tag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:/blogs/rick-s-music-news?p=10Rick's Music News2024-03-19T18:01:43-04:00Rick Sparksfalsetag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/73695072024-03-19T18:01:43-04:002024-03-25T11:34:07-04:00ALBUM PROFILE: THE SONGS OF "ANGELINE" (2024)<p><span><strong><u>ALBUM PROFILE: The Songs of </u></strong></span><i><span><strong><u>Angeline </u></strong></span></i><span><strong><u>(2024)</u></strong></span></p><p><span><strong>by Rick Sparks</strong> </span></p><p><i><span><strong>***ALBUM RELEASE DATE APRIL 1, 2024***</strong></span></i></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/973cf0cfdec77284116bf504f8f8bb7893bb760e/original/angeline-single-graphic-square.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" height="1447" /><p><span><strong>My 10<sup>th</sup> studio album was inspired by three incredible Tennessee women in my early family history</strong>, all named “Angeline” and all born in the 1800s. Their legacy is the emotional touchstone for this album, featuring 7 new originals and 3 covers of 1960’s classics for a total runtime of 53 minutes.</span></p><p><span><strong>1. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Angeline</strong></span></i><span> – The album’s title song was inspired by my grandmother Matilda Angeline Fortner, great-grandmother Mary Angeline Ridge, and great-great-grandmother Matilda Angeline Carver. My grandmother overcame the early loss of both her parents, marrying at 18 & raising a family of 7 children during the Depression years. Her selfless love, abiding devotion to her family and quiet Christian faith inspired all who knew her. This song reflects the poignant joys and sorrows of her life.</span></p><p><span><strong>2. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Elysian Fields</strong></span></i><span> – A piano piece inspired by the traditional heavenly abode of heroes and those in my family circle who await me there. </span></p><p><span><strong>3. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Nights in White Satin</strong></span></i><span> – The first of the album’s three cover songs from the 1960s. This hauntingly beautiful profession of love written by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues is one of my favorites.</span></p><p><span><strong>4. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Moon Rain</strong></span></i><span> – My vision of a gentle, steady night rain, inspired by the lonely beauty of the moon.</span></p><p><span><strong>5. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Distant Light</strong></span></i><span> – A piano piece of alternating minor and major chords. While light may at times appear distant, its beauty & hope will never be extinguished.</span></p><p><span><strong>6. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></span></i><span><strong> - </strong>No matter where you are, the sea of serenity awaits to replenish your spirit.</span></p><p><span><strong>7. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Mother Nature’s Son</strong></span></i><span> – The 2<sup>nd</sup> of three cover songs from the 1960s; my arrangement of Paul McCartney’s lovely acoustic gem from The Beatles’ </span><i><span>White Album</span></i><span>.</span></p><p><span><strong>8. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Matilda’s Lullaby</strong></span></i><span> – My lullaby reflecting the peace & beauty of my grandmother Matilda’s spirit.</span></p><p><span><strong>9. </strong></span><i><span><strong>Little Tanasi</strong></span></i><span> – Growing up in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, I learned early on that the mountains of </span><i><span>Tanas</span></i><span>i (Tennessee) were the ancestral home of the Cherokees, a place of great beauty & eventual sadness. This song reflects both in a young maiden named Tanasi.</span></p><p><span><strong>10. </strong></span><i><span><strong>The Warmth of the Sun</strong></span></i><span> – My 3<sup>rd</sup> & final cover song from the 1960s, one of Brian Wilson’s finest & most beautiful compositions recorded by the Beach Boys. Written the day of President Kennedy’s death, the song reflects both comfort and hope during a dark time. In the backing track, you’ll hear an electric guitar & Hammond B3 organ, both staples of pop/rock music in the ‘60s.</span></p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/angeline" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><span><strong>CLICK TO HEAR THE SONGS OF </strong></span><i><span><strong>ANGELINE</strong></span></i></span></a><span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/73461162024-02-05T08:52:13-05:002024-02-23T18:28:16-05:00ADESTE FIDELES REMAINS TOP-10 ON OWMR'S TOP-100 SINGLES CHART!<p><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);"><strong>OWMR's January Top-100 chart is out & </strong><i><strong>Adeste Fideles</strong></i><strong> remains in the Top-10 (#8) after rising to #2 in December!</strong> Very grateful for the airplay & support of our friends at One World Music Radio, Europe's #1 station for the music genres covered. </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/adeste-fideles-o-come-all-ye-faithful" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);">LISTEN TO <i>ADESTE FIDELES</i></span></a></p><p><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);"><i><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/86b2cb7d8d02e1c92dd411a695c565d49d01324b/original/owmr-singles-chart-jan-2024.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></i></span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/73350882024-01-16T20:00:42-05:002024-01-16T20:00:42-05:002 SONGS NOMINATED FOR 2024 NEW AGE NOTES RADIO MUSIC AWARDS!<p><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);"><strong>Very glad to be nominated in 2 categories for the 2024 New Age Notes Radio Music awards!</strong> My original songs <i>Sea of Serenity</i> and <i>Astra Lumina</i> (both from my album <i>Sea of Serenity</i>) were nominated, with the judges (including a Grammy winner & 2 voting members of NARAS) choosing the winners by March 15th. Our thanks to Dyan Garris & NANR for our nominations! </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.newagenotes.com/new-age-notes-radio-music-awards-nominees-2024/?fbclid=IwAR02WDYp8wZAfhYoUaKu0f4lQrXJr4hIM6xi0R2wihW1WmcFQ1gB0MBC4vU" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210, 75%, 60%);">CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON THE AWARDS!</span></a><a data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210, 75%, 60%);"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/5a901e23fac44edeb8e1fd775a6960ddc7b1ae17/original/nanrm-awards-nomination-2-2024.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /></span><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/df452e037c4ac978233a779d65db2c31851bfe3f/original/nanrm-awards-nomination-1-2024.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_right border_" /></span></a></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/73214472023-12-19T14:15:41-05:002023-12-19T14:16:17-05:00ADESTE FIDELES AT #2 ON OWMR DEC. SINGLES CHART!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: Our Christmas single, </strong><i><strong>Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)</strong></i><strong>, is #2 on OWMR's Top-100 singles chart for December!</strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/e814ed6185f708fb91ab7d205c17841f1cbd434c/original/dec-23-singles-chart-owmr-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Big thanks to OWMR for supporting our music with airplay on both live spins & podcasts from Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered.</strong> <i>Adeste Fideles</i> is an advance single release from <i>Angeline</i>, our new album coming in spring! </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/adeste-fideles-o-come-all-ye-faithful" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong>LISTEN TO ADESTE FIDELES</strong></span></a></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72980932023-11-03T09:20:41-04:002023-12-18T10:00:03-05:00NEW CHRISTMAS SINGLE!<p><strong>We're so happy to announce the release of my new Christmas single, </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/adeste-fideles-o-come-all-ye-faithful" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:#000000;"><i><strong>Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)</strong></i></span></a><strong>!</strong> <a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/adeste-fideles-o-come-all-ye-faithful" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong>CLICK TO LISTEN</strong></span></a><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/c7f03c4196c7e6e57a9634f5959267e3774be7f7/original/o-come-all-ye-faithful-single-cover-small-1.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p><p><strong>Using a combination of piano, angelic voices & strings, I hope my version of this beloved Christmas classic breathes new beauty and reverence into the celebration of Christ's birth.</strong> May it bring a bit of much-needed peace and comfort to our troubled world this Christmas.</p><p><i><strong>Adeste Fideles (O Come, All Ye Faithful)</strong></i><strong> is available now for streaming/download from all major services, including Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple/iTunes.</strong> It is an advance single release from my forthcoming 2024 album, <i>Angeline</i>.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72833592023-10-05T14:29:26-04:002024-02-23T18:28:16-05:00NEW ALBUM UNDERWAY!<p><strong>Just a quick note that I've begun work on “Angeline,” my 2024 album!</strong></p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/86c71384cd90e7fa2cc51d1fa7868810a617e4b9/original/angeline-single-graphic-square.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" height="1465" /><p><strong>I've titled the project in honor of the 3 Angeline's in my life</strong>: my grandmother, great-grandmother & great-great-grandmother, all named “Angeline.” </p><p><strong>I hope someday to hear them all tell me how much they loved the music. :)</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72759142023-09-19T21:10:01-04:002023-09-22T21:44:04-04:00SIRIUS XM SPA 68 ADDS SEA OF SERENITY!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: We just learned that SiriusXM Spa Channel 68 has added our new single, </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/sea-of-serenity" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i></a><strong>, to their playlist! Thanks to our friends at Spa 68 & kudos to Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions for representing our music so well!</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72733342023-09-14T10:44:17-04:002023-09-22T21:44:04-04:00NEW "BEST OF RICK SPARKS" ALBUM RELEASE!<p><strong>Greenville, SC (09/14/2023) - I'm so happy to announce the release of </strong><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/sea-of-serenity-the-very-best-of-rick-sparks-volume-2" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><i><strong>Sea of Serenity: The Very Best of Rick Sparks, Volume 2</strong></i></a><a data-link-type="url"><i><strong> </strong></i></a><strong>! </strong>It's available now from all major services, including Amazon Music, Apple/iTunes, Spotify and Pandora. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/sea-of-serenity-the-very-best-of-rick-sparks-volume-2" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong>CLICK TO HEAR</strong></span></a></p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/9cca6490f565845638a93e1faa391d0ed3d804d6/original/sea-of-sereenity-best-of-front-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/01dfe30dc212d916d627b2090b7fc474da7d676f/original/sea-of-sereenity-best-of-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p><p><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i><strong> features 14 of my best songs from the last 5 years, including 3 new songs: </strong><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i><strong>, </strong><i><strong>Mother Nature's Son</strong></i><strong> (from The Beatles' </strong><i><strong>White Album</strong></i><strong>) and the classic hymn, </strong><i><strong>Nearer My God to Thee</strong></i><strong>. </strong>With over one hour of music, <i>Sea of Serenity: The Very Best of Rick Sparks, Vol. 2</i> will replenish your spirit with beauty and peace.</p><p><strong>I continue to be amazed & grateful at how my music has been embraced by listeners & music programmers around the world since 2014. </strong>Rick Sparks Music has truly been a grand adventure; I'm so thankful for the inspiration God has given me to create these albums. As long as He continues to do so, we'll keep making “music to replenish your spirit.”</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72651682023-08-29T12:44:17-04:002023-09-19T21:06:23-04:00"SEA OF SERENITY" SINGLE RELEASE!<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/db2b6fac79760fb5e1ec1ee9d28ad304473a8d96/original/sea-of-serenity-graphic.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Greenville, SC (09/01/2023) - We're excited to announce the release of </strong><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i><strong>, our new single!</strong> <a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/sea-of-serenity" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong>CLICK TO LISTEN</strong></span></a><a data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><strong> </strong></span></a></p><p><i><strong>BREAKING NEWS: Spa Channel 68 on SiriusXM has just added </strong></i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong><i><strong>!</strong></i></p><p><strong>With the approach of autumn, </strong><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i><strong> is my farewell to summer, sand & sea. </strong>Featuring the laid-back vibe of slow electric guitar arpeggios combined with quiet voices, flute and strings, <i>Sea of Serenity</i> provides a soothing refuge of tranquility and replenishment. Unwind to memory of summer nights and ocean breezes with <i>Sea of Serenity</i>.</p><p><i><strong>Sea of Serenity</strong></i><strong> is available now for streaming/download from all major services, including Amazon Music, Apple/iTunes and Spotify. </strong><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">The single is represented to the media by Stacey and Ed Bonk at LAZZ Promotions, (905)470-1230, </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparksmusic.net/I%20sought%20with%20Nightsong%20tocapture%20the%20intimacy%20of%20listening%20to%20music%20at%20night,%20a%20mystical%20mixtureof%20spirituality%20and%20solitude." target="_blank" data-link-type="url">lazzpromotions@lazzpromotions.com</a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">.</span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72438572023-07-18T19:57:11-04:002023-07-18T21:14:14-04:00NIGHTSONG AT #5 ON ZMR TOP-100 ALBUM CHART IN MAY!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: We just received word that </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong> climbed to #5 on ZMR's Top-100 album chart for May! </strong>Zone Music Reporter tracks airplay worldwide on radio & music channels – their May chart makes <i>Nightsong</i> our 5th top-5 album in a row. </p><p><strong>I'm so grateful for the support of music programmers worldwide for adding </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong> to their playlists, and especially to Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions for representing our music so well. </strong>As always, heartfelt thanks to our listeners who love what we do & continue to support our “music to replenish your spirit.”</p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/bcdbd7b36d30c524f7b2e8892a2de366f3510989/original/zmr-may-23-top-100-chart-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72367132023-07-04T08:59:18-04:002023-07-04T09:06:02-04:00NIGHTSONG STATION ADDS!<div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style='-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);color:rgb(5, 5, 5);font-family:"Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:15px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;overflow-wrap:break-word;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:pre-wrap;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;'>
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<strong>To all the stations, channels & programs which have added </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong> to your playlists, thank you so much!</strong> Special thanks to <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/stacey.bonk?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZUf8PBwEX6dFgOBbUF0qXMY6ucv5Jc6SAAAtvE-9Me2zVhOI6qOxrfcRgPue3yuYnJ5Gc1BIqAGNh1UbeveNRHnF6PyfeLfm-X2_zOkQggWu3YF15h5Ec-rEvsBLLyF2oH67r_dqDOGFMSwlzg_QOaaY6t3qJDnKbixZhOuJF2EDQ&__tn__=-%5DK-R" role="link" tabindex="0"><span>Stacey Bonk</span></a> at LAZZ Promotions for getting the album out there! <i>Nightsong</i> is being played on radio worldwide, from across the U.S. & Canada to Spain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, Greece, Cyprus and beyond!<br><br><i><strong>NIGHTSONG</strong></i><strong> (2023)</strong>
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<strong>Station/channel/program adds since May.</strong><br> </div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WCCK, Cedar Rapids, IA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KORJ, Medford, OR</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KRVR, Modesto, CA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KTEP, El Paso, TX</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">Radio Despi 107.2, Barcelona, Spain</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">CION-FM Radio Galilee, Quebec City, Quebec</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WESS, Stroudsburg, PA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WMUH Nazareth, PA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WVUD Newark, DE</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">CICW Grand 101.1 Fergus, ON</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KCUR Kansas City, MO</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WRPI Schenectady, NY</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WWSP Stevens Point, WI</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WXPN Wynewood, PA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KKUP Santa Clara, CA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WERU East Orland, ME</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WMHB Solon, ME</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WXNZ Solon, ME</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WODU Norfolk, VA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WYBF Springfield, PA</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WYSO Yellow Springs, OH</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KAOI Wailuku, HI</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KBRP Brisbee, AZ</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">MAX FM 91.3 Narrabri, Australia</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WGRS Guilford, CT</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WGSK South Kent, CT</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WIAA Interlochen, MI</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WMNR Beacon Falls, CT</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WRXC Shelton, CT</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">KYGT Middletown, OH</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">Iberia Radio Maracena Grenada, Spain</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">SLOR 105.7, Ridderkerk, Netherlands</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WEFT Champaign, IL</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">WUWF Pensacola, FL</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">MusicChoice Soundscapes</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">The Cove @<a class="no-pjax" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FLive365.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0lmj8RIykKiiR_wUvs8sjIdoWWtUW3Uz7CsVGeowrZ4qRGZ6xBPFZ3Wkc&h=AT1RUDMcSecyQQXaIyLh3wQ_pyACHK9dHEmGfUGTQ_qn9H7p5u0IQ0Kdzg5TgybHs1r3pCtj2Fabu_shuxoDI7a_lDsABe2iKqDWeldEk7wA24gXhT_E58RKWt1Gp1KBdQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c%5B0%5D=AT2Y3wpJWrOyTNitfJQBnHJ-SCs0dqvHBnpoNO-GHSrjhA7EQv2b9-gvCLAjHtloWqR5JL8GjpetgljS9gMYn4HRck9sGtImbEwCrPY8RX6cT62UCDUjIMUH8MPHt3uXTSsuvx4mQKK_YWz3bXBMuF6VxlT5Gu2LrbWYOvPLPRtmwg0W89_rzg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" tabindex="0"><span>Live365.com</span></a>
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<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">Sunset Cruise, NYC, New York</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">New Age Notes Radio</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">New Age Stars Radio</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">One World Music, Chlorakas, Cyprus</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">Radio Art, Nea Smyrni Athens, Greece</div>
<div style="font-family:inherit;text-align:start;" dir="auto">Radio Tunes, Solnechnogorsk, Moscow</div>
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</div>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/72002922023-04-30T14:35:38-04:002023-06-22T03:19:01-04:00NIGHTSONG: LOVE SONGS & LULLABIES NOW AVAILABLE!<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/6c3b19eb41cd25dee939fc9b3c6c87ded6717bef/original/nightsong-front-cover.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" />I'm so pleased to announce the release of my 9th studio album, </strong><i><strong>Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies</strong></i>. Based on Job 35:10, "God my Maker gives songs in the night,” <i>Nightsong</i> weaves a tapestry of ethereal beauty and spirituality that I hope you'll find both peaceful and healing.</p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/nightsong-love-songs-lullabies" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:hsl(210,75%,60%);"><i><strong>CLICK TO HEAR NIGHTSONG: LOVE SONGS & LULLABIES</strong></i></span></a></p><p><strong>I can honestly say that writing, arranging & recording “music to replenish your spirit” for the last 9 years has become one of the surpassing joys of my life.</strong> As we launch <i>Nightsong</i>, may the beauty & peace of this album be a blessing to all who hear it.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71981462023-04-27T17:34:31-04:002023-04-27T21:05:59-04:00ALBUM PROFILE: THE SONGS OF NIGHTSONG (2023)<p><strong>ALBUM PROFILE by Rick Sparks - </strong><i><strong>Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies</strong></i><strong> (2023)</strong> </p><p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/6c3b19eb41cd25dee939fc9b3c6c87ded6717bef/original/nightsong-front-cover.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" />My 9th studio album since 2014, </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong> offers 10 nocturnal songs of healing, inspiration and renewal. </strong>I sought with <i>Nightsong</i> to capture the intimacy of listening to music at night, a mystical mixture of spirituality and solitude. </p><p><strong>I recorded </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong> in my home studio between January and March 2023, using mostly neoclassical arrangements and traditional instruments.</strong> The album has 4 new originals by me and 6 cover songs by iconic artists including Sting, Phil Collins and Paul McCartney. </p><p><strong>1. </strong><i><strong>Nightsong</strong></i><strong>.</strong> The title track offers serenity and rest from the noise of the day, beginning the album with solo flute & the sound of crickets. The album’s theme was suggested by Job 35:10- <i>“God my Maker gives songs in the night.”</i> </p><p><strong>2. </strong><i><strong>Astra Lumina</strong></i><strong>.</strong> Using a combination of angelic voices, flute, strings & twinkle bells, <i>Astra Lumina</i> (Latin for <i>star light</i>) celebrates the silent glory of the night sky, a place of spiritual wonder and peace. </p><p><strong>3. </strong><i><strong>Sleep Walk</strong></i><strong>.</strong> My lullaby arrangement of the lovely 1959 instrumental hit by Santo & Johnny Farina features twinkle bells, strings and gentle angelic voices. </p><p><strong>4. </strong><i><strong>What’ll I Do</strong></i><strong>.</strong> I first heard this beautiful 1923 Irving Berlin love song in the 1974 Robert Redford movie, <i>The Great Gatsby</i>. The song’s lyrics lament lost love, but my lullaby treatment offers a quiet assurance that all will be well. </p><p><strong>5. </strong><i><strong>My Valentine</strong></i><strong>.</strong> Paul McCartney’s love song of 2012 is framed by piano chords, flute, strings & synth pad. The song’s tender simplicity suggested my favorite type of arrangement: less is more. </p><p><strong>6. </strong><i><strong>Night Rain</strong></i><strong>.</strong> With an underlying sound of gentle rain, the most ambient song on the album features sparse melodic synth chords that suggest the solitude and comfort of night rain. </p><p><strong>7. </strong><i><strong>Hold On My Heart</strong></i><strong>.</strong> The classic 1991 Phil Collins love song is framed by synthesizer pads, flute, angelic voices & twinkle bells. My arrangement reflects the song’s gentle assurance that everything will be OK in time. </p><p><strong>8. </strong><i><strong>Lullaby for Ukraine’s Children</strong></i><strong>.</strong> I wrote this piano lullaby to speak peace and comfort to the ultimate victims of the Ukraine war, the displaced children who have suffered the loss of family and home. </p><p><strong>9. </strong><i><strong>Fields of Gold</strong></i><strong>.</strong> Sting’s 1993 love song of warmth & well-being, with my arrangement featuring gentle flute and synth pads. “I swear in the days still left, we’ll walk in fields of gold.” </p><p><strong>10. </strong><i><strong>Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral</strong></i><strong>.</strong> A bit of old Ireland rounds out the album with a gentle lullaby featuring music box bells, Irish flute, fiddle, angelic voices and strings.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71914592023-04-16T20:43:42-04:002023-04-17T19:44:31-04:0056 ORIGINALS<p><strong>56 originals.</strong></p><p><strong>I can't believe I've written and recorded 56 original songs in 10 years (2014-2023).</strong> “Making up songs,” as Paul McCartney calls the process of composing music, has become one of the surpassing joys of my life. I am truly blessed to create “music to replenish your spirit” – may my songs always do so.</p><p><strong><u>56 ORIGINAL SONGS (2014-2023) - RICK SPARKS (ASCAP)</u></strong></p><p>Christmas Night</p><p>Nativity</p><p>Nightsong</p><p>Astra Lumina</p><p>Night Rain</p><p>Lullaby for Ukraine's Children</p><p>Prayer for Ukraine</p><p>Twilight Dreams</p><p>Highland Road</p><p>Hearts as One</p><p>Across the River</p><p>Nightfall London</p><p>Little Angel</p><p>First Love</p><p>Tokyo Rain</p><p>Beyond the Stars</p><p>Highland Rose</p><p>Evening Prayer</p><p>Endless</p><p>At Rest</p><p>Matilda's Flowers</p><p>Memories of Her</p><p>Simple Love</p><p>Mountain Laurel</p><p>Dance of the Irises</p><p>Old Tennessee</p><p>Tildy's Waltz</p><p>Little Flower</p><p>No Greater Love</p><p>Sand and Stars</p><p>And She Dreams</p><p>Dreams of Peace</p><p>When the Stars Come Out</p><p>Bella</p><p>Autumn Rain</p><p>Last Goodbye</p><p>A New World</p><p>Her Prayer</p><p>Sunlight in Her Hair</p><p>You're so Nice</p><p>Ocean Blue</p><p>First Light</p><p>Whisper in the Wind</p><p>Sunset Dreams</p><p>Speak Peace</p><p>Little Princess</p><p>Dragonfly Dance</p><p>Lass of Inverness</p><p>1912 Waltz</p><p>A Love That Lasts</p><p>End of Day</p><p>We Wait Upon the King</p><p>My Soul to Keep</p><p>Cloud Pillow</p><p>Angel Song</p><p>We Are Loved</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71752612023-03-20T18:30:05-04:002023-03-20T19:29:26-04:00SPEAK PEACE NOMINATED FOR BEST NEO-CLASSICAL ALBUM!<p><strong>I'm excited to announce that my 2022 album, </strong><i><strong>Speak Peace</strong></i><strong>, has been nominated for </strong><i><strong>Best Neo-Classical Album</strong></i><strong> by One World Music Radio! </strong>OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered, including new-age, jazz and rock; neo-classical is one of 31 categories in this year's awards. As always, it's a great honor to be nominated for the annual award for musical excellence by the good folks at OWMR.</p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/f912432b97b4b6af3e72dca73749cdb9c4f16fc8/original/2022-best-neo-classical-album-nominations.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p><strong>Neo-classical</strong><i><strong> </strong></i><strong>is defined as mostly instrumental music </strong><span style="color:rgb(77,81,86);"><strong>influenced by and sometimes based on baroque or classical music, especially in terms of melody and composition.</strong> It is typically both melodic & harmonic, often marked by a smooth sound using classical instruments such as piano, strings, and flute, as well as electronic (synthesizer) sounds - exactly the ingredients I use in my music.</span></p><p><strong>Many thanks to OWMR for their nomination of </strong><i><strong>Speak Peace</strong></i><strong> and their continued recognition & support of my music!</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71621372023-02-28T08:35:01-05:002023-02-28T08:40:59-05:00NEW SINGLE IS OWMR FEBRUARY TOP-10!<p><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);"><strong>BREAKING NEWS: Our Valentines single, </strong><i><strong>What'll I Do</strong></i><strong>, is #9 on OWMR's Top-100 singles chart for February!</strong> Big thanks to OWMR for supporting our music with airplay on both live spins & podcasts from Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered. <i>What'll I Do</i> is the advance single release from <i>Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies</i>, our new album coming in May! </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/whatll-i-do" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);">LISTEN TO WHAT'LL I DO</span></a></p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/ad0058b2c36fd6e3d2ed06dcc1a942c6b41b1009/original/owmr-top-100-singles-chart-feb-23.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71550432023-02-16T10:04:17-05:002023-02-18T16:54:33-05:00"NIGHTSONG" IS COMING!<p><span style="color:rgb(5,5,5);"><span data-offset-key="7j40r-0-0" data-text="true"><strong>BREAKING</strong></span><span data-offset-key="7j40r-1-0" data-text="true"><strong> NEWS: I'm working hard to complete my 9th album, </strong></span><i><span data-offset-key="7j40r-1-0" data-text="true"><strong>Nightsong: Love Songs & Lullabies</strong></span></i><span data-offset-key="7j40r-1-0" data-text="true"><strong>, coming May 1!</strong> With some of the loveliest songs I've ever recorded, </span><i><span data-offset-key="7j40r-1-0" data-text="true">Nightsong</span></i><span data-offset-key="7j40r-1-0" data-text="true"> will feature several of my originals, along with songs by Paul McCartney, Phil Collins & a 100-year-old love song by Irving Berlin. Stay tuned!</span></span></p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/396971/1e29ae8eae0ed917e02371cb09705f616db34632/original/nightsong-front-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71463152023-01-31T11:36:39-05:002023-01-31T11:47:01-05:00"THE BEST 5 MINUTES I HAVE SPENT FOR A LONG WHILE."<p><strong>Blown away this morning to receive Steve Sheppard's wonderful review of my new single, <em>What'll I Do</em>! Thanks so much, Steve!</strong></p>
<p><em>"This is one of those moments that you never want to end. I remembered this old Irving Berlin classic from 1923, What'll I Do, and specifically a version sung so beautifully by Julie London in 1956, so my wife and I took a few moments out to sing a few bars. It was indeed a most treasured and twinkling life segment." </em></p>
<p><em>"This version by Rick is special. He has taken an absolute classic and manifested into the universe, a wonderfully warm instrumental version in only the way Rick Sparks can do, with gentle flowing keyboards, ethereal choirs and serene and tranquil keyboards. If this song isn’t a massive hit in the charts there is not justice in the world. Sparks can take a tune and elevate its heart and soul like no other.<b> </b>This is the best 5 minutes I have spent for a long while." <a contents="Steve Sheppard Music Reviews/One World Music Radio" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://stevesheppardmusicreviews.blogspot.com/2023/01/whatll-i-do-by-rick-sparks.html">Steve Sheppard Music Reviews/One World Music Radio</a> </em></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71456522023-01-30T10:02:08-05:002023-01-30T19:55:04-05:00NEW SINGLE RELEASED FOR VALENTINES!<p><strong>In celebration of romantic love this Valentine's Day and every day, we're excited to announce the release of the lullaby single, <em>What'll I Do</em>, available now from all major digital outlets.</strong> <a contents="CLICK TO LISTEN" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/whatll-i-do" target="_blank">CLICK TO LISTEN</a></p>
