On Both Sides of Infinity 2002
The Timeless Music of Randy and Pamela Copus
By Ted Cox

While the state of Texas has long boasted about country music greats such as George Strait and the Dixie Chicks, two Presidents Bush and the once mighty Dallas Cowboys, it can take great pride in two of the most enjoyed and consistent musicians on the Billboard New Age chart, the duo 2002. The story of husband and wife Randy and Pamela Copus begins when both began playing instruments in grade school. “I played flute, oboe, bagpipes and piccolo in the school band, but I also studied piano and violin,” says Pamela. “I started learning to play electric guitar, after I heard music by Yes, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Boston and Kansas,” said Randy.

Although Pamela was originally from the country music heartland of Kentucky, “by the time I was 18, I was playing keyboards in a rock band.” Pamela and Randy were high school sweethearts, enjoying the same pop music, and enriching their musical experiences.

The college years separated them as Pamela earned a degree in Spanish Language in Cincinnati and Randy went to New York City to write music and to do front office work for shows on- and off-Broadway. Pamela returned to Texas and began teaching in Houston schools while fronting an industrial rock band in her spare time. On an urge, she decided to look up Randy, who was now back in Dallas. Within three months she had quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Dallas, as they were engaged to be married. In 1988 they tied the knot, and “have been on our honeymoon ever since.”

Flute for Thought
Their first New Age venture was a 1989 set of solo flute melodies by Pamela. Flute for Thought was duplicated on blank cassettes, labeled by hand, and hand delivered to local stores for retail sales, with promotional copies for instore play. One of the early retail supporters of Pamela’s music was Lamoyne Castle, part owner of Overtones Books and Gifts in Richardson, Texas. “Pamela and Randy came in with cassettes of Flute for Thought and we agreed to carry them and play their music in the store. The music was very good and we played it continuously. It sold itself, so we kept reordering it, because we sold out of it. They were very nice young people, very personable and we developed a wonderful relationship with them. Now we carry all of their music on CD, with only a few cassettes, all of which we get from New Leaf.”

Wings
Gradually, the couple began playing music together, mostly inspired from the classical music they had heard while growing up. By 1992 they had composed and recorded songs based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus, whose wings of feathers and wax unraveled when flying too close to the sun, and titled their new cassette Wings. “We did the multi-track recording in our small converted-garage studio. We did everything ourselves: labels, liner notes and artwork printed on our own Dreamtime label,” exclaims Pamela. “We took them around to local stores and asked people there to play Wings in their shops. We would do performances at local art and craft festivals with our own sound equipment, keyboards and flutes.”

All in the Name
The name “2002” has become synonymous with some of the most consistently relaxing, meditative, soothing and calming music available over the past decade. When Pamela and Randy Copus were contemplating what to call themselves many years ago, they considered a number of options, until the concept of “the two of us on either side of infinity” dawned on them, thus “2002.” It was never intended to represent a year in the new millennium, and they have no plans at this time to change the name once the year 2002 is history, although they have discussed it.

Composing
When it comes to the subject of composing, 2002 lets the music unfold. “Sometimes the melody of chord progressions or percussion comes first and the other parts flow after,” says Randy. Pamela is particularly responsive to her many flutes. “There is music inside each flute and it is simply a case of unlocking the melodies, finding them and opening up the instrument. For me the winds are very special, partly because it involves breathing, and breathes life into the instrument. It is very satisfying when a phrase develops into one whole emotional idea.” For Randy the same is true. “I find melodies locked in the piano. But when we are making a recording, we focus on the whole atmosphere, not just one instrument.” Pamela says she has melodies in her mind all the time. When they go into the studio, Randy turns on the recording equipment, and Pamela begins playing on the flute. “At times an entire composition just comes out, and we are so grateful the equipment was running!” On the other hand, occasionally Randy will be playing on the keyboard, and Pamela hears the melody, hoping he has the recorder running…and he may not. As a result, they endeavor always to have the equipment on when either is in the studio with an instrument, as they never know when the instrument will surrender its melody.

Album titles develop in a similar manner. “Themes emerge out of the music while we are recording,” explains Randy. Pamela adds, “For us music is visual, and each song is like a part of the full movie story of each album.”

“Track sequence is also more important today, especially with listening stations in so many stores, so we work closely with Terence [Yallop, President of Real Music] on an album’s flow. Engaging people in the first and second piece is very important. He really knows how to do that well. We are lucky to have signed with Real Music, and to have Terrance guiding us,” emphasizes Randy.

