02/10/2012 - Progressive Rock meets Rudyard Kipling’s “If”
Primary Elements features Stanley Whitaker of Happy the Man Fame
Atlanta, GA, February 10, 2012— Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” is more than just a
collection of sentences that rhyme; it inspires an idea–the idea of being all you were born
to be. This same idea is embodied in the lives of Socrates and Joan of Arc, expressed in
the words of the aforementioned “If” and William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” and
visualized in films like “Forrest Gump” and ”The Shawshank Redemption.” In their new
album, Primary Elements, Atlanta-based symphonic rock group Six Elements imparts
this idea through music, including an arrangement of Kipling’s “If.”
Six Elements’ founder Michael (Misha) Shengaout, who fused the idea with his passion
for progressive rock, says, “If our bodies are what we eat, then our souls are what we read
and listen to. Our society, so obsessed with the diet for the body, utterly overlooks the
diet for the mind. Some ideas deserve to be on the daily menu and shouted from every
rooftop. The idea of Kipling’s poem ‘If’ is definitely one of them. Our album takes this
idea and applies it to the different “elements” of life. We want our music to remind us the
ups and downs of our existence can culminate in a triumphant, meaningful ‘final chord.’”
The album showcases an underlying philosophy that music is the harmony of the human
soul expressed in sound. Stemming from that theory comes a belief that an effort to
appreciate the complex harmonies of music can lead to an appreciation of hidden
harmonies in life. An appreciation of seemingly disconnected chords coalescing into a
majestic musical creation can help us recognize the triumphs of tomorrow behind the
difficulties of today.
Six Elements have earned the right to create this kind of music by living it first. Stanley
Whitaker (vocals) has experienced life’s ups and downs both in music (performing with
cult bands like Happy the Man and Oblivion Sun) and in life (fighting cancer). Jeffrey
McGahren (guitars) has had his share of existential frustrations. Misha Shengaout
(keyboards) has been tested by immigration and raising a son with autism. Their brand of
progressive rock reflects their life experiences and the attitude that makes it all
worthwhile. Primary Elements (released on March 5, 2012) takes the idea expressed in
Kipling’s “If” and weaves the perfect musical clothing for it. It is a celebration of the act
of realizing one’s full potential and that is a universal theme.
