I did my first interview with George Skaroulis in March 2005 and the intro to that interview seemed like a good way to start this one, too: "I first heard George Skaroulis’ music when he sent me his Second Nature CD to review in early 2003. I had been familiar with his name for several years, but when I was writing for Wind and Wire magazine, George was a favorite pianist of the editor’s, and Bill Binkelman kept those reviews for himself. When I finally heard it, I was blown away by the beauty of George’s music, and we started a correspondence via email." There has been a lot of water under the proverbial bridge since then, but the beauty of George's music has only deepened. He recently released his nineteenth album, Dreams of Greece, as well as a wonderful short film called Faces of the Past - Behind the Doors of Patmos, which was featured at the Aegean Film Festival last month. We were way-overdue for an update, so here you go!

KP: Hi George! How are things in Georgia today?

GS: Things are great! I'm just re-acclimating to life here in Georgia after a wonderful vacation in Greece.

KP: I find it hard to believe that it's been more than fourteen years since we did an interview and even harder to believe that's been almost twenty years since we met in Atlanta, GA and Birmingham, AL in connection with a couple of Whisperings concerts! We have some catching up to do! Let's start with the most important thing right now: your newest album, Dreams of Greece. I've reviewed most of your nineteen albums, and I think it's my favorite. Tell us about it.

GS: Dreams of Greece has been in the works for nearly five years – since my last visit to Patmos, Greece. The way the tracks in the album are placed, I wanted to evoke the sights, feelings, sounds of actually being in Greece. Each track was carefully named based on the feeling I want listeners to experience when listening. There are 22 tracks on the album, and the songs are intertwined with short tracks of sounds that you actually hear when in Greece.

KP: That's a very interesting approach and it works well on this album! Four of the twenty-two tracks are covers. One of those is "The Windmills of Your Mind," which has been a favorite of mine for a lot of years. I've been wondering how it fits into the concept of Dreams of Greece. Would you explain that?

GS: Sure! My version of “The Windmills of Your Mind” was actually first released on Sanctuary 2, and I felt like it needed to be included in this album. Greece is filled with many windmills on the islands, old and new, and are quite majestic to see. It is actually one of my favorite covers I’ve ever recorded. I’m currently working on a music video for "Windmills."

KP: I had no idea that Greece has a lot of windmills, so that makes perfect sense! Another cover is "Misirlou," which is a traditional Greek folk song. I took several dance classes as a kid, and I remember doing Greek line dances to this piece and have always loved it. I think you've recorded it before, so it must have a lot of meaning for you, too. Tell us about it.

GS: This is a song that I learned as a child and it was a favorite of my grandfather’s. I actually first recorded this version of “Misirlou” on Sanctuary 2 in 2015, and then released a faster version as a maxi-single.

KP: I really like "Salt of the Earth," too. It feels very heartfelt and spontaneous. What inspired it?

GS: Thank you! For sure, this is a song inspired by the salty ocean water in Greece that I always long to swim in. It is an original composition, and I recorded it for this album following my visit to Greece prior to the pandemic.

KP: The title track, "Dreams of Greece," seems so haunting and full of longing. How long had it been since you'd been to Greece when you wrote the piece?

GS: This piece was actually one of the last tracks I wrote earlier this year prior to my return to Greece. The anticipation of returning to visit this past summer provided many wonderful dreams anticipating my visit.

KP: Tucked between a few of the tracks, there are field recordings that you made in Greece. How did you choose what to record for the album?

GS: All of the transitional tracks, which include waves of the sea, goat bells, nocturnal sounds, and distant church bells are paired with specific tracks to give an authentic listening experience as if you are actually on a Greek Island.

KP: What inspired "Endless Summer"? The piece is soooo peaceful and warm!

GS: Whenever I visit Greece, and specifically Patmos where my family is from, it makes me feel like the summer should never end. The summer weather is always hot, sunny and dry. Because of its remote location, it is difficult to get there, easy to be there, and very difficult to leave.

KP: I'll bet! We'll talk more about your documentary film shortly, but a large part of it is made up of photos of doors on the island of Patmos. Are they what inspired "Behind the Doors"? They must be a significant part of the island's history and culture.

GS: Absolutely. The song “Behind the Doors” was inspired by my documentary that just premiered this summer (2024) at the Aegean Film Festival. The photography in the film is woven together showcasing the people of Patmos, and the amazingly colorful doors that are the portals to the history on the island.

KP: "Every Shade of Blue" is another favorite. Tell us about that one.

