"The Key to Vicki Logan's Success"

Vicki was raised in a small town in Michigan and, as a child, played flute in the grade school band. As she matured she intended on furthering her musical pursuits at college but marriage and family came calling instead.

After a failed relationship, and with a son to raise, Vicki completed a degree in Graphic Communications from Northern Michigan University, eventually landing work in the Chicago area as a graphic artist.

While attending Northern Michigan University she spent many an hour on campus in the music rooms working out her original melodies on the baby grand pianos there. All the while she listened next door to the music majors practicing and longing herself to have the courage to pursue her musical dreams. As Vicki practiced, unknowingly developing the piano skills that would serve her so well today, she hopelessly believed she would never be able to achieve her childhood aspirations because of self-perceived limitations in her musical abilities.

While in Chicago she got a job with Folk Era Records designing album covers and related print materials. Logan was ecstatic to finally be able to be doing something in the music industry.

"In 1997 I remarried and moved to Minnesota," explains Vicki. "I got pregnant shortly thereafter and my husband Carl bought me a Roland keyboard I could play to help alleviate the discomfort of the pregnancy." What started out as an innocent way to pass the time soon blossomed into a full-time preoccupation.

Her early "demos" were recordings of original piano compositions recorded through the computer and burned onto a CD. "I made a few for family and friends just for their own entertainment," says Logan. "Soon many of them were encouraging me to take it further." Vicki was still a little skeptical of pursuing that next level until Allan Shaw, of Folk Era Records, heard her music and wholeheartedly contributed his professional critique, and subsequent approval, to the fray.

Armed with encouragement, support, direction and, most of all, talent Vicki soon allied herself with engineer and musician Randy Gildersleeve. Gildersleeve assisted in co-producing her debut as well as assembling the musicians who played on it. "We got along really well together," says Logan. "I'm not really that well versed in sharps, flats, keys and so forth but the musicians seemed to be able to pick my brain and know what I wanted."

The resulting album is called Chasing Dreams and, since its release in January '99, it has remarkably opened up the doors of musical opportunity for the modest composer. Currently Vicki is in the process of negotiating a four year contract with record/distribution company Swallowtail Records, a publishing deal as well and is receiving airplay on the programs Sacred World Music and Timeless Canyons heard nationwide on National Public Radio.

"I feel like things are going so fast," exclaims Vicki. "Many more have been at this for much longer than I have. I feel very lucky."

When asked to describe her music and its desired effect on the listener, the composer describes it this way: "My music is very cinematic, almost classical in some ways. It creates a mood when you listen to it. I want it to be unique to each individual and have people feel something and have it touch them in a variety of ways."

Vicki Logan, PO Box 435, Chisago City, MN 55013-0435; e-mail: vicki@vickilogan.com; http://www.vickilogan.com