Prog-Watch 544
This week on Prog-Watch my special guest is Doug Rausch of the US band Rausch! Doug and I chat about his classical training, his influences, the Jordan Rudess connection, and much more! Along the way there will, of course, be plenty of great Rausch music! If you like your prog rock fresh and catchy, with brilliant keyboard playing and a dash of Queen thrown in, you will not want to miss this one!
Doug Rausch began playing the piano at age 8, but really got serious in his teens. Since then he has been studying, writing, recording, performing and otherwise living music relentlessly. His obsession led to a degree from the prestigious Ithaca College School of Music in New York, where he won recognition as concerto competition finalist with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. A diverse following began to build as his unwavering 21st Century rock n roll advocacy efforts collided headfirst with obligations to “serious music.”
Doug caught his first compositional accolades when Jordan Rudess, keyboard wizard of Dream Theater, contacted him to perform in a special master-class known as KEYFEST. The invitation stemmed from a college demo that made its way into Jordan’s hands. Shortly thereafter the first self-titled Rausch album was completed and released. A period of promoting the debut and building a fan base ensued. The follow up album, Book II, was released early in 2018.
| rauschmusic.com |
Music with some meat to it!
Prog-Watch is a weekly podcast and internet radio program dedicated to bringing the listener contemporary Progressive Rock music from around the world. Your big, hairy host, the “Prog-Squatch” wanders the woods of the world, beats the bushes, and digs in the dirt to bring the best Prog back for YOU! Sometimes solo and sometimes with a guest host, the Prog-Squatch will bring you new and interesting artists in each episode, and give you some background info and a taste of their music.