Julio Awad's new album produced on Cubase and Nuendo
An established name in music scenes on both sides of the Altlantic and one of the Spanish-speaking world’s leading Jazz pianists and musical theatre composers, Cubase and Nuendo user Julio Awad has recently released a new CD produced with Steinberg’s production software. ‘Thousand Miles’ is the latest full-length album from the Argentinean-born pianist, who has worked together with many leading Spanish-speaking producers and artists from the worlds of Jazz, Rock and Pop, including double Grammy®-winner Paloma San Basilio, Juanjo Domínguez, Nestor Marconi and Juan Alberto Pugliano, to name but a few. Awad has also developed a specialty for musical theatre, with a long list of composer, producer and musical director credits that include hit musicals and shows such as ‘Beauty And The Beast’, ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘The Producers’ among many others. Julio talked to us about the composition and production process for his latest album, which he recorded and produced at his studio in Madrid.
You started to play piano aged 7, what was it about the instrument that appealed to you?
Both my mother and grandfather were singers so I was brought up around musicians and specially pianists, who would come home to rehearse with them. What first appealed to me about this instrument was the way I would feel “something” when a certain combination of these keys was played. I would watch the pianist carefully trying to copy his hand movements. Just about that time my mother gave me a keyboard for my birthday, and that keyboard came with a chord chart. I remember one day taking it and some of my mother’s sheet music, and with the help of the chord chart I was able to play the chords on the sheet music. I asked my mother “Could you sing this song with me?” and she did! After that she took me to the conservatory of music to study piano. So what I would say is what most appealed to me about the piano, thinking about it now was the great polyphonic freedom.
You’re one of the leading jazz pianists and composers in Spain, what is it about jazz that has captured you?
The great harmonic freedom!
Do you also produce/compose for other genres as well?
Yes, I do. I produce and record pop/rock music, I also compose for theatre, TV shows & musical theatre. I try to keep working in all styles, travel through and listen to all genres of music. Although I find some styles are more compatible to my personality.
Your production process includes both composition and recording/production of your CD’s. Please describe the process for us.
The first thing that appears is a small idea: four or five measures of a tune. For a while I try to develop that idea. When I like what I’ve developed I write the song. Then I start recording some tracks, only a few tracks. At this moment I can visualize the arrangement I’m going to do for the song, I will record up to 16 songs with this method but only choose the ones that together best tell the story I want to tell. Thanks to this I can create a storyline to make the entire album. I then call the musicians to record the chosen songs and once I have got all the final tracks, I take my Nuendo project and I work at home to record the additional tracks and details. When this is finished I call my engineer and together we do the final mix. Then I press... File-Export-Mixdown & voila! This was how I created “Thousand Miles”.
How did you first come to find out about Cubase and Nuendo?
You won’t believe this but the first time I came across Cubase was in the 90’s. A friend of mine brought me a copy of a programme called Cubase in a disquette 5’14, which worked under the system of a computer called Dream Comodore 64. A little after this when I changed to PC, Cubase appeared in my life again. I later saw many of my colleagues in recording studios, both in Argentina and in Madrid with Nuendo and I eventuallly added Nuendo to my studio.
What aspects of Cubase/Nuendo do you use more often?
I like all aspects of the software, I feel very comfortable with it. What I most use is the sequence engine and the powerful mix engine.
What are your reasons for choosing these systems over other products?
I have had to work with many different systems at recording studios, but I think that Cubase and Nuendo are the perfect mix between a sequencer and a studio, they really are easy to use and to learn to use for a musician, and the results are really incredible. In conclusion, the software has an extremely professional sequencer, a powerful digital mixer, and something great for me, a great, great score editor. What else can I ask for? I have all I need to do my professional work in this software.
What are your future plans- what projects are you working on right now?
At the moment I am working as Musical Director in a musical in Madrid. I am also strarting the promotion for my new album “Thousand Miles”, so I have to hit the road with Paul and Mark. For the future, I am already coming up with new ideas for my new “story”, so I must now...File-Open New Project.. ha, ha.
Thanks very much, Julio.
You're welcome.
More Links:
Julio's Official Website: 
www.julioawad.com
Julio Awad's MySpace page: www.myspace.com/julioawad