Medical Records

Released: 28 December 2017

I am proud to present Medical Records, my tenth album. For this project, I have had the honor of collaborating with two other pianist-composers who happen to work, as I do, at the University of Michigan Hospital: Errick Thomas and Daniel Cronin. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with these two talented musicians.

CD Artwork

Liner Notes

  1. Maximal Love (PF): This celebrates the birth of the first child of our family’s next generation, Max Koenig. His mother is my niece, Julia; in tribute to French cuisine, I just referred to it as “Julia’s Child” until she and her husband decided on a name!
  2. Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano, No. 1: Welcoming Claire (PF): This is a new arrangement of a piece originally written for solo piano to celebrate the birth of Claire Hertzfeld. I kept the original piano recording from my first CD (Fine Tuning), beautifully interpreted by Korin Hancherlian-Amos, and added flute and cello sections played by Emily Olson and Stefan Koch, respectively.
  3. It’s Me (ET): This was my first composition. This song means a great deal to me. Sometimes you are unable to express yourself through words, so I titled this piece “It’s me” for that reason.
  4. Snow Day (PF): This piece was composed in 2008 and is intended to convey the exuberant celebration that ensues when children learn that school has been cancelled owing to a large snowfall.
  5. The Carousel Ride (DC): This piece was written when my son was an infant and it immediately reminded me of a Carousel ride. Now that he is older, he smiles when he hears the piece and often begins dancing through the house with my wife. This piece is dedicated to James—I love you, son.
  6. Nocturne for Violin and Piano: Sunset at Birchview (PF): This piece is dedicated to our friends, Claus and Wenche Borgnakke, whose vacation home has a fantastic view of the sunset over Lake Michigan. It is the longest piece I have composed; structurally, it has four sections in which a piano bass line arpeggio sequence is repeated; starting with the second iteration, the right hand piano part reproduces each time what the violin played the previous time and a new violin accompaniment is added to it. Priscilla Johnson was kind enough to contribute her violin wizardry.
  7. The Greek Mystique (PF): This is a modified version of a piece composed to celebrate the birth of Alexander Myers, whose mother is of Greek heritage.
  1. My Angel (ET): This song is dedicated to my lovely Mother. It was composed on October 4, 2016, a date that will always be remembered. This was a time my mother went through a very distressing period. In the midst of it all, she still was the Angel and backbone of our family.
  2. Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano, No. 2: Saku’s Smile (PF): This piece was composed to celebrate the birth of my niece, Saku Yoshioka. The original piano part was played by Korin Hancherlian-Amos. Emily Olson and Stefan Koch again played the flute and cello parts that I added.
  3. Rumination (PF): This is a modified version of a piece that was included originally on Time Signatures. It starts out in d minor in a rather melancholy and contemplative mood, but it ends triumphantly in F Major!
  4. Young Boy (ET): With being adopted since birth, life certainly had its challenges. This piece expresses my growth from a “young boy” that made me into the man I am now. It was composed in June of 2016.
  5. Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano: Strings (PF): “Strings” was intended to be part of the music soundtrack for the movie adaptation of Liz Maxwell’s novel about a violinist who suffers from depression. It has always bothered me that the original piece included no stringed instruments, so I have added Stefan Koch’s cello and Priscilla Johnson’s violin to allow me finally, after more than thirty years, to sleep a guiltless sleep.
  6. The Chasing Music (PF): The basis for this lively composition is something I used to play for my children when they were small and chasing each other around the main level of our home. I tried to incorporate their energy into the piece.
  7. My Life (ET): One thing you can certainly call your own is your life. This was a piece that I composed this year. This piece is very special to me because it embodies my life story.
  8. Love’s Triumphant Journey (DC): Each section of this piece came to me “all of a sudden” after months of non-productivity. I️ believe the piece speaks to the powerful and dramatic moments of life and ultimately echoes the triumphs of love. This piece is dedicated with love to my wife, Katie—thank you for your continued selfless support.