Sonic Landscapes Music has announced the release of "Cautiously Optimistic: The Music of Scott Evan Davis." It marks the debut recording from Davis, a New York based composer and music educator. A group of theater and cabaret performers gathered to interpret his songs: Faith Prince and Liz Callaway, Jason Graae, and Natalie Douglas, among others, make appearances on the recording. "Cautiously Optimistic: The Music of Scott Evan Davis" was produced, arranged and orchestrated by the multi-talented pianist/arranger/conductor, David Snyder.
Scott Evan Davis is a self-taught pianist and a graduate of Emerson College and AMDA New York. In 2008, after a period of working outside the music and performing business, he had a transformative personal experience which turned his focus decisively back to music and particularly, songwriting.
"If someone had told me a few years ago that this is where my passion would lie, I would have laughed" says Davis. "I left the business after appearing in my first off-Broadway play, JOY. Then in 2008, as odd as it may sound, I was visited in a dream by my late musical mentor with whom I'd had a horrible fight before he died. To my great regret, we never saw each other again or reconciled. In the dream he hugged me, which I took as a sign of forgiveness, and he left me with a lingering melody he had been humming. That melody came back to me the next day, and it became the basis for the song 'Cautiously Optimistic.' That experience influenced the themes I wrote: acceptance, forgiveness and moving forward. It was his ultimate gift to me."
In 2010, Davis performed his collection of songs in several shows at Don't Tell Mama in New York. He implemented a fund-raising campaign through KICKSTARTER, and recorded and pressed his album by late 2011. His fall 2011 concert at Birdland in NYC saw Davis accompanying an array of New Yorkers performing his songs.
In 2012, no fewer than three musical education programs around the country will showcase Davis's music or use it in their curriculum: Lee High School, the Performing Arts Magnet School for the Huntsville, Alabama School District will feature "Ready to Fly" as the choral performance piece for graduation, with an orchestration by Mr. Davis and choral arrangement by David Snyder. A (scheduled) 2012 graduate of Luther College will be performing a song cycle written by Davis for her required graduation thesis. Emerson College in Boston has plans to include Davis's material in their Spring 2012 curriculuM. Davis conducts master classes and concerts and teaches a music program he developed for children through Brooklyn Children's Theater, TADA! Manhattan and Arts Connection NYC.
"Cautiously Optimistic: The Music of Scott Evan Davis" is available now on iTUNES, CDBaby.com and Amazon.com.
Visit Scott Evan Davis on the web at: http://www.scottevandavis.com/
Visit David Snyder on the web at: http://www.soniclandscapes.com/
Cautiously Optimistic: The Music of Scott Evan Davis
Album Produced by David Snyder
Executive Producer: Scott Evan Davis
Songs arranged & orchestrated by David Snyder
Recorded at Lofish Studios, NYC and Sonic Landscapes East, Maplewood, NJ
Tracking Engineers: Chris Gilroy (Lofish) and David Snyder (Sonic Landscapes)
Vocals for Faith Prince engineered by Michael Aarvold
Mixing Engineer: Paul Special
Mastering by Michael Aarvold
Musicians: Piano/Keyboards: David Snyder
Cello: Amy Ralske
Flute: Jason Brook
Oboe: Brian Shaw
Backup Vocals on "Cautiously Optimistic" and "I Am" by
Jon Philip Alman, Nicole Johndrow, Julie Reyburn and David Snyde
TRACKS:
1. Cautiously Optimistic (3:07)
Julie Reyburn
2. Walk a Little Slower (5:00)
Joshua Dixon, Faith Prince
3. Just a Word (2:39)
Jason Graae
4. If We Say Goodbye (4:15)
Liz Callaway
5. I Never Thought (3:22)
Natalie Douglas
6. He's Perfect (4:29)
Lisa Howard
7. Dear Santa (3:10)
Daniel Reichard
8. There's Nothing I Can Say (3:09)
Jon Philip Alman, Julie Reyburn
9. You Make Me Crazy (2:34)
Nicole Johndrow
10. More Than Just Sundays (4:53)
Joshua Dixon
11. Ready to Fly (4:00)
Nikki Renee Daniels
12. I Am (3:54)
Scott Evan Davis
All Music and Lyrics by Scott Evan Davis
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