Some music feels as though a story is being told, though no words are being said. Instrumental music like Beethoven and Handel speaks volumes without a line of lyrics, giving credence to the Shakespearean line that “Silence is the perfectest herald of joy.”
While bands come and go, it takes a strong musician to be able to carry an instrumental album, especially when it is solo piano. Elijah Bossenbroek is up for that task, bringing us Harmony In Disarray, his debut release which has been independently marketed both through MySpace (myspace.com/solopiano) and sites like cdbaby.com.
Bossenbroek was raised in Michigan and grew up taking piano. After around five years traveling the world as a Marine, he rediscovered his love of music through some encouragement from his mother, bringing us this amazing piece of Harmony In Disarray.
What impresses me most about this CD is Bossenbroek’s ability to bring his whole heart into the originally composed music he effortlessly plays. Attention to the smallest pauses and slightest crescendos creates a listening experience I am unaccustomed to. “A Song Of Simplicity,” as well as the title cut, highlight this with moments where you hang on every note he plays. This album is by no means boring or plain, but pleasingly honest in its melodies.
The entire album is entrancing and almost hypnotic, reminding me why I love music in the first place. So much of what we hear now is remixes with so much going on that we lose focus on the true music. While listening to “Spinning Nowhere” I felt that I was spinning out of control, then focused on the delicate balance between gentle notes and a strong message.
“Everything’s Just Fine” sounds of closure and resolution, while “On The Wings” gives the sense that something new is beginning. It is rare to find instrumental music that demands this kind of attention, so I am thrilled to have discovered Bossenbroek’s music relatively early in his career.
Recently Bossenbroek inked a deal with Mirage records and has a new CD coming out through their label. Fans were even able to help name this new album through his MySpace, as well as listen to new cuts from that and Harmony In Disarray.
Classical piano may not be the most popular type of music now, but Elijah Bossenbroek is breaking through the culture to show he is well worth checking out, no matter what kind of musical styling you usually prefer.
