Jacco Wynia is a composer, musician and pianist from the Netherlands.

Tell us something about the track Newborn sun!
Newborn Sun‘ is linked to the winter solstice. This means that the longest night has just passed, and from there you can see the newborn sun. Likewise, everyone has darker times in life, and it is such a miraculous thing to see the new sun rise after such a period, with all its beautiful colours that you had forgotten that they excist. That is what this song is about.

Thank you Jacco for this wonderful piece of music!

Check out these links for more information: Facebook / Website / Spotify

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to the artist, Merrill Crissey, from Orlando, Florida. Today, it’s time to introduce you to his latest release; Bach Reimagined!

Tell us something about Bach Reimagined!
I wrote and rewrote the B Flat prelude several times before I felt good about it. One of the hardest but most necessary things to do when you’re creating is to scrap something you have spent hours on because it’s just not working. It’s not the first time I’ve done that, but this piece just took so many iterations to land in a place I felt comfortable with. These pieces were fun to make and I hope people enjoy them. I would also encourage people to listen to the original pieces they are based on. I reimagined Bach, but there’s no improving on him.

The last couple of singles I’ve released are recompositions of keyboard works by J.S. Bach. They are taken from his Well-tempered Clavier Book 1. There are 24 preludes and fugues in the book—one for each major and minor key. The first one I chose was the Prelude in C Major which most everyone is familiar with. I used the same compositional techniques Bach used, in this case arpeggiated chords, but I wanted to give it modern sensibilities. The same is true of my second single Prelude in B Flat. The idea is to tell a different musical story but with a similar musical language.

Thank you Merrill! For someone like me, who hasn’t listened so much to “real classical music” this is a very good introduction. I will now start listening to Bach, and of course these wonderful “reimaginations”!

Please check out Merrill’s links below to learn more about him and his music:
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Spotify

May I present to you, the German composer and pianist Goetz Oestlind, who studied piano under Conrad Hansen’s alumni Gisela Stumme and Prof. Lev Natochenny. He completed his studies of Applied Cultural Studies with a Master’s degree (M.A.) and earned his Ph.D. with a dissertation on “Counterpoint in Film Music”. His compositions are inspired by the Romantic era and movie scoring.

Tell us something about this latest release of yours!
I have composed four albums so far, The Quiet, The Storm, The Piano Sonatas 1-3 and The Piano Sonatas 4-6. Most people on Spotify like “The Quiet” with the favourite titles “Like a Fairy Tale”, “Out of Trust” and “Falling”. It’s an album about inner peace, the audience love the titles to calm down, to relax after an exhausting day, to support their concentration or just to find back to themselves.

Tell us something about one of the tracks!
Like a Fairy Tale is from The Quiet and is inspired by these wonderful little beings called fairies – messengers of peace, tranquillity and harmony. Furthermore, it’s my mother’s favourite compositions and she loves playing it at home, so it carries memories of family warmth. With its cradling melody and sweet harmonies, “Like a Fairy Tale” will take listeners by the hand and lead them down the path to inner peace.

Please check out these pages for more information about Goetz and his music: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Webpage /

Today I present to you the American composer Amara Falk, also known as Little Sailboat. She grew up in Minnesota, surrounded by many types of music; from classical organ to heavy metal. This unique perspective has helped mold both my acoustic folk and piano compositions. 

Tell us something about Drifting Down! Is there a story behind it?
My new EP Four Movements has a track titled Drifting Down. This piece has a magical quality about it. Right before writing it, I took a walk through the most beautiful snow fall I’ve seen. After finishing that walk, I went straight to the piano and wrote what I felt during those moments out in the snow. 

Tell us something about this latest release of yours!
Four Movements is an EP that represents my most recent journey. All four songs have a whimsical, yet thoughtful feel to them. One of the reasons I titled the EP “Four Movements” is because each piece was inspired by a physical movement. Whether it was a walk through the snow, a run down a wooded path, or a quick clear stream. My hope is that people will experience a sense of calm and restoration while listening, because that’s what I experienced while writing it. 

Thank you Amara for sharing this wonderful piece of music with us!

Please check out these links for more information about Little sailboat!
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website / Spotify

May I introduce to you Maria Grönlund; a pianist and composer from the Swedish island Gotland in the Baltic Sea, who nowadays I live in the outskirts of Stockholm. 

Tell us something about June and me!
My latest release is a super calm and peaceful track called June and me. When I play it, I think about the things I love, and also about my love for the sweet month of June. It’s my second single, I also released a Christmas piece in December 2018.

