Previous Artist Introductions

Craig Burdette hails from the San Francisco bay area, and counts amongst his musical influences George Winston, Jim Brickman, Burt Bacharach and Stephen Sondheim. So you’d expect strong melodies and musical accessibility, and that’s precisely what he delivers! He’s brought us two songs to share with you from his Recollections album: Chorale and Kevin & Alisha. [Filed under: B]

From another part of the world, UK-based artist Rich Batsford offers up two pieces as well, from his new album, Valentine Court. His diverse musical influences include choral vocal music, jazz and classical, plus his background as lead singer and songwriter in a couple of guitar-based rock bands. From his new album, Valentine Court, enjoy Gudonya and Namaste. [Filed under: B]

Kendra Springer hasn’t released her first album yet, but she’s certainly churning out some beautiful music nonetheless…and it’s only a matter of time before an album will be a fait accompli. In the meantime, you can download two lovely songs here, and more from her web site. She cites musical influences as varied as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Glenn Miller, Kenny G, and Jim Brickman. But she’s birthed a musical style all her own. Discover it with Angela and Angels To Guard You.

Tim Neumark isn’t new to our site, but selections from his new album, Influence, are! It includes tracks dedicated to people and places that have inspired his music. Pieces were written for a former teacher, his wife, church congregations, his parents…and even a dog. Two tracks are for his favorite composer, Antonin Dvorak, using familiar themes of Dvorak’s music. These pieces range from contemplative to energetic, from classical to contemporary. He’s sharing two songs with us this time: On My Way and Thurman.

A native New Yorker, Jane Leslie began studying piano at age six, with a talent and love of music that eventually led to piano studies at the Juilliard School, where she earned a Masters degree…as well as a Doctoral degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Jane’s first album, Dreamsongs was birthed from an unusual experience in which a beautiful new melody appeared to her in a dream: “…a vivid dream with a melody that I could not forget.” Her latest album, Southampton Sunset, is a mix of diverse styles which include upbeat pieces, dramatic ballads, gentle new-age sounds, and soft jazz. And she’s brought us one song from each album: Dreamsongs and Joy.

Tom Van Dorn is a primarily self-taught musician who started with guitar and piano in his early teens. In time, he began composing his own songs on both instruments, although more recently focusing on acoustic piano compositions. His album, A Perfect Day, was created in an unplanned setting with nearly the complete collection of songs recorded straight through in one late-night session without a thought or care about making a recording that would later be sold. This total lack of recording pressure is clearly evident from the very first notes as the music simply flows effortlessly in a mellifluous, soothing way that leaves no doubt that this is one gifted and soulful musician. He’s sharing two songs with us: A Perfect Day and The Music Box.

Rob Fisher is a solo piano artist with emphasis on extemporaneous and impromptu performance and recordings. He was trained in classical piano, but has pulled in influences from reggae, rock, folk, blues, progressive and new age. His album is called Piano Extempore (extempore meaning “in the moment and without preparation”). And he’s brought us two songs to share with you: It Goes By and Pacific’s Edge.

Inner Version is a UK-based project featuring modern solo piano music incorporate many different influences. Some of those cited include Rachmaninoff, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Bach, Debussy, Miles Davis, Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, Aphex Twins, Ennio Morricone and Henry Mancini. If you think that sounds eclectic, you’d be right. Check out the two adventurous tunes they’re sharing with us here: Cambric Clouds and Midnight Rain.

Dirk Schreurs has composed and arranged over 250 tunes, many of which have found their way not only to the performing stage but also to the realm of radio and television around Western Europe. Next to playing the acoustic piano and electro-acoustic vintage keyboards, he also likes to operate analog synthesizers and modules. Since 1994 Dirk has been a professor of music, teaching piano/keyboards, improvisation theory, ensemble, and jazz methodology at the Jazz Department of the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music. Nowadays you can find him at jazz clubs, theaters and on festival stages sitting in with The Roman Korolik Group, Chromatic Banana, Scora, and his own trio called DS3. He’s brought us a selection from his Extemporizations album, Extemporizations 4.

