Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Ascanio.
Tony, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela I’m an essentially a Film Music Composer. I graduated from Berklee College of Music with two degrees in Film Music and in Composition and been working in the film industry since 2001. I have had the fortune and the privilege to work in many projects for almost twenty years now. I decided to go back to music performing on stage because it was what drove me to become a musician in the first place. Although I love my job as a composer, there is nothing like getting on stage. Nowadays, I am the singer of the band called The Glass. The Glass was formed in the spring of 2015. The band is a clear representation of the diversity of the city of Houston. After so many years of not performing on stage, I found my way back to live music while performing in a Beatles Tribute band. This is how I met my musical brother David Elbert, whose friendship and the musical partnership has been essential to me for the last few years. David is a master songwriter and an amazing live performer. The other fundamental part of the band is Maryland Liff, our keyboardist, and violinist from West Virginia. She has dedicated her musical knowledge and talent to live music performing, recording, and most importantly, imparting the love for music to young minds in Houston as a music teacher. Oleg Yakovlev our Russian born bassist and the coolest most disciplined and musically focused member of the band is the kind of musician that loves to be challenged with new music, new ideas, new projects. The Venezuelan born and raised Diego Fernandez is the man in the hat and the heart on his sleeve, his aggressive rock style of playing, and his experience in the local scene has taken the band to a different path since he joined us a couple of years ago. Oscar “El Capitan” Cortes, the band’s prog-rock/EDM/adventurous drummer is the heartbeat of the band, we all live and die to his drumming. We just released our first album in Spanish on November on 2018 titled SUSTANTIVO. We love to death being part of the music scene in Houston, it seems that it is growing in a healthy way and us musicians have an honest appreciation for the other bands and other musicians. There is so much talent here in Houston! We have had a wonderful ride and I am looking forward to spending more long hours of rehearsing and performing with those people I call my musical family.
Has it been a smooth road?
The thing about wanting to get the most out of anything is that challenges are the essential part to it if we are not being challenged it means that we aren’t doing it right. I think every day is a challenge in a way or another,
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Glass story. Tell us more about it.
We love to perform live, that is the main drive of these band, the more shows, the better. There are always new ears to get to every day, new people to meet and enjoy. We make music because we have no option, it is an essential part of our existence to play music, whether it is a rehearsal, or a rainy day show for a few music lovers, or a packed venue, without it we can’t have a complete life. In 2016, we had the fortune of reaching a lot of hearts with our special tribute to the Argentinian band Soda Stereo. The few shows we have paying homage to the undoubtedly powerful music of Soda Stereo has allowed The Glass so have a platform to our own music, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the people that have welcomed us as an original band. We are going to have our annual presentation of the music of Soda Stereo on June 8th at Rockefeller’s and we are currently working on our second album to be released in 2020.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It is hard to say where music will be in 10 years or even 5, technology is dictating much of its progress this day, affecting both the business side and the creative side of it. Changes and trends they seem to last less and less now, all that matter is that music still is in an essential part of the human experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theglassmusic.com
- Phone: 7136140392
- Email: lascanio@mac.com
- Instagram: /theglassmusic
- Facebook: /theglasstexas
- Twitter: /theglassmusic
Image Credit:
Photos by Freddy Loco, Photos by Laura Marin
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