Chuck Kaplan & Paul Mirocha

 

MANDOPHILIA is musical duo Chuck Kaplan and Paul Mirocha. The foundation of their music is the simplicity of four hands and two mandolins, yet as multi-instrumentalists, they can sound like a full band.

Paul and Chuck first met at Celtic and folk jam sessions in the mid–1980s and have been playing together ever since. The self-titled Mandophilia is their first professionally recorded CD album. This CD contains an hour of all–original acoustic instrumental compositions, based on a folk style, but eclectic–sometimes tending towards classical or jazz. But you can set your EQ to Rock.

Mandophilia's roots are based in Celtic music, but they took some crooked forks in the road. There are no traditional tunes on this album, yet the deep emotions underlying the music are there.

Rather than listing influences, it's probably easier to list the musical genres that Paul and Chuck ignored. German brass polka bands, or Billy Ray Cyrus might fit into this category. But then again, maybe. But ahh, Bach!

The music is ancient, contemporary, and fresh. It's relaxing, with a spark. It's sugar-free and has no unneccesary notes. It combines careful composition and arranging with spontaneous bursts of improvisation in the studio. Even some of the accidents stayed to redeem themselves later and became essential to the tune.

You can spend an hour just listening to Mandophilia. But listeners also find that the music is perfect as a contemplative background for concentration and work. There are no words to distract. People have also told us that they have used Mandophilia as background music for a quiet party or social gathering, Mandophilia creates a subtle mood that's good for relaxed conversation.

Water that has been exposed to Mandophilia's music forms microscopic heart-shaped crystals. (Really! It might.). It has been proven to create alpha brain waves similar to those created by transendantal meditation in orange cats and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

Chuck Kaplan, a medical doctor, gives music samples from Mandophilia to his patients. And you don't need a perscription. The mind and body are really one. This music is designed to be healing to both.

 

Mandophilia: the CD

One of the best ways to hear what we mean is to listen to Mandophilia, our first album. There are samples and downloads on this site. You can also buy a CD here.

Musicians

Chuck Kaplan plays mandolin, fiddle, quatro, bass, train whistle, and squeaky door. Paul Mirocha plays mandolin, octave mandolin, and guitar.

Guests: Mark Holdaway plays guitar and kalimba on Freezer and The Paradoxical Frog. Doug Shelton plays ukelele on Luna Azúl.
Karen Falkenstrom plays Japanese taiko drum on Spiders Lament.

Sound Engineering

Mandophilia was recorded, mixed, and mastered by George Nardo at Luna Recording Studio in Tucson, AZ.

Meet The Maker

Paul Mirocha plays a hand-made A-style oval hole mandolin by Bill Bussman at Old Wave Mandolins, Caballo, New Mexico. This mandolin was the inspiration for Paul's super-real painting on the cover of Mandophilia.

© Paul Mirocha and Chuck Kaplan