Gavin Kaufman

Hi!!Well, spring is finally here!! How’s everything been in your world over the past few months? For me, it’s been intensely crazy but hugely productive. I’ve finished my debut album which I have named…….. drum roll please…….. ‘Aura Symphonia’. I’ve pushed myself to the absolute limit but am extremely delighted with the result. Being the singer, songwriter, producer, mixing engineer and playing all the instruments, except the drums, has been a massive amount of work but has enabled me to make this album in the exact way I’d envisaged. In many ways it’s the culmination of 20 years life experience and personal evolution. One of the songs I wrote in part when I was thirteen years old and some I was still writing during the recording process itself. ‘Aura Symphonia’ is my personal anthology.Now that it’s complete I’m putting my thoughts towards its release. This will probably be late summer/early autumn. I’m still figuring out how I’m going to release it and am extremely excited about performing it live!!I want to keep this short and snappy, so without further ado I’d like to present to you another pre-release taken from ‘Aura Symphonia’. It’s called ‘Hold On’ and is for anyone who’s finding the ride a little bumpy right now. Click the following link to hear it now on SoundCloud:https://soundcloud.com/gavinkaufman/hold-on-pre-releaseI’d like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for your continued support, belief and encouragement. I’m extremely grateful.I hope all is well with you and I look forward to sharing the rest of ‘Aura Symphonia’ with you very soon.Loads of Love & Light,Gavin

As promised, here's the pre-release version of my song 'Look Me Up'. I wish you a warm and relaxing festive holiday. Thank you for all your kind support, encouragement & belief during what has been an incredibly colourful six months. Loads of Love & Light to you all!! Gavin https://soundcloud.com/gavinkaufman/look-me-up-pre-release

As a solo artist I wear many hats; singer/songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, recording engineer, mixing engineer and more. I'm currently working extremely hard finishing off my debut album at home; juggling all these different roles in the process. The fruits of my labour are paying off; as it's sounding great but it's an extremely intense process that requires complete dedication and absolute faith. It's been an incredible six months that has called for me to dig very deep indeed. I woke up one day in June and decided it was time to finally record my debut album and so booked time into Liverpool's Parr Street Studios; but without the funds to pay for the sessions. I then created a CrowdFunding Campaign online to help raise the funds. After raising just enough to get the record into production I spent time volunteering on organic farms in Italy and Scotland whilst furthering the album. When in Italy I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the surrounding mountains and the spirit of the people I met. There I unexpectedly wrote a further song for the record called 'Keep On Talking'. This song reminds us of the importance of communication especially when 'the chips are down'. [follow this link to listen to 'Keep On Talking' - https://soundcloud.com/gavinkaufman/keep-on-talking-pre-release] I specifically chose a volunteer opportunity in Scotland where they also ran a recording studio. In return for my work on the land I was given a few days in the studio where I recorded the instrumentation for 'Keep On Talking'. I'd also spent time volunteering in the studio during my stay there. Since returning to England I've been recording vocals, along with the remaining instrumentation that needed completing, and mixing the entire album at home. This has been an incredibly intense process as it's a huge amount of work to undertake on my own. As not to become completely overwhelmed I've needed to focus on each day at a time rather than the album in its entirety. Sometimes it can be too much when thinking about the amount of work required to complete the whole record. In order to keep motivated and positive it's much better to break it down into 'bite sizes'. I'm playing everything on the album, except the drums, I've written, arranged & produced it all and mixing it as well. The completion of this record will not only mark the completion of the album itself but also a personal journey that began when I was about ten years old; 19 years ago. In many ways everything I've been through and working towards has led to this; my debut album. Once I've completed it I'll finally have a record of my journey so far in one concise collection of songs. What's also made the process even harder is the impact it's had upon my finances. I decided to focus solely on recording and completing the record which meant neglecting generating an income to survive. This was the right thing to do in order to get the album into production and completed but has hit me hard as I've struggled massively to stay afloat financially during the process. With bills still needing to be paid and a stomach needing to be filled it's been incredibly stressful and depressing at times. But I KNOW it'll all be worth it! I am VERY grateful to family and friends who have been there for me throughout these intense times. Especially my Dad, whose belief and support has been second to none. I believe that if we can suspend our beliefs for a moment we can move out of a place of fear and into a place where we can fulfil our full potential. I know that with absolute faith and belief we can create magnificent shifts in our own lives and those of the people around us. I can see the brilliant light at the end of the tunnel and I'm truly excited to share the fruits of my labour with you very soon! I hope all is well in your world and that you are looking forward to a relaxing festive holiday. I will have another pre-release song ready for you to hear in time for Christmas; so keep your ears and eyes peeled :) If you'd like to keep up to date with the progress of my debut album feel free to visit my Tumblr blog page: http://gavinkaufman.tumblr.com/ Thank you for your continued belief and support. Loads of Love & Light to you!! Gavin

