Although this is the second CD I have listed for sale with CD Baby, Dance being the first one in 2003, this CD is actually the first I ever produced.
Growing up, I was always torn between careers in mathematics and music. I prepared to study composition at Julliard, but in the end studied mathematics at MIT. By day, I am a financial consultant with a leading global consulting firm. By night and weekend, I pursue my love of music in my project studio.
I have a wide array of capabilities that are used on my CDs. My music is improvisationally based - I develop songs by starting with an idea that I usually play on keyboards or sometimes drums. I then experiment with other tracks using instruments or sounds that create the mood and character of the tune I seek. My primary instruments include the following:
Yamaha Acoustic Grand Piano
Alesis QS-6 synthesizer
Fender Rhodes Suitcase Piano
Yamaha acoustic drum kit
Guild Acoustic Guitar
Washburn Electric Guitar
Washburn Bass Guitar
I record onto a Roland VS880 digital multitrack recorder, and produce a multitrack version of each song. These are then loaded into my PC where I do additional editing and produce the finished track.
Given my work schedule, I don't have time to get together with other musicians much so I play all instruments myself. As such, it takes me a year or more to finish enough material to produce a CD. I have recorded other people's material as well, but figure the world can do without one more cover of a recognized song. Therefore, the compositions that end up on my CDs are my own.
This CD is an eclectic mix, from soothing solo piano pieces to electronic compositions you can space out to. It represents a variety of moods and reflections that we have all experienced from time to time. In many ways, it is a tribute album. "Sept 11" speaks for itself. "For Richard" is dedicated to my piano teacher, who died in 1990. He introduced me to improvisation for which I will be forever grateful. "New Year's Eve" and "My Best to You" remind me of great times I have had, and bring a smile to my face whenever I hear them.
Sketches is a CD that can be enjoyed on a cold winter's evening with a deep glass of claret as well as on a misty spring morning when the coffee's hot and thick. My wish is that it remind you of people you love and may have lost, as it has me.
Most importantly, this CD is dedicated to the memory of my father Thomas Graves who died in 1992 and my mother-in-law Lorraine Kolman Mayo who died in 2001. My memories of them remind me that each day is a complete experience that shapes each of us in its wake.
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