Story Behind The Song

One year after completing his degree in percussion and moving to Chicago, Joel Styzens had established a strong presence as a drummer in the local jazz and rock scenes and landed a teaching position at Chicago's renowned Old Town School of Music. In late January 2006, he woke up with the pitch of A-sharp ringing in his ears. Ordinary sounds such as conversations, cars driving past, and clattering dishes registered as painful and startling. Tinnitus and hyperacusis--ringing of the ears and extreme sound sensitivity--threatened to take away his life's work and passion. Styzens gave up his drumming career, but he refused to give up music. He sought several experimental therapies and began composing for acoustic guitar. This April, on his label A-Sharp Records, Styzens released his first album, Relax Your Ears, which recently earned "Editor's Pick" and a 5/5 star review from CD Baby. The album is a collaborative partnership with Chicago Symphony Orchestra cellist Katinka Kleijn, who is prominently featured on the album and whose soaring melodies add a level of depth and emotional intensity. Styzens continues to cope with the effects of the tinnitus and hyperacusis, but they have improved gradually with therapy. Styzens intends to use A-Sharp Records as a forum for musicians with hearing ailments and to raise awareness about hearing conservation. Three years after his hearing conditions changed his life, Styzens has no intention of focusing on the negative. Tinnitus and hyperacusis have allowed him to uncover new musical passions, composing and playing acoustic guitar. "Composing my own music is more fulfilling than anything I've ever done--it comes from a very deep place."

Song Description

As mentioned above, A-Sharp is the pitch of my tinnitus. And because of my ear problems I had to transition from my career as a professional drummer to a composer to keep making music. Composing this song and the others that would follow became my source of therapy. 'A-Sharp' is a beautiful, haunting, and powerful tune that features a vast range of emotion. Everything from extreme frustration and anger because I didn't know if I could ever play drums or even music again, to hope and acceptance and trying to look at my ear problems like a gift -- because seemingly out of nowhere all this music started coming out of me. Sonically, it contains drones and floaty type of textures that represent the emotional uncertainty -- and has a dynamic range that also represents the contrasts of feelings; switching from very soft and delicate to very loud and intense. A-Sharp features guitar, piano, and cello. To create the atmospheric sound I had my cellist (Katinka Kleijn from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) overdub many different melodic and drone parts that I later editing and layered together. A lot of life and emotion is in this song... and this song and my story is something that I feel a lot of people can relate to and benefit from hearing. More people need to find the opportunity in life's difficult moments instead of giving in to them. Even though this song bottles up and documents the most difficult thing in my life that I've ever had to deal with, it still retains the elements of hope, opportunity, and rebirth from my story that I believe comes though musically.

Lyrics

Instrumental