A bonnie time in beautiful Scotland!In my previous update I spoke about my forthcoming trip to Scotland. Well, I’ve now returned and am here to give you a little update about my time there along with a few other bits that’s happened since my return.
I spent a couple of weeks volunteering in and around a recording studio situated in an old school house upon farm land amid the beautiful mountains of Perthshire. This was a very secluded spot with barely any connection to the outside world. The land surrounding the house was overgrown and I made it my mission to clear a particular area to make way for an organic vegetable plot ready for the spring. I spent a day decorating in the part of the house that I was staying; getting it set for future lodgers. This part of the house didn’t have heating and was freeeeeezing at night but of course this became part of the adventure!! There was a fireplace in one of the rooms and I could really start to understand how people would have lived in the past - all gathering in one room together to keep warm. I also spent time helping out in the recording studio solving computer issues and editing audio files for the album recording of a Dundee based band that were in for the weekend.
It had been my intention to complete the vocal recording for my album whilst there but I decided to change my plan and concentrate on recording the instrumentation to ‘Keep on Talking’; the new song I’d unexpectedly written whilst volunteering on an organic farm in Italy in August. And so in return for my work I was given a few days to record in the studio. I made a great connection with Robin - the owner and engineer of Tpot studios. We spoke in length about life, music and many things spiritual. I thoroughly enjoyed recording in such a beautiful location. To wake up every morning and step out into such gorgeous surroundings was incredible! Each morning I would meditate on my DIY stool made out of dried cement, a bag of sand and an old bit of paving slab. The perfect way to start the day. The surrounding countryside was stunning!
One afternoon Robin and I trekked down into the valley to pick fresh peppermint which became my staple hot drink whilst out there. After he went back to the house I carried on walking further into the valley and felt a truly mystical connection with the surrounding natural beauty. I experienced an incredibly profound connection with the trees, plants and elements and found myself leaping from branches to boulders, climbing up muddy ridge sides and in and out of the river as I made my way to the glorious waterfall at the heart of the valley. I stood there in awe as I breathed in the natural grandeur that encompassed me. As I made my way back to the old school house I could barely tear myself away from gazing at the glorious sunset that slowly moved into its resting place behind the wise mountains. A truly magical end to the day!
On returning to England I decided that I would record the vocals and remaining instrumentation for ‘Keep On Talking’ at home. This would give me the opportunity to see whether I could approach the rest of the album recording in this way. I got my Dad involved in some of the backing vocal parts - we had great fun! After completing the recording I also mixed and mastered the song at home. I worked extremely hard trying to keep the sonic quality of the recording at the highest level I possibly could. I am very pleased with the result and am going to record and mix the rest of the album in this way.
You can hear the pre-release version of ‘Keep On Talking’ on SoundCloud by clicking here:http://soundcloud.com/gavinkaufman/keep-on-talking-pre-release
Before heading to Scotland I was invited to speak and perform at ‘MINDFULNESS’; a photographic exhibition by Nicolas Laborie highlighting the benefits of meditation based on the teachings of Mindfulness. The leading mental health charity MIND Corby spoke about their Mindfulness program and how it’s changed many of their members lives. I spoke about my personal life journey and experience with regards music, mindfulness and meditation. It was an honour to perform my song ‘Fall In’ amongst such an open-hearted group of people. Nicolas’ wonderful photography exhibition served as the perfect backdrop for the talk. For further information about the exhibition click here: Mindfulness Art Project and for more examples of Nicolas’ work checkout his personal website www.nicolaslaborie.com. My good friend Kenneth Bok also spoke about his personal experience. His speech was fantastic! You can find out more about him and his journey with ‘A Course In Miracles’ here http://acimexplained.com. It was a truly inspirational evening and am so grateful to everyone from MIND Corby for sharing their personal journeys & experiences. Visit their website for more info about what they do: www.mind.org.uk.
Since returning from Scotland I’ve played several shows. One of which was a very special evening at Simon Sutton’s ‘Language of Love’ event. This was a musical healing evening to raise awareness and support for Simon’s brother who has been suffering from Crohns disease for many years. Checkout Simon’s video here explaining more: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAcsw8a5BE0
During the torrential rain pour on my way to the gig I realised I’d a hole in my shoe. My foot was drenched by the time I arrived and so performed with one bare foot. This became my ‘thing’ for the evening; I was given the name ‘One Sock’ :) Johnny Lucas (who’s just won ‘The Next Big Thing 2012’) and Nikolas Barrel also performed - they both were fantastic! You can find them and their music on Facebook. I met and connected with many ONEderful people at this event; one of which was Rasheed Ogunlaru. He invited me to the launch of his book ‘Soul Trader’. His book is about bringing soul into business. The launch was a fantastic evening where I met many more brilliant people! Checkout this video capturing the event: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuC0KvFPAM.
Another great evening was at The Waterline in Haggerston, London last Sunday. Every week Meg Cavanaugh hosts ‘Songwriter Sundays & Waterline’ which is always a magical evening. Each artist performs a few of their own songs and covers a song by one of the other artists who is also performing that night. So much fun!! Meg also performs each week - check her out here: www.megcavanaugh.com
If you’d like to take a look through my photos taken during this period feel free to visit my Photobucket page or add me on Facebook:Slideshow: http://photobucket.com/tpotstudios?albumview=slideshowSingle Photos: http://photobucket.com/tpotstudiosWell, I reckon that’s enough chat from me this time round. You can keep up to date with everything I’m up to by visiting my sites:Website: www.gavinkaufman.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/gavinkaufmanworldFacebook Music: www.facebook.com/gkworldTumblr Blog: http://gavinkaufman.tumblr.comYoutube: www.youtube.com/gavinkaufmanworldTwitter: https://twitter.com/gavinkaufmanI hope you are well and always feel free to comment and message me about anything you fancy.Loads of love & light to you!!

