by Sergey Ivanenko



What’s in the name? Why Asking Everyone?

First, it’s an anagram of my name.

Second, I think it fits the purpose of my project, and ultimately my life purpose.

Listen to the album while reading the text.

Music and Engineering

I was born and raised in Russia (then the Soviet Union). Both my parents were engineers and overall people of many talents. My Dad played guitar and piano and taught me the basics of music theory, and my brother showed me chords for a couple of popular songs of the day.

Thus music was a part of my upbringing – be that hearing Dad’s piano, strumming my guitar, listening to The Beatles or Mashina Vremeni, tinkering with radio components to build my stereo amplifier, or messing with a borrowed reel-to-reel to make crude overdub records. Guitar helped me to navigate through teenage years, college, and a compulsory military service – in a way, it was my security object.

As a scientifically inclined kid, I went in the family’s general direction of becoming an engineer, except I veered off into the field of software development, which I loved. A few years later, a programming job brought my family and me to the United States. When things got a bit easier with so-called work-life balance (frankly, that took a long time), I started playing with a few friends and write my own material, eventually leaving my job and taking on a solo project. Somehow themes of my songs would always revolve around the “big matters” – because they truly matter to me.

Science and Consciousness

Raised atheist, I used to see the world as being explained by science – or at least that science will know how everything works, someday. Over the years, my life experiences brought suspicion that some things are not really understood or outright ignored by the current scientific culture.

For instance, I’d suddenly meet a former classmate, who’d tell me a story of her otherworldly near-death experience. Or would have dreams that defy the regular “explainable” pattern and would shake me to my core. Or amazing synchronicities hinting that things happening in our life are not that random.

Trying to find a reasonable explanation of these experiences, I came up with a logical argument that (I think) proves that consciousness is primary (and the material world is thus secondary – a projection of that consciousness, a play of imagination). Too long to be presented here, it is based on the peculiar observation that, according to current scientific views, everything in the physical world obeys laws of conservation – i.e., nothing just pops into existence – except consciousness! (well, that, and the “miracle” of the Big Bang).

Truth

I subscribe to the worldview that there’s only one primary essence – a vast dimensionless consciousness (we could say, God, The Divine, or perhaps “Truth” – because only truth can exist). That we, our collective soul, is a part of that consciousness – essentially a “child of Truth”; a child that once tried to imagine a world “outside” of Truth, thus creating the illusion of separation, a nightmarish realm of ego we leave in. I believe that we should break through this illusion – with forgiveness and love – and return to our Truth.

I also believe (something that came to me in a profound meditation at a self-development seminar) that my purpose is to help to spread these ideas – through music or otherwise, helping to bring our spiritual awakening.

Spiritual Awakening

That’s really what inspired my album!

This album was only possible because of my wife Victoria, who’s been supporting me on this new musical journey. I’m also grateful to Martin Merenyi who did an amazing job mixing the songs, Cc for female vocals, as well as outstanding musicians who helped with tracks “If I Was With You” and “The Day of Joy” (“AVLI” Avi Avliav, Marcello Vieira, Jonathan Asperil, Roy Kariok and another brilliant singer, who preferred to be uncredited).

We All Are One!

Asking Everyone Asking Everyone, Category: Artist, Albums: Asking Everyone, Singles: The Light, Simple Things, Darling, Top Tracks: If I Was with You, The Big Bang, Alternative Truth, Brave New World, I Love, Therefore I Am, Biography: Asking Everyone is a project of songwriter Sergey Ivanenko (and an anagram of his name!).

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Artist’s Note

Redlands California, SoCal, Los Angeles

Pop/Rock, Power Pop, Indie Rock, Rock



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