“What’s special is that we don’t play it the same way twice. If we do it means we’re not really connected, we’re not really present.”

Cyrille Aimée and Michael Valeanu say their work as a duo started when their band couldn’t make it to a gig in Ohio because of a snowstorm - but after the response from the audience, they realized they could keep it going. One time in Milan, they had four encores as a duo! Their album I’ll Be Seeing You reflects their collaboration and relationship over the last decade.

In this interview, Cyrille Aimée and Michael Valeanu open up about their creative process. They talk about how they came up with arrangements for tunes like “Bye Bye Blackbird,” “Softly As In a Morning Sunrise” and “How Deep is the Ocean.” They also discuss the importance of listening and communicating through the music, what it means to be vulnerable and present, and how they keep the music fresh every time.

Resources

You can learn more about Cyrille Aimée at CyrilleMusic.dom, and Michael Valeanu at MichaelValeanu.com. I’ll Be Seeing You is available for purchase on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

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