Hi and thank you for arriving. This is my opportunity to invite you to read what I have written on my page. It will give you some insight to my music, the stories behind it’s making, my musical background and what I was able to accomplish by taking a leap of faith.
“Music is a Universal Bridge from the Heart to the Soul“
My new web site launched January 08, for an interesting read look under About for I perceive.
I invite you to join my fan base, as I would like to hear from you.
Music description:
Beautiful, powerful Contemporary Classical Instrumental Piano performances by a seasoned pianist, who effortlessly embraces romance, love and hope, while pushing the music's positive influence on the listener to new heights.
... “ Mr. Wish has crafted a style bridging New Age and serious Classical music. Bravo to Evan Wish and his Lullaby of Love.”
* The making of Lullaby of Love began as a one-day demo with Peter Granet. At the time, I was living and performing in Provénce, France and Europe in the mid 90’s and periodically I would travel back and forth to Los Angeles.
When I returned to Los Angeles for good, the house I rented burned 6 months after moving in (due to a plumber) and was not inhabitable, this only 2 days before Christmas. My life and music were put on hold indefinitely.
It took a few years to put it all back together and I needed inspiration. In 2001, I decided to seek out a mentorship and I went back to studying classical music under Dr. Yakov Birman of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
The passing of my father in early 2003 was the catalyst to look at my life, a year later, I decided to stop everything including my day job, (taking a leap of faith) and focus solely on the production of my original melodies and release an album. I dedicated this work in Loving Memory to my father with prayer and love.
In the process, for I had no expectations I witnessed a dream come true. From every corner around the world, acknowledgements and accolades began to arrive for the beautiful and moving melodies that touched the heart and soul. I was humbled, thank you.
* For the release:
I hired a team of professionals and together we garnered Airplay Worldwide: 200 Syndicated Radio Stations with Public and College Radio, Muzak, Music Choice, DMX In-Flight audio programming, Music Sojourn, Internet & Live 365 Audio Streaming, All Music Guide, Muze, Loudeye, Yahoo/Launch, AOL.com. Cable T.V. at Galaxie and many others. International countries of Canada, Spain, Japan, Republic of Belarus, Latvia, Australia, Hungary, Romania, Italy & the Netherlands.
* Début Worldwide at #3 in Dec. 04, #3 in Jan.05; #6 in Feb.05; #25 in March 05; and retains the Top 100 for 5 months on the New Age Reporter.com charts.
* NARAS - consideration in the 48th. Grammy Awards for Best New Age Album in 2005 *
* Featured Artist: Series on WMNR “Fine Arts Radio” Monroe, CT. hosted by Mr. Dick Hageman. Show name: “New Music Gallery“ broadcast over four stations, WMNR, WGRS, WGSK & WRXC and eleven translators covering much of Connecticut and parts of adjacent New York state. The combined stations have 68,500 listeners reported by Arbitron, with close to 5,000 to 6,000 people listening to the folk and new age programming.
The tracks featured were # 4, 7, 11, & 13.
Purchase Album in a store near you, quality serviced by CD Baby. There are 2400 locations across the U.S. and Worldwide. You have to walk in and talk to the person at the counter and place a “special – order” in their Super File or B2B sites. If you want to know if a store is in your location email me and I will let you know.
** Reviews:
… "Wish has converted his feelings into music so well that it affects the listener without warning“ and “Wish’s music is an amalgam of romantic songs without words and contemporary instrumentals with feather - light classical influences.
New Age Reporter - R. J. Lannan at newagereporter.com has the full review.
… "Is an Audiophile recording, a live performance. The result is a pure, clean, piano sound without reverb or equalization. He brings a wealth of experience to his original music. A most impressive début from Evan Wish."
Mainly Piano - Kathy Parsons at mainlypiano.com has the full review.
** Press: The Morning Call in Allentown. PA. New Age: David L. Gaskill
“The strength of New Age music today lies not in its ethereal amiability but in its hard-nosed compositions. Pianist Evan Wish’s debut disc certainly measures up to this newer manifestation of the genre. His sound is more layered than Jim Brickman’s, less fiery but more quietly intense than Szakcsi, less derivative than Ken Pedersen’s. His music is like the flickers of sky experienced as you drive through pale green, birch-filled glades – it shimmers and surprises at almost every turn in the road. There’s an emotional maturity, too, that glows from behind his notes, a confidence that infuses the listener with the surety that, on the spiritual plane, at least, all is well. If it’s hard to single out any one tune for praise, it’s because Wish seems preoccupied with exploring and sharing the multifarious harmonics of his soul. That’s no flaw, certainly - for those who are capable of embracing such gladness-inspired emanations. Besides, one could do worse than be a dappler of birches.”