For over 26 years, Dave Powers has been a vital part of the Columbus, Ohio music scene as a pianist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Considered one of the most successful musicians in the local spectrum, he manages to win over the hearts of all who hear him perform. Dave performed his rendition of the popular church hymn Be Thou My Vision as part of the popular TV series The Piano Guy, and they’ve brought us this piece to share with you. You’ll find it on the Music 4 page. Alicia Bessette has recently released a new album called Orchard. It’s been several years since her last release, but you’ll be very glad that she’s back. She’s brought us the lovely Semuhenna to share with you. You’ll find it on the Music 1 page. Jeff Herge has been composing New Age music for performance for over 20 years. He’s received a lot of awards and positive reviews. But this is the first time he’s appeared on our site. From his debut, eponymous album, he’s brought us two songs: Autumn Snow and Rain Drops.

Jennifer Haines made a nice little splash on the world stage earlier this year when her music was selected by the staff of The New Yorker for a video they posted to YouTube which went big-time viral…to the tune of about 3 million views in a matter of just a few days. Which one? It was security camera footage of a guy who was stuck in an elevator in a New York skyscraper for 41 HOURS. Jennifer’s music must have made for the perfect soundtrack…because a ton of people came to her web site and bought albums as a result! But, not content to rest on her laurels, she’s recently released a brand new album…this time, beautiful solo piano treatments of old church hymns called Blessed Assurance: Solo Piano Hymns. For those who didn’t grow up in the church, you may be unaware that church hymns have given us some of the most majestic and timeless melodies ever heard by human ears. Jen has brought us two tracks to offer as free downloads: Blessed Assurance and O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus.

Keith Wiley counts as his influences classical masters Beethoven and Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninoff…soundtrack wizards John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith…but also progressive electronic trance. More neoclassical than New Age, his music is infused with passion ranging from the calm to the near-furious. From his Solo Piano album, he’s brought us Train of Thought.

Doug Hammer was called to music at a very early age. His parents noticed this (at age three) and he began piano lessons at the age of six. He had some great teachers in contemporary and classical styles of music. He began composing songs (mainly pop) while in high school. He went to Berklee College of Music on a partial scholarship and studied songwriting, commercial arranging, and jazz. Doug has always enjoyed the recording and production process and (along with this graphic designer wife) decided to open his own project studio and production company, Dreamworld Productions and Design. They moved to Lynn, MA and opened a studio in 2000 which included a new Schimmel Concert Grand piano. Doug has worked on a variety of projects such as CD’s, jingles, soundtracks for film, TV, and radio, music for corporate events, and so on. He was composing his own music during this time as well. At the end of 2007, his solo piano album, Solace, was finally released. From that album, he’s sharing 3 songs with us: A Dream I Once Lived In, Flying High and In The Fields. You’ll find Doug’s music on the Music 2 page.

Since infancy, music has had a powerful effect on Kathryn Toyama. Her mother says that she could always rely on beautiful music to stop her crying… that she’d become quiet and calm when the music reached her ears. Beginning piano lessons at age 9, Kathryn already wanted to weave her own melody with the notes and found it difficult to respect the confines of time signatures. Her mother found a concert pianist who was grooming students for classical piano competition, and Kathryn suddenly became a serious student trying to catch up to those already so accomplished. While today she is thankful for the rigorous scale work, at the time…with the constant pressure to place in competitions, she lost the desire to play and stopped at age 16. After many years of healing transitions and life lessons, she finally returned to the piano for catharsis…with a renewed spiritual awakening and the digital era now offering musicians new freedoms. Most important to her as an artist now is no longer technique, but depth of soul. Kathryn has brought us two songs, Prayer for Peace (from her album, Hope for Harmony…and The Smell of Rain (from a forthcoming release).

As an established and respected recording artist, Steven C. has impressively sold well over 2 million records throughout his beloved canon of music, which includes the popular CD Chasing Grace (American Gramaphone), and a best selling series of nature-themed CDs with the acclaimed NorthSound Label. Classically trained and gifted with a keen ear and sensibility for all styles of music, Steven began his musical education with perfunctory piano lessons at home that many burgeoning artist endure… eventually perfecting his craft and distinctive style at respected Hamline University, where he earned a BA in music and had the good fortune of studying extensively with the late jazz legend Manfredo Fest. Steven is sharing two songs with us, Meeting of the Souls and Play With My Heart, from his album Signature.

I first met Richard Douglas Trowbridge Souther in 1975, when he was part of A Band Called David…who toured the country as the backup band for Christian rockers Barry McGuire and The Second Chaper of Acts (often accompanied by legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy). He was an in-demand session musician as well, and a pioneer in new age instrumental music (both solo piano and synth-driven). He performed and recorded under two different names…Richard Souther and Douglas Trowbridge…in order to connect with two different markets, recording for the Meadowlark/Sparrow and MCA/Narada labels. Now he’s reintegrated his split musical personalties to some degree, and uses his complete given name…and he’s sharing with us two beautiful solo piano compositions from his Memories of Twilight album: She’s Like The Circle and Mississippi Tears.

Tim Neumark was born and raised on the Mid-Atlantic coast, spending much of his youth in Frostburg, Maryland. In his childhood and early adulthood his foremost passion was athletics, and he participated in baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, and track. He also developed a taste for classical and new age music in his teenage years, but it wasn’t until his later high school years that he discovered his talent for the piano. As he began to teach himself to play in college, he continued to excel at sports and won scholarships and acclaim for his athletic talent. After college, he moved to Maryland to take a job in computers, which allowed him to travel the country, playing every piano he could find, and writing new music whenever he could. There he met his future wife, Monica, who was attending the University of Maryland. He began to play the piano at her church, in her house, and eventually, he even played the prelude at their wedding. Tim says his musical inspiration comes from his feelings and thoughts about the world and people around him. He’s brought us two songs from his first album, Biography, which you’ll find on the Piano 4 page. And if you especially enjoy Tim’s music, check out a couple more of his pieces on our free Christmas music site, Feels Like Christmas.

Joseph Akins is an accomplished recording artist, pianist, keyboardist, composer, producer and educator. He has produced numerous CDs, composed for film and helped others accomplish the same through education. As a teen, he played keyboards and saxophone in his father’s country-rock band that regularly performed in Tennessee. Joseph says “I remember standing on the stage when I was about twelve years old knowing that music would always be a part of my life”. Joseph went on to record and tour with local rock bands. He attended college from ages 19 until 27 earning two Bachelor degrees and a Master’s degree in music. During these years, he acquired a new passion for jazz. In 2000, Joseph turned to teaching higher education full-time with an invitation from the prestigious Department of Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University, the largest music recording program in the world. And in 2006, he completed a doctorate in education. Today, Joseph is an award-winning educator at MTSU and writes, performs and promotes his original music. He’s brought us the title song from his latest piano album, Masterpeace.

Martin Horn cites influences as diverse as Debussy, Clara Ponty, George Winston, David Nevue and Yanni. As to inspiration, “Half of my inspiration comes from the people around me. Deeply feeling their troubles and joys presents me with the responsibility to comfort and offer praise in song and word. If the words can not be spoken, then the music takes me over. If I don’t hear music, then the written word will bring comfort. The other half of inspiration is the pure joy of standing in God’s wilderness surrounded by only the creation of the Lord.” Martin shares two songs with us from his album First Flight.

Linda Seeley is an accomplished musician. She began taking lessons at age 9, and within a year, she decided that she wanted to become a piano teacher when she grew up…a dream fulfilled after she received her degree in Music Education from UW-Milwaukee. She currently teaches more that sixty students at the Lakeshore Conservatory and at her home. She’s been writing melodies of her own for most of her life and finally released her first album in 1999. Linda loves outdoor activities and draws much of her musical inspiration from being out in nature. She’s sharing two songs with us: “Serenity” and “Sunflower”.

Long Island resident Jennifer Haines returns to the spotlight here on FSP…this time with two songs from her latest album, Thoughts & Dreams. Check out “Flurries” and the title track, “Thoughts and Dreams”.

Natasha Miren has absorbed a lot of influences for a young lady of 19. She was born in Switzerland to a Dutch father and Filipina mother. At 9 years of age, she expressed an interest in piano lessons. She was taught by ear and later found it almost impossible to pick up note-reading, often cheating her way through her piano homework by playing along with CDs instead. She also plays guitar (classical, steel-string and Stratocaster). Natasha has lived in the Philippines and the Netherlands…and she’s currently in her first year at the London School of Economics. She’s also racked up quite a few YouTube views for some of her video clips. You’ll find her lovely solo piano piece, “October”.

Curt Siffert has an interesting story as well: When he was 10 years old, his family moved from the East Coast to Colorado. Piano lessons were a help in that adjustment period for him. In his words, “Each new piece I learned about became a mystery that needed to be solved. Grieg’s Notturno, Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu, Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto – they all fueled my progress.” He continued to develop musically over the years, venturing into jazz, a cappella, MIDI composition and film scoring. After settling in Portland, he acquired a piano of his own and began composing and improvsing…a lot.The Piano Musings page on his site features raw recordings of solo piano improvisations – usually made up on the spot, with new ones added every few days or weeks. We’re presenting a couple of them here: “Slow Rain” and “An Elusive Sweetness”.

