| Name:
| John Kenneth Graham
| | Skills:
| Administrator, Arranger, Composer, Conductor, Player, Publisher, Teacher, Writer, Enthusiast (Musical tableaux of American culture and folklore)
| | Phone:
| 1-(406)-222-5318
| | Address:
| 308 Upstairs South B Street, Livingston, MT 59047, United States
| | Links:
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| | Born in Baton Rouge, LA July 26, 1955. Largely self-taught, began writing music at age twelve. First actual works were for symphonic band and some drum cadences. Keyboard abilities by ear led to his becoming a pianist/keynoardist for two rock/jazz bands while in college (Southeastern Louisiana University/Hammond, LA). In 1982, moved to Baton Rouge abd began playing piano for local restaurant. Also composed commercial jingle for nationwide advertising, and wrote and conducted the dedication music for the installation of the WWII vessel, USS KIDD. Subsequent enrollment in LSU produced several student works, including a string quartet. Began working as fulltime composer/arranger for Christian Life Fellowship, a large charismatic church in Baton Rouge where he played timpani during services. This lasted into 1986, and resulted in the compilation of over 300 arrangements of worship choruses custom-written for church orchestra.
Experiences in Austin, TX and Anderson, SC led to travel to Yellowstone National Park in 1988, after which he domiciled in Berkeley, CA and worked on a student symphony. Having gained ethnomusicological tools to study folklore at Berkeley, he began devising methods of poetically describing Americana in musical terms, and began writing works descriptive of his own experiences and impressions made during his travels. To date, two symphonies are completed as part of a nine-symphony cycle. Numerous other works are planned, including several concertos and ensemble works. While a large orchestral pallette is his medium of choice, he is also adept at writing big band and Latin-styled dance music, primarily as a result of having been an avid percussionist.
Two non-commercial CD's have been completed, SINFONIA (classical) and LOVE BITES (dance/jazz-fusion) as of 2004, and two more are about to be released; SOUL OF THE SKY (classical) and TANGO MANGO (dance/jazz fusion). The former current CD includes seven new pieces for orchestra, the title cut of which is "Soul of the Sky," a fourteen-minute symphonic poem for choir, organ, orchestra and percussion. The title cut for the latter current CD, "Tango Mango," features 'cello and jazz band in true Argentine form. Other notable pieces include "Uncle Don (piano, tenor sax, rhythm/brass section)," "Big Al (You No Like Chinese Food (piano, jazz orhestra)," and "Cowboy Heaven (guitars, organ, rock accompaniment)."
Mr. Graham currently lives in Livingston, MT, about an hour's drive north of Yellowstone National Park. Together with his wife, Laurene, they run a small film/media production company, Eaglefeather Media Productions.
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