Theme piece to Lucas Kirby's upcoming album "When You Dream"

When You Dream

Inspired by the exclusive, unique and eclectic Downtown Seattle scene. Where the drizzle of rain simultaneously enchants and haunts. Where the sun pleasantly catches one off guard. And the taste and smell of Gelato Espresso reminds us of one life lesson:  We simply want what we cannot have.  

Seatown

Coffee - by Lucas Kirby

Demo song to his upcoming album When You Dream 

Home

Odyssey

Rosalva

“A man who has been through bitter experiences and traveled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time”

This track is from the album Onward and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby2  Official Website: www.lucaskirbymusic.com 

I had just been offered a position with Steinway in Spokane, WA. Although I had moved numerous of times as a child and young adult, I had never moved out of state. As excited as I was to make the transition, I dreaded it all in the same. To even think of moving away from Salt Lake City, where I had grown up and where all my family and friends were, was one of the scariest things I had ever done. I knew that, although the position was desirable and that the decision just made sense for my life, that there was going to be a lot of transitioning and difficult times ahead. 

"Before the Storm" is my interpretation of the calm we often feel after making a decision to do something we know or think will benefit us, but proceeded by the difficult trials that will always lay ahead. Just because something is right, doesn't mean it will be easy. In fact, in my opinion, it is often times that the harder decision is usually the correct one. 

The intro contains the first 20 seconds to the old popular song "Cherish The Love" by Kool and the Gang. My parents used to listen to this all the time and it was always stuck in my head - a good example of the influential impact music can have on us as children. 

 
................................................................................................................
"The storm will rage; the quicksand, swift. And to every thunder, there will be a silence..."


Before the Storm

This track is from the album Onward and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby2  Official Web Site:  www.lucaskirbymusic.com

I was in denial the day that I heard about the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. I had been extremely busy, trying to tie up loose ends to get "Onward" complete and released. 

I had been speaking to my friend, Mel, about graphics design pointers for the album as she had told me the news. The first thing I thought about were the few children in my life who had impacted me in so many positive ways. I ignored the news and tried to continue my day. 

The next morning, I woke up with the worst feeling. I knew that each one of the parents and loved ones who were connected to these children were also waking up to a new reality that they had hoped was just a dream - they'd never see their little ones again. For some reason, I became devastated. All the pain I had felt when losing connection with the child of my ex girlfriend had come back. And who was I to think of such pain, when others were facing the true bitter certainties that lye ahead?

A couple of days before the shooting, I had started working on a piece that was stumping me. I just couldn't move on to anything new or creative. It wasn't until the day after the shooting and all this emotion had come that I was able to put any true meaning to it. I sat at the piano for two days straight, hardly eating anything and not sleeping at all. For some reason, I felt obligated to write this piece for these children and all those who were effected. I hadn't cried so hard in a very long time. I could only imagine the pain that their loved ones was feeling. 

After I knew the song was complete, the feelings didn't reside. I didn't know what to do. Why was I feeling this way? I had no connection to these children and horrible things happen ever day in our world. There was just something about this particular tragedy that shook me to the core. 

I started looking up stories on the children, hoping that this would help. I then had the idea that I should make a video memorial for the children and their family's. I studied their birth dates, full names, hobbies, interests. I compiled the information and made the tribute video, which then took another day. 

After three days of hardly any sleep or any food, I had completed my tribute. The only thing to do now was to post it. I don't know what it was about this project, but the only thing that brought me peace was to get it out there for whoever needed to hear it. Once I did so, a huge burden was lifted from me. It really was quite an amazing experience. I can only hope that it reaches those who truly need it the most. 

A couple of days afterwards, I had received a call that a local news station had been trying to get a hold of me regarding "The Bittersweet". Apparently they were wanting to play the video. I gave my friend permission to give them my contact information. I never heard from them. I won't deny, I was excited for whatever possibilities may have come from this opportunity, but disappointed as well to have never received a phone call. Not necessarily because I wanted a song I wrote to be put on the news (don't get me wrong, who wouldn't?), but because my gut told me that the news was too old for them to pay any attention to it. It is proof that our society quickly forgets the tragedies that are not directly effecting them. This is the reason why history always seems to repeat itself. 

I received a lot of comments on the piece - many saying that it helped them make sense of the horrible tragedy and others saying that it brought them peace. That alone brings me happiness and that is the reason I did it. It was within those days that the company who was doing my CD printing had called me and told me that we were good to go on the print. I had been waiting for them to fix some issues before giving them the go ahead. It was perfect timing. I told them to take the last song I had put on the album and replace it with "The Bittersweet". 

It was an appropriate addition to an album that had taken many years of emotion to finally complete. There are actually two versions to the piece. The "sweet" version, which you have heard, and the "bitter" version, which I haven't decided if I want to make public yet. 

Those lost in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. 

