" 'Serenity' is designed to be experienced as relaxing background music for contemplation or in conjunction with healing activities such as yoga or massage. It has been created with the guidance of several Central Florida massage therapists and a yoga instructor. As editor of Natural Awakenings, I find his music soothing during the stress of meeting publishing deadlines." --Margaret Jones McKee, Editor of Natural Awakenings. Nov 2002.
"Pianist, Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Arranger, Musical Director...Scott Berry has an extensive background as an entertainer which includes rock and roll with a touring band, jazz and blues solo engagements on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and musical theater, cabarets and piano lounges in New York City. He plays, sings and composes music in various styles (just cuz he can't help it), including JAZZ, BROADWAY, LATIN, POP, COUNTRY, ROCK, BLUES, CLASSICAL, NEW AGE and RAGTIME." --www.scottberryproductions.com
I began singing and playing the piano at age 8...influenced by what was on the radio and my Mom's vast library of sheet music. My heaviest influences? Ray Charles, the Beatles, James Taylor, Duke Ellington, Billy Joel, Ludwig von Beethoven, Santana, Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Richard Rodgers...to name a few. As a teenager I hit the road with a rock'n'roll band, then lived in New Orleans for several years, where I worked as a solo pianist and singer on Bourbon Street.
New York experience included working in an Off-Broadway musical and various cabarets and music clubs. I even tried my skills at composing musicals and underscoring dramas...see the link to my web site for more in depth stuff on that. I honed my perfoming skills while singing and playing my original songs solo and with my own band all around Manhattan at various night clubs and piano bars during the eight years I spent there; stylewise -- think James Taylor meets Billy Joel meets Sting with a whole lot of blues energy. Artists kept grabbing my attention: like Kitaro, The Moody Blues, Earth, Wind & Fire, Aaron Neville, Steely Dan, early Windham Hill and Narada recordings...I was(and still am)like a sponge. I went around to live venues listening to jazz, folk and blues and other types of music where I could--Billy Taylor, the Brecker Brothers, Joe Pass--whatever I could afford to soak up. I also was fortunate enough to see Bill Evans live.
Since moving to Orlando, Florida, I--along with my wife Paula Stevens--have written and/or produced original underscoring, songs and jingles for the Disney theme parks, Orlando's Theater Downtown, The Fringe Festival, The Orlando Magic basketball team, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, a local Florida cable children's tv show, and other local businesses. Composing kids music gave me the freedom to compose ANY style I wanted This gave me a chance to explore MANY musical styles...and I kept being drawn to World Music, Classical, Pop, Reggae and the many sounds of Jazz...and I got the chance to do some experimenting with background scores and atmospheres.
That leads us to this album: SERENITY was created at the request of a massage therapist who wondered if my "New Age" music would fill an entire hour for purposes of a therapy session. I had already worked some of the selections into finished demos, but didn't know what to do with them until his suggestion. I wrote a few more pieces to bring the album together and then a friend told me about CD Baby. Funny how the Universe leads you where you need to go. Throw in a little experience with the internet and building my own website and here I am; I'm being here now.
Wonder what happens next? For specific info on my production work, please visit my web site... www.scottberryproductions.com and thanks for your interest.
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