Lost in the Trees weaves folk, classical sounds

Credit the seven members of the band that takes pinches of folk a la Joni Mitchell, adorn it with classical instrumentation such as the three-piece string section, tuba and French horn one might hear in Chopin, and blend it into a distinctive American folk-pop creation. “When I first started listening to music, I’d listen to anything on the radio,” Ari Picker said. “Then slowly I moved into more interesting pop, like the Beatles and the Beach Boys.”

While a student at Berklee School of Music in Boston, Picker spent his time immersed in classical composition and assembling a group of players to record orchestral pop songs.

The album “Time Taunts Me” won critical acclaim, but Picker needed to finish school before he could continue to record and perform.

After returning to North Carolina, Picker assembled a group of players and completed the 2008 release “All Alone In an Empty House.” The album was reworked by producer Scott Solter (Spoon, The Mountain Goats) and re-released this spring.

“I guess what makes me feel best is when people come up and say these songs give them hope,” he said. “When people find my music healing, that’s the most special thing.”

The best way to musically find that healing is to add the orchestral instrumentation — strings, tuba, and French horn — to make the sound more lush. Yet Picker discovered the power of classical music almost by happenstance when he was still living at home.

“None of my family played music and I didn’t grow up with music in the house,” Picker said. “Everybody wants to play a guitar in high school and at first I started strumming some chords. I changed by [musical tastes] when I listened to orchestral music.”

From there, Picker taught himself to play and write music.

“I’m sure my family is not unique in its problems,” Picker said. “I hope other people can feel the same release I had from writing this music. And it would be very exciting if anybody was inspired by my music to reach out and listen to more.”