Grammy-nominated musician performs for his home crowd

Freddie Ravel When musician Freddie Ravel was 7 years old, he picked up his first instrument- an accordion.

"It's an instrument a lot of people don't go to right off the bat, but my parents said, 'Hey, let's try it,'" said Ravel, a Calabasas resident and Grammynominated artist and producer.

Ravel went on to master many instruments, produce several albums and No. 1 hits, and travel with some of the most famous musicians of all time.

On June 1, Ravel will perform the first show in the Calabasas Music in the Park summer series.

"I've traveled around the world many, many times," he said. "I consider myself a global citizen. But I'm very passionate about this community, about the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga Canyon, the ocean, the environment. This is my home."

Ravel spent his childhood years on the Central Coast, spending much of his time in the tool shed behind his parents' house.

"I started learning the piano when I was 11 and would just go back there and practice nine hours a day," Ravel said. "I did that for six years. I really just dug into playing the piano. I knew there were certain requirements to get into college for this, and I kind of got obsessed with it."

Ravel chose to pursue his bachelor's degree in music from California State University Northridge. After graduating, he was invited to travel with Sergio Mendes, the famed Brazilian musician. While touring, Ravel was spotted by Universal Records and offered a record deal. His first album, "Midnight Passions," went to No. 14 in the United States.

In the mid-'90s, Ravel was named musical director for Earth, Wind and Fire, serving as a coproducer with Maurice White, founder of the group. He later put together a band with Al Jarreau, acting as a producer, collaborator and writer. They traveled together for five years before Ravel made his third record. The self-titled album contained a No. 1 hit, "Sunny Side Up," that still gets radio play today.

But after Sept. 11, 2001, and having his first child, Ravel felt he needed to steer his life in a new direction.

"I was very shifted after 9/11, as I know many of us were," Ravel said. "It required me to shift my career and meld my spiritual belief system with my professional belief system. Instead of just focusing on getting records on the radio and touring, which is the typical path for artists who do music, I wanted to do something more profound and contribute more to the community."

A trip to South Africa furthered that desire.

"In December 2001, all the newspapers, everything everywhere was about 9/11," Ravel said. "But when I went to Africa, it wasn't at all. About one in five people have AIDS- just a huge percentage of the population. It's staggering. The country is just being ravaged by this disease, and to see how deeply it ran into the fabric of the country and what it was doing to the kids there was unbelievable. . . .

"It got me back to global awareness," he said.

Ravel started a company called Tune Up to Success. He performs keynote concerts- a type of keynote address which incorporates music- for companies throughout the United States. Ravel speaks to audiences ranging from teens to Fortune 500 Companies about how music connects and empowers their personal and professional lives.

"It's about raising human potential through music," Ravel said. "There's an emphasis on listening and communication. It's speaking and piano performance. I weave in Chopin, Mozart, Cole Porter, rock 'n' roll, popular music. It's a way to bridge people together, to celebrate, which is a common theme in my life."

Carol Washburn, Calabasas Chamber of Commerce president, became a fan of Ravel's after he brought his program to the Chamber's membership appreciation luncheon last year.

"We wanted a message communicated in an entertaining way," Washburn said. "He was sensational and thoroughly entertaining. He was so engaging and worked well with the audience. The message came through great."

Last year, Ravel also brought Tune Up to Success to Moorpark to raise funds for Moorpark High School's decathlon team.

"It was a really fantastic experience," Ravel said. "We showed how the three elements of music- harmony, melody and rhythm- are related to the success of the decathlon team."

Ravel has lived in Calabasas for nine years. His wife, MarieFrance, a former prima ballerina, is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in Calabasas. They have two children: Jasmine, 5, and Maxim, 2.

For more on Freddie Ravel, visit www.freddieravel.com or www.tuneuptosuccess.com.