Piano Meditations and Themes

14 MP3 Songs
CLASSICAL: Contemporary, NEW AGE: New Age



Details:
Luke Parkin

Testimonial: Jennifer Isaacs, Jazz Singer, New York

American/Canadian Recording Artist & Composer Luke Parkin resides in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. Originally from Massachusetts, he studied classical music assiduously from childhood demonstrating an exceptional facility at the keyboard from the age of 6. he later studied performance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mount Holyoke College, and San Jose University in California.

An artist like Luke Parkin does not come along often. One wonders which quality of this extraordinary creative young man is most exceptional: his enormous, 68 album catalog of recordings, comprising a multitude of genres, his impressive aptitude at the keyboard, his originality of sound, his good looks, or the fact that he is solidifying such a solid musical career by the young age of 27 and making a unique impression.

Luke has proven himself adept in all aspects of music making, from the first inklings of melody writing to the highly specialized and technical world of recording production and engineering. Luke is a one-man-show; a comfortable wearer of any music-related hat.
Parkinâs music is transcendent in many ways. His capabilities are far beyond his years and the shear breadth of his body of work and prolific output is representative of a natural ambition to create.
His years of training and firm grasp of serious music inform his pieces, which seem to continue in natural succession from his greatest influences: the composers of the past.

His genius is evident in his many recorded improvisations, which seem gracefully effortless. His music stubbornly defies any one requisite style as he continues to cross-pollinate and experiment with sound in a wide array of genres; including contemporary classical, electronica, pop, film and t.v. scores, experimental as well as commercial music.

His most recent artistic endeavors consist of three full piano albums which fully testify to his ever changing approach to the instrument that he calls his first love. "Suite Hypercube", "Piano Etudes", and most recently, "Winter Journal" are as different musically as they are aesthetically. Winter Journal, released on December 21, 2005 is perhaps the most contemplative and uncomplicated of Parkinâs entire works. The Album is his first major commercial release to date yet Like so much of his output it is a perfectly natural, uncompromised extention of his artistic self.


About Winter Journal and the artist:

Since its initial launch on Dec, 22, 2005, Winter Journal has received widespread attention and favorable reviews in National/International Magazines. He is currently featured in INNewsweekly, Bay Windows, Le Point National, Buzz magazine, The Advocate, Pink magazine, and Planet Out.com.

Winter Journal, is the 68th opus number in Luke Parkinâs large recording catalog, and his first major release. Winter Journal has received considerable attention and favorable reviews from publications in the United States, most recently by F. Daniel Kent, Arts & Entertainment Editor at Nashvilleâs Out and About newspaper who called the CD âa masterpiece.â

Winter Journal maintains a youthful, ambient and relaxed air about it. Lukeâs album is his first significant commercial release to date. The record is comprised of memorable and beautiful themes with a profound lyrical appeal and simplicity. Recently, Luke said that Winter Journal was as natural an expression of his musical self as can be found in all of his other work to date and therefore he knew that the time was right to release the album.

Comprising an hour of music this album's 14 tracks has references to: Gregorian chant, church modes, winter vistas and programs -- as inspiration. This disc is a distinctly different offering from the composer's previous works in Contemporary, Classical and electronic music.

Luke Parkin is a prolific composer and recording artist, currently based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He studied classical music from childhood where he excelled in keyboard music of the piano and organ. His tremendous aptitude for improvisation of classical forms and composition ultimately manifested itself in electronic and production music for television and film.

Luke was born in Amesbury Massachusetts, near Boston His enormous talent for improvisation of instrumental music and composition led to a successful career as a keyboard artist. His collection of albums includes some 68 Opus numbers (previously unreleased) inclusive of genres ranging from electronica to contemporary classical music.

Besides writing music on the cutting edge, Luke divides his professional activities between the classical, contemporary, liturgical and commercial worlds of music. He is presently the Organ Scholar at Christ Church (Anglican) Cathedral, Victoria, B.C., working for the Cathedralâs Director of Music, Michael Gormley, (and a former conductor of the Wiener Sängerknaben (Vienna Choir Boys)).

Luke is earning a reputation among his colleagues as a consummate artist and musician. With a comprehensive background in classical music, and real world experience as a pianist, Luke has the look and the substance needed to be the next instrumentalist star. An evening with Luke Parkin will leave you inspired.

Luke Parkin's catalog contains some 18 hours of audio that can be previewed in streaming formats on his site http://www,lukeparkin.com . Domestic and International licensing deals are currently underway with licensing agents in Canada and the U.S.

Parkin hopes to launch an Asian tour to support Winter Journal and other albums in late 2006. The artist, and his manager Christopher Armstrong of Vancouver, recently teamed up with Pacific Music, Victoria, BC, to issue parts of the recording catalog separately on CD. Pacific Music is a wholesaler supplying book-stores, Drugstores, Toy Stores, Record Stores and Specialty Markets with a wide spectrum of music, videos and DVDs.

The CD will also be available at the following retailers: Apple iTunes, Arvato, AudioLunchbox, Bitmunk, BuyMusic, Chondo, Daiki, DestraMusic, DigitalKiosk, Emusic, HearMusic, iTunes-Australia, iTunes-Canada, iTunes-Europe, iTunes-Germany, iTunes-Japan, iTunes-UK, Karma Download, Liquid Digital Media, LoudEye, Mouzika, MP3-Extension, MP3tunes, Mperia, MSN Music, MusicIsHere, MusicMatch, MusicNet, MusicNow, MyKidsTunes, Napster, NewViews, NextRadio, PassAlong, PlayIndies, Puretracks, QTRnote, Rhapsody, Ruckus, RuleRadio, SonicGarden, Sony Connect, Tradebit, TreeTunes, WrapFactory, DigiPie, TastyAudio, Nareos & PeerImpact.

Lukeâs manager and friend Christopher Armstrong says âI became interested in working with Luke when I first heard him improvising at my piano - it was some of the most refreshing and musically stimulating sounds I had ever heard. His musicality resonated with me immediately; the hair on the nape of my neck stood on end.â

âLukeâs catalogue is one of the deepest of a single artist I have seen. He is very prolific in a range of styles. I encouraged Luke to focus on a full CD Release and he produced an instrumental piano gem with Winter Journal.â Mike Peters, President