Legends and myths were the settings for the first few albums, with Wings based on Icarus, Savitri based on the 5th century B.C. Princess Savitri of India, and Land of Forever capturing the Celtic essence of the ancient isle of Tir Na Noc. In addition, their most recent compositions have been more “metaphoric” with a “spirited connection” as they characterize their lush atmospherics.

Recording Themselves
Recording in their own studio, Pamela loves playing any of her dozens of flutes, because of the melodies she coaxes out of them and because they are “comfortable.” Among her favorites are a sweet silver flute made by McKenna in New Hampshire, a Native American original from Coyote Oldman Flutes, and a WX5 wind instrument. Triton, Kurzweil and Roland keyboards, piano, harp, fretless bass guitar, timpani percussion, acoustic guitar, cello and their multi-dubbed voices complete the lush, orchestral and choral atmospherics. For audiophiles, theirs is a Macintosh-based recording studio with a Sony DMX R100 console with touch screen interface.

After producing several albums on their own private Dreamtime label, they signed with Real Music in 1996 (home of the late harpist Hillary Stagg, pianists Kevin Kern and Danny Wright, nouveau guitarists Govi and Johannes Linstead and a dozen other outstanding contemporary instrumentalists). Since then the duo has sold over 300,000 albums and placed titles on the Billboard New Age chart for over three years.

Real Music, founded by Terence Yallop in 1982, has become one of the most well-respected labels in the new age genre, and has been named Billboard magazine’s No. 2 independent label in the genre four consecutive years. Yallop’s philosophy that “music is a friend that can wrap its arm around us, allowing us to gain an expanded sense of who we truly are,” has led the imprint to produce appealing music and to contribute proceeds to the EarthSea Institute, Cousteau Society, and National Parks and wild lands in America.

2002’s best selling albums to date are River of Stars which spent a year and a half on the Billboard chart, Land of Forever at 54 weeks, and Across an Ocean of Dreams which has charted since its release in January. Their collection of most popular compositions The Sacred Well, The Best of 2002 was just released last month and serves as a comprehensive overview of their gorgeous orchestrations.

As for their personal lives, they are “sometimes vegetarians” and Randy loves to cook Indian and Asian food with lots of curry and rice. They have practiced meditation for years and they are “always in a good state.” Further, “our music is meditation, and music is all around us since everything is in vibration, from sound to color,” adds Randy. “All the world is musical, all of us are musical, and listening is half of the process.”

Pamela and Randy love their Labrador/Keeshond “mutt” Tara, named after the beautiful plantation home in Gone with the Wind. She has been with them for 15 years. When not composing, arranging, recording, multi-tracking and mixing, the couple will not be found in front of the television or wasting time. They are both avid readers, with Randy drawn to the hard sciences, physics and space, while Pamela pursues her interest in language arts and gardening.

What do they listen to in their rare leisure time? Radio news and commentary, some jazz, along with some reissues of rock music they grew up with, like guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn and Yes, and of course, in Texas, country music is hard to avoid. Randy has become fascinated by 5.1 digital surround sound and DVD audio technology. One of Randy’s favorites is Magnification by Yes. He predicts that multi-channel surround sound will eventually replace the current stereo CD.

Listener Response
“We receive lots of letters and e-mail from our fans who have used our music to relax or for therapy. Our first album Wings has apparently helped many of our listeners deal with grief and loss. The Wings of Life grief counselors have used it frequently” offers Pamela. “Other letters tell us our music is used in coping with cancer, AIDS and in hospices, hospitals and children’s wards. One man told us ‘if there is music in heaven this is what it is like!’ ”

Pamela and Randy tell this story with a lump in their throat:
A minister in a church in Texas had a son killed in a military flight training accident. He had understandably been grieving over the loss of his son, and when he heard the music on the radio in his car from the album Wings he suddenly realized it was his son telling him he was alright. It gave him the peace he needed. He went right to the store and bought the album, and it continues to give him support and peace as he listens to it. Pamela and Randy have met this minister, and have developed a loving relationship with him as a result of his letter to them.

Pamela and Randy wanted to be certain to say how much they appreciate the fans who have followed them through their musical evolution. 2002 hopes to convey the spiritual message of the music as a reflection of how they feel, and hope they can make a difference or change in the listener’s life.

For further information, call Real Music at 415.331.8273, or visit them on the web at: www.2002music.com or www.realmusic.com.