For almost the entire summer David Arkenstone's musical fantasy "In the Wake of the Wind" has been perched atop billboard magazine's top adult alternative/new age albums chart. His achievement is impressive in itself, but Utahns in particular might be interested in hearing about it, and about him.
For you see, he's become one of us.Arkenstone says he, his wife Julie and their young family moved to Salt Lake City basically to get away from Los Angeles, which "is just getting too packed with people."
They didn't don blindfolds and stick with a handy pin in a wall map to find out where they could or should go. The Arkenstones have Salt Lake friends from way back, and in fact were married here by a justice of the peace 13 years ago.
"We kind of eloped," Arkenstone confesses, smiling at his wife.
Now, in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains below the Cottonwood Canyons, they have a roomy house -- one substantially bigger than their L.A. apartment, large enough for two parents and three ever-more-territorial kids. The setting enthralls the composer-musician:
"In 15 minutes you can be in the middle of a forest!"
Julie Arkenstone, who has long worked in public relations, has a new job running a marketing firm, and Utah seems to brim with things for the kids to do, too.
"There're a lot of youth-oriented activities (here) not even available in California - probably a result of this abundance of kids," Arkenstone says - "theater, sports parks, water parks, all kinds of recreation. You can take them places and they don't have to sit in front of the Nintendo all the time.
"And the kind of writing I do, you can do anywhere - you can do it in the back of a truck."
The distinct Utah seasons offer additional exotic possibilities for the transplanted family.
"One thing that'll be interesting is snow. We've seen snow, but it's never been there every day," Arkenstone says.`IN THE WAKE OF THE WIND" is not David Arkenstone's first chart topper. His previous creation, "The Citizen of Time," also went to No. 1.
The thrill hasn't diminished at all.
"It's not like you get used to it. You really have to try hard every time, so I just try to work as hard as I can to make listenable music," he says.
And even with the hype, promotion and politics of the record business - not to mention the unpredictability and suspect accuracy of the charts themselves - achieving the summit is extra-rewarding.
"No. 1 lets you know people are listening," Arkenstone says.
An avid listener and fan himself, he likes to get a batch of new albums from his record company, Narada, and its distribution arm, Music Design, to see what others are up to. Among influences he lists greats like Aaron Copland (to whom "In the Wake of the Wind" is in part dedicated), Jean Sibelius . . . and the Beatles. He's drawn to the work of cutting-edge artists like Sting and Peter Gabriel, and to folk music, especially from Africa and Ireland ("like the Chieftains; even in their solos, they are just great musicians, incredible").
Premier movie soundtrack composers like Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner are also numbered among his favorites these days. Arkenstone loves the thematic color and experimentation of their scores, how they help tell a story with music - probably, as he says, because that's what he's trying to do: "create soundtracks for the imagination."
For unlike a good many of those musicians lumped into the "new age" category, Arkenstone's isn't airy, repetitiously wandering "wallpaper" music. Beginning with his first album, "Valley in the Clouds," it was obvious he had the gift and magic of melody.
"That's what keeps me interested," he says, "just dinking at the piano" in search of melody, stirring together all those notions and influences, filtering them through the instrument known as David Arkenstone.
He's both critic and enthusiast when it comes to the technology that makes much of today's music possible.
"Anybody can lean on a keyboard and think they're making an album," he says with a shake of his long locks. But a few minutes later he's personally thankful for the wonders of the age.
"With today's technology you don't have to be a great copyist," a thoroughly schooled, by-the-book arranger. "You can do it on a synthesizer and it's like having an orchestra at your fingertips - it's a good time to be composing."
Arkenstone wasn't always a conjurer of imaginative themes. Like many others of his generation, his roots stretch back to bands in high school and college. He led a moderately successful progressive-rock group - called Arkenstone - into the early '80s. When the members of that group parted ways he wasn't sure where to go next - until friends introduced him to examples of contemporary instrumental music. He'd been writing and recording enchanted music like that, yet had no idea an entire new field had opened up.
Now he's a leading artist in that ever-evolving genre.
"But his roots," wife Julie interjects, "are in rock and roll. I try to bring him back. He gets in the car with me and he has to listen to Guns 'n Roses, Extreme and Cinderella."BESIDES KEYBOARDS and guitars, the multitalented Arkenstone plays pennywhistle, flute, bass, accordion and mandolin on "In the Wake of the Wind," an epic instrumental concept album in which an adventurous lad, Andolin, sets off in search of remedies for his ecologically ailing homeland.
"I'd wanted to do a concept album and thought about doing one about pirates - but they're criminals" . . . although that didn't rule them out altogether. Still, the tale wouldn't jell; pirates weren't enough - the idea was weighted with cliches and preconceptions. "I started thinking more of an adventure that involves the sea." The environmental message took hold as well, and as he brainstormed with some associates, everything came together.
"Then it was almost like I had a script to follow, and it was easier - but not easy; it's never easy!"
And unlike his previous efforts, "In the Wake of the Wind" prominently features an orchestra and instrumental soloists like flutist Tina Hess.
The addition of an array of other musicians to his projects excites Arkenstone. This child of the rock era is entranced by the sound of non-electronic, non-synthesized instruments - the lush effect of an orchestra.
"No matter how great your synthesizer sounds," he observes, "there are nuances you get with a bow and strings and fingers . . . the sound of it was captivating."
Recording the Coplandesque song "Wind in the Sails," as an example, proved most gratifying. He'd taped segments to guide the orchestra, but he ended up performing nothing on the album track.
He sat back and watched other professionals transform his composition.
"That was fun, just to hear that happen," he says.
Arkenstone's remained busy since the release of "In the Wake of the Wind." He's recorded two songs for "Childhood Remembered," Narada's upcoming multi-artist collection of adult "children's stories"; worked with fellow keyboardist Kostia; and is composing more music about the sea for his label's first big video.
"I've even had a couple of video projects in town, where the video is linked to an exercise machine, with scenes that dictate exercise activities. That was good - I made some money and some contacts!"
Arkenstone admires Salt Lake City's arts scene, and would love to contribute if he can.
"I'd like to do something for Ririe-Woodbury, and next May it looks possible we will be doing a day with the (Utah) symphony. I envision the first half being the `greatest' Arkenstone hits and the last half `In the Wake of the Wind" - more symphonic even than the current album.
"We may be trying to do that in several cities."