New Age Pianist Interview: Timothy Crane

The following is an intervew with New Age pianist Timothy Crane. I asked Tim 5 questions about how he plays and composes at the piano. Enjoy!

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... Read the rest of this interview at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/tcrane.html