Music has always been an essential component of life for LORD TOPH. At a very early age he was introduced to different genres of music, from various artists spanning over several decades. With both of his parents being big music enthusiasts, music was constantly being played throughout his household growing up. “When my brothers and I were little kids, a typical day might begin with Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” and go from Leadbelly to Burt Bacharach or Aretha Franklin in the early afternoon. Vicki Carr or Dean Martin might be crooning by the evening time. There was no telling what you might hear towards the end of the night… It could be anything from Engelbert Humperdinck to Jimi Hendrix!” LORD TOPH recalls; but this was typical in the earlier years of his recollection.
With the money saved from their allowance, it wasn’t long before his older brothers were able to collect 45s and LPs of their own to begin their own record collections, which of course, only expanded the appreciation for music in his household.
Being the youngest of four siblings (all boys), LORD TOPH became somewhat of a “music sponge” growing up. “I took in whatever was being played around me,” he adds. “One of my brothers might be listening to the Isley Brothers, while Spirogyra, Frampton or Elton John might be getting played by my other two brothers. It wasn’t hard for me to realize that music was going to play a big part in my life.”
LORD TOPH’s passion for music grew quickly in his primary years. He and his brothers would often come up with their own musical routines to perform for their parents on weekends. While these activities were merely amusement for his brothers, they would become something he would look forward to doing on a more frequent basis.
Paying close attention to the dance, movement, and vocal style of such artists like Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, or Elvis Presley, LORD TOPH would often mimic these artists, and later combine their moves to begin developing his own style. His mother was an accomplished vocalist, who had experienced little stints at performing on a small scale, but had tucked away that dream in order to raise her four sons. She often sang with the church choir to continue her love for singing. Having taken notice to her youngest son’s strong interest in music and becoming a performer, she began encouraging his talent and coaching him on how to breathe and use his voice as a singer. It wasn’t long before the young LORD TOPH had gone from performing with his brothers for his mother and father, to performing by himself for relatives, neighbors and visiting guests during the summer. He mainly performed songs by Al Green; songs like “Love & Happiness,” “Call me,” “You Ought To Be With Me,” and “Let’s Stay Together.” His Al Green repertoire was occasionally infused with a song or two from Sam Cooke, Elvis Presley or Marvin Gaye.
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
LORD TOPH: I grew up in Arkansas, in the humble city of Little Rock. That’s where I spent most of my younger years and that’s where I first got inspired to become an artist/musician. I was exposed to an array of music at an early age. I grew up listening to everything! From The Beatles, to Al Green, to Shirley Bassey to Led Zepplin, there was always a smorgasbord of music being played in my house growing up. And hearing my mother sing all the time, along with my older brother, this helped to inspire me as well.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
LORD TOPH: (Laughs) Well… as odd as it may sound or seem Lord Toph is actually my real name. It’s not a nickname. It’s what appears on my driver’s license, passport, credit card, etc. We all have a story behind how we got our names (smiles).
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
LORD TOPH: I believe online music sharing is a wonderful thing, especially for independent artists and musicians at different stages. It allows both the musician and listener to discover and explore music that perhaps would have never been accessible before. It has also expanded a whole new realm of music.
I appreciate and enjoy the idea of sharing music as well having music of mine available for free downloads. I’ve done quite a few remakes, tribute tracks and even music I’ve composed for children’s books that I’ve given away. Sharing music is a beautiful thing!
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
LORD TOPH: I wouldn’t presume to be the one to give advice, but what I have found works for me is the more you explore and experiment with music, the more diverse you become. Diversity is what sets you apart and helps you to further develop your own sense of originality. The only other thing I might add to that is, develop a body of work. Whether your thing is performing live, doing session work, or simply composing… do it and get it out there and someone will take notice!
Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?
LORD TOPH: (Gasps!) Aww! My God! All the time! Especially when I look back on much earlier performances… Eeesh! But hey, everybody’s got to start somewhere. Now I know you have to look at past mistakes, flub ups or whatever you want to call ‘em as a way of earning your stripes in the music realm. Just shrug it off and roll on with a positive attitude and a consciousness to improve for the next go round.
Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?
