New York, NY (Top40 Charts) 17-year-old Award-winning Native American flute virtuoso, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Gareth Laffely, from Gallatin, Tennessee, and Emmy Award-winning composer, producer, Lance Bendiksen, from Denver, Colorado, are set to share an evening of Native American Flute and Piano music at the First United Methodist Church, 149 West Main Street, Gallatin, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 21st, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Tickets are $10 dollars and available at the door, with partial proceeds to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital.
Gareth Laffely, also known as Gareth, has been receiving high praise and recognition from fans and music industry insiders for his revolutionary style that blends rock, pop, and world music. His album entitled, "Sky Before A Storm" (released August 20th, 2015), hit #2 on Billboard Magazine's New Age Chart for week ending February 5th, 2016, and has been featured on the highly acclaimed weekly nationally syndicated NPR radio program, "Hearts of Space", on
Music Choice's "Soundscapes" channel - the premier cable television music network reaching millions of fans nationwide, and a live performance on "Music City Roots, Live From The Factory", the weekly, two-hour Nashville-based radio show hosted by Jim Lauderdale.
"Sky Before A Storm", is the follow-up New Age release to his highly successful debut CD entitled, "
The Journey", which earned him acclaim and multiple Indian Summer
Music Award nominations and NAMMY award nominations and the prestigious "Rising Star" Award from the Native American
Music Awards. "Sky Before A Storm" is a deeply emotional and evocative New Age journey on Native American and Celtic flutes and features a collaboration with GRAMMY Award-winner and two-time Emmy Award-winner
Laura Sullivan (composer, pianist) on the single, "Regen's Song", a tribute to 12-year-old Regen Morris of Sevierville, TN, who lost his battle with brain cancer on Christmas morning 2013. Gareth set-up a contribution fund in Regen's name and donates proceeds from the song to St. Jude Children's Hospital in
Memphis to assist other families dealing with childhood cancer. He also volunteers with High Point Hospice in Gallatin, using his music to soothe terminal patients and their families. Gareth has been highly-praised and much-admired for his philanthropic, charitable, and humanitarian support.
Remarkably talented well beyond his years, Gareth has been touching lives and moving souls by tugging at heartstrings of many all over the world. In his short lifetime, he has shown a unique, rare, and undeniable innate ability to make others happy through his music, philanthropy, and charitable and humanitarian support. Whether expressing an emotion or simply conveying an important message for change, Gareth has faced sensitive issues head-on to great aplomb and challenges teens everywhere to get involved with a cause to help make their community a better place. His unquestionable sincerity and thoughtfulness in wanting to make a difference in the lives of others with his music and philanthropic work has truly been heartfelt, infectious, and very influential and persuasive.
Gareth's "
The Journey" and "Sky Before A Storm" albums were recorded with two-time GRAMMY Award-nominated hit songwriter and Dove Award-winning producer Robert White Johnson (Celine Dion, Larnelle Harris, the Beach Boys, Edyta, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, .38 Special), GRAMMY Award-winning engineer, Gary Dales, and top Nashville session musicians.
Gareth is currently recording a not-yet-titled new album with Emmy award-winning composer, producer, Lance Bendiksen. Bendiksen has worked with
Sarah McLachlan, The Cowboy Junkies, The Fray, and, now Gareth.
"I first met Lance at Sony
Music Studios in Nashville on a recording project" states Gareth. "We instantly connected and began working together shortly thereafter. Lance's emotional playing style perfectly blends with the Native American Flute; weaving soul-stirring harmonies. Collaborating with Lance is creating something truly special and unique."
"The first time I heard Gareth play the flute," explains Bendiksen, "I heard a connection to the vast American landscape. As a Westerner, with many Native American friends, I love that sound. It covers thousands of years of Native and American history with a musical voice. That's a sound we never wanna lose. I've always heard my piano sound and style as being connected to the American landscape. So, it was a natural thing, when Gareth and I got together in Colorado - there it was, history, culture, and a spiritual sound all right there at our fingertips. Push record and take the journey - let the music soar - let the History live on."
The new CD highlights the combined talents of Gareth and Bendiksen and introduces a beautiful marriage of Native American Flute and piano with symphonic support. Gareth and Bendiksen are co-producers on the project, with recording completed at Bendiksen's Ridge Room Recording studio in Denver, Colorado. It is anticipated the CD will be mixed at the famous Sky Walker Ranch in Marin, California, and supported by a national concert series combining orchestra, piano, Native American Flute, and dancers.
Visit Gareth Laffely online at:
https://www.GarethMusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/GarethMusic;
https://www.twitter.com/GarethLaffely;
and, https://www.soundcloud.com/GarethLaffely
Visit Lance Bendiksen online at:
https://www.bendiksenproductions.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Bendiksen-Productions-134959086556447/
