IS TODAY THE DAY ?
NEW ALBUM

This is a thought I wake up with every morning. No matter how challenging life was, I believed my experiences were life lessons preparing me for something. The mystery became what that might be.

 

While I loved helping others find their voice, I was unsure of my own. I finally gave myself permission to discover and own who I am. It was a beautiful test of my faith in myself.

 

I wrote piano melodies that would speak without any orchestration or additional instrumentation. Following the advice of my late dear friend and mentor, Michel Colombier, I listened to the songs, letting them tell me what they needed. 

 

After decades of making records, I knew what kind of recording I wanted to produce. It was daunting as an Independent Artist. Then, I remembered the beautiful album I made with Waldemar Bastos and how we started so simply with little resources. He would tell me, “Derek, believe! Universe will provide.” It not only did but with abundance.

 

These songs are titled like the musical biography of my life. I have always loved strings, and it blows my mind that I have the different configurations appropriate for each song present in the recordings, from solo cellist Carmine Miranda, who I met after he moved here from Venezuela to the string quartet comprised of long-time friends Charlie Bishirat, Paul Cartwright, Rita Andrade, and Cameron Stone, to the City of Prague Philharmonic under the direction of Adam Klemens. I had to pinch myself more than once during the recordings. 

 

Another dream of mine was to record the pianos that I loved. The gorgeous Steinway at The Nest, the Steinway in Studio Three at EastWest Studios, and the Petrof Grand at Smecky Studios in Prague. I was present from beginning to end for this album, not wanting to miss a single moment.

 

I love this record. The journey was cathartic, and I am proud to present it to you. My wish is that it serves as a musical framework for you to let your dreams come alive. With heart, if I was blessed with the good fortune to create this, you can too!