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White House screens a film I orchestrated and conducted!

My work has made it all the way up to the White House for the second time! The first time it was sheet music preparation for Fiesta Latina at the White House in 2013. Today in the White House screening room they showed Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer.

I orchestrated the score for composer Boris Zelkin in 2016, and also conducted the recording sessions with a union orchestra at Castle Row Studios in Oklahoma City, OK. It’s a real surprise and honor to have an audience as prestigious as the White House staff, so many congrats to Ann McElhinney, Phelim McAleer, Magdalena Segieda, John Sullivan, Nick Searcy, Boris Zelkin, and the rest of the team.

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Burak Besir and Jeremy Borum at Festival of Arts

The Festival of Arts sponsors art education programming, art exhibits and provides art scholarships. Each summer in Laguna Beach, CA, it hosts the Pageant of the Masters, a remarkable show that recreates famous artwork on stage with live models and elaborate sets and makeup, and each year the music is an original score. At the same time, nearby is a fine art show to see and buy art, and a stage that is perpetually busy with fine musical performances.

This year I had the opportunity to perform as piano accompanist with Burak Besir, the finest flute player I’ve ever performed with. The concert was all virtuosic solo pieces, and it was recorded by Yamaha on their Disklavier piano. In addition to audio recordings it is available on their player pianos as a downloadable performance, so the acoustic player pianos can play live in sync with the audio. If you know anybody with a Yamaha Disklavier or have a nearby mall with a player piano, request my performance with Burak Besir! You can learn more about the performance on the Yamaha website.

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning flutist, composer, and producer Cyprus-born Burak Beşir was the recipient of a 2003 United Kingdom Young Concert Artist Award, which gave him the opportunity to perform at concerts and festivals, including a concert at Wigmore Hall. He has performed as principal flutist of the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. Beşir came to the U.S. in 2008 to study at the Berklee College of Music, where he received the Arif Mardin Achievement and Best Concerto Performer Awards. He is a frequent performer at the National Flute Association Conventions, where he has performed his own compositions and arrangements.

 

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Huffington Post reviews album “All Over The Map”

“shimmers with elegant, delicate muscularity”
“fugitive colors, moods and textures that blow you away”
“gorgeous sonic aromas, tonal suggestions and sonorous nuances tingling with vitality and dynamics”

Today the Huffington Post published a review of “All Over The Map,” an album by Steven Gordon for which I played piano. Steven is one of the most profoundly talented and artistic string players I have ever worked with, and I was honored when he asked me to be his piano player and sole musical collaborator on the album. We were unaware that Huffington was reviewing the album so it’s a wonderful surprise, especially because the review is practically glowing.

The album was released a little over a year ago and can be bought on Amazon, iTunes, and everywhere else. Many thanks to Randy Radic for the stunning review.

Steven Gordon album released

Steven Gordon is one of the most talented and expressive musicians I have ever worked with, and that’s saying a lot. And to top it off, he fits that description when playing both viola and guitar! He invited me to accompany him on piano in his new solo album “All Over The Map” which was released today. One of the tracks I played on is LITERALLY the HARDEST VIOLA PIECE IN THE WORLD!! (Track 14) Steven is a monster player and it was an honor to accompany him.

Time Machine Rock Opera

The Time Machine is a new rock opera written by Los Angeles based composer Steve Altman, and I am the music copyist and keyboard player. We have been playing throughout June at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and our closing night was standing room only, sold out to 120% of capacity. It was a great run and I look forward to orchestrating the music when the show takes a bigger stage.

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Recording Shantell Ogden

Shantell Ogden, a singer/songwriter based in Nashville, came out to LA in part to record some tracks with me at my studio. We are laying the foundation for a new album called Better At Goodbye, which will come out late this year. She’s a great song writer and it was a pleasure to record, produce, and play for her.

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Christafari makes Billboard history

Christafari has made Billboard history this week! I have toured with them for many years. My final tour was the launch for this album, and we made it up to #3 on the Billboard reggae chart. Eight months later it made it up to #1!! Christafari is the first Christian reggae band in history to grab the #1 spot in this secular reggae chart. Congratulations guys! I’m glad to have been a part of it.

Wurlitzer 112 restoration complete

A good friend of mine gave me a 1955 Wurlitzer 112. ’55 was the first year Wurlitzer was making electric pianos, so it’s a super cool relic in rare near-mint cosmetic condition. However, it was severely neglected. I got what I paid for – 75lbs of unusable instrument so old nobody knows how to fix it or find parts. It was an unplayable disaster that only amplified the sound of the power in the walls. And so began my restoration journey…

As of today it’s FINISHED and back to mint condition! Watch the video to hear it and check each photo for more details about the process.

Motif Ensemble Holiday Concert

The Motif Ensemble is a vocal ensemble in Glendale directed by Mara Baygulova, and I will be accompanying them during their annual Christmas Concert Sunday December 2 at 3pm. It will be an hour of holiday songs from around the world, with a vocal ensemble of 6 and myself on the piano. It is at the Glendale Presbyterian church, a fantastic venue with wonderful acoustics. See the website for details.