Alright, here we go - this is probably the last MC Piano News in 2021! It has to be special, because while everyone is getting ready for the string of nice celebrations as of next week, musicians are sweating their fingers off coming up with incredibly beautiful music for this festive period.
I have created the "Multicolored Christmas" playlist to accommodate all these beautiful tunes and I encourage you to follow and listen to the playlist here (while having a warm cozy evening with friends or relatives during these winter days) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4rO3bP91l4Uxegob0LXAFp?si=3336e358023c4854
Multicolored Piano playlist is listened to by 3100 piano fans, and I feel incredibly responsible to keep you all engaged and interested. Hence the new music will keep pouring into this playlist during the holidays, to accompany the last days of 2021.
Let's see what the past week brought us: as always: read on below or dive right into the music here:
1. "Valse à la française"
by GéNIA from the UK.
GéNIA’s composition ‘Valse à la française’ was inspired by her summer travels in the south of France and is one of the tracks off her forthcoming album ‘Voyages français’.
Surrounded by the breath-taking beauty of French nature and the rich French cultural heritage, this composition represents the composer’s musical take on a French summer lifestyle, where she used to spend every summer for many years.
2. "Me And My Piano"
by HRDY from the Netherlands
Me And My Piano is a fine Piano Waltz by HRDY (Wouter Hardy), his 8th release and working towards his first Album about to be released by the end of 2022 (2nd EP in May).
HRDY, also known as Wouter Hardy, is a Dutch composer, producer and musician. Hardy discovered the piano and played his way onto the stage with the artist Kovacs where he inhabited the role of musical director and pianist for some time.
Hardy made his 2019 global debut as a producer on the record 'Arcade’ by Duncan Laurence. The song sits currently at #30 in the Billboard Hot 100 and Top 10 US Airplay.
Over the last months, Hardy has been working on his solo project HRDY, composing music to be released on his own studio album. Influenced by music pioneers such as Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Max Richter and Joep Beving, his compositions blend the styles of the neo-classical era with ambient, electronic sounds, resulting in multi-leveled, immersive and cinematic music pieces. HRDY releases his EP on August 27, 2021 and will be complementing his full-length debut album in the course of the coming year.
3. "Serenity"
by Alex Rogalski from the US
This is Alex's latest piano single called "Serenity" - a peaceful tune about walking near the lake.
It is a relaxing, tranquil song for relaxation and/or sleep (released by Yellow Rose Records). A moment of time captured near Lake Norman, NC.
4. "Reminiscence"
by Yosh from Japan
Yosh says:
"This piano piece expressed warm but a few sad feelings. I think that everyone sometimes gets such feelings when they look back on their memories. It is suitable for the time which you spend in your room quietly."
Yosh is a bedroom producer who creates songs, lyrics, arrangements, pictures, and videos.
He started working in Tokyo in 2016.
The style is pop that incorporates various essences such as electro music, jazz, bossa nova, and easy listening.
5. "Past Lives"
by David Marlow from Germany
David says:
" This track is my newest piano solo release. It is quite nostalgic and dreamy. I have called it Past Lives as I feel it transports me back a long time ago. Maybe the listeners can picture a distant past version of themselves in another century...?"
British / German musician, conductor, pianist and composer David Marlow loves to blur the lines between different genres and break down boundaries between different musical worlds. Combining elements of classical music with electronic and synth sounds he creates hybrid atmospheric instrumental soundscapes that are sometimes branded “neoclassical” or “contemporary classical”.
Born to British parents he grew up in Germany, learning the piano and singing in choirs throughout his childhood. He trained as a classical conductor and started a performing career that led him to orchestras throughout Europe. Working as musical assistant to Andris Nelsons at the Bayreuth Festival for many years he deepened his insights into the music of Richard Wagner who can be said, amongst many other things, to be the grandfather of film music.
Having always loved the world of film David Marlow worked on the biopic Louis van Beethoven as music supervisor and musical director. He loves to tell stories with his music and create ambient cinematic musical images, often collaborating with photographer Christian Palm @grauwertartist.
He is based in Cologne (Germany) and at Studio Floisdorf, a place for creativity in the countryside.
6. "Wonder"
by Julie Hanney from the US
Wonder is the song about being open to the wonder and miracles that are all around us.
Julie is a pianist, composer and teacher. Her music spans several genres from relaxing to contemporary classical to jazz to modern romantic.
Writing music since she was a little girl, she received her formal music education at the University of Oregon where she graduated with a degree in music with special emphasis on piano and composition. She studied composition at the graduate level and is a published composer of works for piano, choir and various instrument combinations.
She has arranged and composed music for the Jones Road String Quartet, the Bend Cello Collective, the Gospel Choir of the Cascades and various community, church and school choirs. Comfortable crossing many genres from classical to gospel and more, Julie loves to create unique soundscapes. Julie's music has been described as "peaceful yet intriguing."
One reviewer said, "If George Winston and Erik Satie had a musical baby, it would be Julie Hanney." This is a true compliment of Julie's ability to create and perform music that can both inspire and soothe.
7. "Haven"
by Jonathan Carlisle from the US.
Haven is a piece about not being able to relive your memories. Jonathan creates a picture of being alone, in a boat, in the ocean. There are many memories but that's all they are and only you feel the haven they bring.
Jonathan Carlisle (b.1991) is a pianist & composer, currently based in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. Jonathan incorporates a wide variety of genre and sound to create dynamic compositions that complement varied atmospheres. From Romantic style performance pieces to Neo classical soft piano his music have awarded him recognition from an array of establishments including ASCAP, Hal Leonard, and CCM (College Conservatory of Music)
8. "Abstraction"
by Philippe Paquet from Canada
Abstraction is a piece for solo piano that Philippe wrote in the fall of 2020, collaborating with the wonderful pianist Benjamin Bertin on it.
Philippe Paquet is a Canadian composer based in the Montreal region. He studied jazz guitar and classical composition at Université de Montréal. His music is about a collection of life events, emotions and experiences weaved tightly together. He combines the sounds of contemporary minimalism, classical, pop and film music to create a very unique and personal tapestry.
9. "In the Bleak Midwinter"
by Michael Janzen from Canada
Christmas, for many, can be bleak; darker with shorter days, colder temperatures and frozen grounds.
And yet, life is resting and waiting for the sun to return. This song reminds us that in the middle of winter, we can make space to embrace stillness and peace.
This song is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the gifts that are all around us.
Listen to these and other wonderful piano pieces at Multicolored Piano on Spotify here
Blessings and a good Sunday to everyone! andrei