Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

Capturing Love in a Song


When there just are no words, people are finding that Danny Wright is there to put their emotions into song.

Over the last decade, and from all over the world, people have reached out to Danny Wright, the composer and pianist also referred to by his loyal fans as The Healer of Hearts, hoping he can capture their love story in song. Word-of-mouth has spread of Wright’s unique gift for capturing a life or love story with his piano, and, to date, the artist estimates he has composed about 175 songs for loved ones here on earth or "already in heaven" as the soft-spoken artist would say.  The pieces written for these are shared on Danny's albums such as Full of Love, Gifts from the Heart, Reflections and even on his new reissue of the classic Real Romance.

A serene space for composing in Danny Wright's home.
Danny describes how he goes about gathering inspiration for each personal love song, saying “Once someone sends me a paragraph about their loved one’s personal story or their love story, I take some time to live with it. When it feels ready, I set aside time to meditate on the piece just before recording it in a very relaxed studio atmosphere. At that point, I feel that God takes over and the music simply flows through me until it seems peaceful and, somehow, complete. Some pieces are longer than others, and they vary quite a bit within the solo piano style. I feel really blessed and honored when people hear their song for the first time and call me, often in tears, saying that I truly captured the essence of their love story or beloved family member. On some occasions, they even order sheet music of the song to learn to play it for themselves.”

Danny recalls an example of a moving experience when a fan connected with Danny to create a song for his wife who had passed away. Sharing his feedback on the song creation experience showed Danny the importance a song can have in the healing process.


“Words are very difficult to describe how I feel about the song ‘My Guiding Light (Barb).’ The best I can come up with is WOW," the fan wrote in an email to Danny.  "It’s absolutely stunningly beautiful - somehow capturing the many beautiful, varied traits of her, a simply wonderful wife, Mom and friend to many. There is something very, very magical about this song...the way you have captured her many different traits and woven them into a tapestry of her as a person, sends a very warm shiver up my spine. Every time I listen to the piece, I feel different facets of her, which add to the picture you have painted with the song. I often take a blank piece of paper and write down different words/things that came to mind as I listen to the song. It's fascinating! I feel very blessed to have met you and have this wonderful keepsake made in memory of my wife, Barb.”

The composer and pianist, who is also a Steinway artist, can be reached for requests and more information via the contact page of his website at: http://www.dannywright.com. 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Top Christmas Albums of 2012: Something for Everyone




Here at BEING, we enjoy sharing the best of everything with you. Beginning this weekend, the spirit of Christmas will add beautiful sights, scents and sounds to our world.  As music lovers, the latter is especially important, so here are our top picks for new Christmas music in various genres from Pop to Rock, and from Classical to Country, with a little something thrown in for the kids. Remember, everyone loves the gift of music! 

Christmas in the Sand by Colbie Caillat

Colbie Caillat's first Christmas album was bound to happen sooner or later. This multi-Grammy Award winner from Malibu, California has spent many a Christmas in sand and surf. The idea for this album, conceived on a beach in Hawaii, led to funny songs about Santa surfing, the elves frolicking in the water and Colbie dancing on the beach. It's Christmas in a funny, wacky way that's sure to be a hit with teens, young adults and everyone who's young at heart.

Home for Christmas by Danny Wright

This album with  Danny Wright on the piano is the perfect Christmas gift for a sophisticated lady who's turned on by the music of David Lanz, Beethoven, Gershwin or Sondheim. Named by Billboard as one of the Top 10 New Age Artists, Danny Wright plays Christmas favorites from “Silent Night” to “Winter Wonderland” in his own elegant, inimitable way.

This Is Christmas by Katherin Jenkins

Only Christmas songs from a classical-crossover artist like Katherine Jenkins can overwhelm you with sound and spirit. The two-time Classical BRIT Awardee puts together an album that is a captivating mix of traditional holiday favorites and contemporary carols from around the world, including one featuring Placido Domingo.

On This Winter's Night by Lady Antebellum

Christmas always brings back thoughts of home. These songs by GRAMMY® Award winner Lady Antebellum will make every grownup wish he or she were home for Christmas. This chart-busting country pop trio puts together 12 traditional Christmas songs with the unique vocal blend that has won them almost every country music award there is.

Merry Christmas, Baby by Rod Stewart

Only one of the top 100 Greatest Singers of All Time can make your Christmas rock the way Rod Stewart does. The Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductee has released the first Christmas album of his career including duets with Michael Buble and Ella Fitzgerald.

Christmas Joy SA-CD by Fiona Joy Hawkins

Piano sensation, singer and composer Fiona Joy Hawkins brings the Celtic and New Age rhythms to Christmas songs. She puts together the sounds of the Australian didgeridoo, Paraguayan harp, and other instruments to give Christmas music an entirely new slant.  Also available in Super Audio (SA-CD), it will delight audiophiles everywhere!


Taking their famous jazz sound, the Lounge Lizards have given Christmas a Bossa Nova style, adding a warm tropical rhythm to old favorites like “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”, “Jingle Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman”.


Kids of all ages will love this reissue with different mixes and takes that will make their favorite characters live again in music and song. Don't be surprised if it brings back memories of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas with your family many Christmases ago.

And speaking of shopping, the ironic and iconic image above is of a 40-ft. high Christmas tree made of shopping carts, taken in Venice Beach last year.  Merry Christmas everyone!