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Don Hoffmann began studying classical piano at the age of ten. He began song writing at thirteen, performing original compositions with his first band in the mid-70's. Moving toward jazz in his late teens, he followed fusion bands such as The Dregs and Brand X, and electronica such as Synergy. In college, Don took Music Theory and Counterpoint classes and scored original compositions for his college Jazz Ensemble and Fusion Group. He also began to program analog and digital synthesizers, inspired by fraternity alumni Larry Fast (Synergy, Peter Gabriel). In 1988, these experiences merged with new MIDI capabilities to led him to sequence his first New Age composition, Autumn Secrets. Travel in Europe inspired a flurry of composition in 1990, followed by arranging and orchestration. This led to the release of his first independent CD, Intrinsic Beauty in 1996, which has received favorable reviews from Wind and Wire, Stereotypes, and The Syracuse New Times. It has also received airplay on several local stations. Since moving to Central New York in 1996, Don has been working on his second New Age CD, In This Place, due for release in Fall 2001. His song Born on Christmas Day, was featured on Big Mike's Christmastime in Syracuse CD, Volume 5. In January of 1999, Don joined Roosevelt Dean and the Spellbinders, adding the Blues style to his musical breadth. He has performed with Roosevelt at many popular local venues including the Dinosaur Barbecue in Syracuse and Rochester; and at festivals such as the 95X Blues, Brews, and Barbecue, and the Backwoods Blues Festival. He also provided piano work for Roosevelt's new release Blues Heaven. This CD won "Best Blues CD" in the 2002 Syracuse Area Music Awards (SAMMYs). Track List: 1. Night Train to Berlin 2. Cynthia's Waltz 3. Invention in C 4. Calm of Light 5. Morse Code 6. Autumn Secrets 7. Road to You 8. Green Hills 9. Olympic Dream 10. Tanzenacht 11. Salzburg Abend Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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