This piece was written for, and dedicated to my wife, Jennifer.  I tried to create a story - a journey through music that followed and complimented this charming and evocative poem.

The players:

Jennifer Lanman: Voice 
Anthony Joseph Lanman: 8-String Electric Guitar
Paul Bro: Alto Saxophone
Nathan Rainey: Horn
Ted Piechocinski: Accordion
Beverley Simms: Piano
Sharilyn Spicknall: Violin
Kurt Fowler: Cello
Todd Gallagher: Contrabass
Jimmy Finnie: Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Steel Drums, Suspended Cymbal, Cajon
Roby George: Conductor

Recording Engineers: Matthew Pauley and Don Arney
Mixed and mastered by Don Arney

Instructions (on How to Survive a Fairy Tale)

Olivia Kieffer is a composer, percussionist, toy pianist, and educator from the United States. Her music has been described as “immediately attractive”, “like a knife of light”, and “honest, to the point, and joyful!”

Anthony Joseph Lanman is an active and passionate musician that divides his time between composing, performing, teaching and advocacy for new classical music.

As a composer, Anthony creates music that reaches general audiences as well as new music connoisseurs. Embracing influences that range from progressive rock and metal, to medieval and renaissance music, to jazz, to new classical, Anthony strives to create a sound that is his own. He has written for ensembles and soloists around the world.

Recent commissions include – E.G.S./A.J.L. for guitarist Matthew Cochran, Hear Us! for children’s choir and string ensemble commissioned by Otter Creek Middle School, Automaton – a concerto for 8-string electric guitar and percussion for Clocks In Motion, The Rag and Bone Shop – a song cycle for baritone and piano trio for Brian Lewis and David Small commissioned by the University of Texas Butler School of Music, Rush – a quartet commissioned by the Music Teacher’s National Association and the Indiana Music Teacher’s Association, Hommages for Piano, Book 2, for Holly Roadfeldt, and Damselfly – a duo for 8-string electric guitar and percussion for Kyle Lutes.

Anthony’s performing career began in high school while singing and playing electric guitar with his touring progressive band Canvas. His principle instrument changed to classical guitar during his undergraduate years at University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Adam Holzman. Through his graduate study at Indiana University he added renaissance lute and theorbo to his instrumental arsenal, studying with Nigel North. He has performed with the University of Texas New Music Ensemble, the University of Texas Early Music Ensemble, the Indiana University New Music Ensemble, the Indiana State University Wind Ensemble, and Clocks in Motion. He has also performed many concerts of solo and chamber music.

Anthony’s advocacy is life-long. In the nineties, he hosted a contemporary classical music radio show on KVRX in Austin, Texas. In the 21st century, he promoted fellow Indiana University composers through a web presence on Mp3.com (now defunct); created Guitar Heroes, a weekly presentation series in Second Life; and produced more than 100 episodes of his ongoing music-centric podcasts All the Cool Parts and the 1,000 Recordings Podcast. He has appeared as a guest on Soundnotion, Composer Quest, Classical Guitar Insider, Goes 2 Eleven, and The Portfolio Composer.  His new podcast 1 Track focuses on the music of the contemporary classical world.  In addition, he has exposed thousands of new listeners to contemporary classical composers by sharing this music to his more than 400,000 followers on Soundcloud.

Anthony has held several positions at multiple universities and colleges, as well as K-12 public schools. In 2016, he held an adjunct position at Butler University in addition to teaching choir and music at West Vigo Middle School. He holds a BM in composition from the University of Texas, and an MM and DM in composition from Indiana University.

Anthony currently resides in Bloomington, IN with his wife Jenna and their cats Silas and Bod.

Maine-raised, Boston and Baltimore (Peabody) educated, New York City honed, Chicago softened, and now back in New England.  Besides composing, I play piano and tuba (and tuba variants), and sing bass and countertenor.

Lover of understated beauty. Lover of music that makes you feel. Drum n bass. Jungle. House. Ratchet booty poppin'remixes. Verdi. Shostakovich. Debussy. Bernstein.