<p><a contents="CLICK TO LISTEN" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/whatll-i-do" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/e087d103710466540fc8192370981f265d58d092/original/whatll-i-do-rose-single-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></a><strong>Written a hundred years ago by legendary American composer Irving Berlin, <em>What'll I Do</em> laments the loss of true love.</strong> It's been a favorite of mine since I first heard it in Robert Redford's 1974 movie, <em>The Great Gatsby</em>. </p>
<p><strong>Arranged as a lullaby, <em>What'll I Do</em> is my first single and advance release from the album, <em>Nightsong: Lullabies & Love Songs</em>, coming later this spring.</strong> Enjoy!</p>
<p> </p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71383512023-01-15T15:36:03-05:002023-01-15T15:40:53-05:00SPEAK PEACE NOMINATED FOR BEST PIANO ALBUM W. INSTRUMENTATION!<p><strong>We're excited to announce that our 2022 album, <em>Speak Peace</em>, has been nominated for Best Piano Album (w. instrumentation) by the New Age Notes Radio Music Awards! </strong>The nominees will be judged by a panel of distinguished music industry professionals, including Grammy Award winners.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/41fd5d44102c56d110b88868c44f0954a37af051/original/rick-sparks-official-nomination-new-age-notes-radio-music-awards-copy.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong>I've never had a more worthy theme for an album than <em>Speak Peace</em>. It's a great honor to be nominated.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/71293872022-12-28T11:30:27-05:002022-12-29T18:59:01-05:00SPEAK PEACE TOP-10 ZMR FOR 3RD MONTH!<p><strong>We just learned that our 2022 album, <em>Speak Peace</em>, is a Top-10 ZMR album for 3 months in a row!</strong> Following its #3 debut in June, <em>Speak Peace</em> continued charting with strong airplay through September. </p>
<p><strong>Kudos to Ed & Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions for working hard to get our music out to radio & digital channels.</strong> Ed & Stacey are the best at what they do for indie artists - thanks, LAZZ! </p>
<p><strong>Above & beyond chart numbers, I believe that the message of <em>Speak Peace</em> resonated in 2022 with programmers & listeners worldwide.</strong> We continue to support Ukraine relief efforts with our prayers & proceeds from the album's single, <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em>. </p>
<p><strong>I'm very grateful for God's blessings on our music in 2022.</strong> We look forward to beginning work in January on our 9th album - stay tuned!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/a639a9a524e23290b816a7327f7ebf2a98bf2b04/original/zmr-top-100-july-22.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70595612022-09-13T17:26:26-04:002022-11-01T17:32:16-04:00SPEAK PEACE DEBUTS AT #3 ON ZMR'S JUNE TOP-100 ALBUM CHART!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: I'm thrilled & honored to report that <em>Speak Peace</em> debuted at #3 on ZMR'S June '22 Top-100 album chart! </strong>That's the highest position ever for any of my albums on Zone Music Reporter since <em>Endless</em> back in 2014, and certainly the highest debuting album I've ever had.</p>
<p><strong>I have never regretted the decision 8 years ago to begin recording music of beauty and peace to help</strong> <strong>replenish our spirits & unwind the stress in our lives.</strong> I'm so grateful to programmers in radio & music channels worldwide for playing my music, for all the listeners who love my music and for the great work of Ed & Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions in representing <em>Speak Peace</em>. Ed & Stacey believe in my music & work hard to get it out there.</p>
<p><strong>The great Brian Wilson has said many times over the years that music is God's voice. </strong>I have no doubt that the peace in my music is a reflection of the peace in my heart that comes from my faith in Christ, the Prince of Peace.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/bab9c81f751a50dca85d655f9c6162f225ca716a/original/zmr-top-100-june-22.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70562442022-09-08T20:13:33-04:002022-09-08T20:13:34-04:00In tribute to & loving memory of Queen Elizabeth II.<p><strong>In tribute to and loving memory of Queen Elizabeth II, we offer <em>Nightfall London</em>, the title song from my 2017 album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzXMZs9pK3I</strong></p>
<p> </p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70460072022-08-25T16:20:58-04:002022-08-26T02:04:18-04:00NEW QUIET PIANO HYMNS RELEASE!<p><strong>Greenville, SC (9/1/2022) - I'm so happy to announce the release of my very first solo piano album, a special project titled <em>Quiet Piano Hymns</em>.</strong> These are some of my favorite classic hymns & gospel songs that I first learned as a boy and have treasured now for over 50 years as a church pianist.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/909f8b0cfba792bedd465f7c8963be39e95b7bac/original/quiet-piano-hymns-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>I love contemporary worship music, but it's the great old hymns and gospel songs that I treasure the most.</strong> Their melodies and lyrics bear indelible memories for me of God's saints in worship, singing of Christ's love and salvation for all who believe in Him. I hope you enjoy listening to (and singing along with) these sweet songs as much as I enjoyed recording them. <a contents="LISTEN TO &amp; ORDER&nbsp;QUIET PIANO HYMNS" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/quiet-piano-hymns" target="_blank"><strong>LISTEN TO & ORDER <em>QUIET PIANO HYMNS</em></strong></a></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70431752022-08-22T09:52:54-04:002022-12-28T11:31:37-05:00SPEAK PEACE REMAINS TOP-10 SPIN-COUNT IN 3RD MONTH SINCE RELEASE!<p><strong>So glad to report that in its 3rd month of release, <em>Speak Peace</em> remains in the Top-10 of ZMR's spin count for August! Many thanks to all the radio & channel programmers worldwide for your continued airplay of <em>Speak Peace</em>! <a contents="LISTEN TO SPEAK PEACE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/speak-peace" target="_blank">LISTEN TO SPEAK PEACE</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/032a861adb8796f6d9095f033b2e609436d2e021/original/zmr-august-22-top-100-spin-count.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70326882022-08-07T15:16:57-04:002022-08-07T15:16:58-04:00SPEAK PEACE STAYS TOP-5 ON ZMR'S JULY TOP-100 SPIN-COUNT! <p><strong><em>SPEAK PEACE</em> STAYS TOP-5 ON ZMR'S JULY TOP-100 SPIN-COUNT! </strong></p>
<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: We're very grateful for a 2nd month of great airplay for <em>Speak Peace</em>!</strong> We're hanging in at #4 on ZMR's July Top-100 spin count after reaching #2 in June, sharing the top of the chart w. some great artists including George Winston, Will Ackerman & Lynn Tredeau. Many thanks to all the programmers for their continued airplay of the music & message of <em>Speak Peace</em>. <a contents="CLICK TO LISTEN TO SPEAK PEACE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/speak-peace" target="_blank">CLICK TO LISTEN TO <em>SPEAK PEACE</em></a></p>
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/40a2cc382e9978922550072db598d3eec335b4dd/original/zmr-july-22-top-100-spin-chart.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></em></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/70326862022-08-07T15:13:54-04:002022-08-07T15:13:55-04:00SPEAK PEACE #2 ON ZMR'S JUNE TOP-100 SPIN-COUNT!<p><strong><em>SPEAK PEACE</em> #2 ON ZMR'S JUNE TOP-100 SPIN-COUNT!</strong> </p>
<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: At the end of our first month since release, <em>Speak Peace</em> is #2 (!!!) on ZMR's Top-100 June playlist spin count!</strong> The chart tracks album airplay by reporting stations worldwide to ZMR (Zone Music Reporter). Many thanks to all the programmers who have added <em>Speak Peace</em> to their playlists! <a contents="CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SPEAK PEACE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/speak-peace" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SPEAK PEACE</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/561606851da67af5ef97e6525f0ded73a3e40064/original/june-22-zmr-top-100-spin-count.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69660452022-05-07T18:38:59-04:002022-06-02T00:16:53-04:00ALBUM PROFILE: The Songs of Speak Peace<p><strong>ALBUM PROFILE: <em>Speak Peace </em>(2022)</strong></p>
<p><strong><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/6f1dd82a69d9dc6af8af53d2edf13c2865c09224/original/speak-peace-front-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /></em></strong><strong>In January of this year, I began work on <em>Speak Peace</em>, my 8th studio album.</strong> Little did I know that a terrible war in Ukraine would soon begin. In the face of war, the Covid pandemic and other major issues in our world, <strong>I recorded <em>Speak Peace</em> in hopes that these songs of beauty and peace might help renew and replenish our spirits.</strong> </p>
<p><a contents="LISTEN TO THE SONGS OF SPEAK PEACE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/speak-peace" target="_blank"><em><strong>LISTEN TO THE SONGS OF </strong></em><strong>SPEAK PEACE</strong></a></p>
<p><strong>The beautiful field of poppies on the album cover references Poppy (Remembrance) Day in the U.K. and Memorial Day in the U.S.</strong>, when poppies are worn to memorialize the nations’ war dead and symbolize the hope for peace. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/ee191e086c3604f65de29c06c562c289b646cd27/original/speak-peace-album-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />1. <em>Speak Peace</em></strong>. The title track sets the mood for the album with majestic strings and angelic voices speaking peace to the listener. Just as we all yearn to experience peace, we help create peace (or not) with the words we say, the memes we use, the music we make. “Blessed are the peacemakers…”<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/819004ea987c269da02443682c3cb4465e79afc2/original/harvest-moon-single-graphic-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /> </p>
<p><strong>2. <em>Harvest Moon</em></strong>. Neil Young’s beautiful tribute to lasting love has been a favorite of mine ever since its 1992 release. I framed the simple melody and chords with light synthesizer rhythm, flute and angelic voices. It’s a perfect fit for <em>Speak Peace</em> and the first of two cover songs on the album. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/299ea137ea664e523ccc73085a752dcc89f9f028/original/little-princess-graphic.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />3. <em>Little Princess</em></strong>. There is a whimsical, almost music-box feel to this song that speaks to the innocence & joy in every little girl’s heart. The photo I chose for the single was a great inspiration for the song.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/499fe3b234f877c5e73941a656c8d892089bfcd3/original/dragonfly-album-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /> </p>
<p><strong>4. <em>Dragonfly Dance</em></strong>. The imagery of dragonflies dancing in the air suggests beauty and wonder, along with a lightness that I tried to capture with a series of simple piano arpeggios framed by strings and voices. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/6c63f68941b2f2d397281a8e9c2f4ad3f96be1a4/original/lass-of-inverness-graphic.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />5.</strong><em><strong> Lass of Inverness</strong></em>. A nod to my Scottish heritage with a gentle waltz in ¾ time. Journey with me to the Scottish highlands in this romantic tune dedicated to the lovely lass from Inverness.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/5d07296db88dc6c6d4e440cad67f069c3d4f6ca7/original/1912-waltz-single-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /> </p>
<p><strong>6. <em>1912 Waltz</em></strong>. The piano waltz I would have written in 1912 for my grandmother Matilda’s wedding, had I been around then - I think she would have loved it. The first of two piano solos on the album. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/075997822e59e578e96207a1861bf3166d3c894e/original/a-love-that-lasts-single-graphic-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />7. <em>A Love That Lasts</em></strong>. My quiet piano celebration of the lifelong love I’ve known with my wife now for 46 years, a combination of beauty, wonder and gentleness. She speaks peace to my heart every day.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/073252af35d4e2814312b35a9b8ec88f138d37ed/original/prayer-for-ukraine-square-graphic-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /> </p>
<p><strong>8. <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em></strong>. The lead single from the album begins with a somber cello solo. I felt compelled to compose this tribute to the people of Ukraine as we pray for their deliverance from the horror of war. All proceeds from the single are being donated to World Vision’s Ukraine relief fund. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/c426b26135c8bfd621737c1285c852ddadc8c6cc/original/end-of-day-single-graphic-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />9. <em>End of Day</em></strong>. As the day winds down and night approaches, the pace of nature slows with a quietness that speaks peace. The 2nd of two piano solos on the album.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/4ba06889cac9397ab9d66e5cfa496e4e89659dbf/original/we-wait-upon-the-king-graphic-1-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_right border_none" alt="" /> </p>
<p><strong>10. <em>We Wait Upon the King</em></strong>. The arrival of a king who rules with kindness and justice was always the hope of every nation in antiquity. The ethereal beauty of this song was inspired by the Biblical prophecy in Revelation that Christ will someday return to earth as King. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/bacfea7ff10872866292826b9539e64a24a4efc3/original/auld-lang-syne-square-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" />11. <em>Auld Lang Syne</em></strong>. From the poignant lyrics of Robert Burns to the bittersweet Scottish melody (of which I include both versions), I close the album with this favorite tribute to friendships of days gone by.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69620172022-05-02T19:28:00-04:002022-05-02T19:29:46-04:00SPEAK PEACE OFFICIALLY COMPLETE!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: <em>Speak Peace</em> is officially complete!</strong> The last few weeks have been an absolute blur, topped off by a stomach bug & (now) sinus infection, but today we finished the mixes, album graphics & press release. It's in the hands of my media promoter now (thanks, Stacey Bonk at LAZZ!) & our production friends at Disc Makers & CD Baby. Official release June1!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/db508ce86077aa7c3d89b1dc56c8de266ec85732/original/speak-peace-front-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69592112022-04-28T14:21:21-04:002022-04-28T14:22:58-04:00"PRAYER FOR UKRAINE" SINGLE VAULTS TO #6 ON OWMR'S APRIL TOP-100!<p><strong>Thrilled to report that <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> vaulted to #6 on April's OWMR Top-100 singles chart!</strong> That's a jump of 43 places from our debut at #49 on the March chart. Special thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio, Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/eb703490ee470b8cf18a82b8b897130966bec320/original/owmr-april-22-singles-chart.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>I'm so encouraged by the airplay for the single as we continue to support & pray for Ukraine.</strong> All proceeds from <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> are being donated to World Vision's Ukraine Relief operation. <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> is the lead single from my forthcoming <em>Speak Peace</em> album, set for release June 1.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69573732022-04-26T15:12:15-04:002022-04-26T15:51:30-04:00"SPEAK PEACE" NEARING FINISH LINE!<p><strong>This is the week for finalizing the <em>Speak Peace</em> album!</strong> After months spent writing, recording & arranging the songs (9 originals & 2 covers), we're finally at the stage of mastering the album, listening to & adjusting each mix before sending it to our radio promoter next week. <strong>We'll let you know as we near the official release date, but it will be sometime around the end of May.</strong></p>
<p><strong>When I began work on <em>Speak Peace</em> in January, little did I know that a terrible war in Ukraine would soon begin.</strong> We continue to pray for God's favor and protection on the people of Ukraine as they fight for their survival. In the face of war and the threat of war, my earnest hope is that the music of <em>Speak Peace</em> will help in some small way to restore our spirits with beauty & hope.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/becd6f30f7656fcfa7c098693709fde7048fe619/original/speak-peace-album-cover-poppies-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69226932022-03-15T10:20:42-04:002022-03-19T18:55:30-04:00"PRAYER FOR UKRAINE" SINGLE RELEASED<p><strong>As we continue to witness the horrific invasion of Ukraine, I felt the need to record a somber yet beautiful hope for deliverance for the country which is suffering so much right now.</strong> I hope that <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> will inspire all who hear it to support & pray for the brave people of Ukraine in their greatest hour of need. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/073252af35d4e2814312b35a9b8ec88f138d37ed/original/prayer-for-ukraine-square-graphic-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /><strong>All proceeds for <em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> will be donated to World Vision's Ukraine relief operation.</strong> I encourage you to support World Vision or other humanitarian organization in their efforts to provide food, clothing & shelter to millions of Ukrainian refugees. <strong><a contents="GIVE TO WORLD VISION'S UKRAINE CRISIS FUND" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://donate.worldvision.org/give/ukraine-crisis-fund" target="_blank">GIVE TO WORLD VISION'S UKRAINE CRISIS FUND</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>You can listen to <em>Prayer for Ukraine </em> <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/prayer-for-ukraine" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</strong> The single is available for streaming/download from Amazon Music, Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube and other digital outlets. </p>
<p><strong><em>Prayer for Ukraine</em> is an advance single release from my forthcoming album, <em>Speak Peace</em>, set for release in June.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/69000432022-02-17T08:56:09-05:002022-02-17T11:48:51-05:00NEW ALBUM IN PROGRESS!<p><strong>Just wanted to let you know I'm hard at work on a new album!</strong> <em>Speak Peace</em> will feature more piano solos than any of my albums since 2016's <em>Matilda's Flowers</em>, with 10 songs of peace & beauty to replenish your spirit like water in the desert. Five songs are complete, with 5 to go - release in June. We'll keep you posted!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/81fa7b3b6dc35deefaf778fa64aa28574adee844/original/speak-peace-album-cover-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/68568352022-01-01T18:55:39-05:002022-01-05T10:10:23-05:00SO LONG, 2021!<p><strong>2021 is a wrap, and what a blessed year it's been for my music.</strong> I'm so grateful for God's inspiration to create music of beauty and peace, none more so than for <em>Bella</em>, my 3rd top-5 album since 2014. A big thank-you to all the outlets that played my music in 2021, and for the fine work of my promoter, Higher Level Media, in representing <em>Bella</em>.</p>
<p><strong>I've begun work on a new album for 2022, this one containing more piano, with projected release in July.</strong> For now, I wish you peace, joy & love in the New Year. Keep listening to music that replenishes your spirit.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67982222021-11-04T10:01:45-04:002021-11-04T10:11:14-04:00BELLA REMAINS ZMR TOP-20 3RD MONTH IN ROW!<p><strong>We're so happy to report that <em>Bella</em> continues to receive strong airplay in its 3rd month since release! The just-released August ZMR Top-100 Radio Airplay chart has <em>Bella</em> at #18, after debuting at #6 in June & peaking at #5 in July.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/f8e6a8a5f57b857e3ed00da9269b8c94af292603/original/zmr-top-100-radio-airplay-chart-aug-21.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong>The music of <em>Bella</em> speaks hope, beauty & peace to so many every day - my heartfelt thanks to radio & digital channels worldwide for playing my music!</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67699492021-10-08T12:25:05-04:002021-10-08T12:27:15-04:00 BLUE WOLF REVIEWS (AUSTRALIA) LOVES BELLA!<p><strong>I'm so appreciative of the great response by reviewers around the world to <em>Bella</em>. This one from Jan Mawdesley at Blue Wolf Reviews (Australia) is one of my favorites. <a contents="https://bluewolf-reviews.com/music/piano/bella/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bluewolf-reviews.com/music/piano/bella/" target="_blank">https://bluewolf-reviews.com/music/piano/bella/</a></strong></p>
<p><em>"Gentle and soothing this latest release from Rick Sparks portrays in delicate tones the emotions and pure beauty of the child, known as Bella at prayer on the cover of the album painted by 19th century artist Roberto Ferruzzi. Who she was is lost deep in history but the purity of her intent is timeless, as is the music that forms </em>Bella<em>. </em></p>
<p><em>"Melodic and immensely peaceful the title song </em>Bella<em> introduces forty minutes of peace and tranquility with the gentle beauty of ‘vocals’ softly portraying an angelic ambience. The haunting beauty of the flute ushering in the lullaby </em>Twilight Dreams<em>, a rich and immensely soothing piece, perfect for allowing the mind and emotions to drift into timeless space.</em></p>
<p><em>"</em>Autumn Rain<em> floats across the keyboard with a delicate precision that is also gentle, unobtrusive but carries the delicate emotion of peaceful rest, once again overlaid with the sound of angelic vocals. </em></p>
<p><em>"Completely different, but still carrying that sense of slumber is the almost medieval sound of </em>Highland Dreams<em>, Pan flute leads in the piece, vocals once again filling in the background before the gentle wash of a more panoramic sound leads in the piano. Enchanting. </em></p>
<p><em>"Two pieces that compliment are </em>Going Home<em> and the </em>Last Goodbye<em>, both written to offer solace to those who have sadly had to say the last goodbye. Gentle, introspective, then light and floating the melody portrays the souls journey as it travels safely to another home. </em></p>
<p><em>"Completing a beautiful work is the tribute to Bella, </em>Her Prayer<em>, with the purity of a child’s prayer captured in delicate melody which brings to memory the words of the traditional and beloved of many child’s prayer, ‘And now I lay me down to sleep’. </em></p>
<p><em>"Words do not do justice to this softly emotional and gentle work which is absolutely perfect to simply take time out to listen, refresh, relax and replenish."</em></p>
<p>Website: <a contents="www.ricksparksmusic.net" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparksmusic.net/" target="_blank">www.ricksparksmusic.net</a> <br>Distributor: Rick Sparks Music <br>Released: June 2021 <br>Artist: Rick Sparks</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67699312021-10-08T11:42:13-04:002021-10-08T11:48:06-04:00BELLA #5 ON ZMR TOP-100 JULY CHART!<p><strong>Excited to announce that <em>Bella</em> has risen to #5 on ZMR's Top-100 Album chart for July!</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/734c9b229bcb0115d451070476b5b46e2f2f25fa/original/zmr-top-100-july-21.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />I'm so grateful for the support of radio worldwide for the beauty, peace & hope of this lovely album inspired by a little Italian girl named Bella. It's a joy to make music like this.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67360102021-09-04T15:52:52-04:002021-09-04T15:55:31-04:00"Music to replenish your spirit."<p><strong>"<em>Music to replenish your spirit</em>" is how I described my 2014 album <em>Endless</em>, my first serious effort as a recording artist.</strong> Seven years and seven original albums later (plus a compilation), creating music of beauty and peace to replenish and restore the spirit has never been more important to me.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/f06606560fedbfa621509c4c9038cc3bd5879861/original/rls-album-collection.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong>I am deeply grateful</strong> to the hundreds of outlets worldwide who play my music, and to every listener who welcomes my music into their daily life. <strong>Most of all, I am grateful to the master musician, my Lord Jesus,</strong> for inspiring and blessing my humble efforts as a musician and composer. Whatever good I have done in my life, including my music, is due to Him.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67205212021-08-18T15:00:05-04:002021-09-04T12:29:45-04:00BELLA #6 ON ZMR TOP-100 JUNE CHART!<p><strong>I am so pleased to report that <em>Bella</em> has risen to #6 on the just-released ZMR June airplay chart!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/f9a3a2bd65bda9149ec22849c40b58141e38edc6/original/zmr-top-100-june-21-bella-6.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong>ZMR is THE chart that tracks worldwide radio airplay of new-age music</strong>, and is especially significant for indie artists like me who do not have the resources of a record label. <strong>Amazingly, all but one of our "regular" (non-holiday) albums since 2014 have been top-10 on ZMR, with most rising to the top-5.</strong> </p>
<p><strong>I'm grateful to radio & streaming channels worldwide for playing my music</strong>, <strong>and the resulting</strong> <strong>moments of beauty & peace my songs are giving to thousands of listeners every day.</strong> Like the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, I know beyond a doubt that <strong>God is a main source of inspiration for my music - I'm truly grateful to Him.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Will <em>Bella</em> rise even higher on ZMR's July chart? Stay tuned!</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67055092021-08-03T10:40:12-04:002021-08-03T10:40:12-04:00"TWILIGHT DREAMS" SINGLE RELEASED!<p>I'm happy to announce the release of <em>Twilight Dreams</em>, the 3rd & final single from <em>Bella</em>! </p>
<p>I wrote <em>Twilight Dreams</em> as a lullaby for every child, young or old, who finds solace and peace in slumber. It's one of my favorites from <em>Bella</em>, and (I think) perfectly captures the beauty, innocence & hope of the album. "Bella is a graceful and stunningly beautiful album... one of Rick's best to date." - Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com.</p>
<p>Listen <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/twilight-dreams" target="_blank">HERE</a> to <em>Twilight Dreams</em>, available now from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes & Spotify.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/67008432021-07-28T21:10:06-04:002021-09-04T16:36:49-04:00BELLA RECEIVING STELLAR REVIEWS!<p><strong>As we enter the 3rd month of <em>Bella</em>'s release, I am so appreciative of the great response to the album from reviewers around the world. Here are a few brief excerpts to date: </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"The purity of the music that forms </em>Bella<em> is timeless... enchanting."</em> - Janet Mawdesley, Blue Wolf Reviews (Australia), 7/28/21 </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"A graceful and stunningly beautiful album... one of Rick's best to date."</em> - Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com, 6/16/21 </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"Musical magic... with each album, Sparks brings us calmness and serenity, and on </em>Bella<em> he adds innocence, charm and kindness."</em> - Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio, 6/9/21 </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"Like a gentle, angelic call for peace. . .the album feels very healing with an intriguing blend of wisdom, elegance and innocence."</em> – Dyan Garris, New Age CD, New Age Notes, Zone Music Reporter (ZMR), 6/7/21</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"An oasis of peace & beauty - make </em>Bella<em> the soundtrack to your Summer 2021 - just amazing."</em> - Host Pat Marino, Sunset Cruise Show #533 on MixCloud (June '21), NYC</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66868472021-07-13T17:43:37-04:002021-07-13T18:07:49-04:00BELLA AT #3 IN ZMR JULY SPIN COUNT!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: At only the halfway point in July, I am excited to report that <em>Bella</em> is currently #3 (out of 75 albums) on Zone Music Reporter's July spin count! </strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/1ac57c235e3812455ab8fd26a2a3bdeb4001265b/original/zmr-july-21-playlist-spin-count.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />While spin count (number of plays) doesn't necessary show monthly chart position, it is an important indicator of airplay trends. After all the months of effort (& love) poured into the making of <em>Bella</em>, I am so encouraged that so many radio programmers love the album. Special thanks to my media promoter, Sherry Finzer at Higher Level Media, for her great work in continuing to get the word out about <em>Bella</em>! </strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66858252021-07-12T17:34:09-04:002021-07-12T20:06:01-04:00BELLA ONE OF 3 NEW TOP-20 ALBUMS ON OWMR'S JUNE TOP-100 CHART!<p><strong>BELLA UPDATE: I'm happy to report that <em>Bella</em> is one of 3 new top-20 albums on One World Music Radio's Top-100 chart for June, debuting just out of the top-10 at #13. I am especially pleased to share <em>Bella</em>'s chart debut with 2002's <em>Hummingbird </em>(#4), a fabulous album. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/000c566bb3df1481181f87ec1e7e862b0d87073a/original/owmr-june-2021-album-chart.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong><strong>OWMR's album chart position is calculated from a combination of airplay, podcast hits & minutes a show is listened to, as well as promotional bonus points. As always, many thanks to our programming friends at OWMR for their longtime support of our music.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66657122021-06-21T11:19:36-04:002021-06-21T11:27:07-04:00BELLA #5 ALBUM ON NANMC's JUNE TOP-10 ELITE CHART!<p><strong>Excited to report that <em>Bella</em> is #5 on New Age Notes Music Chart's "Top-10 Elite" albums for June! </strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/91b690118ff08eb061f1220235baee679ca6f93f/original/nanmc-june-21-chart-bella-5.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" />I'm very grateful to Dyan Garris at NANM for honoring <em>Bella</em></strong> with inclusion in this wonderful group of songs & artists. <strong>It's a special honor to share the chart w. <em>2002</em></strong>, a group I respect so much, with immense influence on so many artists. <a contents="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/bella" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/bella" target="_blank">https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/bella</a></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66583732021-06-13T16:28:57-04:002021-06-13T16:42:24-04:00BELLA AVAILABLE NOW!<p><strong><em>BELLA</em> IS HERE!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/8fe3a93e3e1f8d34815515a3d04d7130a8c829b3/original/a-bella-front-cover.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>A striking 1890's portrait of an Italian girl in prayer was the inspiration behind <em>Bella</em></strong>, <strong>my 7th album since 2014. No one today knows who she was, so I gave her the name "Bella" (Italian for "beautiful").</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/2b05d153ffd98ee708a6d3b63f68a8932c5e7b7f/original/bella-back-cover-art-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>May you find in these songs the same hope, beauty & peace I see in Bella's lovely countenance. You can read the story of Bella's creation <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparksmusic.net/latest-release" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"Gorgeous... peaceful... magical." -Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com</em> </strong></p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/bella" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO SAMPLE BELLA'S SONGS & FOR ORDER LINKS</strong></a></p>
