighter Theater, 7430 Monterey St.
When: 6 p.m. Sept. 4
Cost: $7 in advance, $10 at the door
Details: [email protected]
Waht: Five Minutes to Freedom and The Blue Sky Band
Where: Firehouse Bar & Grill, 55 Fifth St.
When: 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday
Cost: Free
Details: www.firehousebg.com/entertainment.html
