During times of war most sovereign nations remain dependent on men and women serving in the military for defense and protection of their country. While protecting the freedoms and individual rights of private citizens, returning soldiers acquire imbedded memories that last a lifetime and clearly the grandest memory of them all is during the homecoming when reunited with their families.

Peter Jennison is a U.S. Army Captain and MEDEVAC helicopter pilot returning from active duty during the war in Iraq with revealing memories he witnessed from a firsthand perspective. An American living at home in Florida now, his latest CD composed during the time period he served in Iraq is meant to evoke imagery of the conflict as a more peaceful musical experience for every listener, along with providing renewing therapy for soldiers and families upon their return home from service.

Longing For Home ( Songs From War ) is a New Age Contemporary Instrumental release Peter Jennison composed for piano with renown musicians supplying refined instrumentals in most of the 10 songs. This album also has the notation of being a Will Ackerman production and with Corin Nelsen providing the mixing and mastering, their Grammy Award winning expertise can be perceived as a winning strategy by the quality work they produce.

In another strategic move, Peter Jennison enlisted highly recognized artists on his album including Jeff Haynes on percussion, Eugene Friesen on cello and Steve Schuch on violin. In addition, Will Ackerman performs on guitar in one song and vocalist Noah Wilding gives soft vocals on two songs. This album also holds the honor of being some of the last performances given by the late Tom “ T-Bone “ Wolk, a highly regarded multi instrumentalist remembered in part by his outstanding talents.

War is a song with lighter phases in the beginning that build with increasing drama as piano, violin and percussion recreate a battlefield image during a dramatic illustration projected within the arrangement. Nicely shown by a precise context, increasing tempo and percussion rhythms project distant artillery rounds, where chest moving recoil and ejecting shell casings seem all too real.

Peter Jennison composed his album with much regard to stories from the heart and mind. This is apparent in his compositions where most songs portraying a tranquil atmosphere with a strong sense of drama and emotion can be easily felt and is consistent, during his solo piano expressions and in songs with instrumental refrains.

Performing on a Steinway B, the emotional feel of 4 Solo Piano songs; Hold Me in Your Heart, The Promise, Anthem & Longing For Home ( Title Song ) are classic and uplifting yet each one holds a certain melancholy as if telling of the days spent apart from family and the additional weight of uncertainty this carries.

The piano and instrumentals of violin during Time Passage convey this more poignant feeling where piano, cello and bass in High Mountain Dreams has a relaxing atmosphere. The bass guitar and piano duet band together as one in moving song Desert Storms, then a piano melody combined with guitar, violin and tenor vocals in The One breaks into a resolute wave of harmony, in music finely empowered to portray the sentiment most of us will never experience firsthand.

Longing For Home ( Songs From War ) is indeed told from a U.S. soldier’s perspective, made more real since this story is voluntarily given by someone who has honorably faced and met the challenges war can bring. And while recounting American men and women risking all in service to their country, reverent tribute is given to those lives we honor in memorandum of, also celebrating the virtues of every U.S. soldier as a regular citizen and a beloved family member.

Visit peterjennisonmusic.com to learn more. You can sample / purchase at his CDBaby.com page or Digstation.com page.

Note : A portion of the proceeds from every album sold will be given to charities that support veterans and their families.

Picture copyright BigStockPhoto.com – JustASC

Some young adults begin their early working careers by taking whatever job is at hand and find the road to success. Some hope to achieve the road to success when handed the family business. Either decision requires talent and determination of course, but the universal message often heard about either choice is to always have your individual hopes and dreams.

Gunnar Madsen from Berkley California has achieved an impressive level of success most would hope for at this stage of his bright career. You can visit his website to learn all about his career choices through the years and I feel his grand success as a Grammy Nominated pianist and award winning composer, singer, writer, sound designer, filmmaker and actor are career decisions that might have even impressed his family.

Two Hands is the New Age, Cinematic Piano, Instrumental 2010 release from Gunnar Madsen and eighteenth CD he has produced. This album is a more especial and innermost portrayal of his musical works in relation to his earlier compositions with the a capella group he founded called The Bobs.

His first solo album Spinning World is a closer likeness with Two Hands, in a uniquely diverse discography that includes award winning family CDs along with an Epic Orchestral recording and even a lively pop art Rock album titled The Power of a Hat.

