G’Raph (also known as Raphael Groten) is here to make music to inspire and to heal.

The multi-instrumentalist alumnus got in touch with us via Class Notes to tell us about his musical journey, and the album he recently got to make with son Oliver.

What can we say? We’re smitten with multi-generational Catamount stories, and we had to know more.

We struck up an extended email conversation, which we’ve lightly edited for format and clarity and are delighted to share below.

The Father-Son Album Story

UVM Foundation:

Thank you for sharing your news and your work with us! Can you tell us how "Shine" came to be?

 Raph Groten (G'Raph):

It's the product of Oliver and my lifelong musical journey as father and son. It is the culmination of countless days and hours of listening, composing and recording music together. As soon as Oliver showed interest in producing music (around age 10) I began to teach him. Music was something we’d always shared a love for and making music together seemed like a next logical step. In the beginning we used MIDI [a digital way to make sounds and music], basic loops and some acoustic guitar to produce songs. As the years progressed so did Oliver’s skills as an engineer and composer. After his 2021 graduation from UVM, we began to initiate “studio days”, where we would get together and produce music. It soon became apparent that we had more than enough material between the two of us to release an album together. 

Oliver Beck-Groten:

"Shine" was a project that was unknowingly built over years of writing between us. Eventually we realized we had a cohesive set of songs that could work well in an album, and when we realized that active production started. We had been sending work-in-progress songs to each other for years before "Shine," so our musical collaboration was already established. We just needed to develop the vision!

UVMF:

How did your time at UVM lead you to making your particular music? Do any classes, friends or faculty members that especially come to mind?

G’Raph:

As a music minor I dove into the offerings and enjoyed learning music theory, composition and arranging. I studied jazz guitar with Steve Blair and classical guitar with Thomas Read, As well as improvisation and the history of blues with Peter Brown. I was also introduced to electronic music and early programming in my sophomore year. Those were some early sequencing programs back then! In that electronic music class, I wrote some Latin songs, layering all of the parts with MIDI sounds. These became the foundation for later compositions. In my senior year I did an independent study in Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music under the guidance of Professor Read.

As my final project, I composed and wrote charts for large Latin jazz band. When I graduated, I put together my first big band to perform the music I had written. I played with that band, Saudade, all around Burlington through ’98 and released two albums. Aside from me on guitar, the band consisted of drums, percussion, bass, trumpet, sax, and trombone. 

Oliver:

My time at UVM was full of music. I was lucky enough to live surrounded by musical people so whether it was recording a song in the dorms, attending the folk music club, or taking music production classes, it was always part of my week. I would like to highlight folk music club (I hope this still exists today!) since it was an interesting genre contrast to Shine.

Most of the songs we played came out of Rise Up Singing, which is a songbook that I grew up singing with my family. Playing music physically in a room with other people is a powerful experience and I always left feeling inspired.

 UVMF:

Is there any advice you would offer to current students and alumni considering a musical path like yours?

G’Raph:

To pursue a career in music requires being steadfast in yourself. Allow the music to be your guide and trust in your calling. Hold clear in your vision a future filled with the potential of sharing your gifts with the world. Think positively and march to your own drummer! Follow the muse and she will guide you each step of the way. The only musicians who have ever “succeeded” were the ones who devoted themselves to the path.

Oliver:

Art is for everyone and, more to the point, music is for everyone. There are large scary perceived walls around musicianship and thinking you need to sound a certain way, or have specific equipment in order to create art that is good by societal standards. Some of my favorite music is voice memos, or songs recorded with minimal overhead because the soul of the artist can take center stage. All this to say: do your thing!