In March 2020, the entire world hit the pause button and forced musicians, along with many others, to cancel performances for an indeterminate period moving forward. We have been at home, repeating the same tasks each day, and living with the essentials: our basic needs, our loved ones, our own thought worlds, and perhaps a musical instrument or other hobby if we’re lucky. At a time when we are at home for what seems like an eternity, we can so clearly see what ‘home’ means to us (something different for everyone).
The collection of music on this album is an expression of my ‘musical home’. J.S. Bach, the grandfather of classical music so-to-say, has been the center point on which Western Classical Music is based. Crespo’s Improvisation has been a center point in my performances for many years, a piece that I feel proud to play and find new magic in each time. The passion as well as the crunch in the Russian selections is always fascinating and compelling to me and satisfies my love of being in the heart of music that’s equally bold and vulnerable at once. And last but not least, my own composition, performed by those in my ‘actual’ home and about my faith and family, was the last piece of the puzzle yet the most meaningful as well. I wrote this hymn for my unborn son, and it is sung by my amazingly gifted wife, Karen.
Credits:
Carter Johnson, piano; Karen Wendel, vocals/songwriting (Dear Child); Marc Willerton, guitar/recording (Dear Child); Andrew Poirier, production; Don Harder, recording engineer and mixer; Brandon Dorsey, mixing (Dear Child); Graemme Brown, mastering engineer
More information about the album at https://www.brianwendelmusic.com/this-is-home-program-notes