<p><strong>Available now from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, Pandora, Spotify & all major digital outlets.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66424612021-05-28T10:05:49-04:002021-05-31T19:15:40-04:00"HIGHLAND ROAD" TOP-10 SINGLE ON OWMR'S MAY CHART!<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: <em>Highland Road</em> reaches #9 on OWMR's May singles chart! What a thrill to have a top-10 single from <em>Bella</em> just before the release of the album! </strong>Many thanks to our friends at OWMR, Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/8fe3a93e3e1f8d34815515a3d04d7130a8c829b3/original/a-bella-front-cover.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_none" alt="" /><strong><em>Bella</em> is already receiving some wonderful advance reviews: </strong>artist/promoter Sherry Finzer<strong> </strong>(<em><strong>"...extremely well done...each track tells a story... very emotionally moving"</strong></em>); artist/promoter Dyan Garris (<em><strong>"...beautiful & angelic"</strong></em>); One World Music Radio's Steve Sheppard (<em><strong>"...such a great composition... liked by so many just here alone"</strong></em>). </p>
<p><strong>May the music of <em>Bella</em> speak peace & hope to all who hear it.</strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66343132021-05-19T08:32:43-04:002021-05-19T09:00:09-04:003-D ANIMATION OF BELLA'S CD!<p><strong><em>Bella</em>'s official release is just weeks away (June), but Disc Maker's cool 3-D animation of <em>Bella</em>'s CD packaging is available now!</strong> I know, CDs are old-school and largely redundant in our modern age of streaming & downloads, but like generations of records before them, <strong>CDs offer a tangible physical form to music that the digital world is sadly lacking</strong>: album graphics, liner notes, set list with song composers & run times, etc.</p>
<p><strong><a contents="CLICK HERE TO SEE BELLA'S CD" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.discmakers.com/MyAccount/FlashViewer/?p=8VCA7%2bK9Oq6DKV3k9k7t0E7uQIdigovXFJQ9z%2bLUCfY%3d#.YKUBe6hKjIV" target="_blank">CLICK HERE TO SEE <em>BELLA</em>'S CD</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Bella</em> CDs will be available starting in June from our friends at Amazon</strong>, with MP3 downloads from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, Deezer, etc. and streaming from Spotify & all the usual digital outlets. We'll keep you posted!</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/66235222021-05-06T17:27:42-04:002021-08-30T18:42:43-04:00ALBUM PROFILE: The Songs of Bella<p><strong>BELLA Album Profile by Rick Sparks</strong> </p>
<p>(Greenville, SC) –<strong> I am so pleased to announce the impending (June 1) release of <em>Bella</em>, my 7th album since 2014.</strong> The songs of <em>Bella</em> became an oasis of beauty & peace for me during nearly 5 months of production - I hope this album will do the same for the listener. </p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/8fe3a93e3e1f8d34815515a3d04d7130a8c829b3/original/a-bella-front-cover.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" />For <em>Bella</em>’s cover art, I chose a strikingly beautiful portrait of a little girl praying by 19th-century Italian artist Roberto Ferruzzi.</strong> No one except the long-departed artist knows who the girl was or even if she was a real person, but her beautiful (<em>bella</em>) countenance was my continuing inspiration behind the album. <strong>In my mind, she could only be “Bella.” </strong> </p>
<p><strong>I am thankful to have found such a lovely inspiration for <em>Bella</em>'s music.</strong> I very much desired that the album would reflect Bella's transcendent beauty and the hope contained in her prayers. </p>
<p><strong>As a composer, these songs of <em>Bella</em> became an expression of her (and our) life: dreams, prayers, joys, loves, challenges, hopes, goodbyes, yearning for home & a better world.</strong> </p>
<p>1. <em><strong>Bella</strong></em>. To my mind, there is nothing more beautiful than the heartfelt prayers of a child. This song captures the essence of what I experience every time I view Bella’s portrait – beauty, peace, hope, trust. Although it is the first song on the album, <em>Bella</em> was actually the last song I wrote for the project - I rejected two other original songs I recorded for the title track during production. I’m so glad I kept trying! </p>
<p>2. <em><strong>Twilight Dreams</strong></em>. The first of two songs on <em>Bella</em> with a Celtic flavor. <em>Twilight Dreams</em> is a lullaby for Bella and every child who finds solace and peace in slumber. I love the pan flute, the bells and the angelic voices of this sweet and hopeful song. </p>
<p>3. <em><strong>Smiling</strong></em>. I was fortunate to hear this simple, lovely song one day on a TV commercial for Omega watches. I immediately decided that it had to be on the album. Quietly pretty (& a bit whimsical), <em>Smiling</em> gives a nice break between the more arranged songs on <em>Bella</em>. I recorded it as heard on the Omega commercial, adding only a brief section of angelic voices and an ending. My thanks to the original composer, Harry Gregson-Williams, for giving us such a wonderful song. </p>
<p>4. <strong>My Valentine</strong>. One of 3 cover songs on the album and my first Paul McCartney song to arrange and record. Paul famously wrote this rainy-day love song in 2011 on Valentine’s Day while on holiday in Morocco with his soon-to-be-wife Nancy. Paul was a bit down because of the rain, but Nancy told him it was OK because they could still be together. And thus, a lovely song was born. <em>“What if it rained? We didn’t care. She said that someday soon the sun was gonna shine. And she was right, this love of mine, my valentine.” </em></p>
<p>5. <em><strong>Autumn Rain</strong></em>. Sometimes we need the rainy days – the slower pace, the intimacy, the break from the usual. Rain can be a beautiful thing as it replenishes both the earth and our thirsty spirits. A simple piano arrangement carries the song, enhanced by strings and angelic voices. </p>
<p>6. <em><strong>Highland Road</strong></em>. The 2nd of two Celtic-flavored originals, with melodic pan flute, voices & strings taking us into the lovely green highlands of Scotland - a good place to be. The piano bridge captures a bit of the rhythm & tempo of traveling on the highland road. </p>
<p>7. <em><strong>Last Goodbye</strong></em>. Poignant & often sad, last goodbyes are a part of life that we always remember. As I recorded this song, I couldn’t help but be mindful of so many who have experienced last goodbyes during this past year. I used angelic voices to lend an ethereal, spiritual tone to the farewell. </p>
<p>8. <em><strong>Going Home</strong></em>. After <em>Last Goodbye</em>, one of my favorite classical songs came to mind, the Largo section of Anton Dvorak’s <em>New World Symphony</em>. Written after he came to America (the New World) from Europe in the late 19th century, Dvorak’s hauntingly beautiful melody captures his (and our) poignant yearning for home. </p>
<p>9. <em><strong>A New World</strong></em>. With the title suggested by Dvorak’s <em>9th Symphony (New World)</em>, I wrote this as a companion piece to <em>Going Home</em>, heading for a new world that we so often dream of, a place of continuing peace & love. </p>
<p>10. <em><strong>Her Prayer</strong></em>. To close the album, I returned to Bella and her prayer, asking God for peace & protection, help & provision, blessing on her family, a better world - all the things she (& we) hope for every day.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/65914392021-04-01T18:53:46-04:002021-04-01T19:02:42-04:00"HIGHLAND ROAD" SINGLE RELEASED!<p><strong>NEW SINGLE RELEASE</strong>: I'm very happy to announce <strong>the advance single release of the song <em>Highland Road</em></strong> from <em>Bella</em> (Summer 2021). </p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/highland-road" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/019c83146b0dd4f1c1ff0ed8b78762acd6301d65/original/highland-road-single-cover-very-small.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></a></p>
<p><strong>I loved composing this wee bit of the bonnie brae</strong> ("pleasant hill") with Celtic-tinged flute, strings, voices & piano. Give a listen!<strong> <a contents="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/highland-road" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/highland-road" target="_blank">https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/highland-road</a></strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/65849192021-03-25T19:07:01-04:002021-05-06T14:11:13-04:00"BELLA" IS NEARING FINISH LINE!<p><strong>Just a quick update on the new album - <em>Bella</em> is nearing completion</strong>, with 9 songs recorded & 1 more to go! <span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/ed59c30c3edd34b3c5a6a73dec0e7f7e50bf0ff0/original/bella-album-cover-alternate-3-eye-very-small.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></span><strong>For the album's cover art, I chose a portrait of a little girl praying, by 19th-century Italian artist Roberto Ferruzzi</strong>. No one except the long-departed artist knows who the girl was or even if she was a real person, but her beautiful (<em>bella</em>) countenance inspired me to record my 7th album since 2014. <strong>In my mind, she <em>is</em> Bella. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I'm honored to have such a lovely inspiration for <em>Bella</em>'s music.</strong> I'll have more to say about the album as we approach release in June, but I hope you'll agree with me that the songs of <em>Bella</em> truly reflect the beauty of the little girl on the cover.</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/65366972021-02-01T18:48:39-05:002021-04-01T18:54:48-04:00"MY VALENTINE" SINGLE RELEASED!<p><strong>ANNOUNCING THE RELEASE OF <em>MY VALENTINE</em>, A NEW SINGLE FROM RICK'S 2021 ALBUM, <em>BELLA</em>.</strong></p>
<p>Just in time for Valentine's Day, we're excited to release my first 2021 single, <em>My Valentine</em>.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/0c6f2902fe390a453a417e1b1db31dc4b1764d42/original/my-valentine-heart-cover-small.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" />I've wanted to do a cover of a Paul McCartney song for years, and this is the perfect time to release my version of Sir Paul's 2012 love song to his then soon-to-be-wife Nancy. <em>My Valentine</em> is an advance single from my forthcoming album, <em>Bella</em>, set for release in late spring. <em>My Valentine</em> is the perfect accompaniment to your next romantic rendezvous. Available soon from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, YouTube Music & Spotify.</p>
<p><a contents='SAMPLE "MY VALENTINE"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparks.hearnow.com/my-valentine" target="_blank">SAMPLE "MY VALENTINE"</a></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/65366912021-02-01T18:32:10-05:002021-02-01T19:14:10-05:00CHRISTMAS NIGHT #5 ON ZMR TOP-100!<p><span class="font_regular">Zone Music Reporter just published their Dec. '20 album chart - <strong><em>Christmas Night </em>zoomed to #5 in worldwide airplay after debuting in Nov. at #30!</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>I'm so grateful to our friends in broadcast & online radio for their awesome support, for reviewers like Dyan Garris ("A must-have for this season and all those to come"), and especially for the music lovers worldwide who purchased or streamed <em>Christmas Night</em>.</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">In the six months and hundreds of hours that went into composing & recording <em>Christmas Night,</em> I was certain that these classic Christmas carols could be a source of great comfort & peace to listeners during the middle of a worldwide pandemic. I'm so glad the listeners found us so the music could do its work of healing & hope. <strong>My fondest wish is that <em>Christmas Night</em> becomes a Christmas listening tradition for many years to come. </strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>THANK YOU ALL!</strong></span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64707662020-11-05T13:14:35-05:002020-11-06T20:13:38-05:00DYAN GARRIS ZMR REVIEW OF CHRISTMAS NIGHT!<p><strong>Another wonderful review of <em>Christmas Night</em>, this one by Zone Music Reporter's Dyan Garris. Dyan wrote that “Christmas Night is a special, angelic, calming, rejuvenating Christmas album that is a must-have for this season and all those to come.” Many thanks, Dyan!</strong></p>
<p><strong>Check out Dyan's full review on my "Album Reviews" page, or go to Dyan's ZMR review page at <a contents="https://www.newagecd.com/rick-sparks-christmas-night-album-review-dyan-garris/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.newagecd.com/rick-sparks-christmas-night-album-review-dyan-garris/" target="_blank">https://www.newagecd.com/rick-sparks-christmas-night-album-review-dyan-garris/</a></strong></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64684162020-11-02T09:23:48-05:002020-11-05T13:24:50-05:00BT FASMER'S CHRISTMAS NIGHT ALBUM REVIEW!<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_regular"><strong>Big thanks to BT Fasmer (<em>New Age Music Guide</em>) for his very positive & thoughtful review of <em>Christmas Night</em>!</strong> <strong>His insights are wonderful - thanks, BT! </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><span class="font_regular">You can read BT's complete review on my "Album Reviews" page, or here at BT's <em>New Age Music Guide</em> site: </span></strong><a contents="https://newagemusic.guide/reviews/rick-sparks-christmas-night-review/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://newagemusic.guide/reviews/rick-sparks-christmas-night-review/" target="_blank">https://newagemusic.guide/reviews/rick-sparks-christmas-night-review/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64645832020-10-27T20:29:10-04:002021-04-01T18:56:45-04:00SINGLE "LITTLE FLOWER" REMAINS TOP-20!<p><strong>The October OWMR Top-50 chart is out, and we're so glad to see <em>Little Flower</em> at #16, dropping only 3 places from September! </strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/c4a4e0325c0af9573ac054dae7eddd5a65b1fc5b/original/oct-top-50-singles-chart1024-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /><strong>We're grateful to our friends at One World Music Radio (Europe's largest online radio audience) for helping keep <em>Little Flower</em> (from my <em>Hushabye</em> album) in the Top-20 as we approach the release of <em>Christmas Night</em>.</strong> As with all my music, <em>Little Flower</em> is available for purchase or streaming from Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, etc. www.ricksparksmusic.net</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64563492020-10-15T13:08:15-04:002020-10-15T13:08:15-04:00ALBUM PROFILE: THE SONGS OF "CHRISTMAS NIGHT"<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><em>CHRISTMAS NIGHT</em> Album Profile by Rick Sparks</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">(Greenville, SC – 10/15/20) - <strong><em>Christmas Night</em> is here!</strong> I’m very excited to release this collection of beautiful Christmas carols, especially now. <strong>When I began production on <em>Christmas Night</em> in February 2020, little did I know how the world would soon be changed forever.</strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>As the months slowly passed and the pandemic worsened, the songs of <em>Christmas Night</em> became a refuge and comfort to my soul.</strong> <strong>I became convinced that they would do the same for every listener, and that became this album's mission. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><em>Christmas Night</em> was inspired, in part, by a wonderful holiday tradition: the annual BBC broadcast of the King’s College Christmas Eve service in Cambridge, England</strong>. That service is always strikingly beautiful in its simplicity and reverence, and inspired my choice of carols and arrangements on <em>Christmas Night</em>. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>The majority of Christmas carols on the album are from the 19th century, and lend themselves beautifully to neoclassical arrangements</strong> with traditional instruments (strings, bells, flute, piano) and angelic voices. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Here’s a rundown of the songs. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">1. <em><strong>Christmas Night</strong></em> - The title song is one of two new originals I wrote for the album. As the first song, it instantly communicates “Christmas,” opening with bells playing the main theme. To my ear, the bridge’s classical string section sounds very English, which I love. Add in the emotion of angelic voices and the album’s main theme is complete.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">2. <em><strong>Christ Is Born</strong></em> - This seasonal hit from The Carpenters’ 1978 Christmas album receives lots of radio airplay each year. I basically used their arrangement on the intro and bridge, with Christmas bells carrying the melody throughout. The song itself was discovered by the great Perry Como during a trip to Rome in 1964, when he heard it sung by the Sistine Chapel choir. Perry had it translated into English and sang it the first time on his televised Christmas special that year.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">3. <em><strong>The First Noel</strong></em>. One of my all-time Christmas favorites, this lovely 19th century carol features strings, flute, piano and angelic voices. I have always loved writing string arrangements – the intro and ending are both variations on the final musical phrase of the original song (...“born is the King of Israel”). Again, the classical strings on the bridge sound very English to me.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">4. <em><strong>Hark the Herald Angels Sing</strong></em>. As a child of the 60’s, the acapella vocal intro to this song always evokes the Charlie Brown Christmas Special of 1964. I began my arrangement the same way as the Peanuts gang, with voices only, joined by a classical string section for the remainder of the 1st verse, bridge and 2nd verse. Since the song is about angels singing, I ended with an acapella angel choir.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">5. <em><strong>In the Bleak Midwinter</strong></em>. Lovely, poignant American Christmas carol from the turn of the last century and one of my favorites. I love Gustav Holst’s gorgeous melody (and Christina Rossetti’s tender lyrics). A simple piano arrangement carries the song, enhanced by strings and angel voices.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">6. <em><strong>What Child Is This</strong></em>. This 19th century English carol with a familiar melody (<em>Greensleeves</em>) alternates between major and minor chords - haunting and beautiful. I tried to match that feel with my arrangement, including a new bridge of descending chords with strings and voices, and a variation of the melody for the ending.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">7. <em><strong>Infant Holy, Infant Lowly</strong></em>. With a melody that dates back as far as the 13th century, this traditional Polish carol is undoubtedly the oldest on the album. I hear it as a lullaby, with angelic voices & bells on the intro, and flute & voices carrying the melody on the verses. Another original bridge section – I wrote bridges for nearly all the carols, as they date from a time when musically, bridges weren’t used. Voices repeat the last musical phrase of the verse for the ending.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">8. <em><strong>Once in Royal David’s City</strong></em>. Lovely English carol first published in 1848 as a children’s hymn, my arrangement (and this album) was very much inspired by the King’s College Christmas Eve service. That wonderful service begins each year with the first verse of this carol sung acapella by a single boy’s voice. My first two verses are identical to the boys’ choir version, although a bit slower. I used a classical string section for the bridge section I wrote, following with the 3rd verse combining voices and strings.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">9. <em><strong>Silent Night</strong></em>. Famously written on guitar in Austria in 1818 and revered as the most iconic of all Christmas carols. Reverent, simple arrangement featuring flute, strings, voices and piano. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">10. <em><strong>Nativity</strong></em>. The second of two originals on the album, this is my musical vision of the Nativity, inspired by the music of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. These angelic voices and classical strings give a poignant, reverent conclusion to the album.</span></p>
<p> </p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64470802020-10-01T14:42:35-04:002021-04-01T18:56:20-04:00"CHRISTMAS NIGHT" RELEASED!<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>I'M SO GLAD TO ANNOUNCE THE OFFICIAL RELEASE OF <em>CHRISTMAS NIGHT</em>! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>I have no doubt that the quiet beauty of these lovely songs will help to replenish your spirit</strong> at the end of what has been a really tough year. <em>Christmas Night</em> has certainly done that for me.<strong> The music of <em>Christmas Night</em> celebrates the spiritual meaning of Christmas while helping to restore some much-needed tranquility in a crazy stressful world.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/c488e7e28d395c8313d255a026581bb5b3b7af14/original/christmas-night-square.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>The songs on <em>Christmas Night</em> feature some of the most beloved traditional Christmas carols,</strong> plus a couple of new originals by me. <strong>I think it's the perfect companion for fireside dreams in December.</strong> I hope you will agree!</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/b4ae48bd5752f1652f02a3d880aca6ceb1e7b25e/original/christmas-night-back-cover.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>Besides airplay during the holidays, I'm very excited that <em>Christmas Night</em> will be heard year-round on Christmas-only channels!</strong> We'll be sure in future blogs to let you know specific stations & channels as the album begins to receive airplay in November & December. We'll also post reviews on our ALBUM REVIEWS page from top reviewers in the genre. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><em>Christmas Night</em> is available from Amazon Music, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Deezer, Spotify, YouTube and many other outlets.</strong></span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64331002020-09-14T09:31:40-04:002020-09-14T09:39:12-04:00"CHRISTMAS NIGHT" IS COMING!<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>(Greenville, SC – 9/14/20) - <em>Christmas Night</em> is coming! I’m very excited to be releasing this collection of beautiful Christmas carols in a few weeks. Here's my backstory to the album and a brief profile of each of the songs.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/995f677f950b13017edb8ff214e28ae5b4df84d9/original/b-christmasnight-back-cover.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong> </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><em>Christmas NIght</em> was inspired, in part, by a wonderful holiday tradition: the annual BBC broadcast of the King’s College Christmas Eve service in Cambridge, England</strong>. Each year, millions around the world listen as the service begins with a choir boy’s single voice singing “Once in Royal David’s City.” That 19th century carol perfectly sets the tone for the entire service, strikingly beautiful in its simplicity and reverence. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>My aim with Christmas Night was to make an album of reverent beauty with some of the holiday’s most beloved carols</strong>. I believe they will bring peace and comfort to your spirit - I know they have for me. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>The majority of Christmas carols on the album are from the 19th century</strong>, and sound great using neoclassical arrangements with traditional instruments (strings, bells, flute, piano) and angelic voices. Here’s a rundown of the songs. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Christmas Night</strong></em> - The title song is one of two new originals I wrote for the album. As the first song, it instantly communicates “Christmas,” opening with bells playing the main theme. To my ear, the bridge’s classical string section sounds very English, which I love. Add in the emotion of angelic voices and the album’s main theme is complete.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Christ Is Born</strong></em> - This seasonal hit from The Carpenters’ 1978 Christmas album receives lots of radio airplay each year. I basically used their arrangement on the intro and bridge, with Christmas bells carrying the melody throughout. The song itself was discovered by the great Perry Como during a trip to Rome in 1964, when he heard it sung by the Sistine Chapel choir. Perry had it translated into English and sang it the first time on his televised Christmas special that year.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>The First Noel</strong></em>. One of my all-time Christmas favorites, this lovely 19th century carol features strings, flute, piano and angelic voices. I have always loved writing string arrangements – the intro and ending are both variations on the final musical phrase of the original song (...“born is the King of Israel”). Again, the classical strings on the bridge sound very English to me.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Hark the Herald Angels Sing</strong></em>. As a child of the 60’s, the acapella vocal intro to this song always evokes the Charlie Brown Christmas Special of 1964. I began my arrangement the same way as the Peanuts gang, with voices only, joined by a classical string section for the remainder of the 1st verse, bridge and 2nd verse. Since the song is about angels singing, I ended with an acapella angel choir.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>In the Bleak Midwinter</strong></em>. Lovely, poignant American Christmas carol from the turn of the last century and one of my favorites. I love Gustav Holst’s gorgeous melody (and Christina Rossetti’s tender lyrics). A simple piano arrangement carries the song, enhanced by strings and angel voices.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>What Child Is This</strong></em>. This 19th century English carol with a familiar melody (<em>Greensleeves</em>) alternates between major and minor chords - haunting and beautiful. I tried to match that feel with my arrangement, including a new bridge of descending chords with strings and voices, and a variation of the melody for the ending.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Infant Holy, Infant Lowly</strong></em>. With a melody that dates back as far as the 13th century, this traditional Polish carol is undoubtedly the oldest on the album. I hear it as a lullaby, with angelic voices & bells on the intro, and flute & voices carrying the melody on the verses. Another original bridge section – I had to write bridges for nearly all the carols, as they date from a time when musically, bridges weren’t used. Voices repeat the last musical phrase of the verse for the ending.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Once in Royal David’s City</strong></em>. Lovely English carol first published in 1848 as a children’s hymn, my arrangement (and this album) was very much inspired by the King’s College Christmas Eve service. That wonderful service begins each year with the first verse of this carol sung acapella by a single boy’s voice. My first two verses are identical to the boys’ choir version, although a bit slower. I used a classical string section for the bridge section I wrote, following with the 3rd verse combining voices and strings.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Silent Night</strong></em>. Famously written on guitar in Austria in 1818 and revered as the most iconic of all Christmas carols. Reverent, simple arrangement featuring flute, strings, voices and piano. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><em><strong>Nativity</strong></em>. The second of two originals on the album, this is my musical vision of the Nativity, inspired by the music of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. These angelic voices and classical strings give a poignant, reverent conclusion to the album.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong>So there you have it, my profile of the songs on <em>Christmas Night</em></strong>. The album is in production now for CDs, and should be released by early October to all the usual outlets (Amazon, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, etc.). I love each & every one of these songs & trust that the album will become a Christmas favorite for many listeners year after year.</span></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/64099992020-08-14T22:45:26-04:002020-08-15T14:17:17-04:00"LITTLE FLOWER" SINGLE RELEASED!<p><strong>I'm so happy to announce the release of <em>Little Flower</em>, the 3rd & final single from my 2019 album, <em>Hushabye</em>.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/822d1066fa7f865b4890369d63ee195148569353/original/little-flower-single-graphic.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>The song is one of my favorites from <em>Hushabye</em></strong>, <strong>a gentle piano theme framed by strings & quiet voices. It was inspired by a vintage photo of a beautiful little girl holding daisies.</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>"Open and uncluttered - the simple melody is hypnotic."</em> <em>- Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Little Flower</em> is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and a host of other digital outlets.</strong> </p>
<p><strong>You can listen to (& download!) <em>Little Flower</em> from this page, or by clicking on our <a contents="Little Flower promo page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ricksparksmusic.hearnow.com/" target="_blank"><em>Little Flower Promo Page</em></a>.</strong> <strong>There you will find links to all the digital outlets as they add the release.</strong></p>3:39Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/63854212020-07-14T13:29:06-04:002021-04-01T18:57:14-04:00MY LOCKDOWN ALBUM: "Christmas Night" <p><strong>To say 2020 has been crazy for all of us is total understatement.</strong> I'm thankful to share that I am staying safe at home, with the benefit of having plenty of time to work on our Christmas album project, as well as reformat our website (hope you like it!).</p>
<p><strong>After months of work in my home studio, I am happy to report that <em>Christmas Night</em> is finished! </strong>Truth is, working on this project has been a Godsend during the lockdown. When I began production in February 2020, little did I know how the world would soon be changed forever.</p>
<p><strong>As the months slowly passed and the pandemic worsened, I found the songs of <em>Christmas Night</em></strong> <strong>becoming a refuge and a comfort to my soul. I became convinced that they would do the same for every listener, and that became this album's mission. </strong>I'll have more to say about the music as we get closer to release, but it has been an absolute joy for me to arrange & record these 8 lovely Christmas favorites and 2 new originals. </p>
<p><strong><em>Christmas Night</em> is 42 minutes of some of the greatest carols of Christmas in classical settings of quiet beauty. Coming in November!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/995f677f950b13017edb8ff214e28ae5b4df84d9/original/b-christmasnight-back-cover.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750662019-12-19T19:00:00-05:002019-12-20T03:14:15-05:00Christmas single debuts at #17!
