The Naked Piano, Vol. II

#		Title	Length
1		The Thinker	4:12	Play
2		Gabriel	3:23	Play
3		Prairie	3:00	Play
4		The Ring	3:57	Play
5		Sanctuary	4:46	Play
6		Paragon	2:53	Play
7		Americana	2:42	Play
8		Siena	3:07	Play
9		Mountain Mist	3:45	Play
10		Blue	4:04	Play
11		Driftwood	4:06	Play
12		After the Rain	3:33	Play
13		Heritage	5:00	Play
14		Strollin	4:29	Play
			52:57

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Description

Following up on his critically acclaimed debut The Naked Piano, Gary Girouard continues to inspire and soothe in The Naked Piano, vol. II. Taking steps forward in melodic and thematic development, The Naked Piano II truly defines the piano as a solo instrument - with singing and memorable melodies, soothing harmonies and inspiring rhythmic motion.

Featuring 14 original compositions and almost 1 hour of music, the album blends and weaves popular-inspired melodies with classical piano technique and lush jazz influenced harmonies. The result is an album that is inspirational in its message, therapeutic in its delivery and timeless in its character.

It is said that "you dont find your passion, your passion finds you" - and for Gary Girouard that passion has always been the piano. Gary began playing the piano as a young boy, infatuated with the mystique of the black-and-white keys. He had heard a friend play the piano at a birthday party and he persisted in convincing his parents to get him a piano. Not having the resources, Garys parents bought a bright blue piano for $50 from a local flea market. He began classical piano lessons at the age of 8 and was sight reading by age 10. With this backdrop of classical training, he began his first compositions at age 11.

When Gary was 17 he began studying jazz theory and jazz arranging - writing and arranging dozens of compositions. At the same time, Gary was developing his classical chops playing Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

In his first year of College, Gary would experience a life-threatening illness that dramatically changed his life. After his long recovery, Gary had a new-found appreciation for life and his passion of music. After changing his major to music and graduating on the Deans-list for the school of Fine Arts, he spent a year living in Milan, Italy - backpacking through Europe while writing pop music on a battery-operated keyboard. When he returned, he landed a job selling pianos at a local piano store - developing his style "after-hours" on a fleet of Steinway pianos.

In the following years, Gary would hone his writing and playing skills in bars and clubs in and around Boston - focusing first on the feel of a tune - as Girouard describes it: "a memorable melody that resonates with listeners and an expression that can be felt". Gary began to notice recurring themes in peoples lives - stress, family, love, loss - and decided to focus his energies on writing music to capture some of these timeless themes.

The Naked Piano series evolved from this sentiment to capture timeless themes and to allow people an escape from an otherwise hectic lifestyle. The intention is to provide a method for introspection, analysis and understanding.

Girouard comments; "People lead increasingly stressful lives. The Naked Piano is a simple response - highlighting a beautiful instrument in its most pure and natural form. Whether it's cooking, dining or driving in your car, there are times when we all could use some refreshing piano music.

Wilton Syckes, President of the Piano Travelers Association heralds The Naked Piano as "the most expressive, relaxing piano music I have ever experienced...as one with a lifetime love of music, I could listen to these compositions for a lifetime".

Giving a nod to past experiences and worthy causes, Girouard donates a portion of all album sales to charities. A portion of The Naked Piano II album is donated to the Team Bryce Charity (http://teambrycefund.org) - benefiting children with chronic disorders. A portion of The Naked Piano is donated to The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (www.holeinthewallgang.org) - a special place in Ashford, CT that provides a true camp experience for children with cancer and serious blood disorders.