Velvet Wallpaper, an alchemy for modern piano, is a collection of contemporary, original piano works driven by personal and intimate narratives.  The storylines are for the listener to discover and enjoy.  Highly emotional and composed with technical modernity and structure the works are ambient, flowing, inventive, and most importantly - calming.

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Velvet Wallpaper

I composed "Little Years Rhapsody" in 1991 for solo piano in a midi sequencer.  It was like punching holes in a player piano.  The composition is a little over 14-minutes long and written in 3 parts.  After transcribing it to notation, years went by and I eventually took what I learned working in the commercial music industry and decided to orchestrate the composition - trial and error, note by note, one instrument at a time.  Since I am self-taught, it involved a few years to complete.  And by the time I finished I decided to write lyrics and add vocals as well - another exploration for me.  Presently there are 2 versions of the rhapsody - one with vocals, and one without.  This version is without.

"Little Years Rhapsody" is dedicated to my mother.  It was her favorite piece of mine.

Little Years Rhapsody

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Lost in BelleVista

This is a concept album inspired by children and the memories of my youth growing up. My hopes are that children and adults both can enjoy listening to the music.  The connecting theme running throughout the entire album is love and beauty, but the real lesson is the power of unity.

I composed all the music and wrote the lyrics.  Every note and/or expression was either played or sung by me.

The Allegory of Butterfly Jack

New composition/manuscript! “Gazelle” is basically a fantasia. This beautiful orchestral composition was written in 9/8 time signature.  I originally composed the piece for solo piano 6 years ago, however there is no piano in this recording. I wanted to be free to explore the full scope of a symphonic orchestra. This recording is computer-generated, like most of my recordings.  However I handwrite or play every single note, phrase and expression of every instrument in all my compositions, including this one.  Having no theory background I compose only what I hear, follow no rules exploring dissonance in harmonies/chords and disjointedness in rhythms and transitions.  Artwork photography by Leroy Koetz. 

“Look deeper in Nature, then you will understand everything better” Albert Einstein.

Gazelle

This new orchestral work is based on my solo piano piece entitled "The Gatekeeper".

Cathedral

This is Part III of my new suite "The Gatekeeper Suite".  The composition, called “Carousel of Light”, has 131 measures and 3,848 notes. It’s composed for 60-piece string section. 3 flutes. 3 oboes. 3 clarinets. 1 bass clarinet. 1 bassoon. 6 French horns. 3 trumpets. 4 trombones. 1 tuba. Harp, celesta and glockenspiel. 
It was taken from a piano composition of mine called “Carousel of Light” written in 2018. The orchestration took me 14 days to complete in computer. I hand-wrote every single note and expression of every instrument and since I mix and express each note as I’m orchestrating, that makes me the conductor of this recording as well. 
“Music is the arithmetic of sounds as optics is the geometry of light” Claude Debussy
Photography and title design by Leroy Koetz.

Carousel of Light

Gentle Rainy Day

Little Years Rhapsody (Complete) 042323

The Healer REMIX 042923 BEST - X

There is a place where all Good will meet someday in happiness.

Rainbow Bridge

This is a live recording from a club in Gainsville, FL performed by a band I played with in the early 80s.(yes, over 30 years ago!) It was one of my favorite original songs among many of John Kurzweg and The Night back then.  The band consisted of 4 players - John Kurzweg was on guitar and lead vocal, Richard Tengstedt on bass, Perry Nelson on drums and I'm playing the piano and organ. Kurzweg wrote the songs and lyrics.      

John Kurzweg and The Night "I Can Feel The Heat"

This song is about an old crabapple tree along side of the road which became the meeting place for Butterfly Jack and all his friends.

Theme for Butterfly Jack

Some say this is the greatest love song of all time. I recorded this arrangement of George Harrison's song, "Something" for a Beatles radio program in Humboldt County, CA.

Something

This quirky, but sweet piano composition was written in the spring of 2011 on my Yamaha Grand.  Not quite a tradition waltz, but it's still composed in 3/4 time signature.

Julebird

This nocturne was composed in a midi-sequencer in 1996 using a Macintosh computer. It wasn't until 2011 when the original recording was transcribed to music notation.  After numerous edits to the composition, this is a recent recording of the completed transcription.

Possible World

I originally composed this short inventive composition in 1988 using a Mac SE computer. Years later I arranged it for piano and eventually expanded the piece for jazz orchestra.

Sugar Krisp

Radio spot for The United Way produced by Energy BBDO.  I was the sound designer / mixer.

Super Heros

Radio spot for Illinois Lottery produced by Energy BBDO.  I was the sound designer / mixer.

