Joel Glenn Wixson
BIOGRAPHY
His life has been a series of relationships with pianos. The first being the one in the basement of the church were his father was the Associate Minister. At age 10, he would ride his bike the mile or so down to the church, and navigate the labyrinthine hallways to the fellowship hall where the ornate upright piano stood waiting in the darkness. He remembers the cold of the basement in contrast to the warm of the summer days he would relinquish just to be able to play.
When his parents moved the family to New Hampshire, the piano was closer. The church was across the parking lot from their house, and although there was an upright in the Parish Hall, right next door, the better piano was, again, in the basement of the church. And what was more, being in the church offered the possibility of sneaking upstairs to play the Chickering baby grand. He loved to open it up and take off the music stand and hear the strings ringing out against the antique tin ceilings of the sanctuary. The sun streaming through the windows or the playful sounds of his friends outside were never enough to pull him away from the music, only the growing darkness of days end brought him back outside.
Where ever he goes the question of what piano he might find is never far from his mind. Even in graduate school he would spend break times lulling his friends on the piano in the dance studio. Other students would follow the music, and sit quietly in the dimly lit room waiting of their next class. He recalls a trip to Italy punctuated by a late night party where he played Beetles tunes on a small upright in someone’s apartment, while inebriated Italian artists slurred out the lyrics to Let It Be and Hey Jude.
For Joel the piano is not an instrument, it is a portal. He’s been dreaming songs all his life. The piano is how he gets the music from his dreams and into the waking world.
BAND MEMBERS
Joel Glenn Wixson
YEARS COMPLETED
2007,2010,2011
GENRES
OTHER BAND SITES
http://epresskitz.com/joelglennwixson
Completed Albums
159(2007)
Solo piano improvisation
Grateful(2010)
These are some of the songs I received during the month of February. Because of a variety of circumstances like computer failure and power outages, I only had a week to do the work. My plan was to produce what I got, and that’s what I did. Thank you Great Spirit.Day one
Got a song “I Remain” in the night. Had to work all day. No time to record or develop the idea.
Day two
Got songs in the night.
Day three
Leaving for St John tomorrow. Burned some disks for friends there. Worked on “I Remain” and “Not Enough.”
Day four-eighteen
On St. John. Using small cassette recorder to record ideas. Getting two to four songs per night. Will develop them when I get home, if I can be sparked by these recordings.
Day eighteen
Return from vacation. Tired to turn on computer. Will not boot up.
Day ninteen
Brought computer to Botany Bay Computers. May take three days to fix. Began working with old four track. Constance waits inspired by guitar lick I started playing. Beau Esby calls and asks if I can use Max and Micha
Some Way(2011)
I am back. My plan is to produce what I get from dreams this month, and see what happens. So far so good. I am deeply greatful to the Creation for the gift of these songs and the messages they contain and to my family for supporting me and allowing me to take the time out to do this project.