Allison Wyatt, 6
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Avielle Richman, 6
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Daniel Barden, 7
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Dylan Hockley, 6
Emilie Parker, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Jack Pinto, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Jesse Lewis, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Mary Sherlach, 56
Noah Pozner, 6
Olivia Engel, 6
Rachel Davino, 29
Victoria Soto,27
Nancy Lanza, 52


The Bittersweet

This track is from the album Tears of Glory and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby  Official Web Site:  www.lucaskirbymusic.com

Where the River Flows

This track is from the album Onward and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby2   Official Web Site:  www.lucaskirbymusic.com 

This piece is important to me. It was the first thing I had written in almost a year, and inspiration to compose music was very scarce. In 2010, I had moved back to Salt Lake City to take a position in a piano store which ended up being short lived. After the loss of my relationship, illness knocking on my front door, and the inability to find motivation to even wake up in the morning, I knew that it was time for a change: I needed to move back to Spokane. And so, in 2011, a few days after Christmas, my father helped me move back and I started a new life with no job, no money, and a desire to sell and tune pianos out of my home. I also enrolled in college, which was a complete blessing, yet an extremely difficult transition. Although I didn't have any overwhelming feelings that this was what I was supposed to do, it was the only thing that made sense for my life. To some degree, you could say that it was like throwing a dart on a map and hoping that the destination was where I was supposed to go. 

"Sincere" was written after meeting someone that helped me find some perspective in my new found world. Deven, a great person, and someone that I consider a friend, was able to help me find my passions for life again. I can tell you, that when those passions have disappeared, life is a very grim thought. I'm happy to say that thanks to her, I re-found myself. My inspiration to write music is now back, as well as my desire to focus on it and make the piano a constant part of my life. I named this piece "Sincere", because to me, it is the trials and tribulations in our lives that truly humble us. And when we overcome those obstacles, we become sincere in the way we live our lives. It is a reality that I will try my hardest to never lose sight of. This one is for Deven. Thank you 

Sincere

This track is from the album Tears of Glory and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby    Official Web Site:  www.lucaskirbymusic.com 

Written at age 16 after a divorce. 

Broken Spirit

This track is from the album Onward and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lucaskirby2  Official Web Site www.lucaskirbymusic.com 

After a couple of years, I had decided to add onto this piece. The original version of "The Sound of His Insanity" was very dark and heavy. However, "insanity", to me, has moments of happiness and joy that when taken away, will result in that insanity. I had completed this piece while in a relationship that had brought me a lot of joy (and of course, some unhappiness when it ended). I wanted to depict that "roller coaster" in this version. I believe that experience taught me something important. Sir Isaac Newton once said "What goes up, must come down". I believe that we can live by this in our lives. It is safe to say that happiness is followed by pain and sorrow, and vice versa. Not to say that we should expect that things wont ever last, but to me, it is important that we realize that they often don't. Learning this has helped me cope with the unexpected tragedies that I know life will bring to me. 

The end of the piece reverts back to the beginning of how it started, with a little more emphasis on the dark and heavy.  

The Sound of His Insanity (Full Version)

This track is from the album Onward and is available for purchase here: www.lucaskirbymusic.com 

Masie Rae, is a child that brought an unexpected joy to my life. It is children like her that help us really put things into perspective. She taught me that it is often the simple things in life that bring the most joy. 

Masie's Star

Lucas Kirby is a New Age, solo pianist and composer hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah and resides in Spokane, Washington. By the age of nine he demonstrated an unyielding passion for piano music. After releasing his debut album “Tears of Glory”, at age 20, his music has been featured in documentaries, films and numerous musical projects around the globe; including the score for College Debts, the last film featuring the late Academy Award winning actress, Celeste Holmes. His latest album, “Onward”, consists of music from as early as 13 years old.


“Every once in a while, a new artist comes along that you know is something really special. Lucas Kirby gives me that feeling in much the same way the late Dax Johnson did fifteen or so years ago. Ironically, both are/were from Spokane, Washington and both create(d) piano music that packs raw emotion into every note. What a powerhouse of an album and what a promising young artist we have here! Very highly recommended!” – Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com


Kirby is currently recording his third album, “When You Dream”. Included in this album is “Odyssey”, which placed in the top 20 for unreleased worldwide piano compositions for the Blue Spiral Records, Minimal Piano Series competition. The album will be released by spring, 2018.


Surrounding himself by what he loves most as well as individuals who share his same passion, has given him the opportunity to indulge in his life dream.
Kirby portrays the human spirits strength in picking oneself up and moving forward. He emanates well, the roller coaster of emotion that life often brings us. Put simply, Kirby’s music is a celebration and portrait of the human condition.


“Minimalist, intimate, sometimes passionate and sometimes subtle, Kirby invites us to impressionistic music full of clarity, color and light. Not in vain, immersed in his work is equivalent to walking through the water gardens of Claude Monet …” – Auxie Gonzalas, The Waves On Air.

Lucas Kirby Music

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