Michele McLaughlin was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was drawn to piano music from early childhood and would play her favorite songs by ear for friends and family. Michele took piano lessons for a very short period of time, but quit when the lessons took the fun out of playing. Shortly afterwards, when she was 8 years old, she was introduced to the music of George Winston and was instantly moved and inspired by his remarkable talent and style. She would listen to his music, and then play his songs by ear. It was during this time that she began composing and recording her own songs. A few years have passed since then, and Michele now has 8 albums of her piano music in release. She’s sharing two songs with us: “I Love You (2005)” and “Celtic Christmas”.

Thad Fiscella is based in the Hannibal, Missouri area (boyhood home of Mark Twain!) with his wife and 3 children. He began piano and percussion lessons at the age of 11. Early on, he enjoyed writing simple melodies and playing them. But over time, as both his playing and composition increased in sophistication, he found that he enjoyed playing his own music rather than just something others had written. His composition was heavily influenced by Debussy and Beethoven as well as the music of the late classical and romantic period. Currently his listening tastes run more toward new age piano, and his writing has moved more in that direction as well. His blend of classical and contemporary piano is relaxing and meditative…and has been described as a perfect blend of heartfelt simplicity and musical technique – enjoyable for any occasion, and yet intricate enough to hear and feel new ambiences with each listening. He’s brought us two songs: “Mother’s Devotion” and “Remember Me”.

Solomon Keal is a solo pianist from Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania. In addition to his piano artistry, he teaches piano (specializing in non-traditional lessons which cover piano basics, music theory, composition, and improvisation), and has a diploma in Recording Engineering from the Audio Institute of America. Solomon was like most kids when he started taking piano lessons…he didn’t enjoy it very much…and throughout his 6 years of formal lessons, he certainly would never have envisioned his future as a piano composer and performer. But, over the years, he found himself drawn back to the keyboard again and again. Today, he writes about 6 piano pieces per year, and has released several albums. He’s offering us downloads of two beautiful pieces: Sweet Dreams and Wellesley’s Waterfall.

The lovely Jennifer Haines returns as well…this time offering us a couple of sweet holiday treats, from her new album Christmas Magic. You’ll find her beautiful renditions of Carol of the Bells and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

David Nevue was one of the original artists to appear on this site when it started a few years back. He’s gone on to record several new albums, as well as to begin a delightful solo piano-based internet radio station called Whisperings. He’s brought us two cuts from two of his most recent albums: “Sweet Dreams & Starlight” and “It Is Well With My Soul”.

Louis Landon’s rich musical legacy included stints playing with John Hall (Orleans), Rupert Holmes (“Pina Colada”) and for Mikhail Baryshnikov. He says that his personal mission in life is to create a more emotional world by creating and performing music from the heart, and he offers us “Peaceful”.

Carolyn Downie is a classical and jazz pianist, composer and teacher. Her album Waves at Bathsheba offers original solo piano works blending lyricism and impressionism with polytonality, expressionism and improvisation. She is sharing her tune “Scenic Pathways (’94)”.

And finally, Azimuth is a bit of an anomaly on a solo piano site…a collaboration. Paul Gentry and Rhesa Siregar wrote the music, and their melodies were arranged and performed through the golden fingers of Ed Goldfarb, who has among his other credits, a Gold record and production work on the Apocalypse Now score. You’ll find “Oceanfront” and “One Thing”.

As a composer, Joshua Rich is adventurous and dynamic. As a pianist, he’s textured and fluid. He also composes custom scores, and has served as music director for many gala events, featuring several well-known celebrities, such as Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line, The Sting), Senator Hillary Clinton, Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show), Sinbad, and Peter Ustinov (Harry Potter). For these happenings, Joshua has been responsible for putting together children’s choirs, conducting orchestras, arranging pieces for singers, and hiring musicians. He’s provided us with four pieces from his latest solo piano album, Rain. Check out Kelsey, Rain, Sunrise and Waterfall.

