piano1 Various Artists

piano1 is the first in a series of solo piano compilation albums curated by section1.piano1 shines a light on the beauty and the power of piano music, and straddles the lines of contemporary classical, experimental, and ambient music. Each artist was given two creative guidelines to follow: the piano has to be the main instrument featured in the composition, and the composition must not feature any vocals.We wanted the raw emotions in each song to be maintained, and for listeners to hear the joys, the sadness, the doubts, the certainties, and the uncertainties.piano1 is as much about showcasing the artists involved as it is showcasing the piano as an instrument, how different artists approach their creative relationship with the instrument, and how, depending on an artist’s approach, the same 88 keys used by each can produce such drastically different sounds, moods, etc.. The hope, all the while, was to create an album that accommodates many levels of listening attention (be it active listening, passive listening, or somewhere in between), while inducing calm and creating a space to think. As much as possible, we wanted to make this record as an invitation to the listener(s) into that space.There’s a greater understanding and appreciation now (more than any other time during our lives) to slow down and heal, to seek out the calm wherever you can find it, and to embrace it. Research has shown us (thank you, science) that music, especially with a slower tempo and minimal harmonious melodies, can help lower our cortisol levels (the body’s primary stress hormone), reduce heart rate and blood pressure, release endorphins, and help promote a state of calm and relaxation, creating a more balanced and centered state of mind.What better place to find that “calm” so many of us seek than in a 12 song compilation of musical pieces composed and performed by some of today’s most gifted artists?