Will this song be part of a bigger release?
I’ve just started this solo piano project of mine, and it’s my first time releasing music on my own, under my own name, so it feels quite exciting. The first half of 2019 I will release a series of singles in Peaceful Piano style, and in the second half of the year I will release a piano centered album on a theme that has to do with the Sea. There will also be some guest instrumentalists and I will probably also use my voice a bit, and a little electronics. I’m feeling really inspired to do this, and I’m so happy and thankful for all the encouragement I’ve gotten from people listening to these first two songs.

Thank you for sharing this song with us Maria!

Please check out these links for more information:
Facebook / Instagram / Website / Spotify

Let me introduce the latest release by Samer Fanek; born in Amman, Jordan and now located in the United States. He is a self-taught composer and pianist who creates instrumental music that is dramatic and emotional, primarily driven by the piano. One of his dreams is to eventually perform his compositions in big theaters worldwide alongside a band and an orchestra.

Tell us something about this latest release of yours!
A few weeks ago (December 11th), I released by second album, “Guide Me”, over two years after my debut album. Guide Me is also the name of the first track I composed for this album, so I thought why not name the whole album after it? Eventually, when I finished composing all the songs, I realized that if I order them in a certain way, the album really starts to tell a nice narrative, guiding the listener with a “Grand Opening” and ending with “Back to Hometown” and allowing them to fill in their own blanks of the story being told. The overall theme of the album sort of revealed itself after I composed all the tracks and moved them around in a certain way.

Tell us something about one of the tracks! Is there a story behind it?
For the song, “Guardian”, as I was creating it, I felt it was conveying more and more a sense of security and being watched over by someone or something that will make sure everything is going going to be okay, so I felt the name was a perfect fit. It is a happy tune that relaxes me when I play it back on the piano, and if it has the same calming effect on the listeners, then I consider it a success. The way I composed it is similar to how I mostly create all my music. I usually get a 10-second or so idea, then I rush to my home studio to record it and add more ideas around it until it becomes a full piece around that main theme, and the name usually comes naturally at the end.

Lovely tune, and thank you for sharing with us Samer!

And here’s some social links: Facebook / Instagram / Website / Spotify

Philip Daniel is an American composer and pianist from Lincoln, Nebraska. He writes solo piano and piano/strings music that is classically inspired but accessible to the average listener.

Tell us something about this latest release of yours!
This is a small 3 tune EP, recorded in one continuous take as part of a live-studio video session. The tunes contrast each other, the first being rhythmic and heroic, second one is dream-like and nolstagic, and the last one is a short hymn-like melody that hearkens to the past and losing something/someone. 

Tell us something about one of the tracks! Is there a story behind it? The last track is basically one melody and my favorite melody I’ve ever written. It’s quite simple but captures the sense of loss and heartbreak but simultaneously portraying an unknown hope. I subconsciously always try to capture this joyous melancholy in my music and this piece encapsulates that. I had a friend help me name it and he likened it to the scene in the “Lord of the Rings” (the last one) where the hobbits leave at the end, for never to return. 

Thank you for this wonderful song Philip!

You can also enjoy the music on Spotify, and for more information about Philip and his music; please visit these sites: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Homepage

Today I’m introducing you to the New England composer Brad Couture who writes music mostly for sync purposes, but also write and release piano-based ambient/post-rock/cinematic music as well.

Tell us about the song Turnabout!
For Turnabout, I wanted to do something a little different that the two previous releases – Volumes I and II were more on the softer, “prettier” side of piano music. Since piano can technically be considered a percussion instrument, I wanted to explore that side of it a little more. Tape delay patterns also helped the rhythmic side of things!

This latest release of mine is the third installation in a series of piano and other string based instruments – called “Strung”. The two previous releases, Volumes I and II, were purely piano and some cello and violin, but with Turnabout I also added a bit of a beat with an analog synth kick (a modified sample from a Linn drum machine specifically), because I felt it lent itself toward the percussive feel of the song. 

Thank you for sharing this wonderful tune with us Brad! Make sure to check out the following links for more information about Brad and his music: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website / Spotify

I present to you, the latest single by Astralus, a multi-genre composer based in Canada. It’s a beautiful piano piece with the same kind of piano sound that I myself enjoy to use on my own songs.

Tell us something about this latest release of yours!
“Respite” is a solo piano composition that embodies several emotional elements. The rich tone and soft keys develop a peaceful and calming atmosphere, while the deep texture of the sound really might leave you lost in thought, or perhaps in a trance.

I recall when I made the recording, I allowed my fingers to weave together a melody that suited the mood at the time- calming peace. Together with the rich tone of the piano keys, my manifestation of respite from the busy, chaotic city life developed into a piano piece.

It is very calming, indeed! Thank you Astralus for sharing Respite with us!

Also check out Astralus on Twitter, Instagram and of course Spotify.