Alt on Air: NJ Indie Musician Gives On-Air Audience What It Wants—and Gives of Himself

Oct. 22, 2011 - PRLog -- Independent composer and recording artist Gary Alt, whose original music explores his own emotions as much as it pays tribute to the great artists of the past, has joined the staff of HomeGrownRadioNJ with an original and engaging show called “Crosswinds,” heard every Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

HomeGrownRadioNJ is a listener-supported internet radio station based in Blairstown, NJ. Alt’s show has been gaining popularity since its debut this summer.

“The music that has pollinated my heart and mind my entire life will be presented on ‘Crosswinds.’ It may be old, new, rock or blue, and it may offer wailing guitars or orchestral flourishes,” explains Alt, who lives in Sussex, NJ. “It may feature the most successful artists you can think of, or newer talent you’ve never heard. The bottom line? If it's in my mind and heart, I'll play it. And if someone likes something I haven’t played, they can call me and let me know. I aim to please.”

Alt programs the show to be diverse, constantly surprising, and respectful of its audiences' interests and requests. “Crosswinds” includes segments such as “Old/New/Borrowed/Blue” which, as its name implies, features a wide variety of distinguished tunes; “Out on a Limb,” which spans the globe and the generations to cover everything from classical music to jazz/rock fusion to Asian music to reggae and more; and occasional interviews with local artists, writers and other creative people.

“It’s a great station because they have the freedom to do what the audience really wants,  instead of what giant corporate sponsors or executive bigwigs want. And they pass that freedom along to its DJs. I am very happy and excited to be part of the team.”

Alt has several independently produced CDs to his credit, including “Art of Survival,” which speaks volumes about his confidence, nonconformity and passion for the musical influences of his past; “Gift of Projection,” a rock ‘n roll answer to some of Alt’s own emotional questions; “Not for Sale to Minors,” which one reviewer noted as an album that “rocked my world one minute and soothed my soul the next,” and “Tribute,” which was an homage to three dozen of Alt’s most important musical influences, including Steely Dan, Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, Carole King, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers and others. One reviewer called it “an exuberant and inspiring tribute.”

He also wrote and produced the albums “It’s About the Kids,” “Alien’s Heart” and “Open Road.”

Alt’s earliest memories are musical. Listening to AM transistor radios and vinyl 45s as a child soon gave way to listening to WNEW-FM in New York in the late 1960s. One turning point came when he first heard Eric Clapton on the album “Best of Cream,” a gift from his older sister, who thought he would be interested in the work of percussionist Ginger Baker simply because Gary was a drummer in his school band. But hearing Clapton’s soaring guitar solos “delivered the jolt that turned my head and heart around forever,” Alt notes.

Gary has made the guitar his primary instrument, though he has also added several other instruments along the way, all of which go along well with his songwriting proficiency, a flair for production technology and quite a number of other musical skills.

HomeGrownRadioNJ aims to further the arts and cultural diversity through music, commentary, literature and theatre, and to provide a performance and creative outlet to independent and local talent as well as an open forum for music, commentary, literature and theatre. It began in 2004 with approximately a dozen DJs, and currently has over 40 shows with about 50 specially-selected DJs, each with their own special tastes, talents and opinions.  

More information on Gary Alt can be found on his website at http://GaryAlt.com.