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Who knows? It seems like the '80s and early '90s was Narada's pinnacle of success along with Windham Hill and others. They found a niche in the music industry selling organic earthy instrumentation that critics labeled new age. But genres evolve or fade away with the times.
I remember commercial radio played "new age music" in the '80s but after a couple of years the stations moved towards smooth jazz. This caused a lot of artists to write more commercial smooth jazz to please labels and ensure lasting success.
There will always be people looking for reflective piano music in record stores. I don't think it will ever go away. Unfortunately, the number of piano CDs stocked at local music stores is rapidly dwindling in numbers. I'm not concerned with what's popular. I'm more concerned with satisfying my musical interests and interpretations. With my latest album, "Faithful," I chose a path that combines new age piano with down tempo or electronic music. Some other artists are heading in that direction as well. Who knows where it will take us. I've heard nothing but good things about my latest effort.
MD: It appears that you have managed to successfully self promote via your own independent label Stone Angel Music Inc. How is that progressing?
Cardall: Things are going well. I set up Stone Angel Music prior to the Narada deal. We've been fortunate to establish distribution through several channels. We've been able to quietly harvest a loyal fan base that continues to grow each year. I'm excited that more and more people are discovering my music. The ability to earn a living from creating and sharing music is a blessing.
MD: Your label's home page mentions consulting and film-scoring. Are these some other avenues that you would like to explore?
Cardall: I have ventured into consulting artists. When an artist starts out they have a lot of questions. In the past, I was bombarded with demos and questions from artists. As a consultant, I answer those questions and in the process help them understand the basic fundamentals of the music industry.
Asking me about Film-Scoring is like asking Hillary Clinton whether or not she wants to run for the Presidency. You know she does but not sure when. I am working towards this. I am passionate about film. It was my major in college. And I feel I have a lot to offer musically.
MD: I am sure there are advantages and disadvantages of self-promoting versus the support of a big label. What direction do you see yourself heading on a long-term basis?
Cardall: There are. Big labels have national distribution, which is really the only big advantage. Under Narada, as a team, we have access to thousands of stores but I, personally, had less control over marketing and sales of records. Under Stone Angel Music, I have several hundred stores and more control over how things proceed. The last two years we were able to move more units under my little label than Narada did in one.
So, I like the way things are going. But, I will still entertain a record deal because this time I would bring my years of experience and marketing vision to the table.
MD: Without a doubt your latest studio release, "Faithful," was a very courageous decision considering the faithlessness of some of us listeners. This album took a while to grow on me and required some patience. You could have played it safe. Why didn't you?
Cardall: I am evolving musically. I wanted to do something different. Something new. Something fresh. Faithful was an effort to be "faithful" to those feelings and introduce my audience to a style of music that moves me deeply. Although I like to explore new sounds I will never stray to far from my roots as a solo pianist.
MD: Much like David Lanz you decided to do a cover song and picked "Scarborough Fair" made famous by Simon & Garfunkel. What made you choose this particular song?
Cardall: The medieval folk tune has always been a favorite of mine. Paul Simon learned the song from Martin Carthy, a famous folk singer in the UK, while he was on tour there. I love the minor chords. It's a deep piece of music that I was confident enough to re-capture. The tune is a nice element of the "Faithful" disc.
MD: How has "Faithful" faired commercially in relation to your other albums?
Cardall: I have not released "Faithful" nationally like the others. It's only available in a handful of music stores throughout the Rocky Mountain Region and some 200 hundred-specialty stores around the country. I'm still shopping the record for the mainstream and lifestyle markets. But, it has sold consistently well like the others. And more importantly, although my fans admit it is an ambitious project, most of them feel it's the most powerful thing I've done.
MD: I would say that "Miracles was" your most blatant attempt at commercialism
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