LORD TOPH: I have… but these days I do more composing in the studio, scoring music for audiobooks, publishing, etc. But there was always something really interesting that happened with each performance. There is however this one particular time which comes to mind. You see, I always have chewing gum in my mouth when I’m singing… it helps keep the mouth from getting dry. I was performing this song and I started to sing the word “cloud” and somehow when I did, I projected my gum into a girl’s hair that was standing right in front of the stage. Man was I embarrassed! But after the show, I apologized and we got together for a bite.
(smiling)
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
LORD TOPH: For me, songwriting inspiration comes from everywhere and everything. There is always a scenario or situation that can inspire a song for me, as well as emotions, objects or memories. And the process for each moment of creating a new song varies extremely. I find those really good melodies coming at the most inopportune times like when I’m stuck on a subway or in a restroom… some new melodies even wake me from a deep sleep!
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a band website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
LORD TOPH: Well, it’s more of a company website for the artists on my label. The name of the label is Monté CrisToph Music. I represent and produce for five other acts besides myself. Much is being updated on the site as far as new material, but you can visit us at www.montecristophmusic.com. But, other places where one might find my music are Spotify, Rhapsody, SoundCloud and so on.
Exposed Vocals: What are some really embarrassing songs that we might find on your mp3 player?
LORD TOPH: Oh, well no particular song comes to mind… especially nothing commercially known. Most of the music on my player has either been recorded by me or the other Monté CrisToph Music artists. But I do find myself cringing when I listen back to much of my earlier stuff.
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
LORD TOPH: Goodness! Knowing me, I’d probably go crazy contemplating the idea of spending a whole year off! And during that time I’d modestly budget that half a million to discreetly orchestrate my concepts (with the assistance of my fill-in, of course) for Monté CrisToph Multimedia and the children’s literature branch, StarField Stories. (Shhh!)
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?
LORD TOPH: Ahh, studio upgrades… Yes – NEW CORDS! As far as software and everything else, that’s always changing.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
LORD TOPH: What I’ve found to be a powerful tool for music promotion as well as being a mainstay, is and has long been publication. It sticks. Often times for a lot of gigging bands, after the show… the music’s over until the next gig. With online publication of music, blogs, interviews (such as this), people can find you and get into you months after your content has been published. And some might actually become a fan or a faithful listener months after your music was uploaded or your post was published… it’s a beautiful thing.
Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?
LORD TOPH: Ahhh, that’s a good one! I have to be honest and say there are too many artists that I would be honored to perform with. But the first two that came to mind were John Lennon and Al Green.
The second two were Amy Winehouse and Sting. These artists have inspired me in so many ways outside their music style. It is their essence, their verve… They all continue to move me!
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
LORD TOPH: I’ll give it to you in a quick list of three things. 1) Currently finishing the music album for the soon-to-be released children’s book which I have written and illustrated entitled, “Heather & the Harlequin Horse.” 2) Producing a new album of music for Hip-Hop artist SnowFlake Black. 3) Monté CrisToph Music also plans to release The Tony Mazza Project’s debut album this year. And of course there is sooo much more to come. (smiling)
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
LORD TOPH: Hahaha! That’s easy! (LORD TOPH closes eyes and makes two types of sounds) Zzzzzz! Beep! Beep! Beep! Just in case you didn’t get that… without creating music that would be me in a coma on life support.
Exposed Vocals: Do you remember buying your first album? Who was it? What was going through your head?
LORD TOPH: I believe the first album I ever bought was the soundtrack to the movie, “Out of Africa” by composer John Barry… a beautiful collection of music. What was going through my mind after buying this album was, “When she comes over, if she stays till tomorrow morning, I will play this album while we’re having breakfast in bed. If she goes home tonight, I’ll throw this album out with the trash.” Needless to say… I’ve still got the album. (smiling)
Exposed Vocals: How do you juggle the rest of your responsibilities while trying to stay ahead in your music life?
LORD TOPH: Only God knows. It’s an on-going task to say the least. Slow deep breaths and appreciating each little step of accomplishment seem to be what keeps me even-keeled and gets me through.
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
LORD TOPH: So far 2016 has been a really productive year for me and MC. And with all going well, I will be releasing/publishing loads of material, music (old and new), new books and fine art. I’d also like to add that I will be doing collaborative projects with artists Damen Samuel, SnowFlake Black and Tony Mazza from the Tony Mazza Project. 2016 — It’s going to be an eventful year!
