Alvietron

A resident of East Orange for 20 years and recent transplant in Newark, Alverson "Alvie" Layne (Alvietron) is an aspiring artist with a soulful croon and a flair for hip-hop lyricism.

Collaborating with producer Shawn Glover (S. Glover) to form Cyclones, their music blends smooth R&B vocals, spoken word and house grooves.

It's easy to sink into the sound of songs like "Chula" which have a drum and bass vibe underneath Alvie's John Legend-esque delivery. What's hard to believe is the passionate 23-year-old almost left music alone for good, fearing his ambitions would be called "delusions of grandeur," he said.

Raised on a mix of gospel, Motown classics and disco, Alvie's first instrument was the flute. He showed promise as a musician, winning Best Jazz Flute Solo at a regional jazz competition during high school.

His family encouraged his musical interests, but his grandmother always told him to pursue a career in science. In an attempt to avoid a starving artist's fate, Alvie decided to embark on a physics education at Rider University.

But by his sophomore year at Rider, his grades were failing, he was running out of financial aid, and he didn't know how he would be able to remain in school. In a self-described "act of desperation" Alvie purchased a midi controller keyboard and began experimenting with his first digital audio workstation (DAW), Propellerhead Reason.

DAW technology opened Alvie up to new possibilities and helped renew his creative spirit.

By 2006, Alvie had reconnected with his musical passion, yet he continued to struggle finding his way financially.

"During the past three years I left school for a year then went back to school full-time. I've been employed full-time as a manager of a clothing store then been unemployed and collecting unemployment checks," said Alvie.

"Sometimes it's hard to find work, and once work is found, sometimes it doesn't help bring stability as we would like it to. The best part of being an artist and musician is having a creative outlet to vent or channel energy," he explained.

Unexpectedly, in 2008, one of Alvie's jobs brought him closer to his dream. While employed part-time at Fedex Express at the Newark EWR Airport, he met Shawn Glover, his current partner in Cyclones.

Working with Glover, Alvie is now pursuing the music career he always wanted. But he's still cynical of the challenges the music industry presents.

"Honestly the music industry, to me, is a big fuzzy cloud. I'm aware that there are a lot of caveats to be concerned about as an independent artist seeking a contract," said Alvie.

On occasion artists are signed to record labels and then "put on the back-burner" because the label isn't ready to promote them. Such artists may be limited by whom they can perform with and where they can perform as specified in their contract.

"In particular nightmare situations, an artist may even stand to lose money and incur debt due to contractual obligations to sell a specific amount of records," he said.

But Alvie has nothing to lose. Right now he works the over-night shift at Dunkin' Donuts on Bloomfield Ave where he often plays his music for customers during off hours.

Alvie's relationship to music has had many twists and turns over the years while he's assessed the risks involved in trying to make it as an artist. But he knows now the risks are worth it because of what music means to him.

"I'm inspired by life, love, and the human experience. Perhaps it sounds a bit cliche, but honestly, people move me. Relationships move me. Love moves me. Loss moves me. These are things everyone can relate to. And it's one of the things I believe makes music so powerful - when everyone can relate to it," he said.

Alvie and Glover are working on the Cyclones/Alvietron mixtape, which he hopes to complete this fall.

Check out some samples at www.myspace.com/alvietron and on YouTube keyword Alvietron, specifically an X-Men comic inspired track titled "X-Woman" in which he sings about his love interest and her special abilities.

Reva McEachern resides in Jersey City and promotes her music under the alias Reva Cheri. She is the founder and publisher of music site RebelCityMusic.com and news blog ThatsHowTheyGetYou.com - Chanta Jackson, Newark Live, NJ.com