|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Piano Solo From Shannon Janssen Shannon Janssen lives to play the piano and every album she releases is another testament to her dedication to the craft of a true musical artisan. She currently has three instrumental recordings available covering a multitude of genres. Heart Journey (2001) and Piano Paintings (2002) engages listeners with a tremendous range of styles and moods including jazz, new age, and classical. The most recent release, The Keys of Christmas (2005), came just in time for the holidays and continues to focus on Shannon’s continuing development as one of the best independent solo artist in the U.S. Born and raised in Iowa, Shannon Janssen began playing a small electric organ when she was very young. When she took lessons, her instructor prohibited her from playing anything but classical. Shannon continued lessons through high school then studied piano with a passionate pursuit that led her to a longstanding job as a church pianist for 20 years as well as teaching private lessons for twelve years. So many people enjoyed the music Shannon created that they wanted a keepsake of her work; hence, this inspired the work on Heart Journey and subsequent albums. Shannon’s own take on her music is-"I like music that is touching and soul stirring, which makes you stop to ponder, taking you to another place. This kind of music can be in many categories. But instrumental music without words, allows the listener to use their imagination to tell the story or to paint the picture within the song. The only clue is the title...you decide how the story goes and ends. It's like reading a book verses watching a movie. Your imagination paints the scene and characters, thus allowing the music to take you on a journey. It has always been my desire and dream to create music such as this." If you have not discovered this wonderful artist by now there are three great recordings to experience. This music can fit any mood or change it if you are in one. Shannon Janssen and her piano recordings take you to a musical nirvana only found in the heavens above. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |