Lori Cotler, known artistically as Loire, is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rhythm vocalist, composer, recording artist, educator, and music therapist known for her Konnakol,

scat singing In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...

, world music vocal stylings,

ethno jazz Ethno jazz, also known as world jazz, is a subgenre of jazz and world music, developed internationally in the 1950s and '60s and broadly characterized by a combination of traditional jazz and non-Western musical elements. Though occasionally equ ...

interpretations, and film score vocals.

Early life

Cotler was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and raised in

Roslyn Estates, New York Roslyn Estates is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the Incorporated Village of Ros ...

. She began studying piano at age six and was writing instrumental by age ten. At age eleven, she was inspired to become a vocalist after a chance encounter with Cuban percussionist

Cándido Camero Cándido Camero Guerra (22 April 19217 November 2020), known simply as Cándido, was a Cuban conga and bongo player. He is considered a pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz and an innovator in conga drumming. He was responsible for the development of tun ...

at her brother's bar mitzvah. Loire sang and played keyboard in rock bands throughout her teenage years. Her band Kizmit featured her original music, although plans to record a studio album were shelved when she decided to pursue a career in

. In 2013, on the advice of her manager, she adopted her nickname,

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

, as a

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Voice and style

Loire has been described as a "rhythm vocalist." Her singing incorporates hybrid vocal techniques, including vocal percussion and wordless melodic improvisations inspired by Jewish ''

niggun A nigun ( he, ניגון meaning "tune" or "melody", plural nigunim) or niggun (plural niggunim) is a form of Jewish religious song or tune sung by groups. It is vocal music, often with repetitive sounds such as "Bim-Bim-Bam", "Lai-Lai-Lai", " ...

'', Middle Eastern '' taksim'', Central Asian '' khöömei'',

, and South Indian Konnakol.

Film score vocal work

Loire's passion for cinema and film music as a child propelled her to sneak into the open doors of a local indie theater after being lured inside by the sound of Vangelis’

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a de ...

main theme. When it came time to declare a major at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

, Loire had already filled out an application to become a film scoring major, but she kept delaying to turn it in. Listening to scores by

Max Steiner Maximilian Raoul Steiner (May 10, 1888 – December 28, 1971) was an Austrian composer and conductor who emigrated to America and went on to become one of Hollywood's greatest musical composers. Steiner was a child prodigy who conducted ...

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

James Newton Howard James Newton Howard (born June 9, 1951) is an American film composer, music producer and keyboardist. He has scored over 100 films and is the recipient of a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, and nine nominations for Academy Awards. His film scores ...

, and

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...

on a loop and wrestling with which road to take, she happened to come across a cassette of classical Indian percussion music with a drum language solo. It was in that moment that she chose to stay on her own path to becoming a rhythm vocalist. In December 2017 her dream of collaborating with film composers came full circle after being introduced to Academy Award-winning composer

by renowned vocalist and vocal contractor Edie Lehmann Boddicker and legendary synthesist Michael Lehmann Boddicker. Loire's collaboration with Zimmer and his Remote Control Productions team, including composers, Steve Mazzaro, David Fleming and Andy Page, led to her vocal work on X-Men Dark Phoenix (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Xperiments from Dark Phoenix (soundtrack album) and Denis Villeneuve's ''

Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

'' (2021). In 2020 Zimmer introduced Loire's work to his longtime collaborator and friend Grammy winning and multiple Oscar nominated film composer

. Soon after Loire began working remotely with James as the vocal soloist on his score for the breakthrough Disney film

Raya and The Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American computer-animated fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it wa ...