<p><strong>END OF YEAR PRESENT! So happy to see my Christmas single, "What Child Is This," debut at #17 on OWMR's Dec. singles chart! OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered. As my gift to you, "What Child Is This" is available FREE as a digital download thru December. <a href="/rick-s-music-store" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fricksparksmusic.net%2Fricks_music_store%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR36kNDjvfbf9BiDJBSKPOcrJa_UswiD_u4njqe96r30BfWqRUGs_YWxqSs&h=AT2fILnGJPRwnJFgQPxOIIEcCvModPpwLpf_Pmth6JGgQNcCx1IYXSFBkLJnn5Gckv3eU9JEG5p1wCuPYI6yTvT6qF0WWLUBIJTFQNmq8qsOPeBKHkZrjMQK9QthPdywBE7g5Ua9RcUl2a5TrO2cB_s" data-imported="1" data-link-type="page">http://ricksparksmusic.net/ricks_music_store/</a></strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/abce25a39b923f74d365f9a629e7ca51db988f04/original/owmr-singles-chart-dec-2019.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjAyeDM3OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="378" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="602" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750652019-10-31T20:00:00-04:002019-11-01T06:10:24-04:00My Spotify listeners UP 532%!!!
<p><strong>Thanks to our new October release, <em>Dreams of Peace: The Very Best of Rick Sparks</em>, our Spotify listeners were up 532% over September's numbers! The gain was due to Spotify's feature, "Release Radar," which spotlights new releases & their artists. </strong></p>
<p><span style="background-color:#888888"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/97198ea9892ce3a1e4356201c539680acd682ed2/original/rls-on-spotify-oct-19.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDg1eDQ5MSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="491" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="485" /></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>It's great to see our Spotify listener totals grow so much in one month!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#3366ff"><a title="RICK SPARKS ON SPOTIFY" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3C6FadRHDCnZivP2ljoXR5" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff"><strong>RICK SPARKS ON SPOTIFY</strong></span></a></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750642019-10-19T20:00:00-04:002019-10-20T12:44:05-04:00A beautiful letter
<p><strong>Don't ever discount God's love. He constantly pours it out on us thru amazing acts of kindness & grace.</strong> <strong>It happened to me last night in a letter I received from a fan who is using the beauty & peace in my recordings to strengthen his faith and replenish his spirit in the midst of cancer. H</strong><strong>is kind words are such a blessing & encouragement to me - I'm honored to share them with you.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="text-align: center;">***</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><strong>"Hi, Rick, m</strong><strong>y name is **** ****. I recently heard some of your music on SPA (Sirius radio) and was overwhelmed with the beauty and depth</strong>. <strong>I confess I was not familiar with your work before hearing it but am now a huge fan.</strong> <strong>I purchased “Endless” on the basis of hearing one song ("Wonderful, Merciful Savior") and absolutely love every song on the CD (especially my all-time favorite, "Be Thou My Vision.") I just discovered your website and after listening to some samples, I will be ordering more CDs for my own enjoyment as well as CDs and sheet music for two older sisters who accompany in their church in Texas."</strong></p>
<p><strong>"I enjoyed reading about you and learning some of your musical and spiritual journey. For some reason, I felt an urging to share with you some of my own. I served as worship pastor in several churches in Texas and Colorado for 38 years, the last 30 at one church in Texas. In 2018, my wife and I sort of retired and moved to Tennessee, where we now live. After all the years of church ministry, we were very excited about having time for hiking in the Smoky Mountains and enjoying the rich culture and history of this part of the country. We joined a wonderful church and choir in Knoxville (a new experience for us after all the years of being on staff), found jobs we like and settled in to our new life. </strong></p>
<p><strong>"And then, out of the blue, I was diagnosed with cancer</strong>. <strong>I had surgery, am currently undergoing some hormone treatments with not-so-fun side effects, and will start seven weeks of radiation treatments at the end of October.</strong> <strong>I say all of that to say that God has really reaffirmed to me His “endless love” and “wonderful mercy” through your music. I struggled to pull myself together just now after listening to a clip of “Jesus Loves Me” and plan to have it playing in the treatment room when the radiation begins."</strong></p>
<p><strong>"Such an application of your music probably wasn’t in the forefront of your thinking when you created it, but I think that is one of the marvelous things about God - His unlimited ability to see beyond time and circumstances to use our creativity in the lives of people we have never even met and in ways we may never anticipate. That’s supernatural, and in somewhat dark circumstances which I would never have chosen but for which I am thankful (at least, by faith)."</strong></p>
<p><strong>"I am the beneficiary of your willingness to submit your creativity and skill to a loving and sovereign God. I thank you for that!</strong> <strong>Keep letting Him make you even better than you already are. I’ll be listening! </strong><strong>Thankfully, **** ****."</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>***</strong></p>
<p><strong>What an incredible testimony from someone going thru one of the toughest experiences anyone can know on this earth.</strong> <strong>I thanked **** for taking time to share his story with me, and I'm so humbled that God would use my music in such a way. Only He could open doors for my music to touch & strengthen people like ****.</strong> <strong>I pray that he finds peace in part thru my songs & healing thru God's amazing grace.</strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3-7v7iK8lk" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">JESUS LOVES ME - Rick Sparks</span></a></span></strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750632019-10-11T20:00:00-04:002019-10-12T06:48:39-04:00Dreams of Peace now on iTunes/Apple Music!
<p><strong>NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES/APPLE MUSIC - <em><a title="DREAMS OF PEACE ON iTUNES/APPLE MUSIC" href="https://music.apple.com/us/album/dreams-of-peace-the-very-best-of-rick-sparks/1482548490" data-imported="1">Dreams of Peace: The Very Best of Rick Sparks</a>.</em> Experience the peace.</strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750622019-10-02T20:00:00-04:002019-10-05T13:34:54-04:00Hushabye stays in the top-15 for August!
<p><strong>Just a quick note that <em>Hushabye</em> is showing staying power in the ZMR Top-100 airplay chart for August (just-released)! We fell only one place from July from #11 to #12, which means that radio & digital outlets worldwide continue to give strong airplay to <em>Hushabye</em>. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Special shout-out to my hard-working media promoter, Randall Davis, for helping <em>Hushabye</em> stay in ZMR's top-15. Our last album, <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, stayed on the charts for 5 months - we're hoping <em>Hushabye</em> does as well.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750612019-09-29T20:00:00-04:002019-10-05T13:37:51-04:00HERE! Best of Rick Sparks Collection!
<p><strong>NOW AVAILABLE! <em>Dreams of Peace: The Very Best of Rick Sparks</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/a4aa929e685af2e117035f2a84e376dade2d2363/original/dreams-of-peace-front-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTgyeDU4MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="582" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="582" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Just in time for the holidays, <em>Dreams of Peace</em> is a solid hour of my personal favorites from my 5 albums since 2014. These 14 songs are the very best of my music to "replenish your spirit."</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/4f4ba5e458b06542b8e6b43d6a1901d0f67f6aad/original/dreams-of-peace-back-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTc2eDU3NiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="576" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="576" /></strong></p>
<p><strong> <em>Dreams of Peace: The Very Best of Rick Sparks</em> is now available on CD Baby and the Music Store page of my website, and soon from your favorite digital outlets, including Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, Alexa, etc. </strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750602019-09-20T20:00:00-04:002019-09-21T04:07:58-04:00NYC, baby!
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="18o5p-0-0"><span data-offset-key="18o5p-0-0"><strong>Heard regularly by over 60,000 listeners, WMNR's "Music Gallery" show has <em>Hushabye</em> in their Top-10 album rotation</strong> as part of the station's non-commercial classical and fine arts music for Connecticut and New York. The program airs 10-11pm Thursday nights & is a ZMR reporting outlet.</span></div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="3ttuo-0-0"><strong><span data-offset-key="3ttuo-0-0">THANKS WMNR FOR AIRING <em>HUSHABYE</em>!!!</span></strong></div>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750592019-09-03T20:00:00-04:002019-09-07T13:13:06-04:00Hushabye debuts at #11 on ZMR!
<p><strong>Happy to report <em>Hushabye</em> debuting at #11 on the (very late) just-released Zone Music Reporter World Top-100 chart for July!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/4e4f51f0fbcfbb9f81c10967cda5e76d3e6943ee/original/zmr-chart-july-19.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUzeDU1NCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="554" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="553" /></p>
<p><strong><em>Hushabye</em>'s strong debut on the new ZMR chart follows outstanding performance in August on the OWMR chart, climbing 72 places from #80 to #8. Combined with adds this week by SiriusXM's Spa channel, <em>Hushabye</em> is getting great airplay worldwide.</strong></p>
<p><strong> BIG THANKS TO RADIO PROGRAMMERS WORLDWIDE FOR ADDING <em>HUSHABYE</em> TO THEIR PLAYLISTS!</strong> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750582019-09-02T20:00:00-04:002019-09-03T08:19:49-04:00SIRIUS XM ADDS HUSHABYE!!!
<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: Some of you know that I've been played on the SPA channel (68) at SiriusXM since 2016, a wonderful blessing for any artist but especially a total unknown just getting started. Today we received word that SPA has added 2 new songs (<em>And She Dreams</em>; <em>Angel Song</em>) from <em>Hushabye</em>, effective immediately!! Big thanks to SPA programmer Lynette White - so glad you like <em>Hushabye</em>! Check out <span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="SPA ON SIRIUS XM" href="http://www.siriusxm.com/spa" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">Spa on SXM</span></a></span>!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750572019-09-01T20:00:00-04:002019-09-02T11:38:23-04:00ZMR rates Hushabye EXCELLENT!
<p><strong>Zone Music Reporter has rated <em>Hushabye</em> as EXCELLENT, saying the new album is "absolutely perfect new age music," and "simply beautiful music that will make anyone's day better." Thanks. ZMR! Here's the full review:</strong></p>
<p>RICK SPARKS HAS LULLABIES FOR ALL AGES (review by Gina at Zone Music Reporter, 8-20-19).</p>
<p>"New age music fans have come to love the soft, dreamy music of Rick Sparks and his trademark sound featuring piano, string sections and soft angelic choirs doing wordless vocalizations. It is like jumping into a feather bed with a cumulus cloud as a pillow. Now Sparks is back with a new album of gentle lullabies, absolutely perfect new age music, titled HUSHABYE. This is extremely peaceful, relaxing music.'</p>
<p>"The compositions (nine originals and two covers) can be used to calm children or help them go to sleep, make adults unwind after a long and stressful day, or serve as sounds to assist with meditation, prayer or contemplation. This is simply beautiful music that will make anyone's day better."</p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><a href="http://zonemusicreporter.com/recording/viewreviews.asp?rvwbrdcmmt=16613" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">ZMR RATES HUSHABYE EXCELLENT</span></a></span></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750562019-08-26T20:00:00-04:002019-08-27T11:40:22-04:00HUSHABYE UP 72 PLACES TO #8!!!
<p><strong>BREAKING NEWS: The August OWMR Top-100 chart is out -- after debuting last month at #80, HUSHABYE CLIMBED 72 PLACES TO #8! That's the biggest one-month climb ever for any of my albums in 5 years! </strong><br><br><strong>I'm AMAZED & THANKFUL for Hushabye's fabulous airplay by broadcast & online radio. We're so honored that our radio friends in Europe & around the world love our music. God is good! Kudos to my hard-working media promoter, Randall Davis, at The Creative Service Company in Colorado Springs - highly recommended. </strong><br><br><strong>BIG THANKS to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio for their marvelous support of my music. OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered, including contemporary instrumental, solo piano, chill and many others.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/3d313ca318ef886962d89f41e930d38f6a906c90/original/hushabye-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjA0eDUzNiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="536" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="604" /></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750552019-07-29T20:00:00-04:002019-07-30T12:13:13-04:00Hushabye on the charts!
<p><strong><em>Hushabye</em> is on the charts!</strong></p>
<p><strong>The July 2019 OWMR Top-100 chart released today shows <em>Hushabye</em> debuting at #80. That's amazing, considering the July chart measures airplay in June & <em>Hushabye</em>'s promotion didn't begin until the first week in July. The airplay in late June came mainly from Sleep Radio in New Zealand (we were a featured artist of the week) and a very few other stations.</strong></p>
<p><strong>You might notice another new entry on the July chart at #99 is legendary guitarist & producer Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records. I love Will's music & am glad that our albums entered the chart at the same time. Four weeks from now, you may expect to see both Will & myself a wee bit higher on the August chart. :)</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/f6a066a391b4338bb4453b62aa4681081e11da89/original/july-2019-owmr-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTk4eDM3NCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="374" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="598" /></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750542019-07-26T20:00:00-04:002019-07-27T06:14:17-04:00Hushabye "beautiful" "moving" "stunning" - OWMR review
<p><strong>I always love receiving reviews after a new album release - here are a few excerpts from Steve Sheppard's important review of <em>Hushabye</em>. You can hear the complete audio review <span style="color:#3366ff"><a title="Hushabye review on One World Music Radio" href="https://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/rick-sparks/4594677905?fbclid=IwAR17FtiCz8SrGOqA_8k2O47vVDqVh3V9HdEjzL5OvpARtPaTMjdYcdKdOvQ" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff">here</span></a></span> (I'll post the entire review to my Reviews page), as well as some great features on the album by Steve & his wife Chrissie. I love their British accents. <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png?_nc_eui2=AeFwPtUPQYEzlPO8wERPUdkS7GT9-Sf46kgRYmnvu7zOpTJI6JdQLFmwsO6ZgZuv_2FAIZHDqTC7r7a1sb_CTBCTKuUmmjKn5xXVMQJS3_0pQA" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>"Rick Sparks has sealed an everlasting legacy as a musician who can soothe and calm his listeners with the first few bars of any song he has recorded. His crafted approach is a gi<span class="text_exposed_show">ft that many just hope to find - it is this genius we discover on this, his latest release, called <em>Hushabye</em>."</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong>"A beautiful moving album."</strong></p>
<p><strong>"Stunning."</strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750532019-07-24T20:00:00-04:002019-07-25T03:23:05-04:00Hushabye on New Age Stars Radio!
<p><strong>BIG THANKS to BT Fasmer at New Age Stars Radio (Spotify & Live365) for this beautiful profile of <em>Hushabye</em> - and for adding several songs from <em>Hushabye</em> to the NAS playlist! Check it out at <span style="color:#3366ff"><a href="https://newagemusic.guide/new-releases/rick-sparks-hushabye/" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff">https://newagemusic.guide/new-releases/rick-sparks-hushabye/</span></a></span></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750522019-07-24T20:00:00-04:002019-07-25T03:16:32-04:00Hushabye a Kathy's Pick album!
<p><strong>So happy to receive the first extended review of <em>Hushabye</em> from Kathy Parsons of <a title="Hushabye Review on MainlyPiano.com" href="https://mainlypiano.com/reviews/rick-sparks-hushabye?fbclid=IwAR2MXn0OTTcbLMN4l9QysH8b6-eqGdULr8ZYPETT2mRlidPmKyb5_t1U77Q" target="_blank" data-ft="{" data-lynx-mode="async" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff">MainlyPiano.com</span>.</a> Kathy also made my new album a "Kathy's Pick" - THANKS, KATHY! </strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750512019-06-19T20:00:00-04:002019-06-20T14:03:36-04:00We're Sleep Radio's Artist of the Week!
<p><strong>We're excited to announce that I've been named "Artist of the Week" by our friends at Sleep Radio in New Zealand!</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sleep Radio is the only dedicated channel of sleep music 24/7 with no commercials and no announcers. They are featuring songs now & for the next week from my new album Hushabye - check them out! <span style="color:#3366ff"><a title="Sleep Radio" href="https://www.sleepradio.co.nz/artists-and-promoters?fbclid=IwAR2Ec3xFgJQnwGf1UcKG7XdbeE7TA-IdbqvfWgsLWdI7E6ltZXLx_RWPh1E" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff">SLEEP RADIO</span></a></span></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750502019-06-17T20:00:00-04:002019-06-19T16:25:16-04:00HUSHABYE: Sleep tested & approved!
<p><strong>SLEEP TESTED & APPROVED! I'm happy to report that <em>Hushabye</em>'s gentle lullabies have already resulted in peacefully sleeping little ones from 8 mos. to 8 years old.</strong> <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/3d313ca318ef886962d89f41e930d38f6a906c90/original/hushabye-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAzeDQ0NiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="446" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="503" /></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">Special thanks to several of our friends who have tested our new album on their kids & found it works within minutes</span>! <strong>I was inspired to record <em>Hushabye</em> as slumber music for little ones, but the beauty & peace of these songs make them more than "just" lullabies.</strong></p>
<p>For sleep, meditation or the perfect antidote to the stress of your day, <strong>check out <em>Hushabye</em>, available now for purchase or streaming</strong> from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify, CD Baby and <span style="color:#000000">www.ricksparksmusic.net.</span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750492019-06-10T20:00:00-04:002020-08-08T10:10:44-04:00New Rick BIO & Hushabye Profile<p>(Many thanks to my hard-working media promoter, Randall Davis, for this new BIO of me & profile of <em>Hushabye</em>! -RS)</p>
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<p align="center"><em>HUSHABYE</em> (2019) </p>
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<p>(Greenville, SC – 6/11/19) Pianist and composer Rick Sparks is well-known to fans of new-age and neo-classical music for his trademark peaceful, melodic songs featuring piano layered with stunning string arrangements, augmented with soft angelic voices with wordless vocalizations. This combination is perfect for his latest album, <em>Hushabye, </em>created specifically to help listeners with relaxation, meditation and sleep.</p>
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<p>“Many of my friends and fans have told me for years that they use my music to relax after a hard day, enjoy some down time or to help their children or themselves get to sleep,” explains Sparks. “With that in mind, I wanted to record an album of soothing music that both adults and children could relax to. I wanted the songs on this album to feel like a favorite soft pillow.”</p>
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<p>The wordless vocals on <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Hushabye</em> were prompted in part by Rick’s love of Brian Wilson’s vocal arrangements with the Beach Boys. According to Rick, “Brian always said he used three-part vocal harmonies because to his ear, it 'sounded like angels.' I took that to heart by using angelic-sounding wordless voices singing multi-part harmonies. The voices on <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Hushabye</em> also remind me of the pure tones of an English boys’ choir.”</p>
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<p><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Hushabye, </em>subtitled “Sail Away to Dreamland,” is Sparks’ sixth album and contains nine new original tunes, along with his instrumental arrangements of the million-selling pop hit “Love Can Make You Happy” by the 1960’s group Mercy, as well as the classic children’s song “Jesus Loves Me.” In addition to piano, strings and voices, the music also includes the sounds of a flute. Piano is Sparks’ featured instrument, but he is an adept arranger who uses synthesizer to give his music layers, textures, colors and additional depth.</p>
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<p>More information on Rick Sparks is available at his website (<span style="color:#0000ff"><a data-imported="1" href="http://www.ricksparksmusic.net" target="_blank" title="Rick Sparks Music"><span style="color:#0000ff">www.RickSparksMusic.net</span></a></span>). His CDs -- <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Hushabye,</em> <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Half Moon Bay, Nightfall London, Matilda’s Flowers,</em> <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Endless </em>and <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Christmas Love</em> -- and digital download tracks from those recordings are available online from CD Baby, Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify, Alexa, YouTube and many other outlets.</p>
<p>Since 2014, Rick’s recordings have received strong airplay on hundreds of radio stations and channels around the world, including SiriusXM’s Spa channel. <em>Half Moon Bay</em>(2018) went to #4 and both <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Endless</em> (2014) and <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Nightfall London </em>(2017)rose to #7 on the prestigious international Zone Music Reporter Top 100 Chart that specifically monitors new-age music. <em>Half Moon Bay </em>paid homage to the ocean and the music of Brian Wilson, while <em>Nightfall London </em>did a similar honor to England and legendary producer George Martin.</p>
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<p><span style="text-decoration:underline">THE SONGS OF <em>HUSHABYE</em></span></p>
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<p>The first song on <em>Hushabye</em> is “My Soul to Keep” (the title is taken from the child’s bedtime prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep”). Rick says, “I love Brian Wilson’s choice to begin his <em>Smile</em> album with a lovely acapella prayer, so I decided to use a similar brief angelic prayer on this album to begin the listener’s journey to dreamland.</p>
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<p>“Love Can Make You Happy” follows. According to Rick, “This is a favorite song of mine from 1969, the year of Woodstock’s ‘three days of peace and music.’ All these years later, the need for love and peace is greater than ever.”</p>
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<p>Several of the other song titles on the album follow the themes of love and peace. “My song ‘Dreams of Peace’ could be taken either as dreaming of peace or as peaceful dreams. ‘Little Flower’ was inspired by a vintage 19th C. photograph of a lovely little girl holding daisies. The title ‘No Greater Love’ came from Jesus’ teaching in John 15:13 -- ‘There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’.”</p>
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<p>“When the Stars Come Out,” which includes flute, is “another slumber song.” The song “Jesus Loves Me” is “the first hymn many of us learned as children, voicing a simple but profound truth.” A longtime pilot, Sparks loves flying, “especially when you find yourself among billowy white clouds. It’s an otherworldly beauty, the realm of angels, thus the title ‘Cloud Pillow’ with its angel-voice harmonies.”</p>
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<p>The song “And She Dreams” was directly inspired by the CD back-cover photograph of a little girl peacefully sleeping. Rick says, “For all the little ones, sleeping and dreaming should be a time of peace, safety and love.” Another inspiration when writing the acapella voice hymn “Angel Song,” was the music of English composer Vaughan Williams. Finally, Rick says that he “closed the album with ‘We Are Loved’ because it was a nice assurance to know that we are all loved, both by God and those around us. It’s a great sentiment that I hope fills both our dreams and our waking hours.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rick Sparks’ musical influences have been many and diverse: coming from a musical family, getting his B.A. degree in broadcasting from the University of Tennessee, being an FM-radio DJ in the 1970s and 1980s, earning Masters degrees in music and communication and a Ph.D. in communication, programming a leading on-line new-age music station (<em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">The Cove</em> on Live365.com), and having a college teaching career. His tastes in music are varied and includes pop music, jazz and new age. Rick’s musical career has included accompanying on-stage legendary artists such as The 5th Dimension's Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., gospel great Alvin Slaughter of Brooklyn Tabernacle, and<em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">American Idol</em> finalist Phil Stacey.</p>
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<p>According to Rick, “My utmost desire as an artist is to create music that feeds the soul, that inspires and uplifts. I totally embrace the power of music to fill our lives with beauty.”</p>
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<p>Testing his music on friends, Sparks says, “The consensus is that my music is very relaxing, ideal to leave on while you’re sleeping. A friend of ours plays it throughout the night for his six-month-old son – it works great! Another friend who is 94-years-old often uses my music to help him get to sleep. I’m hopeful that the music on <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Hushabye </em>will not only be enjoyable to listen to while you’re awake, but can serve as a great soundtrack to your dreams as well.”</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">### </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">Radio Promotion/Publicity: The Creative Service Company thecreativeservicecompany.com</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Randall Davis (CreatServ9@aol.com) & Ruthe Forbriger (cscRuthe@aol.com) 719-548-9872</em></p>
<p> </p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750482019-06-06T20:00:00-04:002019-06-07T04:58:49-04:00Free download from Hushabye!
