Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Re-Written By Naomi K. Bonman
SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The blending of musical genres is what makes music unique. Nicholas Haklitch (CSUSB Alumni ’12) and singer Ron Blakely (University of Redlands Alumni ’13 have joined forces in bringing a combination of classical, soul to the masses. The duo came together 3 months ago, and since then they have been productive for the past six weeks in playing at over 28 shows and recording, producing and publishing their first EP entitled ‘Tired’, which ranked in the 86 spot on iTunes Top 100. They sold over 200 copies within the first week of the EP’s release and were able to gain a dedicated fan base.
In addition to increasing their audience, the two college alumni musicians have been approached by several band managers and independent record labels, and have received a countless number of emails from other musicians and fans stating how the EP has “changed”, “inspired”, “helped”, and “influenced” them.
‘Tired’ takes two genres of music, classical and soul, to create a heartache album that takes listeners through the journey of Blakeley’s personal failed romantic relationship in a way that is able to connect the listener in an intimate and relatable approach. Ron encourages fans to reminisce on their lost times and loves.
The primary objective of BHJMusic is to write and publish good, humble, honest and compassionate music that can enhance the listener’s life. With every single sale that the duo makes, they have agreed to donate one-third of their earnings to local non-profits, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters in the Inland Empire.
“Music is the tool that will allow us to achieve our ultimate dream, giving everyone we encounter a financial break so that they can breathe a little easier, sleep a little easier, and feel like there are two people in this world that care”, Blakely states.
For more information, please visit www.bhjmusic.com. For those that would like to see the duo perform they play every Monday at the Fox Theatre in Riverside, and every Tuesday they play two shows, one at Augie’s Coffee and the second at Back to the Grind in Riverside.
