ONE AUDIO PIECE American composer Joseph Curiale's CD, Awakening, has been out for quite some time, but I became aware of it only fairly recently and found the positive and optimistic spirit of his music very engaging. He's written quite a bit for TV, movies and the recording industry beginning in the early 80's, including music for the Tonight Show and Steve Martin's film Roxanne (one of my favorites), among many other credits. As a young man, he came to Los Angeles after living in Japan for a time and made a very successful career composing music. But apparently, something changed. In the early 90's Curiale began writing orchestral concert pieces outside the constraints of the entertainment industry. And in 1994 he had a near-death experience in Southeast Asia that apparently helped confirm his new musical direction. It was while he was recovering the following year that he wrote "Awakening" (Songs of the Earth), the title piece for his first CD, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the composer conducting. The three sections of "Awakening" are Compassion, Forgiveness, and Joy. He said:
"...being re-connected to the sacred Earth in the tranquil Southern California area in which I live did more to heal me than any medical intervention could ever have done at the time....The silence taught me everything. It brought me compassion and understanding when I needed them most. It taught me how to forgive and gave me a sense of true joy that I believe I could not have gotten any other way. All that was required was just to be still and listen."
It may not be that surprising that there's a strong spiritual sensibility to much of his music, but I wouldn't call it "New Age," to use a now old term. It is well-crafted orchestral writing in an accessible and familiar style, some of it beautifully incorporating Far Eastern influences and instruments. Much of it is cinematic in scope, no doubt as a result of his years of experience writing for television and the movies. For example, in 2001 his "Gates of Gold Suite" (inspired by the Chinese immigration to California during the Gold Rush) was performed at a Hollywood Bowl concert called "A Celebration of TV Music." But it is the inner spirit of his music and its motivation that initially got my attention. Joseph Curiale's inspiration seems to have motivated him in other directions as well. He founded a charitable organization for orphaned girls in India (The Joseph Curiale Foundation) and has written a book titled The Spirit of Creativity about unlocking and exploring one's own creative potential. He has a second CD out called The Music of Life that is also worth exploring; a selection from that disc will be featured in my up-coming Thanksgiving Day Special in November. Here is the final part of Awakening: Joy.... [audio:joy.mp3]