Sign In
Create Account
0
1_williamjoseph.jpg 32.78K
2 downloadsHave you guys heard of pianist William Joseph?
If you don't know nor have heard of him yet, I want to introduce you to this gifted artist. He's phenomenal and amazing!
He touched the heart of David Foster, who is helping him fly through an international, musical career.
Official Site:
http://www.william-joseph.com
Live Radio Show performances from Toronto 96.3FM
http://www.imeem.com..._toronto_part_1
Introduction, feat. David Foster
1_muswilliam00.gif 57.85K
1 downloadsHe's touched my heart!
What an inspiration!
Quote
From Wikipedia:
William Joseph is a Yamaha Artist pianist and recording artist from Phoenix, Arizona.
William Joseph has loved music since he was a child. By age 8, he had won a full music scholarship provided by the Boys Club of America, enabling him to study piano with famed Russian pianist Stella Saperstein. By age 17, he had written the theme song for his hometown hockey team, the Phoenix Coyotes, as well as a special anthem called "Seeds of Hope", intended to help draw attention to the victims of the Kosovo refugee crisis. In his late teens he left the musical field, only to return later and release 2 independent albums, complete with a large concert schedule.
Between his performance engagements he has often found time for teaching, He was the first teacher hired by Piano Warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona and taught for the company Arizona Music Lessons later to be renamed Arizona Music Academy[1],(for which he still performs short teaching periods) the same music school that employes Charles Watson of the Universal records band Hollow Council[2]
In 2003, Joseph performed at a charity event in his hometown and bumped into David Foster, for whom he played. Foster was impressed, and they began collaborating, eventually writing several songs together that would appear on 2004's "Within", Joseph's major-label debut. By this time, Joseph was signed under Foster's 143 Records, a sub-label of Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records.
In August and September 2004, Joseph opened for Josh Groban's "Closer Tour", covering 12 cities in the US and Canada, giving 16 concerts. During November & December of 2005, Joseph was the opening act for Clay Aiken's "Joyful Noise" tour, which covered 36 cities in the US and Canada, giving 40 concerts.
William Joseph is a Yamaha Artist pianist and recording artist from Phoenix, Arizona.
William Joseph has loved music since he was a child. By age 8, he had won a full music scholarship provided by the Boys Club of America, enabling him to study piano with famed Russian pianist Stella Saperstein. By age 17, he had written the theme song for his hometown hockey team, the Phoenix Coyotes, as well as a special anthem called "Seeds of Hope", intended to help draw attention to the victims of the Kosovo refugee crisis. In his late teens he left the musical field, only to return later and release 2 independent albums, complete with a large concert schedule.
Between his performance engagements he has often found time for teaching, He was the first teacher hired by Piano Warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona and taught for the company Arizona Music Lessons later to be renamed Arizona Music Academy[1],(for which he still performs short teaching periods) the same music school that employes Charles Watson of the Universal records band Hollow Council[2]
In 2003, Joseph performed at a charity event in his hometown and bumped into David Foster, for whom he played. Foster was impressed, and they began collaborating, eventually writing several songs together that would appear on 2004's "Within", Joseph's major-label debut. By this time, Joseph was signed under Foster's 143 Records, a sub-label of Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records.
In August and September 2004, Joseph opened for Josh Groban's "Closer Tour", covering 12 cities in the US and Canada, giving 16 concerts. During November & December of 2005, Joseph was the opening act for Clay Aiken's "Joyful Noise" tour, which covered 36 cities in the US and Canada, giving 40 concerts.
Quote
http://www.olografix...s/dfnet2/?p=239
Joseph flourishes under Foster’s care
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
While Phoenix pianist William Joseph’s first trip to Canada was a hectic one, driving across country in a van while opening Josh Groban arena shows, his latest jaunt opening for the poperatic quartet Il Divo at the Halifax Metro Centre on Saturday will likely come with a few more amenities.
A musician since the age of four, Joseph had one of those fairy tale starts to his career as a major label artist when he learned Canadian uber-producer David Foster was coming to Phoenix to conduct the orchestra for a fundraiser with Rod Stewart and Reba McEntire. A friend got him in to meet Foster during soundcheck with the simple aim of saying hello and handing him a CD, but it turned into something much more.
“In between Rod and Reba, I was introduced to him, and my friend asked if I could play his piano,” says the Reprise Records instrumentalist from his hometown. “So David said, ‘No, not at all, come on up!’ He’s very spontaneous, so he took me up in front of this world class band, and David looks at me and says, ‘Play something.’
“I immediately felt the cold sweat come over me, and I played this song I had written, which is the title track of my CD, Within. After about 20 seconds, David motions to the drummer to join in. All of a sudden the whole band joined in, I’ve got David Foster conducting over me, and I’m thinking, ’Please, please don’t mess up!’ Right after I finished, David gave me a high five, everybody in the room started clapping, and he said, ’What was that song?’”
