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History


A classically trained and award winning pianist, Peckyno has been described as a hybrid between Rick Wakeman and George Winston with music ranging from driving progressive electronic rock to contemplative piano solos...

Eargasm

Hey all, thanks for comin' by! I could start with something like the above, but let's face it, bio's are strange and pretty well all sound fake and silly. So, rather than spouting out the commercial, the best I can (or will) do is tell you how I got here... it's a pretty interesting story - well, at least it was on this side...

I started playing the piano at age 4 and was singing and dancing ethnic folk across the US long before I was driving... During the late 80's, I played with technopunk outfit Eargasm and new wave rockers Page 19 before heading to Nashville to get my B.S. degree from MTSU's school of music business. Amongst several Nashville jobs, I worked as an agent's assistant for Joe Harris (then at Buddy Lee Attractions) for artists such as Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood.  Ironically, I didn't know a thing about country music... (and even tried to kick Clint Black out of one of his own shows for not having a pass!)

 

Later, while working at Integrated Copyright Group, Inc., I began a collaboration with experimental guitarist Chad Corley (the Sleep-Ins, kingsizedmidget) that resulted in the formation of Longhouse Records to support our 1995 collaboration (as Bathsheva) Mine Field Dream. The CD was well received and several tracks hit the new age charts on MP3.com. While in Texas with Longhouse Records, I recorded and released rsvp and Assignments before moving to Los Angeles to open a west coast office and work as a dragon slayer.  While in Hollywood, I recorded Suncatcher and Counting Out Time and spent a brief stint working as a PA for film soundtrack legend William Goldstein.  By now, I had worked professionally in nearly every aspect of the music business and, while exciting and all, I wasn’t getting out of it the satisfaction I had hoped for…   So, I quit and started a new life.

 

Over the next 9 years, I earned two graduate degrees and spent a summer working as a NASA scientist - which doesn't exactly leave a whole lot of free time.   The keyboards hid under the bed for the most part, but here and there I kept recording tracks as time permitted...  In 2004, I compiled the best of those tracks together for Exiled from Outer Space and then went back to work.  With no expectations, I picked up a piano and began to practice again as time allowed.   Honestly, it was simply 3 minute chunks of therapy…     For fun, I began outputting it to the computer and recording takes.   I was playing around with the Page 19 material and lots of positive feedback started to trickle in, so I decided to compile those tunes into MIDI’d piano CD of the best bits entitled Quarter Page  which was released in 2009.   Who knew people would like it...?

Which brings us to 2011. I recorded and released the CD 'Stripped' in February - which is a compilation of solo piano interpretations of previously released electronic works. However, rather than highly produced tracking, or computer aided composition, each song on this CD was recorded in a single live take on the piano.

 

I tried not to 'overplan' each of these tracks and nearly half of this CD was improvised during the recording. All I can say is, “Why haven’t I done this before?” It's easily the best CD musically I've done (I'm sure I say that every time...) and radio stations across the country have been giving it airplay (I can't thank the Program/Music Directors out there enough...!). I have also started playing live shows again as time allows - some scheduled and some impromptu in unusual spots (parks, bike paths, woods, fairs, etc) with a solar/battery powered piano. It's been really great to have the opportunity to perform once again!

Oh, I guess I'm supposed to say something about the music... hmm. Depending on the CD, it's been called progressive space piano, new age, heavy mellow, psychedelic, thermal romantic, dancey, happy hardcore, electronic, ambient, emotive, crap, and Fred. I honestly don't know what half of those mean, so I'm going with Fred... Give it a listen, you might find something you like!