Timothy Cooper
Light on the Water
© 2008 Timothy Cooper (700261226866)
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Oceanic sound as in the music of dreams.
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"Beautiful solo piano..."
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Audiosyncracy Podcast-Episode 24
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Read New Age Reporter Review of "Light on the Water"
http://www.newagereporter.com/recording/viewreviews.asp?rvwbrd=2&rvwbrdpstn=1&rvwbrdcmmt=608
Of his solo piano sounds, Timothy Cooper says: "I love the piano's ability to create oceanic sound—a great wash of sustained sound that can seem at once infinite and intimate, with no borders or boundaries--only the presence of being... Sometimes my music has no definable beginnings, no absolute endings: only waves upon waves of sound headed as if for all shores, as in the music of dreams.
"It is this sense of musical sustainability that I wish to explore, to create: Sound that rolls out to the edge of a horizon-less horizon and into a space too vast to fully comprehend, like countless waves tossed and lost across midnight seas. The beauty of pure piano is that it's capable of opening up this epic, unending space, this magnificent place where tone is magnified, sustained, and amplified. This is the sound that I search for in my music: a sustained sound that moves like I imagine the universe moves--out towards its outer edges. It's there that I find refuge, absolute intimacy. It's there that I drink from the mysterious deep and float, for a time, incredibly free.
"No words can quite describe the sound of sound or the oceanic place that I wish my music to be. But it is my hope that I reveal the angels of my soul in sound."
Bio:
Timothy Cooper began his musical career as a chorister at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, DC. As a soprano, he performed under the demanding
direction of Dr. Paul S. Callaway, Richard Dirksen and David Koehring, singing a vast repertoire of sacred and choral works written by some of the world’s leading
composers. Among them were British composers Dr. Benjamin Britten and Sir Ralph Vaughan Williams, as well as 16th century English composers William Byrd and
Thomas Tallis. He also performed the major works of contemporary American composers Pulitzer-Prize winning composer Dr. Leo Sowerby and Richard Dirksen. Together with the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, Cooper recorded several LP records and toured in the United States and abroad, singing at Westminster Abbey, King John’s College Cambridge, Coventry, Chichester and Canterbury cathedrals.
As a teenager he was influenced by the innovative music of the Sixties, including recording artist Ravi Shankar. He studied sitar until he took up acoustical piano while studying film directing and writing at the American Film Institute, Center for Advanced Film Studies in Los Angeles.
Over subsequent years, he developed his own pure piano style of improvisational composition, later influenced by acoustical artists Keith Jarrett, Liz Story, Will Ackerman, Philip Aaberg, and Suzanne Ciani. In 2001, greatly moved by the attacks on the World Trade Center, Cooper finally began recording his piano improvisations.
These recordings resulted in “Light on the Water”. He recorded on a Baldwin concert grand piano, using Panasonic DAT technology and stereo Neumann U 87 microphones.
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Congratulations on GrIndie Award
author: RadioIndy.comRadioIndy is proud to present Timothy Cooper a GrIndie Award for their CD "Light on the Water." A GrIndie Award is RadioIndy's stamp of approval that this CD is an excellent quality CD. Please join us in congratulating this artist on this accomplishment.
A Fresh New Voice!
author: Kathy Parsons“Light On the Water” is one of two solo piano CDs released simultaneously by Timothy Cooper (the other is “East Winds”). Dedicated to the victims of 9/11 and recorded on a concert grand piano, the nineteen pieces on this album are improvisational compositions that are introspective, a bit on the dark side, and very intimate. Where the pieces on “East Wind” were mostly very short, these are somewhat longer and more developed, with time to explore the various themes that involve nature and aspects of the human experience while reflecting on the events of that fateful day. Each of these freeform gems is unique yet becomes part of a beautiful whole, creating a mood that stays fairly consistent throughout the album. Most of the music is on the quiet side with no flash or harshness although some of the harmony is unusual in places. Several of these pieces have more energy than those on “East Wind,” but none of them is flamboyant. Somewhat edgy and deeply personal, Timothy Cooper brings a fresh new voice to the solo piano genre. The CD opens with one of two versions of “Worldscapes,” a piece with a gently rocking rhythm on the left hand and a more improvised, freeform right hand. Both peaceful and questioning, it’s an auspicious beginning. “Solar Nights” is very atmospheric - mysterious with a feeling of vast open space. “Soundings” is one of my favorites, exploring a variety of musical moods that are mostly calming, but become stormy and dark in places. “Curve of Madness” is more turbulent and agitated, as its title implies, but is beautiful in its own way. “Open Soul” is one of the more melodic pieces, beginning with a whisper and building with the variations on the melody - richly compelling. “A Quiet Urgency” is more energetic, but doesn’t lose the peaceful mood of the album. The title track is another favorite with its grace and hypnotic flow. (There is a music video of this piece on Cooper’s website www.new-piano-age.com.) “Glad Sorrows” reflects the strange mix of emotions we all felt in the weeks following 9/11. I also really like “Ribbons of Starlight,” a gorgeous piece full of longing and hope. “Advent” is a lovely theme for that most-forgiving season of the year. Pensive and intimate, it brings the CD to a quiet close. “Light On the Water” is excellent from start to finish. Edgy and experimental, this is music captured at the moment of its creation, inspired by events that changed all of our lives forever. Recommended!
Beautiful Solo Piano SC
author: William and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team"Light On The Water" by Timothy Cooper is a solo piano album with a peaceful state of mind. Mr. Cooper has a very long resume and certainly brings his best to this piece of work. The album's concept is for an oceanic feel, and the mission is accomplished. One can almost hear the sound of the ocean even though it's not there. The arrangements are very strong and the musicianship is superior. The sound quality is very clear. Highlights include "Rising," a very dramatic piece that still manages to adhere to the concept. The title track "Light on the Water" is uplifting and the twinkly arrangement will bring a smile to your face. "Solstice" has a bit of oddity in it and is very noble. If you enjoy beautiful meditative music and solo piano, you'll enjoy this one.