About Me
My Ethos
I find it really hard to categorise my music using the traditional approaches and categories.
I indulge myself in whatever music projects appeal to me or writing whatever style of music whenever I feel like it. It may be ’standard’ rock format, euro synth pop, pianos/jazz fusion, new agey touchy-feely synthy thingies or ambient landscapes or any combination of the above. A Marketers nightmare as I don’t fit in anywhere.
Given my belief that true progressive music means music with no boundaries. So I pursue music ‘projects’ with each project taking a like of it’s on in terms of people, direction, musical style, approach, ethos and …well… life. Each ‘project has it’s own style broadly speaking. If I need a project to do Bulgarian folk music merged with pipe bands and electric glockenspiel then it would likely be a new project.
I guess a marketing person would call it a ‘branding issue’.
So explain that then.. Well some of the main projects I have are:
- The Aurora Project – progressive rock/pop
- Visions Light (previously The Aurora Project) - progressive rock/classic rock. Coming soon
- Zdiar – progressive electronic pop/rock, european style
- Tetratonic – ambient, electronic, landscapes
My Background
I started taking piano lessons at the grand old age of 16 with a school teacher called Anne McQuat whom I have totally lost contact with. I am very keen to make contact with her but all my enquiries have met with blank. Unbelievable in this day and age but there y’go.
While at Uni I studied with David Murray who (a classical snob in every respect 
allowed me, and to be fair actually encouraged me, to pursue my desire in attempting all styles of music. From playing the standards such as Chopin, Beethoven etc I covered a range of styles and artists as I had a hunger to know everything about piano/keyboard playing and get exposure to as many musical styles as possible.
I ended up with a playing covering, Fats Waller, Shakatak, Keith Emerson, George Shearing, Rick Wakeman, Billy Joel, Winnifred Atwell and all the styles they covered. I guess I still have the same approach and am still learning and trying to master some of the pieces I started such as ELP’s Karn Evil 9 2nd Impression
Hi Brian, Interesting blog. If I may I wanted to mention that international keyboardist Erik Norlander will be debuting his new band Galactic Collective with a CD/DVD concert release on Sat. March 27th at the Shore Cultural Center in Cleveland, Ohio. You can get all the details on this event by going to http://www.chianproductions.com and feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Thank you for your time and if you could post this information I would be very appreciative! Best regards, Eric A. Harabadian,Media Stew PR
Brian, I am liking your blog. Just wanted to make sure you knew, that Guy Babylon’s wife has been going through some of his music catalogue and has released a 10-track album on iTunes called The Best of Guy Babylon. Some really good stuff, including a remix of Babylon Bleu! I had emailed him a link to your blog entry from August 2 where you talked about him and he enjoyed reading it. He was just so humble and modest, I am not sure he realized just how talented he was. Be sure to check it out!
Jan
Hi Jan
Thanks for your post. That is great news. I really appreciate your information. It’s so ironic and sad that for years I was waiting on stuff being release and pre-internet there was no way to find stuff or make contact. That one tune was such a huge influence me as a young keyboard player/composer in the 80’s (not so young now). I still aspire to writing a piece of instrumental music to match that.
Like a lot of keyboard players I have a wide range of influences from Keith Emerson to David Benoit but with that one tune ‘Babylon Bleu’ my outlook on composition completely changed and now we are robbed of his talent. Still lets see if if we can raise the profile and get him the credit he so deserves.
this band are from Glasgow and although not ‘Prog’, they are a modern representation of the afore mentioned. Give Zhyrlings a listen…They deserve Your ears!
http://www.myspace.com/zhyrlings
How are you doing? I agree with a lot of what you said in your about me section. I feel the same way about trying to categorize my music tastes. I have a project that i just came out with that i would love you to listen to and maybe post. Its basically an album where i rework some of the tunes from YES. here’s a link http://clan-destined.bandcamp.com/album/the-yes-project. let me know what you think brian and thanks for the blog.
I love progressive rock of the 70s. I did see Genesis with PG two times in the early 70s (Lamb lies down) and the canadian band The Musical Box three times. This year they will repeat the LLDOB tour and I hope they will picture the show on video.
My favorite radio stations are
Delicious Agony
and
Radio IO Progressive Rock
Greets vom Germany