Born into a musical family, Loren DiGiorgi began playing piano at age three and started composing music when he was seven. The youngest of four, Loren remembers hearing music constantly from as early as he can remember. His older brothers all played piano and his father was a violin player who later in life began hand-carving violins and cellos of his own. Born with perfect pitch, Loren’s love affair with the piano began at this early age and has continued to this day. He began taking formal piano training when he was eight years old and studied mainly classical until he graduated from high school. During this time, his love for the classical masters such as Bach and Chopin blossomed. While baroque was his favorite music period at this point in his life, he also was keenly interested in what was going on musically in the modern era. After high school, Loren briefly attended Dana School of Music and Berklee College of Music. Today he composes and performs regularly and is also a piano tuner-technician. He is currently working on music for a new CD to be released in late 2006. Check out The Last Hinterland.

Laura Sullivan grew up on a farm with spectacular views of both Mt. Lassen and Mt Shasta in the Northern California Ishi Wilderness. Her clear and memorable themes evoke deep emotions and expose a contemporary, freshness which at the same time suggests roots born of classical music. Kathy Parsons of Solo Piano Publications writes: “A strong and passionate pianist, Laura Sullivan brings a distinctive new voice to contemporary piano.” Her appreciation for our environment blossomed in the wilderness setting where she grew up and continues to influence and inspire her compositions to this day. In her first appearance on this site, Laura has brought us two beautiful pieces from her Piano Solos album: “Claire de Lune” and “Hope for the Sun”

Legendary composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein called him “a pianist with a marvelous touch”. He personally credits influences as diverse as Keith Emerson, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. He has scored music for Court TV, numerous TV pilots, and has appeared on both NBC-TV’s Today in New York, and CBS-TV’s Early Show. But who is this masked man? Once again we welcome Bernard Weinstock, who offers two more pieces from his album Evening – Piano Solos: “February Afternoon” and “One Last Time”

Thomas James hails from the Bay Area of Northern California. He has said that his songs “are curious creations… and if people like them, I am glad I can pass on something that has given me happiness. A lot of my music has come through when my times needed to hear it. And they helped, so… I hope that others too, will enjoy them.” Thomas is happy to share what he calls “the silent loudness” heard only by him through two songs from his collection An Elevator Ride: “15 Years” and “A Simple Sadness Goodbye”.

Greg Maroney has been a long-time participant here, and he serves up a beautiful playful piece from his latest album, Wind Chimes. It’s called “Mountain Snow”. As someone once said of his music, “you will find yourself reminiscing, smiling, waltzing and dreaming.”

Chuck Brown has released his latest disc, Incandescence. And he brings us three pieces, each reflecting a different mood…from the driving rhythm of “Majoring in the Minors” to the delicate, yet powerful melody of “Sweetness & Light”. As a side note, the tasty string arrangment on the latter piece was provided by Stephen Bashaw, another artist on this site.

Timothy Davey has been playing piano for 35 years, 25 of them in public. He has worked as a solo performer and in a multitude of bands in Adelaide, South Australia where he is a much sought-after keyboard player. He credits his interest in solo piano to hearing solo guitarist Leo Kottke in his teens, but has also admired the style of other solo guitarists including Dan Crary and Doc Watson. His favorite style of music, he says, is jazz-bluegrass or ‘Newgrass’ music. Among keyboard players, he admires Fats Waller, Chick Corea, and Philip Aaberg and among other musicians: Mike Marshall, Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer.Timothy’s music has been described as ‘non-pedestrian’, ‘challenging’, ‘a sub-genre’, ‘brimming with creativity’, ‘highly accessible’, ‘refreshing & awe-inspiring’ and as having a ‘casual elegance’. He’s just released his second collection of original piano solos, Scenes from the Neighbourhood, and offers us two of his songs as an introduction to the disc. Check out those two pieces on the Music Downloads page, and when you have a few moments, stop by his web site to learn more about him and his music.

As an artist, Jeff Bjorck believes music in its purest form is sometimes the closest thing to art. Not surprisingly, his solo acoustic piano compositions paint a gallery of musical images suitable for framing. These original works interweave delicacy with intensity, combine musical notes with the space between them, and create moving pictures that move the emotions. Dr. Bjorck is somewhat of an expert on emotions. As a clinical psychologist, researcher, and professor at Fuller Seminary’s Graduate School of Psychology, his multifaceted vocation typifies his ongoing passion for a Renaissance man’s approach to life. Jeff has released his new CD, Impressions in Black and White, and he’s sent us a couple selections from the album for free download. You’ll find Feather’s Flight and Sun Shower on the Music Downloads page. And be sure to visit Jeff’s Pure Piano web site to read more and learn more about his music.