There are a countless amount of atoms floating around in the universe, most of which are fading away into nothingness or laying waste to the laws of entropy. But here on planet earth, atoms have decided to defy the laws of the universe and form together to make cells, tissue, organs, bones, muscles and brains. How you might ask? No one is really certain, and while their are a multitude of religious explanations, scientific theories and mystical interpretations for the creation of our wonderful world and the conscious mind, the members of Zmick feel it's more important to celebrate what IS and not worry about how it got here.
We're talking about the conscious mind here my friends!! What a beautiful thing!! This stuff doesn't happen every day on any other planet (at least that we're aware of). As far as we know it, this stuff that we call life, is only going down on this planet right here, and right now (and boy, what a party it is)!! The beautiful ability to process the world through our eyes, ears, mouths, noses, hands, heads, shoulders, knees and toes, using language to share our lives with each other via sound waves, and creating crazy experiences along the way; experiences that only happen once in the existence of the entire universe!! That's right my friend, you are only happening once. A completely unique individual, made up of all the same stuff everyone else is, but doing it in your own way, the way you want to do it, here and now. If that ain't something to celebrate, we couldn't tell you what is.
Now there are many ways to be reminded of how beautiful this life is. One way of putting appreciation in the forefront of our minds is by going off on a rant like the above. Another way, is through music, the most universal language on our planet. What better way is there to shed off all the subjective stresses of life, tap into our inner happy spots, and really celebrate the beauty of existence, than by listening to funky noises in moments in time that make us want to dance, sing, laugh and party!!
So that's where Zmick comes in, and that's why we do what we do. We make diverse colorful music for all walks of life, with the intention of celebrating this sweet existence we've been blessed with. We are the conduits that bring music to people that are ready to have fun, celebrate and appreciate new, interesting, funky sounds traveling through space. Some people call Zmick shows a gathering of the vibes, some call them a spiritual release from the drama of everyday stress, some people call them a straight up funky dance party. We like to think of them as a place where people can get together, celebrate life with other music appreciators, and have a dirty good time.
Anyways, here's a bit of our history...
Zmick is a progressive/live improvisational band that was born in the heart of Urbana, Illinois. The band formed when drummer Kris Ahrens and guitarist Dan McLean decided to leave Chicago and move down to Urbana, Illinois, to play music with long time friend and self taught bassist/composer Dan Wonsover, and jazz pianist/math prodigy Jack Scheff. The four musicians, who are huge fans of both elaborately composed progressive rock and jazz music, and broad appealing "catchy vocal music", have been fusing the two different styles together with strong groove orientated rhythms since they started Zmick.
After going through several line-up changes over the course of about 8 months, the band fell apart and reformed into a quartet. Pianist Mike Donato, guitarist Brad Miller, bassist Dan Wonsover and drummer Kris Ahrens make Zmick what it is today. Along with Bigs, they're lighting designer/good vibes coordinator, Zmick has been traveling all over the midwest spreading positivity to every town they've perfomed.
Their music encompasses elements of jazz, progressive rock, reggae, electronica, funk, metal, Latin and world music. When asked what they sound like, the members describe their music as "Sexy prog rock with a jazz mentality". Zmick writes music with the intent of bringing people together and giving them an opportunity to dance, sing, laugh and bond with other music lovers. It's about building a community where live music appreciators can come together and have a good time.
Hey Zmick. The band was featured on Frequency TV! Check it out and leave us a comment. Look forward to be at Canopy in October. We should get something else going. Keep in touch!
