Original photo above by Larry Ferdinande Photography
My career as a military musician had its fill of ups and downs but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. It provided me with a wealth of musical experience and wide circle of supportive friends plus my subsequent retirement affords me the opportunity to pursue the production of my own music from a position of relative financial security and more or less free from any constraints beyond my own judgment.
The picture below was taken in Iraq in 2003
I am wholly content with where my life seems to be heading. I am very happily married to Renée, a wonderfully engaging, highly intelligent, and undeniably beautiful woman. She and I currently make our home in Yorktown, Virginia. I have three very bright and talented children from a previous marriage, grown now and moved away, and four awesome grandchildren thus far.
As I’ve written elsewhere, to quote myself, “Although I am deeply involved in every facet of all things Quicksilver Night at every step of the way the simple truth remains that I cannot – and do not – do this alone; I depend heavily upon the support of my song-specific collaborators and tech-savvy friends in order to bring this music into existence. I am immensely grateful for their support.” One of those “tech-savvy” friends to which I refer is my very good friend Alex O’Loughlin, pictured below.
Alex is involved with every Quicksilver Night Productions project in some capacity, usually playing a major role. I would be remiss not to mention him here.
Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, Alex O’Loughlin studied music at Old Dominion University. Alex is a freelance audio editor and recording engineer who collaborates with musicians in and around his current home in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as continuing to work with those from Norfolk and rest of the surrounding Hampton Roads area.
I am gratefully indebted to C Squared Music (https://csquared.info/) for a lot of help in advancing my musical agenda but I would like to make special note here of the manner in which they took some of my somewhat incoherent ramblings and wove them into concisely flattering description:
“Collaboration is the heart of Quicksilver Night. Russell’s endeavour, which is not a typical band, depends on the contributions of a rotating group of gifted musicians and tech-savvy pals. They work in tandem to give the songs life, resulting in an ever-changing musical journey. Russell takes the lead but consistently acknowledges the crucial assistance of the talented team of collaborators that help bring his vision to fruition.
Russell’s creative process is a blend of innovation and authenticity. He meticulously crafts each song using notation software. This digital schematic becomes the foundation for the addition of live instruments, where guitars, vocals, and more breathe life into the melodies. Russell’s unique approach, which he refers to as “hanging analog flesh on the digital skeleton,” strikes a harmonious balance between creativity and practicality, resulting in the rich and captivating musical experience that is QUICKSILVER NIGHT.”