<p><strong>To celebrate the release of <em>Hushabye</em>, we are making the first song on the album available as a FREE download!</strong></p>
<p><strong>You can download <em>My Soul to Keep</em> here: <span style="color:#0000ff"><a href="http://ricksparksmusic.net/ricks_music_store/s/my_soul_to_keep?fbclid=IwAR17DSgBWlfpz5_SSUfoYeOrcHwsz_juDfsxxJAhsMODH81z-A6nANAQuyI" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank" data-ft="{" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fricksparksmusic.net%2Fricks_music_store%2Fs%2Fmy_soul_to_keep%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR17DSgBWlfpz5_SSUfoYeOrcHwsz_juDfsxxJAhsMODH81z-A6nANAQuyI&h=AT3WY3y8eeFUSG0S-dr2sDsQBL_UAtdJsypi6DzrUcoLVhZAJuaTPaXHAOtIxgE2rGbGYGj9osqh7U3dggo3da2soOZ1FL0IX8avUGeTgOCP-Gu2fT40QJBCJ29wOkrL48NRGhCjqxqFrWNWnPFmsWWRl2FeExvDkcvCV6yEC1lSm-OpuzIRG2w_dE6_CBRZ7l8uFieazMWYujBuKOxcAOgHNOtUjCjK1VAp-2EtDZ-mcmOH0hJabIenCrWQnoiQuzfGH0WnmxUfvKHqkEcfudVvEkQYApE-X_w0VRm8Ccwy4DDy2ps3lqda3hCHo_EP7FYwzm8dNFUXJ2-G8qiiyU1_N6biV4AaxLHNiG6hqQJtZH2eaUE4U1yMdw_t2t3i3Zuh8B5yUHNzYgRSq6koNxXq9wNBZMCeL-iPlEsJXhfSlCAymD8DX3VjdDaaczptoa-qwa0W3yMqngKLiQoDIMq9nVGWS-qt38fRGXlJFTdV5QHOe4JuHOqps4qtZA0d30kc4oBGgKbzw6EcBLS1ZSDV_asxWYE1xfa_FTx9xIFaBhu92rBX9aflYR3Z49oxRe20-ysGt9Jtwhx08w2K3AKvGm7jt0Q78Pw5VEEOyRabF3RORTs774mD696ykrrbIpCPSYipi9fdqTHQ" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">http://ricksparksmusic.net/ricks_music_st…/s/my_soul_to_keep</span></a></span></strong></p>
<p><strong>Just as Brian Wilson began his <em>Smile</em> album with an acapella prayer by the Beach Boys, <em>My Soul to Keep</em> starts the listener’s journey to dreamland with a wordless angelic prayer. The title comes from the child’s bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.”</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Enjoy!</strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750472019-05-31T20:00:00-04:002019-06-02T07:45:12-04:00Hushabye: The Songs
<p><strong><em>Hushabye</em></strong><strong>: The Songs</strong></p>
<p>My hard-working media promoter, Randall Davis, describes <em>Hushabye</em> as “quiet lullabies perfect for relaxing, meditating & dreaming.” <em>Hushabye</em> is, without a doubt, my most peaceful album ever, a tapestry of strings, piano, flute & angelic voices.</p>
<p>Besides the fact that several of our friends use my music to help their children (& themselves) get to sleep, <em>Hushabye</em>’s sweet back cover picture of a little girl sleeping inspired me throughout the production. It helped give a peaceful consistency to the songs which I originally meant as a sleep album for little ones. In the end, <em>Hushabye</em> became more than that, but the songs remain a great way for listeners to “sail away to dreamland.”</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/3d313ca318ef886962d89f41e930d38f6a906c90/original/hushabye-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDQzeDM5MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="393" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="443" /></p>
<p>1) <strong><em>My Soul to Keep</em></strong>. I love Bryan Wilson’s choice to begin his <em>Smile</em> album with a lovely acapella prayer, using the Beach Boys’ amazing 3-part harmony which Brian always said “sounds like angels.” I began <em>Hushabye</em> the same way, with a brief angelic prayer to start the listener’s journey to dreamland. The title is a phrase from the child’s bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.”</p>
<p>2) <strong><em>Love Can Make You Happy</em></strong>. This is one of two cover songs on the album, a favorite of mine from 1969 and a sweet love song to set the musical stage for <em>Hushabye</em>. The voices add great emotion to this & all the songs, using the 3-part harmony of angel voices. My piano lead is simple but sufficient, mirroring my approach in all my work as a composer and arranger.</p>
<p>3) <strong><em>Dreams of Peace</em></strong>. So much of our lives is spent looking for peace, in the world & in our hearts. The phrase “dreams of peace” could be taken as dreaming of peace, or peaceful dreams. As a Christian, I credit my faith in Jesus Christ for the peace in my music and my life.</p>
<p>4) <strong><em>Little Flower.</em></strong> The lovely title song from the 1967 film <em>You Only Live Twice</em> inspired me to lend a touch of the Orient to <em>Hushabye</em> with <em>Little Flower</em>. The title is a reference to the Japanese love of flowers, as well as to a little child.</p>
<p>5) <strong><em>No Greater Love.</em></strong> This is one of my favorite songs on <em>Hushabye</em>, with achingly beautiful melody, strings & vocal harmonies. The title is from Jesus’ teaching in John 15:13 - “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”</p>
<p>6) <strong><em>When the Stars Come Out.</em></strong> Another slumber song welcoming the listener to dreamland, with flute, piano, strings and angelic voices. In the final musical phrase, you can almost hear the words, “And now it’s time for bed.”</p>
<p>7) <strong><em>Jesus Loves Me.</em></strong> The first hymn many of us learned as children, voicing a simple but profound truth. Love is a recurring theme on <em>Hushabye</em> – this song was a natural for the album.</p>
<p>8) <strong><em>Cloud Pillow.</em></strong> I fell in love with flying long before becoming a pilot. To fly is to be immersed in otherworldly beauty, especially when you find yourself among billowy white clouds. Too, we usually think of the realm of angels as being “up there,” so angel voice harmonies, strings and the imagery of flying among clouds make for a great slumber song. </p>
<p>9) <strong><em>And She Dreams.</em></strong> This song was directly inspired by the album’s sweet back cover picture of a little girl sleeping. For all the little ones, dreams should be a place of peace, safety & love.</p>
<p>10) <strong><em>Angel Song.</em></strong> On reflection, I think I was influenced to write this acapella voice hymn by the lovely music of the English composer Vaughan Williams, as well as by the beautiful pure tones of an English boys’ choir. Much of <em>Hushabye </em>probably reflects those two influences.</p>
<p>11) <strong><em>We Are Loved.</em></strong> I closed the album with the assurance that we are all loved, by God and (probably more than we know) those around us. May all our dreams as well as our waking hours be filled with the beautiful assurance that we are loved.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750462019-05-22T20:00:00-04:002019-05-28T03:27:04-04:00HUSHABYE COMPLETE: "SAIL AWAY TO DREAMLAND!"
<p><strong>It's official: production work on <em>Hushabye</em> is complete!</strong></p>
<p>After 4 months & 250+ hours of evenings & weekends in my home studio, <strong>my most peaceful album ever</strong> <strong>is now</strong> <strong>available </strong><strong>in Rick's Music Store on this website</strong>, and all the major digital outlets (iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, etc.), with CDs available for purchase soon. </p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><em>Hushabye</em> is now in the hands of my media promoter, the hard-working Randall Davis of The Creative Service Company. Randall will be distributing <em>Hushabye</em> to about 300 outlets worldwide for airplay on both broadcast & online radio stations/channels.</strong> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/94aa3026a94346860db2e73e478ca31f7b6edaa2/original/hushabye-front-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTM2eDQ3OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="478" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="536" /></p>
<p><strong>After listening to all the songs & seeing the incredibly beautiful cover (a sailboat navigating the stars),</strong> <strong>Randall Davis suggested the perfect tagline for <em>Hushabye</em>: “Sail away to dreamland.” His description of the album is also perfect: “Peaceful angelic lullabies for relaxing, meditating & dreaming.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Without a doubt, <em>Hushabye</em> is my most peaceful album ever, a tapestry of beauty for listeners of all ages.</strong> The 9 originals & 2 covers are full of lovely strings, piano, flute & angelic voices. <strong><em>Hushabye</em>'s gorgeous melodies and harmonies are sure to gently wind down your day.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/3d313ca318ef886962d89f41e930d38f6a906c90/original/hushabye-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTM2eDQ3NiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="476" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="536" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Stay tuned for the latest <em>Hushabye</em> news as the album becomes available</strong> here on my website as well as Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, CD Baby & other outlets. <strong>Get ready to sail away to dreamland!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750452019-05-09T20:00:00-04:002019-05-24T03:37:07-04:00Hushabye nearly complete!
<p><strong>I'm happy to report that <em>Hushabye</em> is nearing the finish line!</strong></p>
<p>After four months in production & over 250 hours in my home studio, <strong><em>Hushabye</em> contains 11 of my most beautiful songs.</strong> And yes, <strong>this is my first album designed specifically to put the listener to sleep!</strong> I describe it as <strong>"gentle sleep music for little (& big) ones."</strong></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/1f0dfe5ade6004e263467a10800254d8ad49d0f8/original/hushabye-album-proportioned-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDc2eDM4NSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="385" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="476" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>The precious cover shot of a little girl peacefully sleeping inspired every song</strong>, but <em>Hushabye</em> was produced with the intention that all ages will enjoy the music. <strong>The songs are gently melodic</strong>, <strong>enhanced by a tapestry of piano, strings, flute, angelic voices & synthesizer pads. </strong></p>
<p>As with all my albums, <strong>I hope the listener will find a place of quiet rest in the music of <em>Hushabye</em>. Official release date is June 1 - we'll keep you posted</strong>.</p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750442019-02-07T19:00:00-05:002019-02-09T05:31:23-05:00Half Moon Bay nominated for Album of Year & Best New Age Album!
<p><strong>I received word today that <em>Half Moon Bay</em> has been nominated as Album of the Year AND Best New Age Album in the 2018 One World Music Awards! </strong>One of my favorite groups, the iconic <em>2002</em>, was also nominated in both categories - I'm incredibly honored to be in such company. Award winners will be announced Sunday, June 9th.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/cafa66f509272612c0a1ceca6edaaaa40d1c3afe/original/rick-sparks-album-of-the-year.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDI4eDYwNiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="606" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="428" /></p>
<p><strong>I enjoyed every minute of producing </strong><strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> last summer - th</strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">e 10 songs represent some of my very best work.</strong> The concept for the album was inspired by the musical legacy of the great Brian Wilson - it wouldn't have happened without you, Brian. :)</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/193207310a211bc4acb67dde163b1cd4d1737275/original/rick-sparks-best-new-age-album.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Mzk3eDU2MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="560" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="397" /></p>
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<p><strong>My special thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard of OWMR for playing & supporting my music. </strong>OWMR is Europe's largest online radio station in the genres covered, including contemporary instrumental, neo-classical, ambient, solo piano, acoustic guitar and many others. </p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="2018 One World Music Radio Award Nominees" href="https://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/2018-awards/4593701266" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong>2018 ONE WORLD MUSIC RADIO AWARD NOMINEES</strong></span></a></span></p>
<p><strong>Most of all, I'm thankful for the continuing inspiration I receive from the Master Musician, my Lord Jesus - you fill my life with song.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750432019-01-28T19:00:00-05:002021-05-17T09:51:46-04:00Half Moon Bay still strong on OWMR Top-100 album chart!
<p><strong>LATEST CHART REPORT: Happy to report that <em>Half Moon Bay</em> is showing staying power in its 5th month on OWMR's (One World Music Radio) Top-100 Album Chart! We just missed the top-20 on January's chart, after peaking at #7 in November.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/0335a4c1475d0baff5a2df5858591c52580d57a8/original/owmr-album-chart-jan-2019.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTk1eDQwMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="403" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="595" /></p>
<p><strong>Heartfelt thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at OWMR for their marvelous support of my music. OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered, including contemporary instrumental, solo piano, chill and many others.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750422019-01-20T19:00:00-05:002019-02-08T07:08:57-05:00Half Moon Bay qualifies in 2 categories for ZMR Awards!
<p><strong>So happy to report that <em>Half Moon Bay</em> has qualified in two categories for the 2018 ZMR </strong><strong>Music Awards!</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/71c8b4ad2f6b99a072bc78c94244f1e8191ee36a/original/half-moon-bay-front-cover-cropped-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzgweDMzOSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="339" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="380" /></strong></p>
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<p><strong>For the 2nd year in a row, our high ZMR world airplay chart position (#4 in September) has qualified us for nomination as Album of the </strong><strong>Year and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. We're honored to be included in the judging, as there were so many fine albums released in 2018. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Besides our high chart position, <em>Half Moon Bay</em> garnered great reviews by ZMR & others, so we're hoping for the best! Winners will be announced at the ZMR Music Awards in New Orleans in May. </strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="2018 ZMR AWARDS" href="http://www.zonemusicreporter.com/admin/Awards_welcome.asp" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">2018 ZMR AWARDS</span></a></span> </strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750412019-01-05T19:00:00-05:002019-01-06T11:17:04-05:00We're one of "Kathy's Favorites" for 2018!
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><span style="color:#000000">We're honored to have <em>Half Moon Bay</em> chosen as one of Kathy Parson's Favorite Albums of 2018. Thanks, Kathy! She wrote that my music "creates feelings of longing and nostalgia while reflecting on the warmth and beauty of past memories. I think I’ve turned into one big puddle, but it sure feels good!"</span> </strong><span style="color:#0000ff"><img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="Kathy's Favorites 2018" href="https://mainlypiano.com/favorites/kathys-favorites-2018?fbclid=IwAR16jTZXd7P42xTCthLYEk0kh8dQurmLtGpgAvJoZPbUXvNJdMdmEiMtVAo" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon">Kathy's Favorites 2018</span></strong></span></a></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750402018-12-26T19:00:00-05:002019-01-10T12:12:03-05:00NEW SINGLE: Auld Lang Syne
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>JUST RELEASED!</strong> <strong>My arrangement of the beloved <span style="color:#000000">Scottish end-of-year classic, featuring the original melody with bits of the more familiar tune as well. </span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>Available now</strong> <strong>for digital download</strong> from my Music Store & Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and many more!</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ricksparks15" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">DOWNLOAD AULD LANG SYNE</span></a></strong></span></p>
<p><a title="Auld Lang Syne" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ricksparks15" target="_blank" data-imported="1"></a></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750392018-12-17T19:00:00-05:002018-12-20T08:05:42-05:00HALF MOON BAY TOP-10 IN EUROPE FOR 3RD MONTH!
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline">Such a nice Christmas gift</span>! The December OWMR Top-100 Album Chart was released today - HALF MOON BAY REMAINS IN THE TOP-10 FOR THE 3RD MONTH IN A ROW! </strong><br><br><strong>A heartfelt "Merry Christmas" to our radio friends in Europe, especially Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio!</strong> OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/7023aa781d7f9515c182c9b126231c7c89f4806f/original/owmr-dec-18.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjM5eDQwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="400" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="639" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750382018-12-07T19:00:00-05:002019-01-07T12:38:41-05:00Rick's 2018 Spotify numbers!
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<p><strong>2018 was a year of solid gains in my Spotify audience!</strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"></strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"></strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/416407659fc47f73185d6ee580c6039907b23f0c/original/spotify-wrapped-2018.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTQyeDU0NSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="545" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="542" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Total fans up 66%. Fan playlist adds up 57%. New fans up 54%. Total followers up 56%. <span style="text-decoration:underline">Total streams up 87%</span>! In 2018 we were heard in 842 cities in 44 countries!</strong></p>
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<p><strong>MANY THANKS to all our fans who listened to my music this year on Spotify - keep listening in 2019!</strong></p>
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<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><br></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750372018-11-30T19:00:00-05:002018-12-01T00:43:47-05:00Half Moon Bay #7 in Europe!
<p><strong>HALF MOON BAY IS UP 3 PLACES TO #7 ON THE NEW OWMR TOP-100 ALBUM CHART!</strong> We're super grateful to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio for playing my music! OWMR is Europe's #1 radio station for the genres covered. <a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/album-chart/4593927394?fbclid=IwAR0WP-84_Pij6suregQfBM9NA-uL4izdp3auPrUYO4-BSPrsN6X-BEYHi8U" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank" data-ft="{" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oneworldmusic.co.uk%2Falbum-chart%2F4593927394%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0WP-84_Pij6suregQfBM9NA-uL4izdp3auPrUYO4-BSPrsN6X-BEYHi8U&h=AT2pokr6IhdrODQkeyBpjscu7CsZM6I5WR2uhtYd31EQGkP8OBDtCNpzuKlt8mVoD8wqKF4443udW1WIk5SDWJmKUIGJcKeFvQ3HlLAkoJoctYY1iH36ucQShFfQGF-WupDA59n85Lq_MhjCZWG8AIPCraSwCj5_2_oKyfJOnn5t0g6RaRHDI4Qbqac1x9kwf4VP2e-4V9B0HQbwONTiPqtnsgU9sG1LzCtYD9bwNK5lGmAl0DUuYaxoRKiovL9psFGaNyM60Z2ovC_vUGqpx17W1YNaLXuxp1fPRT4KL8s3PoXhetnUIltrL9vo_SHm0lIeaC3izPSna94gj1O8waU7gCWaElK-n83t_GqDszDCEXA5-d3YTDdIj0KIRoDxzuu8nI1AaIfmR9wkrbJBJ9gCLh_4k5fg3OYySByfPBJgxW8aNEK3jkRt9lcN58rGkBseOQAOWr3K7yuujDW2PZUtMDIx494NRWUXbPMr0N8-9QvyiLUWn96p5JARZfhoIEBKMMObLyk21tGEW0YKkyA_gpS0LYtC-K9ISj7Uve6lGjwO4HMQRF0_ctVLYkRD_Ifa6X1EPcHiy0OXEqzfPMRC04qv1MfwiokmJTfGgjG8srGxpNHzBC7Xx0uvO4VWdwtN" data-imported="1">http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/album-chart/4593927394</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/a5df70294f19226459ab028c88ec760dd1a42aa4/original/owmr-nov-18-top100-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjQweDQ0NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="447" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750362018-10-29T20:00:00-04:002018-10-30T13:06:16-04:00Half Moon Bay at #10 on OWMR Top-100 chart!
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline">Our 2nd great airplay chart report in a week</span>! <em>Half Moon Bay</em> climbed 70(!) places to #10 on OWMR's Top-100 chart for October! One World Music Radio is Europe's #1 online radio station for the genres covered (including mine). Many thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard of OWMR!</strong> </p>
<p><strong>You can listen to Chrissie's Top-100 chart show for October at</strong> <span style="color:#0000ff"><a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/chart-show/4593927394?fbclid=IwAR3_l_2zDT3Q_CikaB5U1HdIS9hyu730K_fqITzUgSxg3Eg6D8gSEUs4SGM" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong>OWMR October 2018 Chart Show.</strong></span></a></span><a title="OWMR Playlist Oct. 2018" href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/chart-show/4593927394?fbclid=IwAR3_l_2zDT3Q_CikaB5U1HdIS9hyu730K_fqITzUgSxg3Eg6D8gSEUs4SGM" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oneworldmusic.co.uk%2Fchart-show%2F4593927394%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2FH7R0O_V2wkMiY6f59cZh4gKgrXGhE80BkhVCJzYBYpDwX6mn0k-BhNg&h=AT3t6OQZzhF2P-NBpZdNtBrbIA_M57Ohfna644iDkxjdCQCH-Qlm8KjkAf0utYZFMRUVEw7S9vk9AcgG80aYyL1oX76SqkrQyn6rT6AFusWLuun61WahCho1aklpJxSd-urjj3vwZ3Vw63_VMQuu3A" data-imported="1"><br></a></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/0d5041e6741d607414066db0c615b881eaa891f9/original/owmr-oct-18-top-100-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjU3eDQyNyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="427" width="657" /></strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong></strong></span></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750352018-10-24T20:00:00-04:002018-11-24T11:26:02-05:00Half Moon Bay at #4 in September!!!
<p><strong>RICK'S FIRST TOP-5 ALBUM!</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> vaulted from #45 to #4 in only one month!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/047bad3218ddd97d7969cb65a2250b96000eb03c/original/sept-18-zmr-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTg4eDU5MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="592" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="588" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> is our highest charting album ever!</strong> <strong>Two of my previous albums rose to #7, but only after 3 months of airplay each.</strong> <strong>A huge thanks to all our friends in radio for playing <em>Half Moon Bay</em>! S</strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">pecial thanks to my hard-working media promoter, Randall Davis of The Creative Service Company!</strong></p>
<p><strong>Most of all,</strong> <strong>thanks to my Lord Jesus</strong> <strong>for inspiring my music and opening doors for what I do.</strong> <strong><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zonemusicreporter.com%2Fcharts%2Ftop100.asp%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0HBGMtJ_c0DoGBP6pxwwSFVgyNIA-mb61hH80QjxLp6VYghuZNlrMTWMo&h=AT3g5LiJAAIlvRQwRBRiJf0z2MKDkuTmTTc7GzAcEPxK8sJ8gOC59-uh9-TC7WUiPs3gIN_lWhilm6ZXsFqIxHVr96piVaVHrWdBV-5k0k0YwoV439-CI0d3WKOghq25j1acUj93A--nmj-8pD-pzDAf9cvAtHgZpTQXzGy2_bm0MVTlxhU5wJ3qAy6jdVPcpi5rXPi0VIuC-TQ_O72Os71oGZkdqhJGNplfnMOVxnZ-ZDCQsSc0GZxwZVuzSwbGY-2drgDM0yXeLUo_kOw0cXlYEAih7T6i-I7iVHKgnsD1kaujygSaozCSNV_qRcTVrMyhCtbkS-_FW1Z8Mqz7qwftlvzAR835OkgAg5i2mysgnnXZeP_7PdHGDIZNucyhJ-r2h84U5e6qUa07U31pCsBr3p3L4uAe5-OkgDTsk3h_IVx91WO0F5gRoxyAabWYZA_38vbMtBnOEnmUMo7XamwRmoi9znGo" target="_blank" data-ft="{" data-lynx-mode="async" data-imported="1">http://www.zonemusicreporter.com/charts/top100.asp</a></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750342018-09-22T20:00:00-04:002018-09-23T09:15:28-04:00Half Moon Bay Debuts at #45 in August!
<p><strong><em>HALF MOON BAY</em> DEBUTS ON ZMR AT #45!</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/87a1eca52c363e97fbb37e85c95c679333828740/original/zmr-aug18-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTAyeDQ0MSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="441" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="502" /></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>With only a few days of airplay in August, <em>Half Moon Bay</em> </strong><strong>debuted on the ZMR (Zone Music Reporter) chart at a very respectable #45 (the upper half of the chart)!</strong> Technically, radio programmers only had the album for the last few days of August (not very long to play and report it). According to Randall Davis, my media promoter, <strong>some of the reports probably had to do with the programmers really loving the album in their September airplay.</strong> They were playing the music this month just as they were filling out their report lists for August and <strong>couldn't resist putting <em>Half Moon Bay</em> on their August report</strong>. <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/fa5/1.5/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>WHAT A GREAT START!</strong></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750332018-09-06T20:00:00-04:002018-09-07T07:40:36-04:00First U.S. airplay for "Half Moon Bay!"
