Exclusive Interview With IN SEARCH OF

The extraordinary father-daughter team of Michael Raitzin and Michelle Ray are “In Search Of,” a powerful band.

Get ready to enter a fantastical world where imagination rules supreme! You will embark on a magical journey with none other than Alice from Wonderland on this thrilling new debut album, “Alice and the Wonderland.” Prepare to be mesmerized by Alice’s Wonderland’s enchanting sounds! Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

IN SEARCH OF: I, Michelle, started singing and performing at age 10, I was lucky enough that my parents supported me every step of the way. My dad (Michael) grew up playing music and eventually managed a successful prog rock band that toured all over. He built a studio in our house and we started writing together when I was 12! Over the years, I was able to sing vocals for my dad’s band on their tours, specifically Loud Park Festival in Tokyo Japan, Sweden Rock Festival in Sweden, among others.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

IN SEARCH OF: I started classical vocal training at age 11 and have been continuing lessons on and off throughout my entire life. My dad Michael is all self taught! Pretty impressive !!

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘IN SEARCH OF’?

IN SEARCH OF: I’ve always had a passion for musical theater and have performed in shows since I was in middle school. Out in Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to have a role in Jagged Little Pill, performed at The Rockwell Table and Stage and Green Day’s American Idiot, Downtown LA. The love for musical theater, paired with my love for pop music is where my contribution comes from. My dad, Michael, on the other hand grew up playing in rock bands and eventually managed successful rock bands (Royal Hunt, Danger Danger, anomg others) on his own. Of course, naturally, I grew up listening to rock as well! My dad has always been excited by fairytales and reading books so the mesh of all of our influences created IN SEARCH OF. The name IN SEARCH OF comes from constantly seeking for more knowledge via books and music!

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

IN SEARCH OF: Some key elements in our music are the unique melodies coupled with the lyrics that were written to narrate the story of Alice. We like to call our sound, Art Rock, mixed with a classical, rock, hard rock and ethnick influences.

5. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

IN SEARCH OF: 100 percent! We make music because we love it. Being able to encapsulate Alice’s world from her perspective and put it into an album is so exciting! We put in so much work and hearing the finished product is magical. Do we want as many people to hear it as possible? Of course!

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as ROCK?

IN SEARCH OF: I started out doing musical theater while simultaneously falling in love with pop music (Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.) I worked tediously on my craft for many years. Before landing a spot on NBC’s The Voice, Team Blake, I was working with producer / engineer Bill Malina writing and recording daily. My dad’s incredibly strong rock influence contributed towards In Search Of’s musicality. He performed in a rock band before he became a manager. Rock music is in his blood.

7. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and Why?

IN SEARCH OF: Hard question!! Both have their incredible aspects. I think live performances are so so special, there is nothing like interacting with the crowd and seeing how our lyrics / melodies can affect people emotionally. This is one of the most powerful and coolest things on earth.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

IN SEARCH OF: We usually start with the concept of the song before tackling all of the elements that go into creating it. After the concept is formed, we start bare boned and play on guitar or piano to create the melody and lyrics. After this, my dad goes and produces the song out with all of the instruments he hears and envisions before hiring incredible musicians to play them out. This album is loaded with talented ones! We have Luca Sellitto shredding on guitar, Andreas “Habo” Johannson killing it on Drums / Percussion, Andre Andersen’s magic fingers on keys, and Allie Stamler’s talent sprinkled on the violin. We also had VO characters and vocals added on by Mark Boals, Nick and Holly Seeley and Andrew Tinker!

9. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

IN SEARCH OF: We pay no attention to naysayers! Impossible is possible to us ;) !

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

IN SEARCH OF: Being able to put out an incredible piece of work as a father- daughter duo is definitely a proud highlight!