Interview of Cal-el aka Cal Jennings of Space Eagle Productions

Interview of Cal-el aka Cal Jennings of Space Eagle Productions

1. When did you start playing music and when did you start composing?

I started playing music when I was about 4 years old. But I maybe started a little earlier. I remember my grandmother's neighbor teaching me to play accordion and I played around on my grandparents' piano. When I was 5 years old my mom bought me a toy piano that had working black and white keys so I played on that. My grandfather gave me the xylophone that he played on the radio when I was about 6 or 7. My dad bought a guitar and never played it. I wasn't supposed to touch it but would play around on it when he was at work. Ultimately, I got a guitar lesson record and book and learned how to play notes and chords. I'm a self-taught and I had the the quality of being a perfectionist though I have become much more lax in my old age. When I was in sixth grade, my mom bought me a cornet which I played through high school becoming 1^st chair cornet and 2^nd chair trumpet only because I didn't have a trumpet. Trumpet became my main instrument, though I also bought an altonium because it was rare and the right price at a pawn shop. I played the altonium in college.

In terms of composition, I started in high school. Since my main instrument was cornet, I was used to playing single note lines of melody so writing in the bass clef was difficult (and still is) for me.

2. What was your first instrument?

My first instrument was accordion or perhaps the toy xylophone that I had as a child. I was pretty versatile even back then.

3. What were your early musical influences?

My early influences were anti-war folk groups like Peter, Paul, and Mary and other groups similar to them. I loved the harmony and the lyrics since they went along with what Jesus taught. My mom listened to The Beach Boys, Bobby Vinton, and Elvis a lot so they inspired me too. My dad played Johnny Cash a lot so “Folsom Prison Blues” was the first song I learned to play on guitar. Robert Watkins and Rick Cummings used to come over and play “Long Black Veil” a lot so they were and inspiration for me to sneak and play my dad's guitar. If he had found out, I would have gotten the beating of my life. When The Beatles came out, they became my biggest influence. I was a Beatle Freak as we were known back then. haha

4. How do you feel about writing music? Does it just come to you?

I love writing music but it does have to come to me or I have to be in the mood to write something. I did have one song that came to me in a dream. It was being sung by a torch singer in a club. The melody was haunting but I was just walking up the aisle to exit to the right when she was singing. I don't know where we were leaving to when we were leaving the club but the melody was haunting and I could only remember a few of the lyrics. I talked to one of my friends, Veronica Garcia, and she suggested the way the lyrics should go so I wrote the song based on that.

5. There are cross-overs between country and rock, but a cross over between rock and ethereal music seems unusual.

I compose soft Rock music, Country music, Ethereal music, or whatever comes to me. One day I wrote a “beat” just to prove I could do it. The ethereal music comes from the God part of myself. I arranged Pop rock like Chicago songs so I could play them on cornet for a long time before I started composing. I wanted to play with other players though so I started writing parts for other instruments. The love of a woman inspired my first semi-classical piece. Love or breakups are most of my inspiration, though at times there are songs that were inspired by a good mood. I love interesting, melodic chords so it comes natural to me.

6. What is the name of your band?

I don't have a band except for my music composition program, Harmony Assistant by Myriad. Right now, my music composition program has an optional program, Virtual Singer, which I purchased that can sing the lyrics. That produces my “backup singers” for now. In my videos, I call my “band” “Cal-el.” It's a take off on Superman being portrayed as Jesus in Superman Returns. Someone had asked people to dress up as super heroes to talk to school children about Jesus and since I was in the Superman Returns Webmaster Program, naturally, I dressed up as Superman. Superman's name is “Kal-el,” the “el” representing “of God.” My name is Calvin or Cal for short which sounds like “Kal” so I adapted the name since I was part of an online ministry for those who are “disabled, disadvantaged, displaced or disenchanted in this world” and can't or won't get out to a church. The first time I wore the T-shirt, jeans, and cape outfit was at a 4^th of July fireworks display in Tomball, TX. I was surprised to find that the elderly were as excited as or more excited than the kids were and would drive by and yell, “Hi Superman!” Ever since then, the name and t-shirt stuck. I used to wear a leather jacket with the t-shirt but it just gets too hot in this part of Texas. I would LOVE to have others collaborating online if I can't have a band.

7. Who are your favorite musical performers and composers?

One of my favorite musical performers is... believe it or not... Barry Manilow. I think he stole my idea of changing classical music into Pop music. LOL (I really thought that for awhile.) I like Kenny Loggins, James Taylor, and other relatively mellow music for the most part. John Barry and John Williams are my favorite composers. They really know how to set the mood for a movie. I'm really not into Rap. I think the lyrics are abusive toward women and support an attitude of greed for the most part.