Rick Moyer is the creative force behind Moyer Multi Media LLC, a media company that runs the gamut when it comes to presenting information. His passion for faith and life shows in the creative work that he does. From a weekly podcast, called Take Him With You, which he does with his wife Amy, to composing albums of music available on Itunes and Amazon, Rick enjoys a full spectrum of geekiness and media.
By day Moyer is a voiceover artist as well as musician where he creates jingles, parody songs, theme music and background atmospheres for audio books and podcasts. Rick created the music for The Martians Are Here Podcast and narrated the series creating over eight hours of original music.
Rick is also an accomplished graphic artist.
So, what are we going to do today?
7 Questions with Rick Moyer:
1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
"I don’t like cuss words as I find them a cheap way of describing things that could have so much more depth. I don’t have any favorite words, but I seem to say cool and awesome a lot. Ugh. I have one word that I’m fond of. Verisimilitude. Learned it from my sixth grade teacher, and never forgot the reality of that word. Words are tools like paint is for canvas. We paint many pictures with them."
1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
"I don’t like cuss words as I find them a cheap way of describing things that could have so much more depth. I don’t have any favorite words, but I seem to say cool and awesome a lot. Ugh. I have one word that I’m fond of. Verisimilitude. Learned it from my sixth grade teacher, and never forgot the reality of that word. Words are tools like paint is for canvas. We paint many pictures with them."
2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
"My switch seems to be activated in the creative world by things I see or hear around me. I love to take the things we don’t take time to notice and draw on the creativity that is under our noses. I did a whole banana slug pictorial with my macro lens a couple of years ago. Those little buggers are some of the most beautifully made creatures you have ever seen. Who takes time to really look at them close up?
Spiritually I began my journey over 27 years ago. I find myself gravitating more towards a close up relationship with Jesus Christ, not church. To me there is a big difference. I think when I read his words from the Bible they inspire me to be more. I like that and my switch is turned on accordingly.
Emotionally I seem to be getting much more sappy as I get older. I used to be kind of tough like Spock from Star Trek, but not anymore. Now I am more like Picard… I find my music and creative work to be very satisfying emotionally as I am able to release what I am feeling inside by composing songs and atmospheres. If a song that doesn’t even have words can move someone to tears or make them smile and feel all warm inside, then I have done my job."
Emotionally I seem to be getting much more sappy as I get older. I used to be kind of tough like Spock from Star Trek, but not anymore. Now I am more like Picard… I find my music and creative work to be very satisfying emotionally as I am able to release what I am feeling inside by composing songs and atmospheres. If a song that doesn’t even have words can move someone to tears or make them smile and feel all warm inside, then I have done my job."
3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?
"I have made my craft into my career. So there have been times when it does get lean. Voiceover and music production is a fickle business. One minute you can be up to your eyeballs in work, and the next no one seems to even know you exist. Diversification is the key for me. I do music, narration, photography, video, officiate weddings, do funerals, etc.
I often wonder how I will pay bills every two weeks, but it always seems to come in. There was a few weeks in Feb of this year that I thought I might have to go flip burgers because work was scarce… but even if I had to do something out of my field I would never give up on music and creativity. It’s in me. I can’t deny it. The fun is to pay the bills doing it."
4. What sound do you love?
"I love the sound of my wife’s voice when she is close to me, I love the wonderful purr of my cats when they are happy and satisfied, the sound of the rain as it pours on my roof and the sound of the waves as they crash on the rocks. Of course one of my favorite sounds is a Marshall Stack amplifier cranked up with a heavy metal guitar riff. Oh yeah, something about that that simply turns my crank. I am also quite fond of the piano, flute and cello. A rich orchestra can be quite awe inspiring."
5. What sound do you hate?
"I don’t like the sound of arguing voices. I don’t like the sound of hair buzzers in my right ear. I’m not too fond of dogs barking repeatedly and I don’t enjoy the dentist drill. I can live without the accordion or auto harp."
6. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?
"How does one answer that? I have created for over 40 years in all sorts of places from coat closets, on rocks in the desert, in old movie theaters, next to lakes and rivers, in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and yards, at festivals, in church, but the most unique and strange thing I have done while creating is too play Star Trek TNG in the background. It’s like a comfort food and inspires me. Not sure why. I also bite the side of my tongue when I’m concentrating."
7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"I believe that Heaven is a real place, for sure. And when I die and stand before God I really only need to hear one thing… welcome Rick, thank you for receiving me in your heart. I have a great place prepared for you. In my opinion, nothing else matters."
Brilliant. Thanks again to Rick for indulging me! You can enjoy the creative talents of Mr Rick Moyer by visiting several different websites:
www.takehimwithyou.com
www.startrekparodies.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/rickmoyer
http://www.moyermultimedia.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rick-moyer/id336378772
And thanks again to you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!