The recipient of countless music and theatre awards, his Grammy Nomination was for a song arrangement by The Beatles and has received ASCAP Awards for 15 consecutive years, plus his music is featured in some episodes of the widely popular HBO series Sex and the City and films Breaking the Rules, A Special Providence, The Break Up & Just a Kiss. Gunnar Madsen also does voiceovers, providing the film voice for Don Cheatle when he portrayed Sammy David Jr. in the Emmy Award winning HBO film The Rat Pack and this is just a partial listing of many credits during his career so far.

Two Hands was recorded at the industry regarded Skywalker Sound Studio and includes 16 songs total. Three songs have contrasting instrumentals where notable guest violinist Irene Sazer, a member of the improvisational Jazz and Classical group Turtle Island String Quartet lends her elegant expressions.

The first violin portrayal by Irene Sazer on Kerenyl is more subtle while gently tracing the melodic depth on strings as Gunnar leads on piano. Ordinary Day & Red Bird make a beautiful piano and string duet from the pair, extending the symmetrical harmony on each song while interblending into a narrative full of melodic drama.

Solo Piano ballads of Cinematic proportions are the sequential songs where Gunnar begins to reveal the innermost reflections of his work in a manner of classic distinction.

Outlined with a conceptual feeling of depth, some of the more melodramatic and intriguing phrasing performed on songs like Nino and Me, Down Moon & South Trail are offered with a personalized touch.

Frank Grows Flowers is a song responding with an upbeat tempo and imaginative runs while dancing along the piano keys in every measure.  The light reflective moments yet none the less expressive songs The Blackbird Whistling, Brandon & Oak Sky are more introspective in their structuring.

Break into Blossom begins with a lighter metrical sway and soon unfolds into bolder imagery by exploring a more robust presentation of greater intensity before returning into restful state of contentment and has a resemblance in style with In These Lonely Regions & Down Moon, given the more pronounced dynamics of diminuendo and crescendo variances.

Much like the memoir notes on the inside album cover detailing each composition, Gunnar Madsen traces every song on Two Hands with a gifted accounting of his diverse imagination while delivering a beautiful finger to key statement and like the valuable reward of success that is never just handed to anyone, it came from the talent and determination of an individual who started with and continues to have, hopes and dreams.

Visit gunnarmadsen.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page. You can also purchase at Amazon, iTunes and most music outlets. Read more about Gunnar Madsen on his biography page.

Picture copyright BigStockPhoto – jocelynbaker

Today’s computer enhanced technology is amazing, and when skillful composing is combined with live performers and instrumentals, the resulting musical outcome can become a creation of natural beauty.

Timothy Crane is an artist title using a creative touch with the music technology of today by composing piano music, then adding key instrumentals along with orchestra effects that become full structured works of music he and his close friends enjoy creating.

Dragonfly is the second release where Timothy plays a leading role as pianist and co-producer of his second album, along with Jason Rowsell who also played bass and mixing. Friends Rick Henly performs on guitar and percussion effects, while Ryan Day engineered and mixed the album. Having one last credit I don’t want to miss, Jason Rowsell’s young daughter has a cameo role by quietly laughing on cue during the beginning of song, A Child’s Goodnight.

The Other Life I Dream is the first album I enjoyed equally from this talented group. When asking Timothy what was the primary objective on this current release, and what set Dragonfly apart from the first album. Here is his reply :

With Dragonfly, my focus was more on composition. Each piece reflects an attempt to craft an instrumental tune that is memorable, unique to the overall album, and noticeably piano-driven, produced by independent musicians who want nothing more than to continue to create and play music.   Timothy Crane

Dragonfly is where I discovered more natural forms of instrumentation become closely acquainted with an animated entity in 11 song classics. A few songs carry the rhythmic tones that might remind some of a highly recognized female artist at first glance, but I soon found each song is composed with a singular structuring in each melody belonging in a modern New Age, Piano, Instrumental, Cinematic theme.

Dragonfly indeed takes flight with first song 2×2. In a graceful piano based dance of the keys, a real beauty of a melody greatly captures your attention by the upper tempo modern rhythms. Well placed staccato notes from strings carry this steady motion while wonderful orchestration carries the appropriate rhythms that lead to a natural form of musical attraction.

Sylvan Grove holds much of the same beauty by piano leading in an upbeat theme while horns and strings inscribe a smooth blend into another most positive melody. Higher octave piano notes in Star Cross Moon are the first gentle indications of a nice correlation in melodic shades, and when numerous major to minor key changes make a full emotional presence felt during refrains, the result is gratifying.

