The Music of Paisley Faith

BIOGRAPHY/PHOTOS

Willy grew up in Northern Michigan. During grade school he began to study viola and was never able to quit it, partly because he had some talent, and partly because quitting things you started was taboo in his family. During adolescence, he was introduced to guitar by a family friend, and he began to teach himself to play. From that period on music became not just a childhood activity, but a lifelong journey and a dream.

Photo by Kelsey Richardson

Photo by Kelsey Richardson

Although Willy began to study music in college, his distaste for orchestra playing, his personal difficulties, and his inability to truly believe in his musical ability stunted him. He exited college with an engineering degree, which led him to work with computers, which in turn brought music back to him. It was the computer that enabled him to create the classical music he had always dreamed of; some of the "Pieces for Simple Piano" on the "Midi Files" page had been in the works since college.

Kelsey is originally from Connecticut and attended college in Berkeley, California before returning to the east coast. Her mother was active in the church choir, which led to her participation in gospel choirs and fostered her love of singing.

Photo by NYU Photo Bureau

Photo by Narisa Svetvilas

Kelsey didn't formally study music, so her creative energy was later directed towards poetry writing. She divided her time, energy, and love between her busy career working with young artists and her poetry. During her poetry readings, she was often queried about her inspiration, and her response was always different. While other poets would find inspiration in Thoreau or Whitman, she had always taken her muses from modern movies and music. She liked to call her favorite musicians "lyrical poets," and to her surprise, much of the feedback she received placed her in that category.

Willy and Kelsey met in New York City. Almost instantly, their creative energy sparked. When Willy found out Kelsey was a singer he immediately got the notion of a CD and Kelsey soon saw the opportunity to put her words to music. So they embarked on their relationship considering the idea of making music together integral. They were unaware of the delicate complexities of mixing creativity with romance, and soon they were fully immersed. The magical thing was that the music brought them even closer. This is probably because of their faith, hence Paisley Faith. The people in their life often comment that it shows in their music. And they hope their music will be an inspiration and touch the lives of others.

Photo by Joanna Wilson

paisleyfaith@yahoo.com