<p><strong>Our radio promoter, Randall Davis of The Creative Service Company, reports initial U.S. airplay for <em>Half Moon Bay</em> from these great broadcast & online outlets. </strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Many thanks to these fine stations for airing <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, with many more station adds coming in September & October!</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>WWUH FM 91.3 Hartford, CT</strong><br><strong>WICN FM 90.5, Worcester, MA </strong><br><strong>WKNH FM 91.3, Keene, NH</strong><br><strong>WNMC FM 90.7 Traverse City, MI</strong><br><strong>WFCF FM 88.5,St. Augustine, FL</strong><br><strong>WDJW FM 89.7, Somers, CT</strong><br><strong>WAPJ FM 89.9, Torrington, CT</strong><br><strong>WPAA-TV Channel 18, Wallingford, CT</strong><br><strong>WIN-TV Channel 5, Windsor, CT</strong><br><strong>The Cove, Live365.com</strong></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750322018-08-16T20:00:00-04:002018-08-24T02:32:36-04:00Rolling Stone & Half Moon Bay
<p><strong>They say timing is everything. In this case, thanks to <em>Rolling Stone</em> magazine for a bit of timely support!</strong></p>
<p><strong>The new issue of <em>Rolling Stone</em> features a list of the Beach Boys' best obscure songs. It includes 2 of the 3 Brian Wilson songs I recorded for "Half Moon Bay." </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Rolling Stone</em> specifically mentions "the beach-goth ballad 'Lonely Sea'." They also give Dennis Wilson's "Pacific Ocean Blue" (from which I titled my song "Ocean Blue") a nice plug. The piece ends with a list <span class="text_exposed_show">of ten more "great songs" not previously mentioned, including "Summer's Gone," the final song on "Half Moon Bay."</span></strong></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p><strong>Very cool!</strong></p>
<p><a title="Half Moon Bay on iTunes" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/half-moon-bay/1417360117" target="_blank" data-imported="1">https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/half-moon-bay/1417360117</a></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750312018-08-05T20:00:00-04:002018-08-24T04:20:05-04:00Half Moon Bay: The Songs
<p><strong>As I’ve written in earlier blogs, once I heard the lovely instrumental, <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, from Brian Wilson’s 2015 album, <em>No Pier Pressure</em>, I knew what the theme & feel of my next album would be.</strong> I love the down-tempo, laid-back vibe of the song, which I basically adopted as the sound of my new album. Finding a beautiful graphic of a large half-moon rising out of blue water was a happy accident that yielded the album cover. All that remained was to write 7 new songs, choose 2 more Brian Wilson songs, then arrange & record the album. :)</p>
<p></p>
<ol>
<li>
<strong><em>Sand and Stars</em></strong>. Prompted by the vision of a white sandy beach under a moonlit sky. I used alternating minor & major chords to establish ethereal beauty as the mood of the song. My solo piano plays the main theme, a simple melody which is then progressively enhanced by orchestral strings, electric guitar & angel voices. The middle bridge of tripled voice harmonies (called "angelic" by Brian in his Beach Boys vocal arrangements) floats over rhythmic piano & strings, and the ending repeats the beginning the song, with the addition of bells representing twinkling stars.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em></strong>. Brian Wilson’s lovely paean to inner peace, which he finally found in the latter part of his life. How natural for Brian to name the song after a little surfing community on the California coast. I started with the sustained sound of an electric piano, joined by electric guitar, flute, strings & angel voices. The electric guitar suggested by Brian’s original recording would feature in several more songs on the album. Not only did the guitar give a contemporary vibe to the songs, but it was my homage to Brian’s Beach Boy days. The use of voices gives this and the other songs on the album significant added emotion.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Sunlight In Her Hair</em></strong>. A finger-style acoustic guitar carries the song from start to finish, with chords alternating between minor/major and the addition of countermelody & harmonic strings. A laid-back, deeply romantic vibe suggested by the song title, probably on a beach past or present.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>You’re So Nice</em></strong>. An improvised, 1-take piano solo that reflects the feelings of first love - tender, innocent, trusting, beautiful. The brief arpeggiated 2-chord piano opening is a nice segue from the preceding minor/major chord songs to a sweet simple song of mostly major chords.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Ocean Blue</em>.</strong> The title was suggested by Dennis Wilson’s 1977 solo album, <em>Pacific Ocean Blue</em>. Framed by electric guitar as homage to the Beach Boys era, as well as evoking the grandeur, mystery and beauty of the sea. This is another song on the album alternating between minor & major chords, with strings & angelic voices adding emotion.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>First Light</em></strong>. The quietest song on the album, evoking the peace of sunrise. Simple use of underlying synth to establish chords, with single piano notes & angel voices defining the melody.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Lonely Sea</em></strong>. Brian Wilson’s underappreciated Beach Boys’ masterpiece from 1962 used a pattern of repeating descending chords (which he used again in <em>Good Vibrations</em>). His plaintive vocal of lost love set the emotion for the song which I tried to capture with slow electric guitar, quiet harmony voices and a flute melody, with a brief vocal bridge. The sound of ocean surf frames the open & close of the song.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Whisper In the Wind</em></strong>. In a noisy world, you can still hear the whisper of His still small voice. "He will bring you quietness with His love." -Zephaniah 3:17. Quiet piano, flute, voices & strings - magical.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Sunset Dreams</em></strong>. As the end of the day (and the album) approaches, a piano-based song of memories and dreams at sunset. A piano solo for the first half, joined then by quiet strings.</li>
<li>
<strong><em>Summer’s Gone</em></strong>. Brian Wilson’s last song on the final Beach Boy album, 2012’s <em>That’s Why God Made the Radio</em>, is Brian’s perfect look back at his life. From the <em>Endless Summer</em> of the Beach Boys to <em>Summer’s Gone</em> & latter years, Brian comes to terms with both the peace he eventually found and the finality that all things must pass. It was my choice for the last song on <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, a gentle longing for the warmth of the sun from a golden past (or a heavenly future).</li>
</ol>
<p></p>
<p><strong>I couldn’t be happier with the finished album. As Brian Wilson would say, we put a lot of love in these songs. May they take you to the water’s edge on a warm summer evening of dreams and peace.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750302018-08-04T20:00:00-04:002018-08-06T01:23:08-04:00The spiritual side of Half Moon Bay
<p><strong>In the liner notes to his 1965 masterpiece, <em>A Love Supreme</em>, jazz legend John Coltrane wrote that he had experienced “a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life.”</strong> <strong>He wrote that he had asked God for the “means and privilege to make others happy through music,” and that</strong> <strong><em>A Love Supreme</em> was his “humble offering to Him, an attempt to say, ‘Thank you, God’ through our work, even as we do in our hearts and with our tongues.”</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/a5f472117ba008157da3c7f3c37d4b4e700af098/original/john-coltrane-a-love-supreme.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzAweDI4MCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="280" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>No less a secular critic than <em>Rolling Stone</em> called <em>A Love Supreme</em> a “legendary album-long hymn of praise.”</strong> Coltrane is a powerful example of a “secular” artist (in the eyes of the world) who viewed his music as an ongoing prayer of thanksgiving to God, <strong>who desired that his music bring joy to the listener.</strong></p>
<p>On stage at the American Music Awards in 1988, <strong>Brian Wilson echoed Coltrane’s embrace of the spiritual power of music: “I wanted to write joyful music that made other people feel good – music that helps and heals, because I believe that music is God’s voice.”</strong> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/d2a4f57e88b2cc61e1c8779bcf234ba23fe42539/original/brian-wilson-album-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Mjg4eDI4OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="288" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="288" /></p>
<p><strong>I am simply one of millions whose lives have been inspired with joy by Brian’s music over the years.</strong> <strong>The loving power of his music still rings true.</strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> (and all my music) is my humble offering of thanks to Him who inspires and blesses the work of my hands.</strong> To compose and play skillfully is to honor the One from whom all my blessings flow, blessings which certainly include my talent and ability as a musician.</p>
<p><strong>In music as in life, I embrace the truth of Psalm 46:10, “Be still & know that I am God.”</strong> A master musician named David penned that verse some 3000 years ago. Like David, like John Coltrane and like Brian Wilson, <strong>my prayer is that God uses my music to replenish your spirit with peace, joy & love.</strong></p>
<p><strong>As I wrote in the liner notes for <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, “To Jesus Christ – your love and mercy fill my life.” May He do the same for you.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750292018-07-29T20:00:00-04:002018-07-31T02:18:40-04:00Inside Half Moon Bay: liner notes
<p><strong>Inside the "digipak" CD packaging of <em>Half Moon Bay</em>, you'll find liner notes on a beautiful picture of the Folly Beach, SC pier at sunrise.</strong> Folly Beach has been one of my favorite places for decades, ever since I was a college student in Charleston in the 70's. When I saw the picture online, I tracked down the photographer & she graciously granted me permission to use it in <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</p>
<p><strong>My liner notes are simple but heartfelt.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/314d4d49b7fec4304574463e5dcd4f98c498ab7e/original/halfmoonbay-liner-notes.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTIyeDQ2MiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="462" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="522" /></p>
<p>Opposite the liner notes is the actual CD, under which <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">you'll find a picture of me off the coast of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands a few years back.</strong> The photographer was Sandie, the event our 25th anniversary. :) <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">I had no idea back then that one day, that picture would be a great choice for an album called <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/e2e36fc579153d6623821aadf59ab4767e73a64b/original/halfmoonbaycdpic.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDU3eDQwOCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="408" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="457" /></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Now you know what you'll miss if you choose to download the album, vs. getting the CD. :)</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750282018-07-20T20:00:00-04:002018-08-06T11:07:06-04:00RELEASE DAY FOR HALF MOON BAY!
<p><strong>7-21-18 – RELEASE DAY FOR <em>HALF MOON BAY</em>!!!</strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>So excited to finally see this day arrive!</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>After 12 weeks (250+ hours) in the studio, <em>Half Moon Bay</em> is here.</strong> Digital downloads are available now, with CDs to follow in early August. <strong>2-min. samples of each song are available on my Music Store page on this website.</strong></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p><strong>The album contains 47 minutes of music to take you to the water’s edge on a warm summer evening, music to fill your heart with hope, faith & peace.</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Inspired by legendary artist/composer Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys</strong> (and containing 3 of his songs), <strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> is chock full of summer chill music,</strong> perfect for your favorite beach read or just to dial down the noise of your day.</p>
<p><strong>As Brian has done for many years with his music, I credit God for giving me these gorgeous songs. I also repeat what Brian often says: “I hope you like my music.”</strong> <span class="_5mfr _47e3"><img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/f7f/1/16/1f60a.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></span></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750272018-07-10T20:00:00-04:002018-07-12T09:15:45-04:00CD-Text testing complete on Half Moon Bay
<p><strong>One of the really important tasks of pre-production with music </strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">CDs is making sure the CD-Text feature reads correctly.</strong> <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">That's the info displayed on the screen during playback - album name, song title, track number, etc. We reached that stage today with <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</strong></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/1438096dd405ac16b45473cdebf2103a5a05934d/original/half-moon-bay-on-jetta-radio-7-11-18.jpeg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTI1eDMwNCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="304" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="525" /></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>CDs are considered by many to be old-school tech, but I believe they're still a great way to distribute & play back music, especially albums. MP3s are cool & efficient, but with CDs you get album graphics, liner notes & a physical, tangible "presence" to recorded music that harkens back to vinyl records. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Those of us old enough to have bought records back in the day remember the thrill of opening a new album for the first time, pulling out the inner sleeve, reading the liner notes, looking at the pristine black vinyl & carefully placing it on the turntable. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Magic!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750262018-07-05T20:00:00-04:002018-07-26T01:56:16-04:00Half Moon Bay and Brian Wilson
<p><strong>In case you don’t already know, composer/artist/Beach Boy legend/survivor Brian Wilson was my main musical influence on my new album, <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/5c41e77cc1483e373918ea9ce75ad2a43a2a1a83/original/brian-wilson.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzQ2eDI0OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="249" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="346" /></strong></p>
<p><strong></strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">In early 2018, I was revisiting some YouTube videos from 2015 which highlighted Brian’s then-new album, <em>No Pier Pressure</em>.</strong> That album was Brian’s musical look back from the happy place his life is in now, and stretched beyond pop music to include some lovely instrumentals. But then again, he was doing that in 1965 (check <em>Pet Sounds</em>). <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Among the songs on <em>No Pier Pressure</em> is a beautiful, quiet instrumental called <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</strong></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"></strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">When I heard it, I knew immediately that I would record <em>Half Moon Bay</em> for my new album.</strong> Not only did it become the title cut, it encouraged me to look further into Brian Wilson’s massive catalog of songs.</p>
<p><strong>Brian has written so very many lovely songs, but ultimately, I chose three: <em>Half Moon Bay</em> (2015), <em>Lonely Sea</em> (1962) and <em>Summer’s Gone</em> (2012).</strong> <em>Lonely Sea</em> was an early Brian song on the Beach Boys second album, <em>Surfin’ USA</em> (1963). It was never a single or radio hit, but Brian’s poignant vocal & gorgeous chords & melody make it a standout Beach Boys song.</p>
<p><strong>The third Brian Wilson song on <em>Half Moon Bay</em> is <em>Summer’s Gone</em>, the final song on the Beach Boys’ 2012 reunion album</strong>, <strong><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">That’s Why God Made the Radio</em></strong>. Because that album is likely the final Beach Boys album, <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><em>Summer’s Gone</em> has a special significance. For me, it was the perfect choice to be the last song on <em>Half Moon Bay</em>.</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Deciding to include three Brian Wilson songs on <em>Half Moon Bay</em> really raised the bar for me as a musician & composer, but I loved every minute of the process.</strong> It made my summer of 2018 very special indeed. <strong>As Brian likes to say, “I hope you like my music.”</strong> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750252018-06-19T20:00:00-04:002018-07-06T12:19:44-04:00Happy birthday, Brian Wilson!
<p><strong>Happy 76th birthday to Brian Wilson! </strong></p>
<p><strong>I've always loved the music of the Beach Boys and their guiding light, Brian Wilson. Brian has written beautiful music throughout his life, both in & out of the Beach Boys - I'm honored to record 3 of his songs on my new album. </strong>Post-production is next week, finalizing each song before uploading the album for CD production & digital distribution. Then comes the hard work of promotion to radio worldwide. As with <em>Nightfall London</em>, <strong><em>Half Moon Bay</em> promotion will be in the capable hands of Randall Davis of The Creative Service Company out of Colorado Springs.</strong></p>
<p><strong>I am so grateful for these 10 beautiful songs, including 3 Brian Wilson originals (<em>Half Moon Bay</em>, <em>Lonely Sea</em> & <em>Summer's Gone</em>). Like Brian, I credit God for my music & for the loving power entrusted to me as a recording artist.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Deciding to record 3 of Brian's songs for the new album set a high bar for me as a composer & musician.</strong> I'm truly excited about the result - <strong>can't wait for <em>Half Moon Bay</em> to be released in late July.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750242018-06-07T20:00:00-04:002018-07-26T02:00:50-04:00"Whisper In the Wind"
<p><strong>So where do song titles come from, especially for instrumentals with no lyrics?</strong></p>
<p>I can't speak for other writers, but <strong>a good title actually gives me inspiration for composing a song.</strong> "Whisper In the Wind" was the working title of the song I just finished today, my 7th and final original song on <em>Half Moon Bay</em>. It's lovely, laid back & a perfect fit for <strong>an album that's all about the peace & well-being that many of us find at the water's edge. </strong></p>
<p>With eight songs on <em>Half Moon Bay</em> now complete & only two to go, <strong>I totally agree with Brian Wilson, who has said many times over the years that God gives him the songs he writes.</strong> I know the Lord uses our musicianship & imagination to craft something beautiful & worthy, but <strong>in the end I'm convinced the inspiration comes from Him.</strong></p>
<p>And a good song title. :)</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750232018-06-02T20:00:00-04:002021-06-25T08:05:06-04:00Nightfall London receives 3rd place from OWMR Awards!
<p><strong>The U.K.'s OWMR 2017 awards were announced today! <em>Nightfall London</em> placed 3rd (out of 10 albums nominated) for Best Piano w. Instrumentation! So many great albums in contention this year - I'm very honored to have placed so near the top.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/10b36d05cb04731bb68d71372dacfbd28f2c2eb5/original/owmr-2017-best-piano-w-instrurmentation-awards.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjM5eDQzNyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="437" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="639" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>One World Music Radio is Europe's #1 online radio service in its genres. Special thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at OWMR for their help in promoting the album last year, and for playing my music!</strong></p>
<p><strong>You can view the nominees & listen to the awards show here: <span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="OWMR 2017 Awards & Nominees" href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/2017-awards/4593893808" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/2017-awards/4593893808</span></a></span></strong></p>
<p> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750222018-05-24T20:00:00-04:002018-07-04T03:44:22-04:00#6 & #7 complete!
<p><strong>I recorded two more songs this week for the new album! </strong><em>First Light</em> & <em>Sunset Dreams</em> are #6 & #7, which leaves only one more original and two Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) songs to go.<br><br><strong>I listened to all 7 completed songs this afternoon. The back cover quote from <em>MainlyPiano.com</em> is so right for this album: "Music that overflows with hope, faith & peace."</strong> A few weeks ago, <em>Half Moon Bay</em> was just a concept. I can now tell you that the album graphics are a perfect reflection of the music inside. Barring any problems, we're looking good for a July release.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/4e3a250054df5102aef93d5e5d34aa993bfd4538/original/halfmoonbay-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTMzeDQ3MSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="471" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="533" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750212018-05-15T20:00:00-04:002018-07-26T01:59:46-04:00Half Way There!
<p><strong>By now you know that I'm deep into recording "Half Moon Bay,"</strong> my new album project. As of today, <strong>we've finished song #5 and have now completed half the album!</strong></p>
<p><strong>The new song is "You're So Nice," a quiet piano love song unlike any I've ever recorded.</strong> I commonly write (& record) songs in sections, starting with the melody. With only a couple of chords & the beginning of a melody in mind, <strong>I decided to try improvising the entire song without stopping. Four minutes later, I stopped recording, listened to the playback and was so glad I had decided to keep playing. I love the result</strong> - I hope you'll feel the same when you hear "You're So Nice" in a few months.</p>
<p>At the half way mark of any project, I start to get a feel for the overall sound of an album. With five songs now complete (and a couple of Brian Wilson songs still to record), <strong>I couldn't be happier with the direction "Half Moon Bay" is taking. I'm excited & grateful to be recording a worthy followup to "Nightfall London."</strong></p>
<p>Stay tuned for updates! <strong>We're on track for release in August.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750202018-05-12T20:00:00-04:002021-06-28T08:00:06-04:00Mother's Day memories
<p><strong>I can't let Mother's Day go by without a special word of gratitude & love to my mom for putting me on the good path of being a musician.</strong> She herself was a great pianist & loved to play & sing at church & home. Mom started me on piano lessons when I was only 7 years old.</p>
<p><strong>Mom began her own lessons as a girl by "practicing" at home on a roll-up fabric (or paper) keyboard</strong>, learning the positions & names of the notes by rote. As Zechariah 4:10 asks, "Who can despise the day of small beginnings?" Certainly not me - <strong>a lifetime of music in our family was the result of Mom's humble musical beginnings.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Here she is at the keyboard of her brand new 1957 Wurlitzer ebony spinet, the same piano chosen by Sam Phillips for Sun Studio in Memphis.</strong> I don't know that she was aware of that when she chose her new piano, but I wouldn't be surprised.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/80cd973467c2c3251c3a3599aaf1cbc349e7e389/original/mom-piano-1957.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzMweDQ4NyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="487" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="330" /></p>
<p><strong>And here I am at the same Wurlitzer in '59. </strong>It's the piano I learn to play on with lessons starting a couple of years later.<strong> It's been a treasured part of my music studio now for many years.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/6caed0ba2122043924f8a1efbfc5291bdfcc3b67/original/rick-piano-1959.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzMweDMzMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="330" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="330" /></strong></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750192018-05-04T20:00:00-04:002018-06-12T01:57:47-04:00Our Prayer
<p><strong>The lovely & ethereal <em>Our Prayer</em>, written by Brian Wilson in 1966, </strong>was the first track for the Beach Boys album, <em>Smile</em> (which would go unfinished for decades). <em>Our Prayer</em> was Brian's effort at what he called "holy music." </p>
<p><strong>In a 1969 interview, Brian said, "I was sitting at my piano thinking about holy music. I poked around for some simple but moving chords.</strong> Later I sat down and wrote <em>Our Prayer</em> in sections. The boys were overtaken by the arrangement. I taught it to them in sections, the way I usually do. <strong>The purity of the blending of the voices made the listeners feel spiritual.</strong> I was definitely into rock church music."</p>
<p><strong>Thank you, Brian, for all your beautiful music over the years. The loving power of your music still rings true.</strong></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750182018-04-14T20:00:00-04:002018-04-15T13:58:03-04:00New album project!
<p><strong>First look at my new project, inspired by the lovely music of Brian Wilson (Beach Boys). Production on <em>Half Moon</em> <em>Bay</em> begins in May, with release in August 2018. </strong></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">I've always loved Brian's music - can't wait to get started! Initial setlist includes 3 Brian Wilson covers, an Eagles cover (<em>Love Will Keep Us Alive</em>) & 6 originals.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/71c8b4ad2f6b99a072bc78c94244f1e8191ee36a/original/half-moon-bay-front-cover-cropped-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDMxeDM4NSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="385" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="431" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750172018-04-05T20:00:00-04:002018-04-15T13:30:13-04:00Nightfall London Released 1 Year Ago
<p><strong>NIGHTFALL LONDON RELEASED 1 YEAR AGO</strong></p>
<p><strong>It was one year ago, April 2017, that we released <em>Nightfall London</em></strong>, my 3rd quiet-music album in 3 years. <strong><em>Nightfall</em> would garner wonderful reviews, chart for 5 months on world radio playlists, and eventually receive multiple nominations for 2017’s “Best Piano Album w. Instrumentation”</strong> by Zone Music Reporter and One World Music Awards.</p>
<p>But a year ago, all that was yet to come. I only knew that <strong>the music felt right as, track by track, the album took shape in my little home studio. Nightfall London would be a true test for me as a composer</strong>, with nine new original piano-based songs framed by a mix of strings, choral voices & synth work inspired by the nocturnal London theme.<br></p>
<p><strong>My new friend, Randall Davis at the Creative Service Company in Colorado Springs, did 4 months of stellar work promoting the album to radio worldwide</strong>. A favorite personal moment came a few months ago when an old radio friend told me, “You’re all over Spotify, Rick!” It seems that he & his wife like to say, “Alexa- play Rick Sparks” on a daily basis. <img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v9/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></p>
<p><strong>So, thank you, <em>Nightfall London</em>, for making the last 12 months a wonderful year for Rick Sparks Music.</strong> It truly is a blessing to do what I do, with inspiration from the Master Musician (that would be God) and the support of so many who love my music. <strong>In just a few weeks, I start work on a new album, due for release this fall. I can’t wait!</strong></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>NIGHTFALL LONDON REVIEW EXCERPTS</strong></span><br>"It has been created with love and intention and a delicacy of care and attention. <strong>One of the best new-age albums I have heard this year - stunning.</strong>" -Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio</p>
<p><strong>“Overflows with hope, faith & peace.”</strong> – Kathy Parsons, <span style="color:#0000ff"><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FMainlyPiano.com%2F&h=ATNWggkjMTxzZaq-2niU2HgpObL2U4gHSg611GPWaidWA-vsB134M71MdwDhWcQ1beXJ50VT8wftYojcHDNBrgsGvAaQABKK9bOurcMcFabq6mRsf-3NX4Yr7gi-c_B9DYDRfE4NoD94NFQS_As" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank" data-ft="{" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">MainlyPiano.com</span></a></span></p>
<p>"<strong>Highly recommended</strong>, especially when winding down after a long day." -Wisconsin Bookwatch</p>
<p>"<strong>Kick-back music perfectly tailored for sonic getaways</strong>, this is quite solid restful work for when it's time to stopper down. <strong>Contemporary instrumental fans have a winner here</strong>." -Midwest Record</p>
<p>"<strong>Clear & resonant piano without needing to overemphasize itself</strong>. Beautiful synthesizer patches (reminiscent of) the early Moody Blues....<strong>simply pretty and utterly devastating</strong>." -Mark S. Tucker, <em>Veritas Vampirus</em></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750162018-03-29T20:00:00-04:002018-03-30T03:52:04-04:00My Top-10 in Radio Airplay!
<p><strong>SoundExchange just reported my Top-10 songs for worldwide radio & online airplay for March:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1. Dream Angus</strong><br><strong>2. Portree</strong><br><strong>3. Beautiful<span class="text_exposed_show"><br>4. Endless<br>5. Loch Lomond<br>6. At Rest<br>7. Be Still, My Soul<br>8. Matilda's Flowers<br>9. Hearts As One<br>10. In the Bleak Midwinter</span></strong></p>
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<p><strong>Those 10 together would make a pretty good album!</strong></p>
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750152018-03-19T20:00:00-04:002018-03-30T03:50:00-04:00SiriusXM Airplay!
<p><strong>Airplay is a beautiful thing!</strong> <span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></span> <strong>So grateful for our friends at SiriusXM who continue to play my music on Spa & Escape channels.</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/61cfc7e2c8acca042cc43cc5c8ccc184668c04c6/original/sxm-sparks-airplay-2nd-week-march-2018.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTgyeDQ3MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="473" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="582" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750142018-02-15T19:00:00-05:002018-02-16T11:17:21-05:00Nightfall London Receives 2017 OWMA Nomination!
<p><strong>I am incredibly honored to have <em>Nightfall London</em> nominated for the OWMA Award for "Best Piano w. Instrumentation Album" of 2017! One World Music Radio has the biggest audience of any online radio channel in Europe. I will always be grateful for their superb support of <em>Nightfall London</em> - many, many thanks!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/303fea86ebedb1f03a55693a846d5147fc0b8ca8/original/nomination.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzY1eDUwMCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="500" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="365" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750132018-02-09T19:00:00-05:002018-03-24T12:24:35-04:00The Little Album That Could
<p>It’s been four years now since I decided to record my first of a trilogy of quiet-music albums that have truly changed my life. <strong>2014’s <em>Endless</em> was a shot in the dark, my best-effort as an indie artist to find my place in the new-age music world with quiet piano-based songs from the heart</strong>, “quiet piano to replenish your spirit.”</p>
<p>After hundreds of hours of arranging, recording & post-production in my little home studio, plus designing album packaging, hiring a radio promoter and launching an artist website & Facebook page, <strong>I released <em>Endless</em> in the fall of ‘14 to worldwide radio & digital outlets.</strong> My hopes for the album seemed to be vindicated as really wonderful reviews started coming in.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/ac36743c7134849e177256ef3bd219cee6199f71/original/endless-album-front-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDk3eDQ0OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="448" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="497" /></p>
<p><strong>Over 200 broadcast & online radio outlets in the U.S. and worldwide added <em>Endless</em> to their playlists, eventually pushing it to #7 on <em>Zone Music Reporter</em>’s world radio airplay chart.</strong> That was enough to earn the album two qualifying ZMR nominations for 2014: album of the year and best piano album with instrumentation. Although I didn’t win, being nominated was a huge thrill. It also encouraged me to stay the course with my future album projects, <em>Matilda’s Flowers</em> (2016) and <em>Nightfall London </em>(2017).</p>
<p><strong>In 2016, SiriusXM Radio added six <em>Endless</em> songs to their Spa & Escape channels.</strong> The SXM airplay was a shot in the arm to sales, and the monthly airplay royalties to me as artist & composer were very welcome. <strong>2016 was also significant because I launched my own online quiet-music station. <em>The Cove</em> on Live365.com</strong> plays “music to replenish your spirit,” my music in combination with dozens of other wonderful artists like Chris Botti, Jim Brickman and 2002.</p>
<p><strong>Suffice to say, I’m grateful to God for letting me record <em>Endless</em> & my other albums since then.</strong> I know without a doubt that He helped me find a musical genre that truly expresses my heart, lovely quiet music to replenish the spirit of the listener. I do it for them and for Him, my Lord Jesus.</p>
<p>So here’s to the project that started it all back in 2014 and continues to open doors for my music today. <strong>I’m so grateful for <em>Endless</em>, the little album that could.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750122018-01-29T19:00:00-05:002022-05-21T13:39:36-04:00Nightfall London & the Moody Blues!
<p><strong>Deeply honored for reviewer Mark S. Tucker to compare <em>Nightfall London</em> to the early music of the Moody Blues. </strong> <strong>I've always loved the Moodys - "Nights In White Satin" could be a musical template for the direction my recorded music is taking.</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/682e14ca0d407b321093af9de2af4abf8279ad50/original/moody-blues.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDEyeDQwNiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="406" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="412" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>"Sparks... more than once has inserted beautiful synthesizer patches </strong>as transcendent as the refrains first crafted by Palestrina, Lassus, and others, later refined into opuses by Harold Budd and, returning to England, the Eno brothers and<strong> the </strong> <strong>early Moody Blues....simply pretty and utterly devastating</strong>." -Mark S. Tucker, <em>Veritas Vampirus</em> (7/29/17)</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750112018-01-14T19:00:00-05:002018-01-15T07:33:41-05:00SiriusXM airplay continues!
<p><strong>Latest airplay report from SiriusXM!</strong> My most-played songs (in order) on Spa & Escape channels:</p>
<p><strong>1. <em>Matilda's Flowers</em></strong></p>
<p>2. <em>Beautiful</em></p>
<p>3. <em>Dream Angus</em></p>
<p>4. <em>Be Still, My Soul</em></p>
<p>5. <em>Wonderful, Merciful Savior</em></p>
<p>6. <em>Portree</em></p>
<p><strong>I'm super grateful to SXM for continuing to play my music.</strong> <strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is under review and hopefully will begin airplay sometime this spring on Spa Ch. 68!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750102017-12-24T19:00:00-05:002018-04-07T15:07:28-04:00Christmas Peace in 2018
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Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750092017-12-10T19:00:00-05:002017-12-11T07:15:35-05:00Nightfall re-enters Top-50 OWMR chart in November!
