Edward: How Did You Get Started Playing New Age
Piano?
Timothy: First, a preface. Even though my first cd was played
primarily on "new age" radio stations (and, I assume, my second will
be as well), I have always considered what I wrote to be either (1)
Christian instrumental (a category that barely exists) or (2)
instrumental pop (a category that I recently learned has its own
Grammy category). My pieces mostly include elements common to
many pop songs (like verses, choruses, bridges, etc.) and there is
very little improvisiation (although I love to improvise).
That being said, I probably really started
listening and emulating "new age" piano players after
hearing George Winston's December album. I also
remember hearing, for the first time, Enya's Orinoco Flow on a
regular broadcast radio station and being quite amazed. The
kind of music that I most liked to play, i.e., big,
orchestrated rock instumentals by people like Elton John, etc., were
rare, and mostly on throw-away tracks. When I heard my
first Yanni cd on the radio, I knew it was possible to write
and play an entire album's worth of that kind of
material.
Edward: What Inspires You and Informs Your
Music?
Timothy: Like many musicians, I'm not so much inspired as I am
obsessed. I can't really go a day without playing the piano,
and mostly that means writing. What probably informed my
music the most was the fact that I set out to learn about 200 or so
songs, instrumental pieces, and new age works, by most of the big
artists that you can think of. I spent about a year doing that
to learn structure (or no-structure, depending on the
piece), fingering, etc.
Edward: What Is Your Method for Composing a
Piano Piece?
Timothy: I've used lots of methods to compose. I've used a
recorder, in which I record anything that I think sounds good
at the time. I've written on thousands of scraps of
paper. Sometimes the pieces are already in my head. Other
times, I'll set out to write a piece that is like some particular
other piece I have heard. For example, I love the theme
from Out of Africa for its structure and simplicity.
I set out to write one like it (of course,
without copying it) and I ended up with a tune called Salish Sunset
from my second cd. What they have in common, really, is a
very simple melody, consise verses, and
one bridge. My co-producer says that Salish is too short,
but I like it that way. Out of Africa is also too short, when
you think about it. I compose multiple pieces at one time, so
at any given moment I probably have about 10 that I am working
on.
Edward: Do you Get Blocked Creatively and if so,
How do You Get Past It?
Timothy: So . . . when I get blocked on one, I just move to
another. If I am truly stumped, I just remember what a joy
it is to play the piano and I play other people's music. There
are days when I feel everything coming together. On those
days, I'll work on mutiple pieces.
Edward: What Advice Would You Give to Aspiring
New Age Pianists?
Timothy: Advice to aspiring pianists: practice,
but keep working on what you are good at. I
once spent about a year working on classical theory, and
trying to memorize really complicated pieces by classical
pianists. It's just not my thing. If you have a
gift for chord structure, keep exploring that. If it is
improvisation, keep trying new things with
improv. Don't compare your work to your friends, or local
musicians down the street. Compare yourself to the
greats in your field, but always play what's in your
heart!
