Michael Straugh is a composer, recording artist, pianist and guitarist. Since his first album, True North, was released in December of 2004, his piano solos have been embraced as meditative and healing. His mastery of the piano results in rich, evocative music, excellent for relaxation or a romantic evening. It’s a powerful instrument, and in the right person’s hands, can have a profound and healing effect on the listener, drawing them in, enabling them to leave behind the stresses of the day for a while.
Part of Straugh’s artistic success is due to his solid understanding of the mood of music. “Effective music alters or enhances the mood of the listener. So an upbeat number like Boy Meets Girl's ‘Waiting for a Star to Fall†energizes and lifts the spirit; Samuel Barber’s ‘Adagio for Strings’ is perfect for a good cry.†These two simple examples point to the myriad of effects music can have on the listener. It can find you in a depressed mood and carry you blissfully out of it or guide you through it to the light at the other end of the tunnel. It can find you in a tired moment and elevate you to places of joy and release. Music has so many capabilities, and due to Straugh’s intimate relationship with music, he is able to explore the depths and possibilities of songwriting.
Music is a means of transport. It’s more than just something pleasant to listen to (though that is part of it). On a deeper level, music that can capture your attention and lull you, music that you find yourself soaking into – this is what can be a transport, not just away from the day-to-day, but toward your own peaceful "spaces". The contemplative listener will find in Straugh’s music just these qualities. His understanding of how the best music works, enables him to pull every last bit of potential out of his own music, to make it function exactly the way he wants, which is to the best benefit of the listener. In other words, his understanding of how the best music works makes his among the best for soothing the soul.
Straugh's influences include a disparate group of musical styles and artists. The clearest connections are George Winston and Michael Gettel, but elements of Lyle Mays and Elton John are also evident. Composers he counts as influences include Aaron Copland, Franz Reizenstein, and Antonio Vivaldi; and having grown up in the 1970s, Ian Anderson and Justin Hayward have had their affect as well.
He currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and daughters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Open Door" review by Kathy Parsons at Solo Piano Publications:
Combining classical and contemporary elements with his own personal
vision, Straugh is carving out his own niche within the new age music
movement with music that is both strong and soothing.
“The Open Door†begins with “Hand in Hand,†a love song full of
contentment and hope. Gentle and lyrical, there is a sense of strength
and of moving forward. “Halo†is innocent and light. “Cascades II†is
quietly majestic - graceful yet commanding. “Winelight†is slightly
more upbeat, but is very easy-going, relaxed, and quite beautiful. The
melody for “Back Where You Belong†is strong enough to support lyrics,
and seems to be giving advice and telling a story as well as warmly
welcoming someone back. “Coming Home†is my favorite track. A sense
of urgency and anticipation propels the piece forward and seems to say
“I can’t wait to get there.†Lovely! The title track is a bit more
abstract, as is the poem that accompanies it. The poem is full of
paradox and contradiction, and the piece is somewhat darker and more
improvised than the other ten tracks, searching and looking for
answers. I like this one a lot, too. “Faerie†is a six-movement,
twelve minute fairy tale set to music. The titled movements are “Prelude:
The Dance of the Faerie,†“The Forbidden Kiss,†“The Court War and the
Potion,†and “The Dance of the Faerieâ€; there is also a “Prologue†and an
“Epilogueâ€. Full of color and drama, this is quite an interesting suite.
“The Open Door†is by far Michael Straugh’s best CD to date.
