Skyler FinlaysonMUSIC 1010

JENNIFER THOMAS

VIOLINIST PIANIST COMPOSER

BIOGRAPHY

• Jennifer started playing the violin at the age of five

• She learned to play the violin by the Suzuki Method

• At the age of seven Jennifer was the only

second grade student in the sixth grade orchestra

VIOLINIST

The piano stopped being the instrument she had to practice, and became the instrument she

wanted to practice.

PIANIST

Jennifer’s love of the piano really began to

bloom, overshadowing her love of the violin.

Twelve years old, she asked her mother to purchase the sheet music to Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2.

2003 Christmas season “Old Movie Romance”

“Prelude in F.”

Dealing with a baby who wouldn’t sleep for months on end

The Lullaby Album

COMPOSER

• 2011 - Gold Medal of Excellence in Original Music in a Short Film Winner in the Park City Film Music Festival

• 2012 - WINNER - Best Original Score - Hollywood Music in Media Awards

• 2012 - WINNER - Best Original Score - Hollywood Music in Media Awards

• 2012 - WINNER - Top Albums of 2012 - Piano Heaven UK• 2012 - WINNER - Classical Crossover UK Top Female Artist of the

Year• 2012 - WINNER - Classical Crossover UK The Indie Award• 2012 - WINNER - Album of the Year 2012 – Michael Debbage’s Top

Albums of 2012• 2013 - WINNER - IMC Awards - Album of the Year• 2013 - WINNER - IMC Awards - Artist of the Year

AWARDS

COMPOSITION HISTORY

“Four years in the making, Jennifer Thomas's latest CD, 'Illumination', is a work of art. Clearly a master of her craft, Jennifer has created an album that is simply superb from beginning to end.”

Stephen Cairns, Piano Heaven UK

“Illumination” is all about light, empowerment, and goodness.... The music and art in this album spans the time of one day - beginning with dreams and ending with the fiery sunset and the evening stars.”

Jennifer Thomas

The pair collaborated on

all but 3 of Burton’s

mastered and released films. Their works would become known as one of

the industry's most recognizable partnerships. 

(filmtracks.com)

ETUDE FOR THE DREAMER

The inspiration for this song came from Jennifer looking

out over an evergreen forest and the idea of it being

covered, saturated with fog, this thought had a definite dream-like quality that she

wanted to harness and convey through music.

The pair collaborated on

all but 3 of Burton’s

mastered and released films. Their works would become known as one of

the industry's most recognizable partnerships. 

(filmtracks.com)

ILLUMINATION

This track had been created initially as a one-minute

“audition” submission for a car-commercial. Because the

car manufacturer’s advertisement agency did not select it for their commercial, Jennifer was able to retain her ownership of the piece and has expanded it, building it into a

living, lively piece of art.

The pair collaborated on

all but 3 of Burton’s

mastered and released films. Their works would become known as one of

the industry's most recognizable partnerships. 

(filmtracks.com)

ACROSS THE STARLIT SKY

This is the only solo-piano piece released on the

Illumination album. It’s mellower, much more toned down from Jennifer’s usual

fiery piano music. The piece gets its name from the deep night sky that she could view out the large window as she

sat at the piano.

LISTENING GUIDE

ETUDE FOR THE DREAMER

0:00 The music starts with the piano setting a pace that grabs attention. The music cycles through several notes, and then ascends briefly, making an arch as it comes back down.

0:07 As the arch descends below where it started, we get the first beat of percussion which is a queue for the strings to start. The violins maintain a distant humming accompaniment, while the celli make occasional statements.

0:21 Percussion becomes more involved, over the next 10-15 seconds what sounds like cymbals, or perhaps maracas, begin a slow crescendo reaching their loudest by about 0:35.

0:49 The percussion cuts out altogether, as do the string, leaving the piano alone for about 7 seconds when the celli return.

0:57 The celli return along with the rest of the string and percussion instruments.

1:02 The music returns in earnest at this point, drawing the listener forward.

1:36 There is a diminuendo, which feels like the piece is drawing to a close, but it’s a mislead.

2:03 The mode changes from minor to major and the almost ominous feel of the piece becomes brighter, giving a sense of a new day dawning.

2:50 A drum-roll signals a return to minor mode and the piece darkens for a while.

3:20 The pace picks up again and we’re brought back into major mode as the piece approaches its ending.

3:50 All the other instruments disappear one last time; allowing the piano to close the piece with two final, but strong notes.

ILLUMINATION

0:00  Much like Etude, Illumination starts with a few very quick notes on the piano.

0:02-0:10 The violin(s) enter, hinting at their presence, but then they’re gone briefly, to return again, fully joining in with the piano by 0:10

0:16 Here, a low chord is struck and allowed to fade before the melody comes back with a vengeance.

0:37 The strong piano melody takes a break, and the violins take over, imitating the melody introduced at the beginning of the song by the piano.

0:47 A crescendoing slide of the string instruments brings the strength of the melody back again, part of a pattern throughout the first half of the piece. The beat is now set by the piano, firmly.

1:05-1:07 A pause in the music followed by the drums taking a turn, rumbling in the introduction to a new movement.

1:07 The piano takes over the melody while maintaining the beat for about 10 seconds, without other instrument accompaniment.

1:18 The violins return, mimicking the initial melody.

1:34-2:17 The piano introduces a new melody, rich and full, in perfect harmony with the original melody still playing in the background by the strings.

2:17 The piano and violins return to the original melody/accompaniment.

2:52 At this point, there is a major key change, and the strings come in with a strong support to the piano’s melody. There is also a hint of brass in this movement.

3:13 Again the arrangement returns to the original melody.

3:21 The piano introduces a change back to minor, and it carries us through towards the end.

3:39 The tempo slows considerably, letting us know we’re near the end.

3:50 The piano brings us to a conclusion with a quick descent into the final closing statement.

0:00 This song opens with a lento ascending form and a gentle progression.

0:16 The melody changes very slightly for a moment, becoming more involved, before returning to the basic original melody.

0:36 The evolution of the melody continues here, introducing a lovely upper-register melody that drives the movement.

1:15-1:24 The upper-register piano takes a momentary break

1:41 A more mature lower register tone joins the upper pitches bringing a soulfulness to the piece.

2:30 The high notes begin telling the story again, drawing the listener along.

3:12 We’re approaching the end, and the higher notes slow their pace, introducing us to the end.

3:28 The notes start a progressive descent towards the end.

3:50 The entire piece is wrapped up with the final few notes and a closing chord.

ACROSS THE STARLIT SKY

WORKS CITED

• Thomas, Jennifer. Web log post. Musical Meanderings The Official Blog of Pianist and Composer Jennifer Thomas. Wordpress, n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2013.

• Cairns, Scott. Rev. of Illumination, Jennifer Thomas. Piano Heaven August 2012. Web.

• Parsons, Kathy. Rev. of Illumination, Jennifer Thomas. MainlyPiano.com August 2012. Web.