<p><strong>A very nice Christmas surprise from One World Music Radio! After falling to #57 last month, <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em>Nightfall London</em> has climbed back 16 places to #41 on OWMR's Top-100 airplay chart</span>!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/d898baa864098d778c0fb268fafdcc0f456dd6c1/original/owmr-nov-17-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTU1eDM4MyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="383" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="555" /></p>
<p>We're not sure what accounted for the increased airplay in November, but we'll take it! <strong>Special thanks to OWMR's Steve & Chrissie Sheppard for their fabulous support of <em>Nightfall London</em></strong>, helping the album gain tremendous airplay in Europe & around the world.</p>
<p><strong>We are tentatively planning a new album release in 2018</strong> - will keep you posted. Some possibilities include a Christmas album, a collection of lullabies & love songs, or another album of night music like <em>Nightfall</em>. </p>
<p><strong>As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Lord this month, may God bless your Christmas & the new year to come with peace, joy & love.</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750082017-11-24T19:00:00-05:002017-11-25T04:32:23-05:00End of year reflections
<p><strong>The end of the year is always a time for reflection.</strong> After decades as a pianist, <strong>I still marvel at how God pours music through me</strong>. I'm humbled by the beauty of the songs He's given me. I'm thankful for the many open doors for my music to appreciative listeners. <strong>I will forever be grateful for the gift of song, the marvelous expression of the soul and the beauty of life.</strong></p>
<p>Looking over some reviews of the last 3 years,<strong> Michael Diamond's review from 2014 is a favorite. "Endless - an album full of grace, beauty, and spiritual inspiration."</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="Michael Diamond's Review of " href="https://michaeldiamondmusic.com/2014/11/11/endless-by-rick-sparks/" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">https://michaeldiamondmusic.com/2014/11/11/endless-by-rick-sparks/</span></a></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750072017-10-19T20:00:00-04:002017-10-20T03:38:15-04:005th month for Nightfall London on ZMR Top-100 chart!
<p><strong>Amazed to report <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em>Nightfall London</em> charting for a 5th consecutive month on ZMR's Top-100 Radio Airplay Chart</span>! September's chart shows us at #51, after peaking at #7 in June. </strong></p>
<p><strong>I'm so grateful to radio programmers worldwide for sharing <em>Nightfall</em> with their audiences, and so thankful for the opportunity to compose & record "music to replenish your spirit."</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/6a63c9ecba9019039a846c2497c64b6597527d66/original/zmr-chart-sept-17.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUweDUwMiJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="502" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="550" /></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750062017-10-17T20:00:00-04:002017-10-18T14:37:11-04:00Nightfall at #11 for 2nd month on OWMR!
<p><strong><em>Nightfall London</em> continues to perform! The album remained at #11 on OWMR's Top-100 airplay chart for the 2nd month in a row in September</strong>, <strong>after charting at #11 in August & debuting at #36 in July.</strong> <strong>The chart performance </strong><strong>is</strong> <strong>a strong indication of <em>Nightfall</em>'s staying power with radio</strong> <strong>programmers to Europe's largest online radio audience in my genre</strong>. </p>
<p><strong>Huge thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio for keeping <em>Nightfall London</em> on the air!</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/614c2c8f4267e1c798f8fb3dd4bb0a7bf20ef8d6/original/owm-top-100-september-2017.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTUzeDMyMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="323" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="553" /></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750052017-10-13T20:00:00-04:002018-02-15T12:46:15-05:00Listen to The Cove on Live365!
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Y</strong><strong>ou can now hear my music on my quiet-music station, <em>The Cove</em>! Just click <strong><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="The Cove on Live365" href="https://live365.com/station/a78718" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">https://live365.com/station/a78718</span></a></span>. <em>The Cove</em> is also available on Live365 apps for Android & iPhones, as well as on iTunes!</strong></strong> </p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"></strong></p>
<p><strong>We're streaming <em>The Cove </em>through Live365.com</strong>, a professional U.S.-based streaming radio server. <strong>The Cove features a great mix of new-age, acoustic & quiet-jazz artists</strong> like Chris Botti, 2002, Nightnoise, George Winston, Jim Brickman, John Adorney, Rick Sparks and dozens of others. <strong>Give a listen!</strong></p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><br></strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/84291b725850ea3d80f4f002b1d7c524011130e4/original/the-cove-new-graphic-cropped-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NDY3eDQ1NCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="454" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="467" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750042017-10-04T20:00:00-04:002018-02-16T11:15:38-05:00Nightfall London up for awards!!
<p><strong>Thanks to its great radio chart performance over the last four months,</strong> <strong><em>Nightfall London</em> has qualified for the 2017 ZMR (Zone Music Reporter) Music Awards in two categories: "Album of the Year" & "Best Piano with Instrumentation"!</strong></p>
<p><strong>There are two rounds of nomination voting in February - if we survive that, then <em>Nightfall</em> will be one of 5 finalist albums in either or both categories.</strong> <strong>The winners will be announced at the 14th Annual ZMR Music Awards next May in New Orleans.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Whether we win or not, I'm grateful for the whole experience of recording <em>Nightfall London</em>, working with my great radio promoter Randall Davis at The Creative Service Company, & the super response from radio, reviewers & friends.</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Most of all, I thank my Lord Jesus for inspiring my music, & my lovely wife's constant support, encouragement & love.</strong></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750032017-09-22T20:00:00-04:002017-10-17T10:46:50-04:00NGU Professor (that's me!) on Sirius XM Radio
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>Nice article from my day-job employer :) re <em>Nightfall London</em> & SiriusXM.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#3366ff"><a title="NGU Professor on SiriusXM Radio" href="http://www.ngu.edu/ngu-professor-sparks-on-siriusxm-radio.php" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#3366ff">http://www.ngu.edu/ngu-professor-sparks-on-siriusxm-radio.php</span></a></span></p>
<p><br></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750022017-09-16T20:00:00-04:002017-09-17T09:19:22-04:00Nightfall still charting after 4 months!
<p>The ZMR August Top-100 Airplay Chart is out - <strong><em>Nightfall London</em> continues to receive signific</strong><strong>ant airplay!</strong> We just missed staying in the top-30, falling to #31 in August after charting at #13 in July & peaking at #7 in June.</p>
<p> <strong>The August chart had an unbelievable 8 new albums debuting in the top-20, with 4 of those in the top-10, so I'm very happy to be at #31!</strong> Special thanks to radio worldwide for keeping <em>Nightfall London</em> on their playlists, especially Europe's <strong>OWMR</strong>, New Zealand's <strong>Sleep Radio</strong> & NYC's classical station <strong>88.1 WMNR</strong>, Long Island.</p>
<p>FYI, <strong>I'm glad to be on the chart next to outstanding young artist Sarah Copus</strong> (#32) - check out her new Celtic album, <em>Moorland Winds</em>!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/4850d5c5e1cd28bfcf6f44c6fc9096b9b9dbbd3a/original/zmr-chart-august-17.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTgweDU1OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="558" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="580" /> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750012017-09-02T20:00:00-04:002017-10-18T13:31:07-04:00Taking orders for printed sheet music collection!
<p><strong>Just a quick word that my sheet music collection, <em>Peaceful Piano</em><em> Solos</em>, is now available! </strong></p>
<p>The collection of 10 of my best piano solos is beautiful, spiral-bound & ready to play! <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Cost is $20 with free shipping, payable thru</strong> <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">PayPal here: <span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><a href="https://www.paypal.me/RickSparksMusic?ppid=PPC000628&cnac=US&rsta=en_US(en_US)&cust=VY44S8MRRU7VU&unptid=d641a690-81eb-11e7-b238-441ea1477c68&t=&cal=9eee410bccafe&calc=9eee410bccafe&calf=9eee410bccafe&unp_tpcid=ppme-social-user-profile-created&page=main:email&pgrp=main:email&e=op&mchn=em&s=ci&mail=sys" target="_BLANK" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">Pal.Me/RickSparksMusic</span></a></strong></span>. I will ship immediately after receiving your order. </strong></p>
<p>Putting a collection of my songs & arrangements together in a sheet music collection is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream! Thanks for helping make it come true!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/dcdb9b34c619f7254f0a3aadd6babea80d34e69b/original/new-music-book-composite.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NzI3eDQ1OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="458" width="727" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60750002017-08-26T20:00:00-04:002017-08-27T14:50:43-04:00#11 on OWMR August chart!
<p><strong>More great news for <em>Nightfall London</em>! The album rose 25 places to land at #11 on OWMR's August chart</strong>, after debuting in July at #36. The chart tracks Europe's largest online radio audience in my genre and is <strong>one more indication that <em>Nightfall</em> is showing great staying power with radio programmers</strong>. Special thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio for keeping <em>Nightfall London</em> on the air!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/e841c569ab3d49850c97a12b09bda0c209c18b0c/original/owmr-august-17-chart.png/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Njk0eDQzNyJd.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="437" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="694" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749992017-08-24T20:00:00-04:002017-08-31T12:41:38-04:00My artist page on OWMR!
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>Just an FYI that my artist page on Steve & Chrissie Sheppard's One World Music Radio site contains links to their "Take 3" show featuring 3 songs from <em>Nightfall London</em></strong>, <strong>their "Playlist #83" show (complete with voice-overs by me)</strong>, <strong>and Steve's outstanding audio review of the album. Check it out!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><a href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/rick-sparks/4593919776" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong>www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/rick-sparks/4593919776</strong></span></a></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749982017-08-24T20:00:00-04:002017-08-25T02:34:37-04:00Nightfall London on OWMR!
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>A big thank-you to One World Music Radio for featuring me on one of their playlist shows, namely Playlist #83! </strong>Steve & Chrissie Sheppard's OWMR channels have the largest online radio audience in Europe! <strong>The show features 3 songs from <em>Nightfall London</em></strong>, along with great new world music from other artists. <strong>Check it out!</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color:#0000ff"><a title="OWMR Playlist #83" href="http://www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/playlists/4591207323" target="_blank" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">www.oneworldmusic.co.uk/playlists/4591207323</span></a></span></strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749972017-08-15T20:00:00-04:002017-08-16T16:05:30-04:00Nightfall London stays in the Top-15!
<p><strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is hanging in during its 3rd month on the radio! We stayed i</strong><strong>n the top-15 of ZMR's Top-100 world radio airplay chart, dropping to<em> </em>#13 after charting at #7 in June. </strong>There was stiff competition from a lot of new albums from well-known artists - two of those debuted on July's chart at #3 & #4!</p>
<p><strong>Many thanks to the great stations in the U.S. & around the world that continue to play my music</strong>. And heartfelt thanks to all those who have bought <em>Nightfall London</em>!</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749962017-08-14T20:00:00-04:002017-08-21T13:20:18-04:00Sheet music now available!
<p><strong>It took awhile, but piano sheet music of my songs is finally available! </strong></p>
<p>Professionally transcribed note-for-note just as I played them on my recordings, <strong>PDF sheet music is available for $4 per song</strong>, starting with the lovely <em>Dream Angus</em>. Just go to my Piano Sheet Music page here on my website!</p>
<p><strong>I will also make a spiral-bound printed collection of 10 songs available in early September!</strong> I will post details here & on my artist Facebook page when that happens.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749952017-08-02T20:00:00-04:002017-08-21T13:23:04-04:00Nightfall on latest OWMR Playlist #82!
<p><strong>Especially glad to be one of 3 lead songs on the latest One World Music Radio show, the OWMR Playlist #82!</strong> It's sponsored by Sarah Copus, the little Celtic artist daughter of the husband-wife supergroup 2002, & features three songs from Sarah's wonderful new album, <em>Moorland Winds</em>. <strong>I'm the 3rd song in, after Sarah & another great artist, Fiona Joy. Give a listen!</strong></p>
<p><span style="color:#0000ff"><strong><a title="OWMR Playlist #82" href="https://www.mixcloud.com/OWM/playlist-82-sponsored-by-sarah-copus/" data-imported="1"><span style="color:#0000ff">https://www.mixcloud.com/OWM/playlist-82-sponsored-by-sarah-copus/</span></a></strong></span></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749942017-07-23T20:00:00-04:002017-07-24T09:03:19-04:00Thanks, radio!
<p><strong>Special shout-out to broadcast radio for helping <em>Nightfall London</em> hit #7 on ZMR's Top-100 airplay chart in June! </strong></p>
<p><strong>Stations include</strong> <strong>KTEP 88.5 El Paso; KACU 89.7 Abilene, TX; KCMJ 93.9 Colorado Springs; Radio Villaba 107.4 Madrid; WMNR 88.1 NYC; CKUW 95.9 Manitoba; WHYR 96.9 Baton Rouge; WFIT 89.5 Orlando; KUAC 89.9 Fairbanks; WFCF 88.5 St. Augustine, FL; WYSO 91.3 Dayton, OH; WRPI 91.5 Albany, NY; WNMC 90.7 Traverse City, MI; KAFM 88.1 Grand Junction, CO</strong>. <strong>Plus dozens of</strong> <strong>online radio outlets</strong> <strong>like</strong> <strong><em>Sleep Radio</em> - New Zealand, <em>Peaceful Radio</em> - Netherlands, <em>One World Music Radio</em> - Cyprus & <em>The Cove</em> on Radionomy!</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thanks to all these great radio stations for playing <em>Nightfall London</em>!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749932017-07-23T20:00:00-04:002017-07-24T08:55:59-04:00Nightfall charts on OWMR Top-100!
<p><strong>Kudos to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard, expat Brits living in Cyprus & hosts of their hugely popular online radio outlet, <em>One World Music Radio</em>. <em>Nightfall London</em> entered the OWMR Top-100 chart last weekend at #37! </strong></p>
<p>Thought you might enjoy some comments on the album from the OWMR Facebook chat room as they played my song, <strong><em>Beyond the Stars</em></strong>. Steve & Chrissie: "<strong>This is so very haunting and melodic. One beautiful album.</strong>" Randy: "<strong>So beautiful</strong>." Andy: "<strong>A really excellent album</strong>." Steve & Chrissie: "<strong>Rick Sparks has nailed the narrative spot on</strong>." Lynn: "<strong>First time hearing anything from this album - very nice</strong>!" Pamela: "<strong>I like it. It sounds like a movie</strong>." Randy: "<strong>I'm going to have to get this one</strong>." Gautam: "<strong>Beautiful</strong>." Bruce: "<strong>Yes, really nice summer evening music</strong>." Jennifer: "<strong>Having been in London this last November, this is very beautiful, just like the city</strong>." Randy: "<strong>Everything about this is original and fresh! I love the cover and album title as well!</strong>" </p>
<p><strong>Thanks again, Steve & Chrissie at <em>One World Music Radio</em>!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749922017-07-17T20:00:00-04:002017-07-19T02:14:37-04:00Nightfall London charts Top-10!
<p><strong>The official ZMR June airplay chart is out - "Nightfall London" zooms from #8o to #7! That's a climb of 73 chart positions in one month - incredible! </strong></p>
<p>Many thanks to <strong>Randall Davis at Creative Service Company</strong> in Colorado Springs for promoting the album to radio worldwide, and special thanks to U.K.'s <strong>Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio</strong>, to <strong>Sleep Radio New Zealand</strong> & to <strong>NPR</strong> stations in the U.S.! </p>
<p><strong>Top-10 airplay in our first full month of release is awesome -</strong> <strong>so grateful for "Nightfall London" & for God's inspiration to record this beautiful album</strong>. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/2d299f39f7b6cf617861bfa8af0f1c898ca1948e/original/june-zmr-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjA4eDQyNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="425" width="608" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749912017-07-13T20:00:00-04:002017-07-14T13:45:55-04:00Nightfall London #4 in June spins!
<p><strong>Zone Music Reporter's national airplay spin count</strong> is not the official chart, but it gives a good indicator of how any particular album will chart in a given month. <strong>Guess who's at #4 for June?</strong> <span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v9/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/ff68dbfa3093c99647c1642ec3c8638bb3e305d1/original/zmr-spins-june-17.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjE4eDYwNSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="605" width="618" /></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749902017-07-08T20:00:00-04:002017-07-11T05:20:32-04:00New Summer Single Release!
<p><strong>Ever since my early days in radio in the 70s, I've loved the music of the Eagles.</strong> When the band reunited in the 90s, <em><strong>Love Will Keep Us Alive</strong></em> <strong>instantly became one of my favorite Eagles songs.</strong> <strong>I decided to record this gorgeous love song as a single release this summer</strong>, keeping it close to the original arrangement but enhancing the song's beauty by adding strings, flute, synth pad & bells. </p>
<p><strong>The single is available now for digital download on my Music Store page via CDbaby.com, iTunes & Amazon. </strong><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749892017-07-07T20:00:00-04:002017-07-08T10:12:09-04:00Nightfall London Top-Album Pick!
<p><strong>"Nightfall London" is a top album pick (#3) for June at Our Place Radio in Toronto, Ontario! Thanks, OPR!</strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/5418326a517511bc5799e1ca9b4596cf450a8996/original/ourplaceradio-june-chart.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTg1eDU5OCJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="598" width="585" /></p>
<p> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749882017-07-07T20:00:00-04:002017-07-08T03:56:08-04:00New review from MainlyPiano
<p>Thanks to Kathy Parsons at MainlyPiano.com for a nice review of <em>Nightfall London</em>. She ends her review by saying that "<strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is a great way to unwind with piano-based music that overflows with hope, faith, and peace. Recommended!</strong>"</p>
<p> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749872017-06-20T20:00:00-04:002017-06-21T06:52:57-04:00Nightfall London Review from OWMR!
<p><strong>Special thanks to Steve & Chrissie Sheppard at One World Music Radio in Cyprus for their very excellent (& British) review of <em>Nightfall London</em>! </strong></p>
<p>You can read the entire review on my "Reviews" page, but <strong>to hear Steve's audio read-through of his charming take on the album, click <a href="https://www.mixcloud.com/OWM/audio-review-for-rick-sparks-and-nightfall-londong/" target="_blank" data-imported="1">HERE</a>. </strong><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline"></span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Excerpts</strong></span></p>
<p></p>
<p>"<em><strong>Nightfall</strong><strong> London</strong></em> returns me to my new age music roots, but also brings us up-to-date. It captures all that was good back then and releases new energies to the world with a lush sweet production."</p>
<p>"<em><strong>Across the River</strong></em>... has to be one of the prettiest beginning pieces I have heard for ages."</p>
<p>"The title track is amazing and of course called <em><strong>Nightfall London</strong></em>, the opening bars are a real scene setter, swirling back and forth, and creating musical imagery with every note played... a classic moment of new age musical brilliance."</p>
<p>"<em><strong>Beyond the Stars</strong></em>... has a really beautiful flow to its arrangement and really reminds me once again of early new age music, from artists like <em>Terry Oldfield and Stephen Rhodes.</em>"</p>
<p>"With <em><strong>Highland Rose</strong></em>, the melody wraps itself around our senses, we can drift off to a place so remote, but blissfully beautiful to behold. This is the skill of a master composer, listen as the orchestration kicks in, it’s subtle, but draws a compelling and graphic narrative."</p>
<p>"On <em><strong>Evening Prayer</strong></em>, listen carefully to the calming and healing manifestation of chords and notes here, it is really exquisite and the addition of the ethereal choir only added to the magnificence of the overall composition."</p>
<p>"The album has been created with love and intention and a delicacy of care and attention. <span style="text-decoration:underline"><em><strong>Nightfall London</strong></em> must be ranked as one of the best New Age albums I have heard this year</span>." -Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749862017-06-19T20:00:00-04:002017-06-20T03:35:58-04:00Nightfall London on the chart!
<p><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon">With only a couple of days of airplay at the end of May, <strong>"Nightfall London" entered the May ZMR (Zone Music Reporter) chart at #80!</strong> Sharing the chart w. Sheryl Crow & Jethro Tull is pretty cool.</span> </span><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v9/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></span></p>
<p><span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="smile emoticon"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/5a1abeac5cbaffcd0fc7ba348e70062f67a5703b/original/zmr-may-17.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTA3MHg4NTUiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="855" width="1070" /></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749852017-06-16T20:00:00-04:002017-06-17T12:27:07-04:00New review from Wisconsin Bookwatch
<p><strong>The momentum is building! Many thanks to Wisconsin Bookwatch for their review of <em>Nightfall</em> <em>London</em> - it captures the essence of the new album.</strong></p>
<p>"<strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is a beautiful new age album designed to aid relaxation with its tranquil piano music, gently arranged with synthesizer to add layers and depth. </strong>Some electronic keyboards and individual string instruments, flutes, chimes, and choirs enrich this<strong> restful, revitalizing collection, highly recommended especially when winding down after a long day."</strong></p>
<p>"The tracks are <em>Across the River</em> (5:25), <em>Nightfall London</em> (4:58), <em>Little Angel</em> (3:08), <em>First Love</em> (4:28), <em>Tokyo Rain</em> (4:29), <em>Beyond the Stars</em> (4:03), <em>In the Bleak Midwinter</em> (4:19), <em>Hearts As One</em> (4:29), <em>Highland Rose</em> (4:58) and <em>Evening Prayer</em> (5:28)."</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749842017-06-13T20:00:00-04:002017-06-14T12:50:40-04:00Featured Artist on Sleep Radio!
<p>I found out today that <strong>I am the featured artist this week on Sleep Radio, out of New Zealand!</strong> Their 24/7 streaming audio channel is <strong>a wonderful mix of quiet music</strong> designed to lower your blood pressure & raise your quotient of inner peace. <strong>Many thanks to Sleep Radio for choosing to feature <em>Nightfall London</em> this week!</strong> Check them out at <strong>www.sleepradio.co.nz</strong>.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749832017-06-08T20:00:00-04:002017-06-09T12:56:27-04:001st Review for Nightfall London!
<p><strong>Waiting for the first published review of a new album is always a bit nerve-racking</strong>, but here it is! The prolific music blog <em>Midwest Record</em> beat other reviewers to the punch with this short but sweet reaction to <em>Nightfall London</em>:</p>
<p>"I've never thought of London as an especially quiet city, particularly since 'En-ga-land swings like a pendulum do,' but a picture of Big Ben at dusk inspired the quiet piano work here."</p>
<p><strong>"A smart mostly solo set </strong>that finds Sparks' London much more pastoral than I would, but<strong> you can't argue with things that work.</strong> <strong>Kick-back music perfectly tailored for sonic getaways, this is quite solid restful work for when it's time to stopper down</strong>." </p>
<p><strong>"No noodling here, contemporary instrumental fans have a winner here. Check it out." </strong>-<em>Midwest Record</em>, 6-2-2017</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749822017-06-03T20:00:00-04:002017-06-05T05:48:28-04:00London
<p><strong>We grieve with the people of London today. </strong>My love for that great city & the U.K. prompted the title & cover photo for <em>Nightfall London</em>. I would hope that the quiet peace in my music might well honor the memories of the victims - we pray for their families & friends.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Good shall yet triumph over evil.</strong> May God help us all to defeat the forces of violence & hatred.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749812017-05-15T20:00:00-04:002017-05-16T03:49:20-04:00SXM airplay continues!
<p><strong>Latest airplay report from SiriusXM!</strong> My most-played songs (in order): </p>
<p><strong>1. <em>Matilda's Flowers</em></strong></p>
<p>2. <em>Beautiful</em></p>
<p>3. <em>Portree</em></p>
<p>4. <em>Dream Angus</em></p>
<p>5. <em>Wonderful, Merciful Savior</em></p>
<p>6. <em>Be Still My Soul</em></p>
<p><strong>I'm super grateful to SXM for continuing to play so many of my songs.</strong> <strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is under review now & (hopefully) will begin airplay within a few weeks on Spa Ch. 68!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749802017-05-06T20:00:00-04:002017-05-07T08:34:35-04:00Nightfall London promoted by Creative Service Company!
<p><strong>BIG NEWS!</strong> <strong>Creative Service Company out of Colorado Springs will be promoting "Nightfall London" this summer to radio worldwide!</strong> </p>
<p><strong>CSC has represented many signature artists over the years</strong>, including Todd Rundgren, Judy Collins, Jean-Luc Ponty & Michael Martin Murphey. Some of their new-age clients include David Arkenstone, Alex de Grassi, Richard Souther & Jim Chappell. </p>
<p><strong>Promotion made a huge difference with "Endless" in 2014</strong>, 4 months on the ZMR airplay chart, peaking at #7. <strong>"Nightfall London" has the potential to do even better</strong>, including airplay on SiriusXM Spa channel 68.</p>
<p> <strong>Hoping for chart action for "Nightfall" starting in July - will keep you posted!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749792017-05-03T20:00:00-04:002017-05-29T11:25:28-04:00Nightfall London: the songs
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;"><em>Nightfall London</em> was in production for some 9 months</strong>, mainly because I worked on it a little at a time, instead of blocking out a summer. My previous album, <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Matilda’s Flowers</em> (2016), was a significant step forward for me as a composer, with seven original songs (out of 10). After finishing <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: large;">Matilda</em>, the songwriting inspiration just kept flowing, but <strong>I never imagined I would write nine new originals for <em>Nightfall London</em></strong> during the fall of ’16 & spring of ’17. </p>
<p><strong>My quiet-music recordings received a huge shot in the arm in Fall ’16 when SiriusXM added seven of my songs to their <em>Spa</em> (68) & <em>Escape</em> (69) channels.</strong> The airplay from such a major outlet was a tremendous encouragement to me as an indie artist. <em>Nightfall London</em> is the result.</p>
<p><strong>Two early songs in the production of <em>Nightfall </em>were key to setting the mood of the album.</strong> I wrote the opening strings of <em>Across the River</em> as I imagined them to be played by the London Philharmonic, quiet & majestic chords resolving to gentle peace. <strong>The opening strings of the song <em>Nightfall London</em> went even further to reflect a tranquil elegance suggested by the album cover.</strong> The addition of choir voices to both songs added a near-sacred beauty which fit well with the overall direction of the album.</p>
<p><strong>Inspired variously by the strings of the London Philharmonic, the ethereal voices of an English choir and the somber beauty of twilight over Big Ben, these are the songs of <em>Nightfall London</em>.</strong></p>
<p>1.<strong><em> Across the River</em></strong>. While the river might be the Thames, as suggested by the album’s cover photo, there is another river which we all must cross at the end of our lives. As a Christian, I am sure that what awaits me on the other side is unimaginable beauty & joy, both in the constant presence of God & my loved ones who made that crossing before me.<br></p>
<p><em>2. <strong>Nightfall London</strong>. </em>What became the title song is perfectly captured by the cover photo of the album: the somber beauty & stillness of Old London at twilight. This is the most “chill” song on the album & I love it.</p>
<p>3. <strong><em>Little Angel</em></strong>. A simple, lovely piano solo inspired by the headstone of an infant’s grave in an old mountain cemetery in Tennessee. The grief and heartache of her parents could only have been endured with the sure knowledge that their baby girl had been instantly transported to heaven and into the arms of Jesus.</p>
<p>4. <strong><em>First Love</em></strong>. Tender, innocent joy - the wonder of finding someone other than your family to love & to love you – first love is a truly amazing experience.</p>
<p>5. <strong><em>Tokyo Rain</em></strong>. An early song in the production of <em>Nightfall</em>, I briefly considered it for the album’s title cut. Traditional Japanese music is truly mysterious & beautiful, just like their culture. I challenged myself to write a piano solo that respected that culture by (mostly) using the oriental music scale, but without it being a cliché of Japanese music. I wrote it with the feel of gentle rain falling at night in the world’s largest city. The lovely night photo of Japanese umbrellas was the perfect backdrop for the CD’s liner-notes.</p>
<p>6. <strong><em>Beyond the Stars</em></strong>. Another simple song, driven by transcendent chord progressions. I took the song where I thought it should go, both musically and spiritually, into the heavenly realms beyond the stars.</p>
<p>7. <strong><em>In the Bleak Midwinter</em></strong>. The only cover song on the album, this classic English Christmas carol of devotion to the Christ child has been a longtime personal favorite. I love Gustav Holst’s gorgeous melody (and Christina Rossetti’s tender lyrics), and tried to give the song the gentle yet transcendent arrangement it deserves. Recording it a few days before Christmas 2016, I think being immersed in the spirit of my favorite holiday inspired me with this arrangement.</p>
<p>8. <em><strong>Hearts As One</strong>. </em>A tender love song, this one written for my lovely wife Sandie. Romantic & gorgeous – the song & her.</p>
<p>9. <em><strong>Highland Rose</strong>. </em>With my Scots/Irish roots, I’ve always loved Celtic music. It is simple but emotional, with typically lovely melodies. This is my effort to combine those elements into an original song, complete with fiddle & flute. Those same elements are in the Appalachian mountain music of the U.S., where I grew up, so they are very familiar & much loved.</p>
<p>10. <em><strong>Evening Prayer</strong>.</em> I ended my two previous albums with traditional hymns, but try as I might, I couldn’t decide on a hymn to finish <em>Nightfall London</em>. Thus, my 9<sup>th</sup> & final original song on the album, an evening prayer of peace and gratitude to the Almighty for blessing my life with the priceless gift of music and the love of friends & family.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749782017-04-30T20:00:00-04:002017-05-06T07:01:40-04:00Nightfall London now available!
