No matter how clearly you see yourself as one kind of artist or how fully you believe that you’re meant to stay on a certain path, sometimes your best destination actually lies down a detour.
That’s certainly been the finding of Edmond-based composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and multiple Grammy-winner Kitt Wakeley, who has seen international acclaim and repeated accolades for his work, often marrying the poise and tradition of classical symphonic music with the energy and epic bombast of electrified rock.
After recording with world-class symphonies from London to Macedonia and headlining stages from OKC’s Civic Center all the way to Carnegie Hall, Wakeley is once again nominated at this year’s Grammys, with his most recent album of compositions, “Seven Seasons” vying for the Best Classical Compendium award at the ceremony Sunday, February 1st.
But Wakeley says that his journey through the worlds of composition and classical esteem actually began later in life, and miles away from where he began as a kid growing up in Holdenville and living for rock n roll.
Kitt Wakeley: I'm a rock guy. I never dreamt I was gonna be recording with the London Symphony a couple times a year.
I was on a trajectory where I was in a lot of bands and we were opening up for the major label acts and doing small legs with them. But eventually, I had two daughters to raise, and you know, that's not gonna pay the bills.
So, you know, I diverted for a while, and then as I started getting back into it, I just started tinkering with it. Everyone liked it. So I started doing sync stuff, and again, someone said “hey, can you do a song for this commercial or that scene?” And then that led into doing stuff for reality shows.
And the more of it I did, the more they were requesting orchestral elements. And I'm a rock guy. I'm like “what am I gonna…? Alright.” Then I thought, okay, well, let's take the power of rock with the power of orchestra. Somewhere along the line, I've got the reputation of what I do now.
Brett Fieldcamp: That reputation has not only helped Wakeley to bring the talents of virtuosic rock guitarists like Joe Satriani and Nuno Bettancourt into the realm of symphonic music, but also helped to propel him to his first Grammy win for 2023’s intimate and largely autobiographical album “An Adopotion Story,” proving that he could make waves in the industry while still living and working in Oklahoma and opening the door to the kind of increasingly high-profile and respected music community that he wants to see in our state.
Kitt Wakeley: Three years ago, we had 13 Grammy members in Oklahoma, and so it was my mission to grow that community so we're up to 61 or 62, maybe 63. My goal is to get it over 100 this year.
There are certain circles in LA wher I'm friends with those guys, and they've told me a hundred times “you've got to get here,” but I think the work comes wherever you're at if you start to solidify.
But the Grammy does open doors for you.
Brett Fieldcamp: At this year’s Grammys, he’ll be pushing once again to prove the creative power of Oklahoma on the world stage, but also to prove the potential for deeply emotional and engaging storytelling in modern symphonic music with his album “Seven Seasons,” recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, a song cycle tracking the ineffable feelings, questions, and reflections that follow tragedy and trauma.
Each track and movement of the suite is inspired by numerous delicate interviews Wakeley conducted with families and survivors of inconceivable tragedy, including families of victims of the September 11th attacks, natural disasters, and the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Kitt Wakeley: What we realized in all the interviews, “why?” was the internal question. You never quit asking “why?”
But they all had the same thing they would just talk about. “I couldn't believe it happened. I mean, the day before we're at the park there in New York City, and we're having a picnic, and everyone's, you know, playing volleyball, and the next day, I'm looking out my window going, what the hell just happened?” And then they talked about the chaos that happens.
But then you start asking “why?” And once we locked onto that, that was the song I paid most attention to.
So I took it as a huge responsibility to tell their story. I paid attention to every note, every string run, every call and response throughout every song, because I felt like I had that responsibility.
Brett Fieldcamp: It’s a long way from the small-town rocker that Wakeley used to think he’d always be, but he acknowledges that there’s another responsibility that comes with welcoming and appreciating the opportunities given to you, even if they mean dropping the old preconceptions of who you thought you’d be.
Kitt Wakeley: I can love rock and hip-hop and all that, but if my niche is orchestral, embrace it. I just found out I was good at it, and I found out I loved it a lot more than I thought.
You know, just embrace who you are, love the music you love, and if this is what you're good at in your lane, there's no reason anyone from Oklahoma can't do what I'm doing.
I mean, I'm a hillbilly from Hughes County, Holdenville, Oklahoma. So if I can do it, the more talented people can do it.
Brett Fieldcamp: The album “Seven Seasons” by Kitt Wakeley is available from streaming services and retailers now, and will compete for Best Classical Compendium at the 68th annual Grammy Awards Sunday, February 1st.
For On the Scene, I’m Brett Fieldcamp. Now here’s the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performing Kitt Wakeley’s “Day of Why.”
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