Album Notes

I am Umberto and I make music. People also know me by the name "e-motions" or "emotionsmusic" - a "brand" that many people today know as symbol for deep, thoughtful, emotional lyrics and melodies. But I wasn't always the songwriter and musician I am now.

It all goes back quite a long time when I started to develop a passion for music in general. It was really a struggle for my parents because when I was younger, I remember spending afternoons in front of the tape recorder recording songs from the radio. I couldn't stop doing it and my parents hated it because I didn't use any headphones. What did I do with those tapes? Well - I tried to play along on our electric organ training my musical ear without even knowing - a fact that would be useful later in my life.

Only two years later I left the band for personal reasons. That was the hour of birth of "e-motions". I had written so many songs that didn't fit the style of the band and so I pulled them out again and started to work. I remember my first recordings... a cheap mic in front of my piano or my guitar and my first experience with a sequencer... I still have those tapes and it's incredible how things have changed. You wouldn't believe it! I recorded and "released" my first albums long before YouTube or Myspace existed. There was no such thing as Facebook or Twitter to share things with the world. I could only share my music with friends.

From there on things changed rapidly. I had this will to learn, to get better, to be creative and to share it with others. From time to time I had the chance to play at festivals or marriages or at private parties. But that was all. I wanted more. I wanted to get my music to a next level and so I stared to try to find somebody who would be willing to get me to a studio and record an album with me. Guess what? - easier to say than to do. I couldn't find anyone. So I decided to do it by myself. I began to buy equipment, to get a decent microphone and so on. And I read. I think I spent nights reading about recording, mixing, mastering and all I needed and wanted to know.

2007 was the year I released my first official album "Change". It was a retrospective of the last few years and combined old and new songs, different styles and episodes of my life. When I listen to those tracks, I'm still amazed by the quality and the spirit of the album. Only two years later I decided to go for a second album. I wanted it to be special... very intimate, honest and right from my heart and so "Speechless" was released in December 2009.



The years went by and I grew up and so did my dreams. I remember one day when we got a new music teacher at school. He used to sing songs with us - accompanied us on a grand piano. I was amazed by this instrument and I immediately wanted to learn to play it. The next day I approached him and asked if he would be willing to teach me. To make a long story a bit shorter: He did - and so he taught me the basics. After school I spent my evenings at our localmusic shop playing the piano. After some time and several months of piano lessons I was sick of the organ - I wanted a piano. And I told my parents.

Well now comes the strange thing: You know how usually parents send their children to music school - maybe force them? Mine didn't... it was me that had to make it clear to them that playing the piano was one thing I REALLY loved to do! And it took me one year to convince them that I NEEDED a piano. Would you believe it?! - I got one and things started happening.

Years later I wanted to play in a band. I found a band - they're also here on Facebook... check them out! Their name is "Alsion". To be a part of this band I had to write two songs... wow! I had never done this before and I was SO nervous when I had to present my songs. Guess what?! - the guys loved the song and this was the beginning of my career as a songwriter. My job in the band was to write or co-write songs and to play the keyboard... back then I had no idea that I actually loved singing. But here and there I did the backing vocals. Then a bit later I wrote a duet which I sang with the girlfriend of our lead singer and it became clear that singing was what I really wanted to do. This was in 1999.

From there on things changed rapidly. I had this will to learn, to get better, to be creative and to share it with others. From time to time I had the chance to play at festivals or marriages or at private parties. But that was all. I wanted more.

I wanted to get my music to a next level and so I started to try to find somebody who would be willing to get me to a studio and record an album with me. Guess what - easier to say than to do. I couldn't find anyone. So I decided to do it by myself. I began to buy equipment, to get a decent microphone and so on. And I read. I think I spent nights reading about recording, mixing, mastering and all I needed and wanted to know.



2007 was the year I released my first official album "Change". It was a retrospective of the last few years and combined old and new songs, different styles and episodes of my life. When I listen to those tracks, I'm still amazed by the quality and the spirit of the album. Only two years later I decided to go for a second album. I wanted it to be special... very intimate, honest and right from my heart and so "Speechless" was released in December 2009.

There's another thing for which I have to go back in time again. In 2007 I thought about a new way of promoting my music. Timing was not always my strength and so I signed up with YouTube AFTER I released the album "Change". Nobody knew me then. So to be honest nobody cared. But - I still think that it was the best thing I could ever do.

Today - almost 3 years later things have changed quite a lot. People in almost every country of the world have seen my videos, have sent me their comments, have subscribed. I've made friends. I travelled the world and met amazing people, musicians, artists. I get in touch with so many new people and there's so much inspiration on this journey.

I am sure that there is much more to come. And I know that my fans - you guys - will be here with me.

Some of you might want to know, what my inspiration is. Well - it's not money. Why? Money can't make you happy. It can help to buy you happiness but this kind of happiness is not very long lasting. No, honestly: I love music. I always have. Music is my way to express myself. It has always been a shelter, a place to flee to when things go wrong. And I feel that I have something to give - some might call it talent, others maybe a gift. I just call it a feeling and the everlasting urge to write and sing.

Besides that I am a pretty normal and approachable guy. I love nature, travelling, cooking, going out with friends and making new ones. I am not a star on cloud 59 - nor will I be. I am Umberto. I know where I come from. And I know where I want to go. With my feet on the ground!

Sincerely yours,
Umberto