Pianist Donovan Johnson-Nocturnes and Lullabies

Donovan Johnson is going back into the recording studio.  His latest project, which is mainly piano with synth pad underscore, is a bit darker than we're used to.  It's titled "Nocturnes and Lullabies," and is scheduled for release at the end of the 2012 calendar year.

"Nocturnes and Lullabies" is going to be somewhat different from my previous recordings."  Donovan states.  "For the most part, I tend to write music that's uplifting.  Major keys, upbeat rhythms, and so on.  Even the more reflective pieces that I've written aren't very "dark" in nature.  That's where this album is going to be different."

"I've always been fascinated by the nighttime, and the many moods that come with it.  A starry sky, for instance.  Or a foggy night.  A hot summer evening or winter's cold, macabre blackness.  Now, we add to that the idea of the Lullaby, and we really have something.  The night time means something very different to children, and even those ideas differ from child to child.  That's one of the many things I want to convey in this work--that child-like, fairy tale quality that lies somewhere between the fascinating and the horrifying."

So, how far along is Donovan in the project?  "Most of the music is already written.  I still have a few pieces to go, but the ideas for the pieces are in place.  I'll be booking studio time inside of the next month, and the material will come to life.  Of course, it always takes longer in the studio than one expects, which is why I'm getting in there early.  I want to have this project finished by the end of the year."

And what inspired Donovan in the creation of this project?  "When I was a boy, I didn't really have a fear of the dark.  Then, I'd go to sleep and have surreal dreams, often nightmares.  But the following evening, I'd be over it.  It was almost like my dreams were a creative "out" for me.  They weren't always positive experiences, but they clearly had an impact on the way I think today, and the way I see the world.  Now I have a son of my own, and I wonder if he'll share this experience with me.  In some ways I hope not.  But "Nocturnes and Lullabies" is one way for me to come to terms with all of this.  It's a way for me to embrace my dark, dreamy past, understand it better, and respect it in a way that I haven't been able to.  In so doing, I feel like I'll be able to understand my son better as well."

Donovan has said that this project has been a challenge for him.  Stylistically it's not what he's used to, and he's had to embrace some uncomfortable things along the way.  "I've struggled with depression all my life.  I know now that I was born with it.  And it has affected the way I sleep, and the way I dream.  Sometimes I still have bouts of recurring nightmares.  Having to go back and look at "why" can be very disconcerting.  But it's also an extremely rewarding process.  I'm very much looking forward to the end result of this recording.  It's probably my most intensely personal work yet."

Donovan's previous four recordings are all available through CDBaby, Reverbnation, Amazon, Itunes, and many other websites!

Donovan Johnson is an internationally recognized New Age pianist and recording artist. His music combines folk, classical and contemporary styles to create a unique sound all it's own, and is available  through many websites and radio stations.  To learn more, visit his website at www.donovanjohnson.net. Or visit his online New Age piano radio station at www.enlightenedpiano.com!