Wow, what a roller coaster!!First of all I'd like to say a sincere thank you for your belief, support, encouragement and your kind contribution which has made the recording of my debut album possible. Since launching my CrowdFunding Campaign in June my life has taken on the personality of an intense roller coaster ride. This exciting and bumpy crusade has incurred twists and turns embracing many ups and downs; all of which I am very grateful for. Thanks to your kind contribution I was able to spend twelve days in the fantastic Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, in July. I worked incredibly hard recording each song instrument by instrument; recreating olds demos and recording new songs for the first time. The days were very long and comprised moments of incredible inspiration and perplexing perspiration. Although it wasn't possible to complete the entire album during the twelve days I am extremely happy with the amount, and quality, of what I was able to achieve in such an intense period of time. Recording this album was the perfect opportunity to invite some olds friends into the studio to appear on the record. I'm so grateful to have had three old pals, all of which are incredible drummers, come in and shine. A big thanks to Vidar Norheim, Paul Walsham and Ryan Forrest. It was really exciting matching them up with the songs that suit their individual style. There is a sprinkling of special guest appearances throughout the album. Chris Taylor did a wonderful job in the engineering seat working beyond expectation. Tom Longworth did a fine job as assistant.The CrowdFunding Campaign was a success. Although I didn't raise the full amount it served as an incredible catalyst that propelled the album into production. On leaving Liverpool I set about coming up with a creative way in which to complete the recording without incurring any further costs. I've just returned from volunteering on a farm amid the gorgeous Umbrian mountains in Italy. I was living in a wood cabin amongst the trees with no electricity or running water. I made some ONEderful new friends (human & animal), jammed under the stars, ate luscious organic foods from the land, learned lots about growing organics & vegan cooking, developed new skills in stone & woodwork, made (& ate!!) the most AMAZING peanut butter and got my hands dirty at any possible opportunity :) Being there gave me the time and space to contemplate my next move with the record. I didn't intend on writing any new material but the gorgeous surroundings and jam sessions under the sparkling night sky hugely inspired me and a new song was born. This will appear on the album. Next week I travel to rural Scotland to volunteer in a recording studio, the old schoolhouse in which the studio is situated and the surrounding land in return for food, accommodation and time in the studio to complete the record. I'm very excited about this and have my thermals already packed!!Checkout my blog on Tumblr for footage and photos from Parr Street Studios and Italy:http://gavinkaufman.tumblr.com/I look forward to sending you your rewards/perks and am very excited for you to hear the finished album. Once it's complete I will be focusing my thoughts towards a tour in Europe. I had originally intended this to take place during the Summer but it soon became obvious to me that this Summer was about the recording of the album alone. To keep up to date with my news and to find out where I'm playing next visit my website: GAVINKAUFMAN.COMI hope all is well in your walk of life and I send you loads of LOVE & LIGHT!!Gavin

