Novi Novog

AGITTARIUS [16-18 / (-30º)-30º] one of the constellations in the "One Size Fits All" (1975) "universe", has a star called "Novi".

Once upon a time (early '70s), she played (viola/keyboards) in a group called Chunky, Novi & Ernie. "Ernie" and "Chunky" are also stars of AGITTARIUS.

Novi Novog rehearsed with FZ in the summer of '75, but she never toured with him.

Novi Novog began playing piano at age four, took up violin at age eight and then moved on to viola. As part of the American Youth Symphony, she studied under Mehli Mehta. Novi attended the California Institute for the Arts on a full scholarship where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree after studying under Louis Kievman with additional instruction in composition from Leonard Stein and Alan Chaplin. She also won the American String Teachers Association competition.

But simultaneously, Novi also pursued a career in the world of pop and rock music. In her childhood, she began playing (1967) and recording with her cousin Lauren Wood which led to an album on the Musicor label as Rebecca & The Sunnybrook Farmers ("Rebirth", Musicor MS 3176) in 1969. The group evolved into Chunky, Novi & Ernie. As Lauren began her solo career, Novi continued to be featured on her recordings. She went on to record and tour in the rock band Sumner on the Elektra/Asylum label. Within a few years Novi rose to prominence in the Los Angeles session scene as a violist for recordings (albums, films, TV shows and commercials) or concerts.

She has a long list of credits highlighted by her viola solos on such big chart hit singles as the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water" and Prince's "Purple Rain" and "Raspberry Beret". She also has performed on recordings by pop artists as diverse as Cher, James Taylor, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Kenny Loggins, Ray Charles and Julio Iglesias.

Novi's talents also extend to working in other genres such as folk (Indigo Girls, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, Shawn Colvin), country (Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers), jazz (Stanley Clarke, David Benoit), new age (John Tesh, Nicholas Gunn, Tangerine Dream, David Arkenstone), and blues (John Mayall). In addition, Novi has performed on stage with many other artists including Everclear, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Scott Weiland, John Cale, Gladys Knight and Luther Vandross. Some of Novi's film soundtrack work includes "Pretty Woman", "Dead Poet's Society", "Sliding Doors", "Mr. Holland's Opus" and "One Fine Day".