GS: As blue is the national color of Greece, it is common to see several shades of the color used everywhere you look. The true inspiration for the title of this track, though, is the breathtaking shades of blue that you see in the crystal clear waters of Greece.

KP: The piano sound is really exceptional on this album. What kind of piano did you record with?

GS: So glad you liked the sound of this recording! The piano is a Yamaha Grand, and it was a pleasure to play and record on. I had a unique opportunity for this album through my producer, Trammell Starks, to be able to record at Auburn University’s Department of Music. Trammel is a renowned producer and has been named the Auburn University Department of Music’s first full-time audio recording engineer, managing its million-dollar, world-class recording studio.

KP: That's really great!

As we mentioned earlier, your other big news is the release of your wonderful short film called Faces of the Past - Behind the Doors of Patmos. Tell us about that.

GS: I was thrilled to be part of my first film festival this summer! This documentary features the historical photographs of Patmos through the eyes of my grandfather, Theologos Patronis, born in Patmos in 1898. My vision for this documentary was to collaborate with my grandfather to bring our generational art forms of time together full circle. In addition to being a pianist and composer, I also share my grandfather’s passion for photography. Combining our photos, faces of the past appear to be peering through the thresholds of the colorful old doors that grace the island, each door with its own story to tell. The images are gently woven together through my piano version of "Tyxero Asteri" composed by K. Bhta, which appears on Dreams of Greece (2024). Patmos has been a vital sea of inspiration for my soul, my spirit and my music. It has been an honor and a joy to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps, to reconnect and honor his legacy.

KP: I love the way the film alternates between photos of various doors that range from quite elaborate to very, very humble and photos of various people. Did your grandfather take all of the "people photos"?

GS: He sure did! My grandfather was a remarkable photographer and quite a Renaissance Man, one of the first to actually have a camera on the island. All of his photos are family treasures, and these photos are the same photos that inspired the Generations album in 2001.

KP: Are the doors and the people related or connected?

GS: The doors are not specifically paired with the family photos used, but are just an artistic montage of past and present.

KP: Did you photograph the doors on your visits to Patmos?

GS: I did! The pictures of the doors are all my photography whereas the pictures of the people are my grandfather’s. This was intentional to combine our art forms together.

KP: What a meaningful collaboration, and how wonderful that the film premiered at a film festival on Patmos just a few weeks ago!

GS: What an incredible journey it has been. I actually was notified that my film was accepted into the festival while I was in Patmos!



KP: I would imagine that the presentation of the film was pretty emotional for everyone! Are many of the photos of your family?

GS: Yes, the photos are all family! In fact, at our home in Patmos, we invited family and friends for a private screening under the stars in our backyard garden prior to the actual premiere. Although I wasn’t there for the festival itself, my brother, Theo, attended in my absence.

KP: The theme music for the film goes so perfectly with the images!

GS: The song “Txyero Asteri” ("Lucky Star") was composed by K.Bhta and was used in Season 1 of the Netflix series “Maestro in Blue.” The series is centered around a music festival on the island of Naxos and is quite a powerful melody. I fell in love with the song, recorded it for Dreams of Greece, and realized it was the perfect theme for my documentary.

KP: It is! How long were you in Greece this most-recent visit?

GS: I spent four magical weeks in Patmos from mid-June until mid-July.

KP: I'm sure you're doing a lot of work promoting the new album as well as the film, but do you have any plans for your next project?

GS: Yes, I’m definitely focused on promoting Dreams of Greece. I am also working on the music video for “The Windmills of Your Mind,” as well as curating a collection of love songs to be released in January. Stay tuned.

KP: You have been saying for a long time that you felt drawn to film music and photography as well as to your own recordings. Do you think Faces of the Past will open more doors for you to pursue those goals?

GS: I sure hope so! I felt like this was a great opportunity to expand my exposure to other film-makers and musicians and feel confident that new connections will open doors to new opportunities.

KP: Are you planning to do any sheet music for Dreams of Greece?

GS: Yes, that is certainly a possibility for the songs that are the most popularly requested from the album. Physical copies of the album are also currently in the works with a goal of availability in September. We have received lots of requests for CD’s.

KP: If you could have any three wishes, what would they be?



GS: Hmmm - that is a big question! I would love to have my 30-year-old body back; for at least one of my songs to appear in a major motion picture or award-winning documentary; and living in Europe part-time would be amazing.

KP: Thanks so much, George! It was great to catch up again!