THIS IS IT!! First day recording of my debut album at Parr St Studios, Liverpool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGR7s1CnDqw
Thank you to everybody who's contributed towards my CrowdFunding Campaign which has made this possible. There's still a little way to go to raise all the funds and if you'd like to get involved please visit my campaign at www.itsdowntoyou.com I am hugely grateful for your belief, encouragement & support.

I believe by realising my dream I can help others realise theirs...I AM READY!!My whole life has been leading up to this point and now I am ready to record, release and tour my debut album.I am here on planet Earth to spread my truth through my music. I believe in myself as an artist and I believe in my songs. I really feel this album will bring something that's needed to the world. I have been on an incredible journey with my music; a journey that started at the age of 7. Through many amazing and very challenging times I have landed at this point with absolute clarity and readiness.
View my CrowdFunding Campaign here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYqLbWXuSUThe SNAG!! I have booked the fantastic Parr Street Studios in Liverpool to record the album but I don't have the funds to pay for the sessions. I firmly believe that if one desires something truly enough they should just 'go for it' no matter what. So I did!! The studio is booked and now I must raise the funds to pay for it. There are several reasons I picked Parr St, one being that it was where Coldplay recorded their debut album 'Parachutes' and where they wrote and recorded much of their second album. The piano on which Chris Martin wrote and recorded 'The Scientist' still resides in the studio and I look forward to recording with it. I used to live opposite the studios and always felt a connection to it. That connection is NOW!I know my life purpose and I AM READY to pursue it wholeheartedly. Music is my blood :)Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you in advance for believing in me.Please visit my campaign to purchase your rewards at:ITSDOWNTOYOU.COMLove & Light!!Gavin Kaufman© 2012 GAVINKAUFMAN.COM

Gavin Kaufman is a human being with blood that is made up of musical shaped blood cells. Born in Northampton on Boxing Day in 1983, he counts himself as a singer/songwriter, musician and producer - but first and foremost a live performer.Gavin presents his music in various formats; with a full band, a stripped version or as a bare-bones acoustic act. He's clearly in is element when performing live on stage where his extraordinary amount of energy draws you in unwittingly. Gavin’s command over his voice is impressive and shifts from powerful belts to gentle whispers within microseconds. Gavin’s adoration for all things melodious draws on a mixed bag of influences. He’s a ‘song’ man. If there’s a good melody – he’s hooked! Influences include Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, Stereophonics & Pink Floyd.Gavin is currently embarking upon his biggest life thus far. He knows his life purpose is to communicate his truth through his music. He believes by realising his dream he can help others do the same. Parr Street Studios in Liverpool is booked to record his debut album, this is where Coldplay recorded their first album; now he must raise the funds to pay for the sessions! He has created a CrowdFunding Campaign at ITSDOWNTOYOU.COM to do this.His debut single was a double A-side named 10 10 10 / Fall In. It is available from iTunes.For more information visit GAVINKAUFMAN.COM