Chain Saw

This is another live recording from 1983.  The song was recorded in a nightclub in Tallahassee, FL and performed by John Kurzweg and the Night - a band I toured with in the early 80s as their keyboard player.  Kurzweg is a talented songwriter and music producer currently living in Santa Fe.  The Night was a 4-piece rock band.  John Kurzweg was the lead vocalist and guitarist, Richard Tengstedt on bass, Perry Nelson on drums and I was playing piano and organ.    

John Kurzweg and the Night "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"

Color the World

Color The World

I was contracted to produce this theme for the Chicago Blackhawks.  The theme was composed by Hans Zimmer as part of his soundtrack for the motion picture "Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest".  I re-orchestrated, rearranged, adapted and re-recorded the theme to be used in the Blackhawks' stadium video entitled "Hit The Ice".  Copyrights were purchased for production use.  I am playing and performing all the parts to this music track.  I also mixed the soundtrack. 

The Chicago Blackhawks purchased the rights to use this theme for Stadium use only.

The Chicago Blackhawks "Hit the Ice" soundtrack

A child learns to follow his deepest passions in life without a care in the world around him.

Child of Love and Beauty

A child falls in deep sleep and dreams of being in a cocoon.

In My Cocoon

This song is about hanging out at the crik that ran through the open fields of a small neighborhood.

Friends of Mine

This minimal but inventive composition is about an interim - a peaceful and calming transition.

I wrote, played and/or performed every single note, phrase and expression of every single instrument that is recorded in this orchestration and arrangement.

The Butterfly

I wrote, played and/or performed every single note, phrase and expression of every single instrument that is recorded in the orchestration and arrangement.

Little Years

Get Smart

This cinematic composition for piano has always been one of my favorites. It is composed in a minor key and very much in the style of a nocturne.

Drive by Johnny

Drive By Johnny

"Music is the arithmetic of sound as optics is the geometry of light" Claude Debussy. There is no better quote to describe the inspiration for this composition.

This is George Wojtas (my Father-In-Law) scat singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".  I'm playing bass and drums.  The cover photo was taken when he was playing drums out in front of Wrigley Field.

George & Friends

Oddly enough, I had no clue where this piece was going as I was composing it. It almost seemed I was following something that already existed.  I felt like a marionette.

The Marionette

This theme is very cinematic, hypnotic and mesmerizing composed in a minor key, very much in the style of a nocturne.

This is a very sweet and gentle solo piano composition evoking past memories.

Eyes Wide Open

America has made 4 important contributions to contemporary classical music. They are syncopated rhythm, repetition, improvisation and the use of the pentatonic scale. This piece for solo piano is exploring all four.

The Healer

The bee symbolizes community, brightness and personal power.  In some cultures it even symbolizes the hopes of a happy and prosperous new year. This piano composition is a tribute to their industriousness, strength and wisdom.

Honey Bee

Musically this is an exploration of harmony composed for piano using major chords.  I purposefully avoided the feel of any standard time signature which allowed me to explore empty space as well.  However so, there is definitely a pulse (or beat)I was following. Being a bit impressionistic my inspiration was light over darkness, positive energy over negative, love over hate, and so on.  Basically creation of life.

The Gatekeeper

I always had a special love for French music.

Parc de Paris

Mr. Fenchel

I composed and arranged this piece for piano, cello, violin, contra bass, dulcimer and glockenspiel.

Honeybee Garden

Piano, Accordion, Upright Bass and Drums.

This dramatic romantic composition is dedicated to my lovely wife, Amy.  It is very much composed in the style of a nocturne.

Amie

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Beauty and the Beast

My love for the first American music known to the world (ragtime) inspired me to compose this piece.

Ballpark Rag

Please feel free to visit John's website at www.johnkoetz.com.  

John’s career pathway has led him to be an independent music composer/producer and sound designer.  His goals are to work in sound and music for the TV/film/video production industry, performing arts and theater, as well as being a recording artist. 

John Koetz has been an owner and/or operator of DigiDesign ProTools workstations for more than 25 years.  He composes, records, edits and mixes audio, sound and/or music via this platform.  For the last 15 years John has been key in building several in-house studios for Chicago-based ad agencies such as Energy BBDO and Young & Rubicam. His expertise and technical skills in commercial, web and radio provides creative teams mixing and recording services. He works closely and directs voice-over talent, singers and musicians.

John has played piano since he was 6 years old and owns a 1985 Yamaha acoustic grand.  He was a keyboard player performing in various bands touring the South in the 80s, some of which were fortunate enough to open for concert acts such as Duran Duran, Flock of Seagulls, The Fixx, Missing Persons, Madness, The Producers and various other bands of that era.

In the 90s John moved to Chicago and became an independent film/commercial music producer working directly for clients such as McDonalds, Kraft, Motorola, Lifetime and A&E while continuing to compose soundtracks for independent films, theater and dance. 

John Koetz is a member of BMI and his music is now available in iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, etc.  He continues to live and work in Chicago with his creative partner and wife, Amy Wojtas-Koetz.

John Koetz

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