Two Rivers Times - North Sioux City, SD
Published November 6, 2003

Joe Curry to perform free concert in Elk Point

Picture an autumn harvest moon on a peaceful night with glowing light. How would you convey that image with music? While most artists paint with colors on canvas, music artist Joe Curry paints pictures with his piano music. His easy listening piano solos invite listeners to use their imaginations and envision the meanings behind the music.

Curry began piano lessons at six-years-old and continued lessons for twelve years. He rarely had to be reminded to practice. "The piano was in a high traffic area of our house--the kitchen. I would often practice in the morning, after school and at night before going to bed," said Curry.

He first began composing music in 1998 after being inspired by other independent artists and with the encouragement of family and friends. "My music is inspired by nature and life's adventures. My challenge is to create the sounds that resemble those inspirations--whether it's a falling snowflake on a winter day or the movement of a horse through the sand dunes," Curry said. After successful sales with his 1999 debut album Milestones, Curry recorded his follow-up album In Focus in 2003.

Curry is a member of several church bands in the Minneapolis area, where he lends his talents on the piano and saxophone. He occasionally provides music at his hometown parish, St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Elk Point, where he first began publicly sharing his musical compositions with others.

Curry graduated from the University of Minnesota with a marketing degree and a Spanish minor. In addition to his music business, he works for public relations agency Padilla Speer Beardsley in downtown Minneapolis. Curry said, "Music is my passion, and I hope to continue creating and sharing my music with others." The music on the album is about noticing the finer details in life while at the same time being aware of the big picture, according to Curry.

Curry recorded the new album of 14 original piano solos in Minneapolis, Minnesota at Wild Sound Studio. Like an artist who primes his canvas before painting, Curry took time in the studio to immerse himself in the inspiration behind each song before laying down the music for each track. "My tagline is piano music that paints a picture(SM). Every song has a story, and I want people to be able to feel and envision the meanings of my music," said Curry. "To de-stress at night, I go home and turn off all the lights and play piano in the dark," adds Curry.

Each song has a description in the packaging to relate the musical inspiration. One song on the recording, "Three Shadows", contains vocals, which Curry sang in layers to create a chorus with his voice. The beginnings of that song were woven in a music shop in Paris.

Curry will perform a free concert in Elk Point, S.D. on Friday, November 28th at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. It is a fitting venue to present his first concert, since St. Joseph's is where he first began playing his original music. Visit his website, www.joecurry.com, to hear song clips or learn the latest news. His music CD and piano book are available through his website or at Pioneer Drug in Elk Point, Victorian West and Nook 'n Cranny in Vermillion, Figment, Inc. in Sioux Falls and the Sioux City Art Center in Sioux City, IA.