Collaborations and performances

Since 2004, Loire has toured with her core duo project with Glen Velez, and has also been a featured soloist in numerous performances ranging from full orchestras to small ensembles, including the Taipei Chinese Orchestra, National Chinese Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Parco della Musica Contemporanea Ensemble, Nederlandse Reisopera, La Notte della Taranta Popular Orchestra, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Long Beach Opera, Ensemble Fisfüz. She has performed in venues including Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, The Tonhalle, The Music Academy (Chennai), Auditorium Parco della Musica, Muziekgebouw, Slovak Radio Theater, The Met Museum, and Paradiso (Amsterdam). She has performed at numerous live music festivals, most notably: Ravenna Festival and Tamburi Mundi (Freiburg). In 2014 Loire performed for a live audience of 150,000 at La Notte Della Taranta, her largest audience to date. In May 2019 Loire was invited by the US Embassy to perform music from her album ''18 Wings'' (Daftof) following the idea by then incumbent US Ambassador to Slovakia Adam Sterling. Loire was joined by Glen Velez and cellist Jozef Luptak in a private concert event that took place at the Residence of the Ambassador in Bratislava and featured Loire and Glen's exhilarating rhythmic reimagining of The Great American Songbook. Since 2012, Loire has been the featured soloist in The News: a reality opera by the Dutch avant-pop composer JacobTV and she is credited for composing vocal parts for the arias Bounce or Decline and Lamento. Loire maintains an active touring schedule in her duo with Glen Velez and is also a core member of Glen's Handance Ensemble with Shane Shanahan and Yousif Sheronick. She has shared the stage with world class musicians Lew Soloff, Howard Levy, Avi Avital, Chitravina Ravikiran, Eugene Friesen, Sonny Fortune, Jozef Luptak, Milica Paranosic, Kepa Junkera, Javier Paxariño, Murat Coşkun and Enzo Rao. She has performed and recorded works by award-winning composers Edward Bilous and Robert Miller and her signature sound can be heard on music recordings, TV commercials, dance scores and feature length documentaries and blockbuster film scores. Loire's live performances have included radio and television broadcasts on Spanish National Radio 4, German Public Radio, Italian National Radio 3, Radio Freistadt (Austria), DRS (Swiss-German national radio), WNYC, National Public Radio, KPFK Los Angeles, KITV Hawaii, PBS, Rai Italia TV, Taipei National Television, and CBS 2. Loire's debut album ''18 Wings'' (Daftof) was released digitally during the COVID-19 pandemic as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of her father's death. ''18 Wings'' features multiple Grammy artists of TRIO GLOBO - Howard Levy, Eugene Friesen and Glen Velez and highlights original music co-composed and arranged with Glen Velez, as well as their global rhythmic twist on The Great American Songbook.

Education

Loire attended Long Island High School for the Arts, a gifted magnet school for the performing arts. She was chosen as honorary speaker and performer at the graduation ceremony. She went on to earn a Bachelor's degree of Music from

Berklee College Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cour ...

of Music in Boston, followed by a Master's Degree in Music Therapy from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. During her teens, Loire's jazz mentor Dave Burns introduced her to scat singing. He recognized that Loire had an unusual aptitude for the vocal reproduction of complex and up-tempo instrumental material. Loire cites her mentor and husband

Glen Velez Glen Velez (born 1949) is a four-time Grammy winning American percussionist, vocalist, and composer, specializing in frame drums from around the world. He is largely responsible for the increasing popularity of frame drums in the United States an ...

and his ''Handance Method'' as having the greatest influence on her approach to music. She began learning Konnakol from Velez when their musical collaboration began in 2002. She also studied with Konnakol master ''Ghatam Subash Chandran'' and briefly with ''Vinod (VR) Venkataram.'' Other influential teachers include piano and harpsichord virtuoso Barbara Kupferberg and jazz vocalists Bob Stoloff, the late Mili Bermajo, and Dominique Eade. Loire has been invited to present masterclasses and workshops at

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

and other prestigious conservatories and universities around the World.^[3

Personal life

Loire has been openly bisexual since high school. She was in a long term relationship with a woman who had a great influence on her quitting her full time day job, telling her it was time to bring her music and voice to the world. Loire put in her notice on the spot. Loire's awareness of the healing power of music began early in her life. She frequently turned to songwriting and improvisation as a way of coping with the tragic death of her close friend who was killed while riding his bicycle at age 15. A few days after Loire's 18th birthday, tragedy struck again when her father died on February 18, 1990 at age 45. Loire's debut solo recording ''18'' ''Wings'' (Daftof Records) was released in 2020 as a homage to her beloved father. The album features multiple Grammy artists, including Howard Levy, Eugene Friesen and

. It highlights original music co-composed and arranged with Glen Velez, along with her rhythm jazz reimagining of The Great American Songbook. In the liner notes, she says “Rhythm and voice are my own wings - they are how I travel to syllables beyond thought, a subconscious language.”

Music Therapy

Loire was a Professor of Music Therapy at The New School (2001–2007) and worked extensively in clinics, hospitals, including locked psychiatric units around New York City. She has worked with such populations as adult psychiatry, foster children/at-risk teens, autism and brain injuries. Loire continues to lend her talents to supporting Music Therapy charities and has been actively collaborating with Sounding Joy Music Therapy in Hawaii and Japan. Loire's work in the mental health field greatly impacted her approach to music. Her clinical work inspired her to see rhythm and music in more descriptive ways, such as “what is the rhythm of anxiety,” or “what are the colors of depression”.

