For the month of August I will be touring again with Christafari playing keyboards, this time in the South Pacific. We will be island hopping in Micronesia, spending the majority of our time in New Caledonia and Fiji. Since New Caledonia was a French colony I will also be translating for the band while we’re there, and since the last leg of the tour is in Fiji I will definitely be missing my flight home! I’m really looking forward to this tour.
Composer’s salon performance in Venice
Today I will give world premieres of some contemporary classical pieces for piano and voice at a composer’s salon in Venice Beach. Hosted by Kubilay Üner, the event is a European style salon in which composers can present and discuss the creation of music. The songs are new works by composer Mark Abel, with whom I produced the album Dream Gallery.
Birthday concert
This year for my birthday party I gave a house concert of virtuoso classical music. The repertoire was from my time studying at the Colburn School. It was a pleasure to play for everybody and we all had a great time, but the best thing about the party was the amazing grand piano birthday cake that I had. I may never in my life have another cake as cool as this one was.
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- Playing my piano birthday cake like Schroeder
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- Piano birthday cake by Cheryl Leslie Peacock and Terri Mullin
Dream Gallery on Amazon’s Hot New Releases
The orchestral album I orchestrated and produced with composer Mark Abel, Dream Gallery, has been in the top 20 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases list for more than a month now, and today we made it up to #2. I’m flattered, proud, and a little surprised all at the same time.
Dream Gallery gets nice reviews and videos
Our orchestral album Dream Gallery got a nice review from All Music that describes the album both briefly and well. There is also a new series of composer commentary videos on YouTube. The introduction gives an overview of the album. Dream Gallery is on the Delos Music label.
Nice day for press
This morning I was presented with two nice surprises. First, the Berklee College of Music Berklee Blogs did a really nice feature about me. Second, Dream Gallery made it to Amazon’s Hot New Releases list. Not a bad way to start the day!
I’m also beginning some work for another show with Stewart Copeland and D’Drum, this time at the Royal College of Music in London. What a great day!
Dream Gallery Physical Release
The physical release of Dream Gallery is today, and the album is still on sale for HALF PRICE through iTunes for the rest of this month. Buy it before the price doubles!
It’s 70 minutes of classical/rock full orchestra art songs, nothing like anything you have in your collection. Check it out on iTunes, Amazon, our label Delos, Arkiv Music, Classics Online, or a store near you.
Another nice album review by John J. Puccio is available on Classical Candor.
Dream Gallery Press
The Dream Gallery’s release was not long ago, and we’re already getting some very favorable press:
La Jolla Light – album & artist profile
Richmond Confidential – album & artist profile
Midwest Records – album review
Boing Boing – album review
The Dream Gallery release announced
I’m very pleased to announce the March 6 release by the Delos label of “The Dream Gallery: Seven California Portraits”, a massive song cycle for solo singers and full orchestra that depicts a group of archetypal Californians and the regions in which they live.
My first major label release, I co-produced the album and co-orchestrated the music with composer Mark Abel. I also played the piano throughout and we did some of the smaller recording sessions in my Torrance studio. Sharon Lavery, one of the Los Angeles area’s leading conductors, directed an ensemble of distinguished Hollywood session players.
The product of an intense year-and-a-half of composing and recording, Dream Gallery exposes both the state’s varied landscape and the fault lines of its characters’ internal worlds. Dispensing with postcard themes and stressing stark realism, the piece highlights these complexities through music that melds elements of classical, rock and jazz, and is performed by high caliber musicians from across California. Many thanks to Carol Rosenberger, the head of the Delos label, who has been extremely supportive!