Imagine looking out the back door of your new high school and seeing one of the most famous album covers in rock history.
That’s what happened to 16 year-old Kevin Saunders Hayes on his first day at The American School in London. “It was the strangest feeling to have moved halfway around the world and to be having this overpowering déjà vu.” Says Hayes. “I had worn out a couple of copies of The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ – and of course, like everyone, had studied every inch of that album cover looking for clues to Paul’s “death”. So, to see it come to life before my eyes was pretty overwhelming.”
Kevin had long before known that music was going to be his life’s pursuit, but this pretty much sealed the deal. “Hey, I was 16, I was pretty sure it was a sign from… somewhere.” However, even the lure of Abbey Road could not keep Kevin in class. “Well, let’s just say that there wasn't a lot of chemistry getting studied. There was so much music going on in London – classical, rock, punk, jazz – everything – it didn’t matter what it was. If it was happening, I was there.”
High School lead to studies at London’s Royal Academy of Music, undergraduate studies at Abilene Christian University in Texas and masters work at Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. “Each place had so much to offer in their own strange, odd and wonderful way. But I’m sure my poor teachers didn’t know what to do with me. One week I was studying on a vocal scholarship, the next I was majoring in tuba and the whole time I was playing bass and singing at night in every rock, pop and country band I could find.”
“I think I went though every instrument in the orchestra. I don’t think I knew it then, but it was the perfect training ground for a composer. Not only did I get first-hand knowledge of how every instrument works, but I got to learn how each one functions inside a group.”
All that back and forth between “legitimate” and “pop” music also showed Kevin something else, “It’s all rock and roll – symphonic music, choral music, ancient music – even music for marching bands – it’s all rock and roll. Each form has its own ‘language’, but the results are the same. When done right any of these musical forms will leave you with the same goose bumps on the back of your neck.”
He may not be great at chemistry, but it’s obvious Kevin has learned this lesson well. Even The Los Angeles Times observes, “Hayes’ eclectic score flawlessly blends musical styles from opera to head-banging rock.” And the Orange County Daily Breeze says. “Hayes is not one to be pigeonholed and his musical contribution to film is always interesting, intriguing and crosses several genres, from gothic, to punk to pop. Hayes clearly has the composing skills to make an audibly exciting performance.“
“And the most fun is taking these musical elements and mixing them all together. That’s when it really starts to get interesting” says Hayes.
His music project Vox Lumiere does just that. Part silent film – part rock concert, Kevin writes new rock-operatic scores that he performs live to silent films with his 14-piece group which translates to “voices of light”. “Vox Lumiere is all the things that I love – scoring for film, writing songs, and mashing up every musical style imaginable – pop, rock, classical, opera - even Gregorian chant.”
Metropolis, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera and Peter Pan are just a few titles in the Vox Lumiere repertoire whose performances the Los Angeles Times calls “…absolutely riveting…”, and Talkin’ Broadway boasts is "an intense experience not soon forgotten."
“Movies and music –it’s really pretty magical. How lucky can you get? Light and sound – legit music and rock and roll – I've got the best of both worlds.”