There are many ways for music to come to life, and it’s a unique process for everyone. For Peter Tigchelaar’s new recording it has been a complex combination of many factors. It started with the conviction, motivation and hard work learned through his many years of running Urban Green, his Interior Plant Care business. Working on his songwriting until the time was just right, he has crafted his music through many years of playing for friends, in churches, at home concerts and events around Hamilton.
Then there was finding a sonic identity mentor in guitar maestro Bill Dillon, who has played with everyone from Joni Mitchell to Robbie Robertson. Next he found in Orcana Recording Studios and recording engineer Trevor Titian, a local studio that was sensitive to his needs. From there it was attracting first rate Hamilton musicians in drummer Tone Valcic, keyboard player Carl Horton and guitarist Jamie Oakes to play on the project. It all comes together beautifully in his new album Gracious Window. The recording includes 12 original songs, and is a 100% Hamilton production ~ a fact that Peter is very proud of.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Peter’s roots run deep, grounding him in the Niagara Escarpment and the Bay area where he has been singing and playing music since childhood. By the time he’d reached his teen years, the music of the Beatles, Bach and Handel, Bob Dylan and choral singing were significant influences.
Writing his own songs for as long as he’s been singing and playing guitar, Peter’s style has evolved since his first recording Wings Meet Wind from 1994. His music is a complex mixture of genres reflecting the many influences he loves. His clear strong tenor voice is a distinctive feature of his melodic approach to song writing. Rock, blues, gospel, choral and reggae are all alive in his eclectic tunes, played passionately on guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and Hammertone.
Peter’s signature style includes thoughtful lyrics shaped by his extensive listening to Dylan, reading the likes of monk and poet Thomas Merton and Rabbinic scholar A. J. Heschel, set to engaging arrangements shaped by his diverse melodic influences. Whether they soothe the soul or challenge the heart and mind, these are songs that appeal on many levels and reward careful listening.
Peter has made the leap now and embraced the musical life full on, stepping
out to play gigs and see where it will all lead.
So, please have a listen to the record. Recommended tracks for an overview
would be: Light Me Up (track 7), and Islands On The Horizon (track 9),
When I See A River (track 11), and The Bells (track 2).
Press Kit Promotion Shots
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