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All words & music by Don Bryn excapt as noted and performance clips.  All clips © Don Bryn and may not be copied in any form for any purpose.

Piano Sextet #1 in D (2005)

The Piano Sextet was selected and performed by The Nashville Composer's Association and Alias Chamber Ensemble for a live radio broadcast of new works by local composers.  Many thanks to their work for helping local artists be heard.

I had spent a lot of time studying Stravinsky and his harmony through the early ballets, and I wanted to attempt to follow the same path.  That is not to say I wanted to SOUND like him, but rather to follow his path of discovery.   I started with what I found in octatonics and whole tones, put a lot of traditional harmonies on the surface, and then allowed myself to create without being too strictly guided by harmonic rules.

I also wanted to write something that sounded ‘classical’ in style. So I started with a ‘classic’ chamber piano quintet, later adding the second cello. I wanted to follow a strict form, using a harmonic main theme and a melodic second theme, use classic articulations without effects, etc.

Form-wise, there is an exposition of first theme and second theme, repeated slightly differently, all around the tonic D.  The clue to the end of the exposition is the obvious change in tempo and the ‘dirty’ tritone.  The following whole-tone piano arppeggio, signifies the development has begun.

Half way through the development those tritones return on the chosen subdominant, in this case E-flat.  Development is usually the part with which I have the most fun; playing with themes and seeing what can be made out of them.

The development barrels right into a shortened recapitulation where the main themes return in a thicker texture around the chosen dominant, A-flat. This point is also the only fortissimo in the piece, another clue we are back at the recap.  The recap ends with those dirty tritones again, allowing the harmonies to flip back over the tritone to the tonic D.  There follows a coda around the tonic and ending on D Major.

Demos

Compositions

Arrangements

Performances

Songs

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Classical Piano
Whether you need light classics for sunday brunch, want to set a more formal tone for an event, or just love great classics, Don's classical piano is the perfect way to add the ambience you want. You can choose light classics for tone-setting or add in a few more showy pieces to impress your guests.

Jazz Piano

Perfect for parties, clubs, and restaurants, Don's cocktail piano is the way to go to add flair. You can choose jazz standards or add in some pop and broadway tunes, depending on the tone of the event.

Trio and Quartet

For medium sized events, restaurants and clubs, you can't beat a trio or quartet. With Don on piano and a combination of drums, bass, and vocals or sax, you'll get an entertaining mix of jazz standards and tunes everyone will know.

Musical Directing and Piano Demo

Don has 18+ years experience conducting and Musical-Directing shows and bands.  He has performed everything from Broadway and cabaret-style shows to rock n roll and jazz, including leading bands for formal balls and ballroom dancing.

This is an older video demonstrating directing bands in a few different style shows followed by some informal audition material of his piano playing.

The Hip Replacements

The Hip Replacements feature bands from 7 to 14 pieces playing either funk and disco or tradition standards for dancing.  Don leads the traditional music which you will see and hear in these clips. If you're having a big event and really want to impress your guests, a Big Band playing great standard tunes from slow ballads to heavy swing to ballroom dance styles like Cha-Cha, Tango, and Rhumba is what you need.  If you have a dance floor, this music will have your guests up in no time.
All vocals in these recordings are by Georgia Riber and Brad Clancy.

Email

941-388-7690

Piano With Tracks Demo

If you really like the sound of a jazz trio but don't have the space or budget, then this option is for you.  Don uses only high-quality tracks of a live rhythm section, allowing you to add class to your venue using a minimum of space. Listen to the demo and you'll agree that this is great-sounding jazz.

Vocal Demo

For an extra-special touch of class, Don has vocalists available for a nice intimate duo.  Don can also sing a few tunes if you want some vocals on a more limited budget.