A Child’s Goodnight is a playful theme that soon matures in a full chord and heartfelt movement, while Salish Sunset in again, a more moderate tempo, along with light recollections in piano phrasing, join with oboe to impart warm tones to the overall picture.

Theft in Eb Major is more of a classic thought in composition with major and minor chords extending vibrant hues while building momentum. Woodwinds warm breezy notes blend with background choral vocals to instill a more celestial feel with this song.

Theme of Rachel Scott is another focal point where medium range keystrokes give way to lower chords feel of depth and richness, blending nicely with orchestration to become one beautiful entity. Vasilissa the Beautiful entertains a most peaceful beginning only to be suddenly interrupted by an enthralling performance from piano, choir, and deep thunderous percussion, quickly taking flight as if suddenly startled from a comfortable resting place.

Title song Dragonfly is an impassioned piano solo signaling the finale of this lightly animated album, in a conclusion where I felt every colorful detail was closely examined while producing this incorporated album, becoming the right choice for many people desiring popular music creations having a natural attraction.

Visit timothycrane.com website to sample / purchase, or at his CDBaby.com page.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – FOTOCROMO

Starting from early childhood, this New Age artist from Southern California has always had the ambition to pursue music as a career. Beginning piano at age 14 she first began composing music on her own after discovering music greats like the Beatles, Herb Alpert, and John Williams. By having these three great artist influences with such a varied range in sound, you are probably starting to wonder just who this person is and what her music sounds like when integrating these three great music influences into one hybrid entity.

Let me introduce Kori Linae Carothers to everyone. Those familiar with Kori know her early compositions began without formal music lessons. After doing quite well, she continued on with Classical music at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music where her future as a concert pianist looked promising and the rest of her story is history as they say.

Taking time off to first raise a family, her desire to produce music returned while attending a Yanni concert, and after helpful encouragement from her husband, her first album The Road Less Traveled and second album The Journey became a reality.

Trillium is the third and latest release in this music trilogy. The entire album holds a wide array of New Age, Contemporary piano, Acoustic Instrumental, and Ambient touches in a well thought out arrangement, giving a multiple angle approach that fits together remarkably well.

Trillium is a collection of music, inspired by the power of three. The music on this album is a continuation of expressions of my thought, about experiences in my life inspired by friendships, hopes, and dreams.

Kori Linae Carothers

Kori Linae Carothers performs much of the melody by playing classic piano, Native American flute, light vocals and synthesizer on this project, along with some beautiful orchestration throughout, giving the complete project a classical embrace. There is also a number of gifted musicians playing guitar, cello, violin, dulcimer, and flugel horn, along with the percussion enhancements, creating a great amount of depth and beauty by the talented professionals playing beside her.

The album production was also placed in the skillful hands of Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman at his Imaginary Road Studios, giving the final product that extra touch for which he is famous.

Trillium is also one genus of around 50 species of flowering plant in the Lily family. This flowering plant is another example of the great gifts that come in threes since this species has a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, all with a 3 leaf distinction.

Crystal Fields is just one of the eleven colorful song varieties among the full bouquet from the Trillium album. Once you discover the many beautiful choices available, I really wouldn’t be surprised if you pick the whole bouquet as your personal favorites.

Crystal Fields is one particular song that starts out in a well defined melancholy tone, beginning the mid tempo piece with a deep flowing piano movement that boldly takes the initiative by planting the first seeds of hope, setting a full range of emotion from each carefully considered note. The soft and delicate melody of lighter piano notes are a result from pressing the instrument’s three foot pedals based at ground level, dampening both the piano tone and your eyes at the same time.

The distant flugal horn melody soon grows and is then generously dispersed by applying extended brass notes having a light vibrato, enhancing the tonal warmth and harmony purely by implementing the three valves of this brass instrument known for warm tonal sounds.

The bass cello is the third instrument to tug at your heart strings by rising to the surface in a characteristic movement of feeling. This final considerate thought for depth, richness, and ambiance connects the trio of orchestra instruments together in a classic moment of splendor and clarity, arriving at our fruitful conclusion of one picturesque song variety from the many in full bloom.

From the 11 colorful songs on the Trillium album, I picked only the white one. Pick the full bouquet of flowers at koritunes.com here, then sample at CD Baby.com here.