Chilliwack, CA - (Top40 Charts/ D2/ Fontana North/ Universal) - The Beautiful Piano, the latest CD by gifted musician Debbie Fortnum is in the special position of already having been nominated for three and winning one Canadian GMA Covenant Awards from its 2007 independent release. D2/Fontana North/Universal was so impressed by her talent they are releasing three CDs in the next year by Fortnum starting with The Beautiful Piano on February 26, 2008.
The Beautiful Piano was produced in collaboration with Chris Janz, multi-Award winning artist/producer and son of Canadian Juno Award legend, Paul Janz. His expertise in orchestral arranging has an unmistakable presence on the CD, taking it to star quality. After a 1995 meeting, the two musicians clicked and Janz produced four out of her five albums.
'He's incredibly gifted, and is the encouraging dynamite underneath my piano playing,' says Fortnum. 'There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than being in the recording studio. There is not one single sheet of music in the studios when we record. It is all a very spontaneously creative and moving experience.'
As she began to follow her musical dreams, fans began to follow. Her four Indie CDs, both vocal and piano, keep selling off shelves. Though not counted by Soundscan, she is one of Canada's best selling Indie Artists, selling over 16,000 from stage and internet. Fortnum has received a total of 14 Canadian Award Nominations and three Awards in 2006 & 2007.
'My experience as a Wedding Pianist (she has played at over 100 weddings since age 13) has helped me learn what instrumental piano music can do for people,' explains Fortnum. 'In our crazy, busy culture, we are lacking healthy ways to retreat, think, process our own thoughts and emotions and even breathe long enough to re-connect with what's most important in life.'
The Beautiful Piano is an intensely personal album for Fortnum as she wrote instrumental songs for each of her children in her living room on her Grandmother's antique piano. There are also two bonus vocal tracks including 'I Am Yours' that she wrote / sang for her husband on their wedding day. 'Chris loved it, saying that it is one of the best songs he'd ever heard come out of me and that we needed to record it,' explains Fortnum. 'I'm a hopeless romantic so I called my husband Scott and asked if I could share "our song" with the world and he said of course.'
With over 96+ touring dates last year, and even more on the calendar for 2008, Debbie is hitting the road again with an inspiring musical message of Love, Hope and Beauty through her music!
As well, before Fortnum begins touring for The Beautiful Piano, she is scheduled to record her third Instrumental Piano CD for the New Age market called The Healing Piano. Her enchanting Christmas Piano CD will also be re-launched in the Fall of 2008, and Healing Piano in early 2009 with D2/Fontana North/Universal Records.