The above review left me very emotional. A first for me printed in a newspaper and describe my music so beautifully.
** Quotes:
"Of the many Indy records I receive, Evan Wish's record is one of the few that will go into my personal collection." Mark Strictland of All Access Music Guide.
" Melodically compelling, heartfelt and honest." Michael Lang, Pianist on the Simpson’s TV show and a recording Jazz Pianist, Varese -Sarabande.
** Biography:
Wish began playing the piano at age 7 in the classics studying the Western Board of Music in Brandon Manitoba, Canada.
Classical recitals and competitions garnering 1st. class honors would further establish Evan a prodigy.
Evan began composing as a young man. His desire to establish respect as a composer led him to the United States with funding provided by the Manitoba and Canadian Government.
Studying for three years at the prestigious Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles and mentored by working composers in the entertainment industry.
With more than 20 years in the field of music, his resume now encompasses Canada, the United States and Europe with solo performances of his original music and writing in a variety of styles and genres.
Year’s later, classical study would begin again with the legendary Dr. Yakov Birman of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
Evan’s live shows around the world touch the hearts and entertain the audience from start to finish. Performances in France billed as: “La passion d’un romantique – The passion of a romantic.”
** Recorded live in the studio, an "Audiophile" recording:
Evan Wish - Composer/Pianist and Peter Granet - Engineer/Producer
"Audiophile" recording: have or relating to sound or to its reproduction and especially high fidelity reproduction.
Composer/Pianist: Evan Wish
I believe that feelings put into every note when performing are magical when consistently done. This is what I strive for; to take that into my performance every time I play, then you as the listener can hear the magic and I too will feel it all over again. This is a live recording, a moment in time when I gave it my all, and we are both drawn in.
Picking up the exact timbre of the vibrating strings, the over tones forming harmonics that ring through, is the mastery Mr. Peter Granet and his years of wisdom recording many artists, brought to the project. Peters' work is a who's who list dating back to the 60s' and 70s’ with a Grammy Nomination. I am grateful that we met and together we did this recording.
With an early childhood training in classical music to my continued training even today I will always be able to improve as a pianist, and as a composer. Development of these techniques enables me to play and write from my heart without worrying about my hands.
My work is melodically lyrical with classical over tones of tempo and feel. The more contemporary sound comes from three years at the Dick Grove School of Music in L.A. I studied there from 82 to 85, with Jack Smalley in the Song Writing Program, and with Mr. Dick Grove in the Arranging, Orchestration and conducting programs. Live musicians playing our charts, we were required to write in all styles and genres of contemporary music. Musical styles written in 20th century, which have come to be known as Dixieland, Broadway, Big Band Jazz etc, were the foundations of my development.
My resume encompasses writing credits and live performances in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. My performances in France were billed as: "La passion d'un romantique" translated to "The passion of a Romantic" which pretty much sums up what I do.
I would be happy to hear from you, a new listener who enjoys what I do.
Producer/Engineer: Peter Granet
The album, "Lullaby of Love" is the culmination of years of work by Evan and me. Our collaboration began over seven years ago, in 1997 when we met at a dinner party. As the party was winding down, our host put on a cassette of solo piano music that blew me away. I asked (Ellen) whose music that was and she introduced me to Evan. We immediately hit it off. I suggested that we get together so I could hear all his works. What I heard was beautiful and very different from the derivative "New Age" background music I had expected. I could hear the classical influences in his work as well as the melodic hooks that define his work. He is a master of melodic composition.
We began our voyage with a one-day demo, recording thirteen compositions I chose from his vast collection of material that would six years later realize itself as "Lullaby of Love".
During the years that followed our initial recordings and our lives took different paths, but we always knew we had a mission to finish what we had started. This past year we found ourselves talking about "The" recordings we had made and decided the time was right to bring our work full circle.
I was astounded by Evans improvement as a pianist and I suggested that we should not make just another solo piano record, but make the best most expressive recording we were capable of. I worked with Evan to add even more power and dynamics to his performance at the piano and suggested that we record "Lullaby of Love" as a pure "Audiophile" recording.
"Audiophile" recording process:
Using a matched pair of AKG 3000E condenser microphones, fed through an Avalon AD2022 microphone preamp and straight to a digital recorder.
Bypassing the recording console completely, adding no equalization, compression nor artificial reverb to the recording. Mastered using Sonic Solutions 5.2.1 and a T.C. Electronics (M5000)
The finished product is more than I expected. Evan's playing is powerful and expressive, the recording, so pristine and unforgiving, it has not failed to stir everyone that has heard it.
I hope you will enjoy our labor of love when you hear it.
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