<p><strong><em>Nightfall London</em> is now available!</strong> It may be my best album ever, but then again, I feel that way after every album. :) In this case, though, it may be true. I never intended to write 9 of the 10 songs, but as I progressed from song to song, the inspiration just kept coming. </p>
<p><strong>The songs of <em>Nightfall London</em> are filled with a tranquil beauty </strong>which<strong> </strong>is, perhaps, more than the sum of its parts. In particular, the strings and voices combine with the piano melodies to lend a powerful presence to the album which I absolutely love. </p>
<p><strong>The enduring legacy of Sir George Martin was a constant inspiration to me</strong> in my arrangements, especially the string parts. His classical training & stellar musicianship were evident in all he did during his life as a producer & arranger. I admire him tremendously.</p>
<p><strong>In these simple, quiet songs, I hope you might find beauty & peace.</strong> A few years back, a wonderful BBC documentary titled W<em>hy Beauty Matters</em> made a powerful case that not only do we all have a built-in need for beauty in our lives, but that <strong>beauty can replenish the soul</strong>. That was certainly the case with a young lad named David, who was regularly summoned to play his harp in the presence of a troubled king. <strong><br></strong></p>
<p><strong>May your soul & spirit be replenished with the music of <em>Nightfall London</em>.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749772017-03-17T20:00:00-04:002017-04-22T12:25:53-04:00Nightfall London near the finish line
<p>Just a quick note that <strong>post-production on <em>Nightfall London</em> is nearly finished!</strong> Am humbly excited for the potential of these nine (!) originals plus the lovely <em>In the Bleak Midwinter</em> - <strong>Sandie is calling it my masterpiece. :)</strong> I don't know about that, but I do know I couldn't be happier with the results. <strong>Projected release date is 4.24.17</strong> - will keep you posted!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/322d6939a615ae51aeeed8d2ca219cb237c2b0a1/original/nightfall-london-back-cover-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTcweDU1OSJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="559" width="570" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749762016-12-29T19:00:00-05:002017-03-18T05:35:12-04:00New album coming!
<p><strong>END OF YEAR UPDATE</strong>: I've been hard at work in my studio over the last several weeks. Would you believe <strong>I've already recorded 6 new songs for a late spring album release?!</strong> <strong>Tentative tile is "Nightfall London"</strong> & the album will include "In the Bleak Midwinter," released just last week.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/de9b67183a17bbee1260aac683c17062c5e56a89/original/nightfall-over-london-album-cover-alt-cropped-small.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NTEweDUyMyJd.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="523" width="510" /></p>
<p>Will keep you updated as the new year progresses, but j<strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">ust want to again thank all of you who bought my music during 2016!</strong> Also, <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">airplay by SiriusXM was HUGE for Rick Sparks Music this year</strong>, as they added at least 7 of my songs to their Spa & Escape channels (68 & 69) since early summer. <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">No doubt about it: God is good.</strong> <img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v6/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /></p>
<p><strong>Peace, joy & love in the New Year!</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749752016-12-19T19:00:00-05:002016-12-30T09:23:36-05:00New Christmas single
<p><strong>Leave it to me</strong> to release a new Christmas recording 5 days before December the 25th. <img src="https://www.facebook.com/images/emoji.php/v6/f4c/1/16/1f642.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="16" width="16" /> But in the midst of all the wonderful music of the season, <strong>I couldn't help but begin work last week on a new recording</strong> of one of my absolute favorite Christmas carols.</p>
<p><strong>The lovely melody</strong> by Gustav Holst & the simple yet powerful lyrics by Christina Rossetti make "In the Bleak Midwinter" a standout of the season. <strong>I hope you enjoy my version & many thanks for helping to make 2016 a standout year for my music.</strong> The single is available now for download from Amazon, iTunes & here on my artist website in the Music Store.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Merry Christmas!</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749742016-09-27T20:00:00-04:002016-09-29T10:55:40-04:00"Hearts As One" single release
<p>After 40 incredible years with she who is my wife, my soulmate & best friend, it was time to write a song for her. <strong>"Hearts As One" is the love theme to the story of our life together.</strong> The single is available now on CDBaby.com, iTunes, Amazon & www.ricksparksmusic.net.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749732016-09-20T20:00:00-04:002016-09-24T13:07:31-04:001st Review for "Matilda's Flowers!"
<p><strong>Receiving the first review on a new album is always special!</strong> Many thanks to <strong>Kathy Parsons at MainlyPiano.com</strong> for her nice review of <em>Matilda's Flowers</em>. You can read her full review on my Reviews page, but here are a few excerpts:</p>
<p>"Matilda is remembered as a strong but gentle woman 'who loved flowers, her family and her Lord Jesus,' and these songs express those qualities so well. The album begins with the title track, a warm and affectionate piano solo that reflects the sweet innocence of the cover artwork. The painting is of a young girl picking an armload of flowers in a field - the piece is a favorite!"</p>
<p><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">"Memories of Her</em> makes me think of Kevin Kern’s tender melodies - always a treat!"</p>
<p>"I love Sparks’ arrangement of (the Sting hit) <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Fields of Gold</em>! It begins with the sound of heavy rainfall and thunder, giving way to flute, keyboard and strings - gorgeous and soul-satisfying!"</p>
<p><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">"Mountain Laurel</em> is another favorite. A piano solo for most of the first half of the piece, strings and wordless vocals are added to the second half. I love the graceful simplicity of the melody and the contented feeling of the piece."</p>
<p>"<em>Old Tennessee</em> is a nostalgic look back to a less complicated time - also a favorite."</p>
<div class="review_text">
<p></p>
<p>"<em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">T</em><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">ildy’s Waltz</em> is a charming solo piano waltz that alternates between major and minor modes, giving the piece a bittersweet taste - my favorite piece on the album!</p>
<p>"<em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Nearer My God To Thee</em> is said to have been played by the ship’s orchestra as the Titanic sank in 1912, the year of Matilda’s wedding. Sparks has arranged it as a lovely piano solo that brings the album to a close."</p>
<p><strong><em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">"Matilda's Flowers</em></strong><strong> is an excellent second release from Rick Sparks! It is available from Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby. Recommended!"</strong> -Kathy Parsons, MainlyPiano.com, September 19, 2016</p>
</div>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749722016-09-12T20:00:00-04:002016-10-24T12:20:23-04:005 songs now on SiriusXM!
<p><strong>Received word yesterday that SiriusXM Radio has added my recording of <em>Beautiful</em> to their Escape channel 69!</strong> It's my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song & my first recording to be added to Escape. That makes 5 songs from the <em>Endless</em> album now in rotation on SiriusXM! (The other 4 songs from <em>Endless</em> are on Spa channel 68.) <a href="https://www.siriusxm.com/escape" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">https://www.siriusxm.com/escape</a></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749712016-08-14T20:00:00-04:002016-11-28T09:25:17-05:00"Matilda's Flowers" now available!
<p><strong>"Matilda's Flowers" CDs & downloads are now available </strong>through my Music Store on this website (via CD Baby), Amazon & iTunes; </p>
<p><strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">The packaging on the CD could not be more beautiful</strong>, a perfect representation of the music inside. I'm so grateful for these songs that God poured through me during this project. I believe Matilda would love them, too. :)</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/daa4180e59ddec7b9bd4330e0633b38e05fc5026/original/matildas-flowers-script-cd-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTMzMngxMjMwIl0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1230" width="1332" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749702016-08-09T20:00:00-04:002016-11-28T09:28:41-05:00Matilda's Flowers liner notes
<p><strong>Thought you might enjoy the liner notes to <em>Matilda's</em> <em>Flowers</em>,<em> </em>with the backstory to "the 1912 girl named Matilda." </strong>It was a privilege to honor my grandmother with this album.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/bd5f42e690796297d5e975f26f3ff12dd085c2c7/original/liner-notes-combined.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTMzMngxMjMwIl0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1230" style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;" width="1332" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749692016-08-02T20:00:00-04:002016-08-03T09:24:32-04:00We're on SiriusXM!
<p><strong>For all you <span style="text-decoration:underline">SiriusXM</span> radio subscribers, I just received word that <span style="text-decoration:underline">Ch. 68 Spa</span> has added at least 4 songs off my "Endless" CD. :) :) :)</strong></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749682016-07-11T20:00:00-04:002016-08-26T01:58:42-04:00Near the finish line!
<p><strong>I am</strong> <strong>excited</strong> to report that, after two months of hard work (& even a few tears), the music of <em>Matilda's Flowers</em> is finished! I wrote & recorded the album of piano-based songs around the theme of "the girl named Matilda." In 1912, Matilda Angeline Cannon turned 18 and married her sweetheart, my grandfather. She would live a long life, raise a large family (5 boys & 2 girls) and was a wonderful, sweet woman who loved flowers, her family and her Lord Jesus.</p>
<p>For my part, <strong>the tears would come occasionally</strong> <strong>with my memories of Matilda</strong> throughout the production of "her" album. I only knew her in her golden years, but Tildy's wonderful 1912 engagement picture was a constant inspiration as I wrote & recorded the 7 original songs (of 10). Matilda was raised by a loving Tennessee family after her parents died when she was just a little girl. She grew into a beautiful, strong yet gentle woman whose prayers for me as a young boy still resonate in my life today. It was a privilege to honor her with these songs.</p>
<p><strong>I recorded two hymns of her era</strong>, including the final song on the album. <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Nearer, My God, to Thee </em>was famously played by the orchestra of the Titanic as the ship sank in 1912, the year of Matilda's wedding. That song was the central theme of my grandmother's life - her constant faith & devotion to the Lord was a hallmark of Matilda's existence. She would happily tell you that she couldn't have done it without her faith in Christ. I would gladly say the same for my life & this album.</p>
<p>At this point,<strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;"> I am carefully reviewing all the musical & graphic elements of the album</strong> before sending it off for manufacturing & distribution. As with <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Endless</em>, <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Matilda's Flowers</em> will be available on CD as well as digitally through iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc. We'll also be sending the album to music reviewers as we prepare to promote <em style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Matilda's Flowers</em> to broadcast radio stations (think NPR) & online outlets.</p>
<p><strong>So how does the music sound?</strong> <strong>I'll let you decide, but I love these songs & can't wait to get them out.</strong> Between now & the album release in mid-August, I'll post some song excerpts to my artist page on Facebook as well as my YouTube channel. </p>
<p>Stay tuned!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/05338aad93464f9e5e484733712663095e7cda30/original/matilda-album-back-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MzU5NXgzNDE0Il0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="3414" width="3595" /></p>
<p></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749672016-06-16T20:00:00-04:002016-11-28T09:38:22-05:00New album update
<p>It's mid-June - after five weeks and countless hours in the studio, half the new album is now complete! <strong>The album title is <em>Matilda's Flowers</em>, after my grandmother, Matilda Angeline Fortner.</strong> All seven of the originals (out of 10) on the album are for her, as is the perfect album cover (she loved flowers) by 19th century artist Ludwig Knaus. Songs finished to this point are <em>Fields of Gold</em> (the Sting hit), <em>Matilda's Flowers</em>, <em>Simple Love</em>, <em>Tildy's Waltz</em> and <em>Nothing But the Blood</em>. <strong>Five more songs to go with summer speeding by - release in August! </strong><em>E</em><em>ndless</em> set the bar high for this album, so I'm sweating the creative & production details to make it the absolute best I'm capable of. <strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;">Be sure to check my artist page (Rick Sparks Music) on Facebook for updates!</strong>of.<strong style="font-family: 'Goudy Bookletter 1911', serif; font-size: medium;"> </strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/396971/daa4180e59ddec7b9bd4330e0633b38e05fc5026/original/matildas-flowers-script-cd-cover.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTMzMngxMjMwIl0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1230" width="1332" /></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749662016-02-26T19:00:00-05:002016-08-26T02:02:52-04:00ZMR Awards update
<p>A check of the ZMR (<em>Zone Music Reporter</em>) site for 2015 album nominees reveals that <em>Endless</em> didn't make the 2nd round of voting. To be honest, it was a huge honor just to be considered. For <em>Endless</em> to go to #7 on the national radio airplay charts in Dec. '14 is a thrill I will never forget.</p>
<p>My new album, <em>Matilda's Flowers</em>, is set for release in August. I'll be sharing more about that as the year progresses, but I'm planning at least 5 originals this time around. Am already working on arrangements for a couple of the cover songs - achingly lovely music.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749652016-02-20T19:00:00-05:002016-02-21T08:29:49-05:00BIG NEWS!
<p>BIG NEWS! I have received word from my radio promoter that <em>Endless</em> has qualified for the 2015 ZMR (<em>Zone Music Reporter</em>) Music Awards in two categories: "ALBUM OF THE YEAR" & "BEST PIANO - W. INSTRUMENTATION!" </p>
<p>Totally & utterly unexpected but wonderful news. There are two rounds of nomination voting in February - if we survive that, then <em>Endless</em> will be one of the 5 finalist albums in either or both categories. The winners will be announced at the 12th Annual ZMR Music Awards on Saturday, May 7th, at the Joy Theater in New Orleans. </p>
<p>Whether we win or not, I'm grateful for the whole experience of recording <em>Endless</em> & receiving such a great response from radio, the reviewers and my friends. Most of all, thanks to my Lord Jesus for inspiring this album & my lovely wife's constant support, encouragement & love.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749642015-05-11T20:00:00-04:002015-05-27T03:39:21-04:00Endless liner notes
<p>So many people to thank for this little CD that could - here are the liner notes from <em>Endless</em>.<br></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749632015-03-29T20:00:00-04:002015-03-30T13:07:30-04:00Endless stays in Top-20.
<p><em>Endless</em> is hanging in during its 4th month on the radio! ZMR's Top-100 airplay chart for February has <em>Endless</em> at #16, down a few notches from #9 in January in the face of stiff competition from over two dozen new albums in the Top-100. Many thanks to the 120+ stations in the U.S. & around the world that continue to play my music. And heartfelt thanks to all those who have bought <em>Endless</em>.</p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749622015-02-26T19:00:00-05:002021-02-01T18:51:44-05:00Endless still in the Top-10.<p>The ZMR Top-100 album airplay chart for January has been released - it shows Endless maintaining a high radio profile in the U.S. & Canada at #9, down only two notches from last month's chart. My deepest thanks to our 120+ radio partners (many of which are NPR stations) for playing our music. Latest stations include 90.9 WDCB, Chicago; 88.5 KSBR, Mission Viejo, CA; 90.7 KSER, Everett, WA; 89.7 KMSU, Mancato, MN; 90.5 WICN, Worcester, MA; 98.1 KBAC, Santa Fe; 90.3 WXXI, Rochester, NY. Public radio rocks!</p>
<p>I thought you'd enjoy reading some responses from radio programmers to my thank-you's for playing Endless:</p>
<p>"No problem, Rick - happy to play good music." - Jamey</p>
<p>"Your music is great & we play great music - a lot!" - Michael</p>
<p>"Great album, Rick - best wishes for your continued success." - Val</p>
<p>"Cream rises to the top." - Christopher</p>
<p>"All you have to do is keep up the great music. My regard for your CD is 'endless'." - Pete</p>
<p>"Happy to play your music, Rick! Keep creating!" - Sherry</p>
<p>Not that it wasn't deserving, but I never thought Endless would chart so high on ZMR's album chart. To zoom from #64 in November to #7 in December was an incredible experience for me as an artist. During all those years I spent in radio, I could only imagine what it was like for the artists I played to see their music rise up the charts - now I know.</p>
<p>I would have recorded Endless regardless of whether it received a single spin on radio, but it's wonderful and truly humbling to receive the validation that comes from my music being aired around the world. I'm thankful to God for His inspiration and blessing of this "little album that could."</p>Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749612015-01-18T19:00:00-05:002015-01-20T05:04:09-05:00On the charts!
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<p><span class="userContent"><strong><em>Significant event alert: </em></strong>My radio promoter messaged me this afternoon that <em>ENDLESS</em> HAS CLIMBED TO #7 ON THE ZMR TOP-100 ALBUM AIRPLAY CHART!!! That's a jump of 57 positions in 4 weeks - unbelievable (but I'll take it!) Many thanks to Ed & Stacey Bonk of LAZZ Promot<span class="text_exposed_show">ions for carrying the banner for <em>Endless</em> to stations & programs around the world. </span></span></p>
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<p><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">We're now in Week #8 since promotion began - a total of 99 stations & programs have added the album to their playlists. Latest adds include <a href="http://MusicChoice.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">MusicChoice.com</a> (NYC) & <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FRadioTunes.com%2F&h=TAQEMIwsB&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">RadioTunes.com</a>; 91.5 WTUL, New Orleans & 91.3 WWUH, Windsor, CT. Other stations include <span class="userContent" data-ft="{">89.5 KOPN, Columbia, MO; 89.3 KCUR, Kansas City; 105.5 The River, Modesto, CA; 88.5 WFCF, St. Augustine, FL; 88.3 KDNK, Aspen, CO; 97.9 CJLL, Ottawa, Ontario; 106.3 The Lounge, Queensland, Australia; Radio Despi, Barcelona, Spain; Radio Relax, Minsk, Russia. Programs & networks include Montana Public Radio; Missouri Public Radio; The Cove/Live365 (of course); Highlander Radio/Celtic Radio; Celestial Reasonings, <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FCalmRadio.com%2F&h=RAQGJzSCw&enc=AZMqIkkmUGuJaBdkz3ryYrX76cAmAHlmPX4vwRrZ2i-rkUG7gaLNaCkrhLm88zFxIMAChpwW86ur7Ul2zPkMDgQZkAYIB4SF_Fglo14KBEAmeIR1q8MeHvC7Y4Rgqify2Vlhz_PdqSSVqtY_YkFtcmYp&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">CalmRadio.com</a>, GotRadio - Piano Perfect; Music Beyond Words; Instrumental Hits Radio. Heartfelt thanks to all for playing <em>Endless</em>!</span> </span></span></p>
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<p><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">ZMR is Zone Music Reporter (zonemusicreporter.com), THE source for monthly airplay charts of n<small>ew age, world, ambient, electronic, solo piano, relaxation, instrumental and many other genres of music</small>. So far, while sales of <em>Endless</em> are nothing to write home about, I'm hoping that airplay will make a difference. In any case, to be played on 99 stations & programs around the world is huge validation for this little album that I knew early on in production was going to turn out to be something special. </span></span></p>
<p><span class="userContent"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Above all, thanks to God for inspiring me to record <em>Endless</em> - my spirit has been replenished. :)</span></span><br></span><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749602014-12-14T19:00:00-05:002023-12-10T13:52:45-05:00Six months & counting
<p>Six months & counting - that's how long now I've been at this project called <em>Endless</em>. Studio work began in June 2014 and finally wrapped in late September. After that came copyrights, mechanical licenses, graphics design & licensing, photography, packaging & manufacturing. Distribution followed to CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon and about 20 other online outlets. </p>
<p>The next major phase of launching <em>Endless</em> is promotion, starting with garnering some respectable press. In the last few weeks, the album has received wonderful reviews from critics like Bill Binkelman, Kathy Parsons and Michael Diamond. You can read their reviews here, on their websites and on the <em>Endless</em> album pages at CD Baby, iTunes & Amazon.</p>
<p>Now it's up to Ed & Stacey Bonk at LAZZ Promotions to do the hard work of promoting the album to radio. I've personally mailed out over 200 CDs to programmers in the last several weeks with my 1-sheet of album info, reviews and artist bio. Between now and March 2015, LAZZ will be making multiple contacts with radio stations, programs & in-flight music services. To date, several dozen stations & programs have added the album to their playlists. It's a good start.</p>
<p>The first radio charts of 2015 will be released by mid-January - they should give a clue as to whether <em>Endless</em> is going to fly. As for me, I'm hoping, praying & working hard to do right by this little album that I've put my heart & soul into.<br></p>
Rick Sparkstag:ricksparksmusic.net,2005:Post/60749592014-11-25T19:00:00-05:002019-06-01T08:47:11-04:00"Endless" - The Songs
<p>I love melody – every song on <em style="font-size: medium;">Endless</em> has strong melody. I think that’s why I’ve always loved the music of The Beatles & Beach Boys. Once those great melodies got stuck in my head, they were there to stay. In college in the early 70s, I took a required music appreciation course; the focus was entirely on classical music. One day in class our professor had to leave the room for a few minutes. At the urging of my classmates, I went to the harpsichord and played a verse of the Beach Boys’ song, <em style="font-size: medium;">Darlin'</em>. My classmates loved it. Got back to my seat before the professor returned, too – it was the class secret. :) All these years later, I love that I chose to play one of Brian Wilson’s songs - great melody & harmonies.</p>
<p>Now, about the songs on <em>Endless</em>.</p>
<p><em>Beautiful</em> is my favorite Gordon Lightfoot song and was the first song I began working on for the album - it ended up as my choice for the first song on the track list. The song is a tender, reverent tribute to the wonder of being in love; I wanted my arrangement to reflect that, starting with the slow, ethereal first verse and chorus. Maybe my choice to make it first on the album reflected my hope for the album as a whole, that it would be beautiful for the listener’s spirit.</p>
<p>In my late 20s, as a pianist working on my master’s degree in music, I came to love the music of Rachmaninoff. It was infused with the poignant, tragic beauty of his life; he yearned to return to his home in pre-revolutionary Russia, but never did. There is a mystery and emotionalism about his music that was probably an influence on me when I composed the title song on <em>Endless</em>. Specifically, I wanted the song to reflect the beauty, mystery & vastness of both the celestial night sky and of God’s love for us.</p>
<p>For much of the album, I was drawn to songs that reflect my Scotch-Irish ancestry. Like Russian music, the music of Scotland is strongly emotional, tragically so in the case of <em>Loch Lomond</em>. That song is so iconic in Scotland, to me it has become almost like a national hymn. I tried to reflect that reverence in my arrangement, especially with the acapella voices at the beginning and end.</p>
<p>A traditional Scottish lullaby, <em>Dream Angus</em>, became a hit in Scotland in 2013 with English folk singer Jackie Oates’ hauntingly beautiful vocal recording – her version inspired me to include the song on <em>Endless</em>.</p>
<p>I was especially pleased to include a couple of songs which reflect both my Irish ancestry and my Christian faith: <em>Be Thou My Vision </em>(arranged by the late great Tom Howard) and <em>Wexford Carol</em>. I didn’t plan for the original vocalizing bridge on <em>Wexford Carol </em>to morph into the English carol, <em>What Child Is This?</em>, it just happened as I recorded that section. I think of those voices as angels, so maybe they guided the bridge into the perfect ending. :) In any case, it sounded right to me, so I kept it in.</p>
<p>Fellow musician & composer, Bill Leslie, kindly gave me permission to record his lovely original, <em>Portree</em>, named after a small town in Scotland. I sent him my version when I asked for his okay - he responded, "Gorgeous arrangement - simple elegance! I love the pace and feel - you captured the magic of the song!" Thanks, Bill! </p>
<p>I began composing <em>At Rest</em> the week after the tragic death of a troubled young man who was the son of a good friend. I wanted the song to comfort his family and musically reflect his final state of peace that he struggled to find in this life. </p>
<p>The last song on the album almost didn't get recorded. Just as I was ready to release <em>Endless</em>, I decided to pull a song at the last minute – <em>Be Still, My Soul</em> was its replacement. The arrangement came very quickly and may be my best performance on the album. It’s one of my favorite hymns, both lyrically and musically, and (I think) serves perfectly as the album’s final call to inner peace.</p>
<p>I love every song on the album, and am very happy with the results after starting with a blank slate for each song (except <em>Be Thou My Vision</em>). From beginning to end, it took me several hundred hours to arrange, record and produce the album - I did my very best to make each song a worthy listen. The critics have been kind, and the album seems to hold up well even after repeated listening. </p>
<p>I plan to record more albums in the future, with the same goal of playing "quiet piano to replenish your spirit." I hope to have more originals on the next album; for now, I'm grateful to have been able to record <em>Endless</em> and hope it finds an audience that will enjoy it.</p>
Rick Sparks