This is my 3rd piano album in as many years. If you had asked me 4 years ago about my plans for recording these albums, I would have had no idea what you were talking about. It’s quite amazing how life seems to provide little ‘nudges’ to lead us towards a new and unexpected direction – one that continues to grow and take a life of its own.
In my case, the nudge came from a colleague, Julie Phillips, who kept asking me to record some of my piano playing on a CD so that she could play it at the foyer at work as background music. When the COVID lockdown came, and with it, some ‘free’ time at home, I finally started recording some pieces for her…and then some more…and then, they somehow shaped into a theme…and the project kept getting bigger…and the first album, Peaceful, was born.
People seemed to like what they heard; Peaceful received very encouraging press reviews and garnered listenership from all over the world. I was especially pleased to hear some of them tell me that they often listened to the tracks while studying for exams or sitting in traffic in their cars or unwinding after a long day at work.
My wife, Anna, encouraged me to then work on the Peaceful Christmas as a sequel, featuring more of my compositions and arrangements from over the years. The challenge was to get the recording all done within a week – during our school’s half-term break. Anna, our son Hovan, our dog Simba, and my aunt (who was staying with us that week), were often confined to their bedrooms for many hours during the recordings at home, to give me enough space and silence to work. The fact that they put up with it is a testament of their love for me and my music!
Now, coming to album #3. Tributes has been in the making in my head for many months. This is by far my most emotional, intimate, and thought through album so far. Each piece has a part of my heart in it, and I’ve been very intentional about each note, nuance, and delivery. There are some ‘hidden’ motifs and undertones in most of the tracks which some listeners will recognise, depending on their culture, background, and familiarity with my other albums and compositions.
Read more about the inspirations and background stories behind the tracks of the album.
…by far my most emotional, intimate, and thought through album so far…
Hovig Nassanian