Tom Brier
Tom Brier (born October 1971) is an american ragtime pianist and composer.
Early life[edit]
Tom Brier was born in October 1971 in Oakdale, California, an agricultural society in the Central Valley south of Sacramento.[1] When Brier was four, his parents bought him a player piano, and the next year he began taking piano lessons with a local teacher.[1] By the age of eleven, he had composed over two dozen pieces.[1]
After graduating from Oakdale High School,[2] Brier studied computer science at California State University in Turlock, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1993 and working subsequently as a computer programmer.[1]
Musical career[edit]
In 1985, Brier woke the interest of Larry Applegate, president of the Sacramento Ragtime Association. Brier was invited to perform at association meetings. Brier's interpretations of classics of ragtime music were described as aggressive and attracted the attention of the public.[1] He was particularly noted for his in-depth knowledge of various genres of early ragtime music.[1] By 1988, he was a "prolific composer"[3] and in 1990 he had composed 45 rags;[4] by 2002, he was mentioned as one of "the West's top ragtime pianists" by the Desert Sun.[5]
Brier has given concerts across the United States, ranging from California (in Santa Cruz,[6]Sacramento,[7] Fresno,[8] and Fullerton[9]) to Missouri[10] and Wisconsin.[11] He has been referred to as "The Machine"[12] for his energetic playing style, as well as "the Mozart of Ragtime".[13]
By 2005, Brier had composed over 150 pieces;[14][1] by 2009, he had composed over 200, and was described by the Fresno Bee as "a long-standing Fresno Flats favorite" who brought "energy, skill, endurance, and high musicality to his every performance".[13] In the 21st century, he became known on websites like YouTube for his "crazy-quick" playing.[15][16]
Accident[edit]
While Brier played at ragtime festivals as late as May 2016,[17] and was a featured pianist at the June 2020 Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival,[10] in August of that year he was injured severely in a debilitating accident.[18] In December 2020, the Syncopated Times said that "we all wish Tom well in his long recovery".[18]
Discography[edit]
Tom Brier has released six albums, one with Nan Bostick.[1][19]
- Rising Star (1994)
- Dualing at the McCoys (2002) - piano duets with Nan Bostick
- Rewind (2006)
- Blue Sahara (2009)
- Constellations (2012)
- Live in Concert (2015)
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Tom Brier Biography From West Coast Ragtime Festival". www.westcoastragtime.com. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
- ↑ "Oakdale graduates take the stage". Oakdale Leader. Oakdale, California. 1989-06-07. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Bands on tap". The Press-Tribune. Roseville, California. 1988-01-13. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Melodic merrymaking with a multitude of musicians". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 1990-11-16. p. 75. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Go retro at Ragtime Fest". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. 2002-10-19. p. 41. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Monterey Ragtime Festival". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. 1995-09-29. p. 48. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Benefit concert". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. 2012-06-22. p. X29. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ragtime music festival this weekend". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 2014-04-10. p. SB8. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Play me some rag". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. 2004-10-21. p. 225. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tarby, Russ (2016-06-01). "The Festival Roundup June 2016". The Syncopated Times.
- ↑ "An Evening of Ragtime". The Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 2003-07-24. p. 25. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ready for ragtime?". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 2008-02-20. p. JA1. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "RAGTIME: Favorites return". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 2009-02-19. p. GA2. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Ragtime Festival". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 2005-03-02. p. Z0. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Live: This City". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. 2009-11-20. p. 62. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Smith, Hal (2021-01-31). "Ramona Baker: Living a Ragtime Life". The Syncopated Times.
- ↑ "Ragtime festival". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, California. 2016-05-05. p. B8. Retrieved 2021-11-07 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Melton, Larry (2020-12-27). "From the Virtual West Coast Ragtime Festival". The Syncopated Times.
- ↑ "Tom Brier". Discogs. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
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