Discography

Studio recordings

* 2020 - 18 Wings (Daftof Records) *2020 - Echos (Sívac Records) * 2016
Instants of Time
by Enrique Haneine *2013 - (single release
Cucurrucucú Paloma
* 2010 - "Herria" (Elkar/Warner Bros.) Kepa Junkera; Lori Cotler featured on "Markesaran Alaba"Markesaran Alaba
* 2009 - "Breathing Rhythms Duo" (Daftof Records); Glen Velez and Lori Cotler * 2008 - "Rhythms of the Chakras Vol. 2" Glen Velez (SoundsTrue) * 2006 - "Hiri" (Elkar) Kepa Junkera; Lori Cotler featured on "Tatihou"Vimeo page on Tatihou
/ref> * 2005 - "Rhythms of Awakening" Glen Velez (SoundsTrue) * 2003 - "Elephant Hotel"(hyperlink: http://glenvelez.com/shop/music/) (Daftof Records); Glen Velez and Lori Cotler * 2003 - AfroMantra "Alignment" (Mambo Maniacs Record) Lori Cotler is featured on "Transparencias" (composer, Alex Garcia) * 1991 - Kizmit - (Unreleased EP) Original songs composed by Loire Cotler in High School.

Dance scores

* 2012–present: "Whirlwind" (Glen Velez) performances with Nai-Ni Chen Dance * 2009–present: "Mirage" performances with Nai-Ni Chen Dance * 2007–present: "Trilogy" (Glen Velez) performances with Bridgman/Packer Dance * 2003-2011: Mimi Garrard VideoDances - featured vocalist on dance scores by Glen Velez. * 2004: Rain (Glen Velez) performances with Buglisi Dance Theater

Commercials

* 2015 - Raw Spirit FragrancesRaw Spirit, Vocals, Loire Cotler
/ref> * 2009 - Tiffany & COTiffany & Company, Vocals, Lori Cotler
/ref> * 2005 - Frangelico USA Rope TV AdvertFrangelico - "Rope"
/ref> * 2004 - CVS Extra Care (Robert Miller, RMI)CVS Extra Care commercial, 2004
/ref>

Film work

*2021 - Dune: Part One film score and soundtrack by Hans Zimmer *2020 -

Raya and the Last Dragon ''Raya and the Last Dragon'' ( ) is a 2021 American computer-animated fantasy action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it wa ...

film score and soundtrack by

*2020 -

Hillbilly Elegy ''Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis'' is a bestselling 2016 memoir by future Ohio Senator J. D. Vance about the Appalachian values of his Kentucky family and the social and socioeconomic problems of his hometown of Mi ...

film score and soundtrack by Hans Zimmer & David Fleming *2019 -

Coup 53 ''Coup 53'' is a 2019 British documentary about the 1953 Iranian coup d'état to overthrow Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, co-written and directed by Taghi Amirani and co-written and edited by Walter Murch. Production The film, direct ...

by Robert Miller *2019
Xperiments from Dark Phoenix
by Hans Zimmer *2019 - X-Men Dark Phoenix (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer *2009 - Documentary "Renewing Creativity: Renewing American Culture - The Pursuit of Happiness"Vimeo.com: "Renewing Creativity: Renewing American Culture - The Pursuit of Happiness"
/ref> *2005 - Why We Fight (Film by

Eugene Jarecki Eugene Jarecki (born October 5, 1969) is an American filmmaker and author. He is best known as a two-time winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, as well as multiple Emmy and Peabody Awards, for his films ''Why We Fight'', ''Reagan'', and '' Th ...

; Composer, Robert Miller) *2001 - In an Instant (Film by Bruce Ashley; Music by Lori Cotler, Nik Leman)

External links

# http://www.loirecotler.com
Article title
# https://www.boomboxshop.net/the-news.html
http://www.hans-zimmer.com/index.php?rub=disco&id=
# http://edwardbilous.com/portfolio/night-of-the-dark-moon-opening/ # https://www.screensoundalliance.com/about (Composer Robert Miller) # http://www.subashchandranmusic.com
http://www.kepajunkera.com

http://www.levyland.com

http://www.celloman.com

http://www.lewsoloff.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loire Living people Year of birth missing (living people)