Customer Reviews

A Delicate Balance

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When searching by computer for talented artists in your favorite genre, a couple of simple search terms might quickly get you good results. If not, you can try searching the many recording labels to help you find talented artists, or at least point you in the right direction.

Lisa Downing is one name to search for, and Vision Quest Entertainment is another search term you can try. With either search result, Lisa Downing's name will appear since this business was originally her own record label and now a combined talent agency doing business as Vision Quest Entertainment which represents well over 1200 musicians in Colorado.

Now that we know Lisa Downing as a businesswoman, let me tell you about her busy career as composer, recording artists, and concert pianist. Lisa performs in many concert venues including corporate and private events, along with conducting workshops and concerts with Liz Story and Joseph Akins, among many additional reputable artists. Teaching piano along with her academic studies, Lisa attended the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State College to study music and piano performance. Graduating with a degree in Traditional and Nontraditional Music with Keyboard Emphasis in 1982, her educational pursuits appear to be nicely balanced too.

A Delicate Balance is her 2010 Solo Piano, New Age, Neo Classical release, in an album title that is pretty well equal to her business and creative endeavors as a Solo Pianist. What's interesting about the inside cover of this CD is the special written diary about the thoughts behind each song's composition which uniquely portrays Lisa's intimate expressions during some rather personal moments in her life.

I did enjoy reading her diary of songs while listening and preparing for this review of A Delicate Balance since it meticulously brought her personal recounting for each composition into the picture, giving her piano melodies a conclusively heartfelt and well spoken reflection. Without giving away all of the diary secrets, many songs like The Gift, reflect a wonderful positive expression by the classical phrasing leading to the uplifting feel given by full register piano runs. This song aligned in a moderate tempo made me think of the intrinsic treasures a gift giver feels and the unexpected joyful surprises a recipient receives.

The song Lost nicely portrays the first quiet moments in piano composition before well placed notes makes one realize that someone dear has lost their way, leading to deeper moments of pause and curiosity by her intonation. After bolder dynamic chords suggest a winding road of lost hope, an upbeat conclusive ending happily points to a more familiar direction, ending with a more moderate calming tone of security. Indecision is a faster moving piece where treble runs are shown like racing thoughts of indecisiveness, and lower register chords lean towards equal balance in an affirmative way, reflecting the decisive moments in life that are pretty much universal to everyone.

No Matter What I Do involves a special dedication and meaning to Lisa and does reflect this by quieter phrases giving way to pause, leading to a wider path, where positive chords suggest a new resolve in this scenario, ending in a more relaxed contemplation. Lisa Downing's prior albums Think On These Things is much like her current personal melodies with well timed moments of reflection, and her Holiday CD Christmas for Two are traditional holiday arrangements you will easily recognize and are easy to find CDs.

A Delicate Balance is a fine Solo Piano album with the personal Lisa Downing expressive touch. Reading her song diary while listening to her latest musical gift about finding many delicate lines during the search for perfect balance is sure to please everyone, provided they take the time to search and then find this talented artist for themselves.

Lisa Downing's third solo piano album, A Delicate Balance, is inspired mostly by her son, and this is evident by the passion with which she has infused her new CD.

Downing has channeled this passion into a wide range of emotions. The variety of moods runs the gamut from inner reflection and quiet contentment to confident determination and exuberant joy. Downing conveys all of this with engaging arrangements, lyrical melodies, and rapturous chords.

Two standout tracks on the album are "Indecision" and "No Matter What I Do." Downing has been compared to Liz Story and Peter Kater and rightly so. With these two tracks, the adventurous and quirky spirit of Bruce Hornsby can also be detected.

Downing definitely has musical chops. Apparently, in addition to recording and touring, she is available for private engagements. If this CD is any indication, no one could go wrong booking her for anything from weddings to anniversaries and other social and corporate events.

A Delicate Balance is definitely recommended for connoisseurs of solo piano music and anyone interested in hiring a professional and accomplished musician.

A Delicate Balance is the third album by expert piano soloist and piano teacher Lisa Downing. The gentle, flowing, exquisitely beautiful music encapsulates the theme of balance in mind, body, soul, and nature. Downing's wonderfully evocative music is soothing, lovely, and far-reaching. A Delicate Balance is especially recommended as a gift to anyone who enjoys listening to lilting piano. The tracks are "The Gift" (2:25), "The Bedtime Song" (3:42), "Make Believe" (3:56), "Lost" (3:35), "Indecision" (2:37), "A Delicate Balance" (4:16), "No Matter What I Do" (3:59), "Slow Dancing" (3:29), "Song for Emma" (3:51), "Diaphanous Breeze" (3:39), "Night Games" (3:04), and "Speaker/Listener" (3:20).

"A Delicate Balance" is the third solo piano release from Colorado pianist/composer Lisa Downing, and what a gem it is! A longtime piano teacher with an impressive training of her own, Downing brings a flawless technique to her playing that allows her to express whatever she chooses in her music. The twelve original pieces on this album are truly slices of her life, told with passion and grace through the language of the piano. Downing also explains the inspiration for each piece in the liner notes, offering insight and a very personal touch. I'm reminded of the wonderful musical storytelling of favorite artists like Robin Spielberg, David Lanz, and Spencer Brewer. I expect that A Delicate Balance will be one of my favorite albums of 2010.

"The Gift" is the opening piece, and is a composition that came to Downing all at once during a tumultuous time in her life. A graceful energy flows through the piece that is both thoughtful and life-affirming. The sweet and dreamy "The Bedtime Song" refers to a time when Downing and her young son made up original songs together at bedtime each night. This melody was a favorite, conveying love and innocence. "Make Believe" is one of my favorites. Composed while watching her son building things with his Legos and creating a fantasy world with his teddy bears, the piece is playful yet intense and slightly mysterious, winding down at the end like a music box. "Lost" goes to the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, expressing the emotions felt when her beloved teenage son ran away from home for three weeks. The piece ends with a major chord, indicating that story has a happy ending. "Indecision" expresses the frustration and confusion of trying to make life choices and decisions - an amazing portrait of those troubling feelings. "A Diaphanous Breeze" is another favorite. Inspired by a thick haze of cottonwood seeds drifting on the wind, the piece is dreamy, sensuous, and gorgeous. "Night Games" emerged while watching a group of neighbor kids playing in the cul-de-sac under the glow of a street lamp. Energetic and full of fun, it's a delight! "Speaker/Listener" refers to a powerful tool for developing intimacy, where one person speaks his or her truth and then the listener speaks what he or she has heard. The piece elegantly conveys the message of several unique voices reaching out to each other.

"A Delicate Balance" is an incredible musical experience that shouldn't be missed! Very highly recommended!