Foster invited Joseph to come back that night and open the show with his song. The pianist quickly phoned his wife of just one week and asked, “Honey, do you have a nice dress?”
Joseph’s performance that night, and the standing ovation that followed persuaded Foster to produce his debut album Within, which features a blend of Joseph’s originals, familiar classics and even orchestral versions of rock anthems like Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir or Kansas’s Dust in the Wind featuring Quebec star Garou.
“Garou is the man!” exclaims Joseph about the singer best known for playing Quasimodo in Luc Plamondon’s musical Notre Dame de Paris. “I had never even heard of him, but we were in the studio working on Dust in the Wind, and it was missing something, we couldn’t make it sound how we wanted it.
“Garou just happened to be in the next studio, so David walked over and brought him back. At first we thought we’d just have him sing the chorus, but as soon as he started singing, my jaw dropped. I forgot ‘just the chorus,’ we had to have him do the whole thing.”
Besides getting him a major label deal and producing his debut CD, Foster’s influence has also helped Joseph get prestigious gigs like opening for Barbra Streisand, and performing at a birthday party for Maria Schriver, a.k.a. Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Arnold called — I guess I should call him the governor — he called David looking for someone to perform. I’ve actually played at three different events for him, but this was a very intimate party, there were only 40 people there, like Tom Hanks and other high profile people, just at his home.
“I’ve watched a ton of his movies as a kid, and it was so fun to be there. He was behind me in this buffet line and I just wanted to arm wrestle the guy. So when he asked me, ‘So Villiam, how ahld vere you ven you stahted playing da piahno?’ it was hard to keep from laughing. I couldn’t believe I was having a conversation with this guy in his house.”
Joseph flourishes under Foster’s care
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
While Phoenix pianist William Joseph’s first trip to Canada was a hectic one, driving across country in a van while opening Josh Groban arena shows, his latest jaunt opening for the poperatic quartet Il Divo at the Halifax Metro Centre on Saturday will likely come with a few more amenities.
A musician since the age of four, Joseph had one of those fairy tale starts to his career as a major label artist when he learned Canadian uber-producer David Foster was coming to Phoenix to conduct the orchestra for a fundraiser with Rod Stewart and Reba McEntire. A friend got him in to meet Foster during soundcheck with the simple aim of saying hello and handing him a CD, but it turned into something much more.
“In between Rod and Reba, I was introduced to him, and my friend asked if I could play his piano,” says the Reprise Records instrumentalist from his hometown. “So David said, ‘No, not at all, come on up!’ He’s very spontaneous, so he took me up in front of this world class band, and David looks at me and says, ‘Play something.’
“I immediately felt the cold sweat come over me, and I played this song I had written, which is the title track of my CD, Within. After about 20 seconds, David motions to the drummer to join in. All of a sudden the whole band joined in, I’ve got David Foster conducting over me, and I’m thinking, ’Please, please don’t mess up!’ Right after I finished, David gave me a high five, everybody in the room started clapping, and he said, ’What was that song?’”
Foster invited Joseph to come back that night and open the show with his song. The pianist quickly phoned his wife of just one week and asked, “Honey, do you have a nice dress?”
Joseph’s performance that night, and the standing ovation that followed persuaded Foster to produce his debut album Within, which features a blend of Joseph’s originals, familiar classics and even orchestral versions of rock anthems like Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir or Kansas’s Dust in the Wind featuring Quebec star Garou.
“Garou is the man!” exclaims Joseph about the singer best known for playing Quasimodo in Luc Plamondon’s musical Notre Dame de Paris. “I had never even heard of him, but we were in the studio working on Dust in the Wind, and it was missing something, we couldn’t make it sound how we wanted it.
“Garou just happened to be in the next studio, so David walked over and brought him back. At first we thought we’d just have him sing the chorus, but as soon as he started singing, my jaw dropped. I forgot ‘just the chorus,’ we had to have him do the whole thing.”
Besides getting him a major label deal and producing his debut CD, Foster’s influence has also helped Joseph get prestigious gigs like opening for Barbra Streisand, and performing at a birthday party for Maria Schriver, a.k.a. Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Arnold called — I guess I should call him the governor — he called David looking for someone to perform. I’ve actually played at three different events for him, but this was a very intimate party, there were only 40 people there, like Tom Hanks and other high profile people, just at his home.
“I’ve watched a ton of his movies as a kid, and it was so fun to be there. He was behind me in this buffet line and I just wanted to arm wrestle the guy. So when he asked me, ‘So Villiam, how ahld vere you ven you stahted playing da piahno?’ it was hard to keep from laughing. I couldn’t believe I was having a conversation with this guy in his house.”
Edited by Love,, 06 October 2008 - 02:32 AM.
Back to top
