Latest News...

Under Renovation

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:50:00 GMT

Hello to all my family, friends, and visitors, Here's a quick update on what's going on these days:

After almost three years of working hard to promote my music through social media--experience success and disappoinment along the way--things sort of hit a wall. To push through that wall, I am taking an online course that will enable me to "fabulously reengineer my music career". So, this will involve, among other things, fine-tuning my vision, new branding, a new website, and a lot of work on the business end of things. So be sure to stay tuned. And if you haven't joined my newsletter mailing list, this would be a good time to do so. And you get one of my soothing piano numbers to download when you sign up here.

Until next time...

Cheers!!

Kelly Carpenter CD's on Sale for the Holidays - 3 days only!

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:27:05 GMT

I decided to stand out from the pack by offering a "day after Cyber Monday" sale. Except I forgot to do it the day after. So, better late than never, I am holding a "day after the day after Cyber Monday" sale!

Through Friday, all titles are on sale. Click on "Store" in the menu above for details.

Last Day of Summer Special

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 20:42:49 GMT

Yep, it's the last official day of summer, so why not get "A Glass of Summer" (in CD format) for $1 off the regular price while limited supplies last! Go to the store.

"A Glass of Summer" now available!

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 03:10:00 GMT

We had a terrific CD Release Party this past weekend--thank you all who came--and as promised, you can now order CDs of "A Glass of Summer" directly from this website. Supplies are limited, so get yours today. Click here for the store.

Here's a YouTube video sampler:

"A Glass of Summer" Release Party, Saturday, August 4

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:10:00 GMT

Here's the latest on the new CD by Scott Burnett and myself:

Our new CD is currently being manufactured. Woo hoo!! We expect it in our hot little hands by August 1.
On Saturday, August 4th, we will have a CD Release Party at Match Coffee & Wine in Duvall.
This is a limited release. Only 100 are being duplicated. It will first be available at the release party.
After August 4th, we will push it out to the internet, starting first with the store on this site, then CD Baby, then iTunes and beyond.

Hope to see you there. Here's a link to Match Coffee & Wine

Carpenter & Burnett Project Almost Ready

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 21:20:00 GMT

I'm pleased to report that the new EP from Scott and I, "A Glass of Summer" is a day or two away from being sent off for duplication. We're currently finalizing package design. The new CD features light instrumental jazz compositions lightly seasoned with latin influences. A limited number of CDs will be manufactured. Stay tuned for final release announcement. We're still working on package design, but it will look something like this:

Enjoy Some Sunset Photos Set to Music

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Here are some photos we took on a recent vacation to Mazatlan, Mexico. I then recorded an impromptu piano piece. Enjoy!!

Burnett/Carpenter Project Underway

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:12:50 GMT

My longtime musical partner, Scott Burnett and I are working on an EP project codenamed "A Glass of Summer". It's something we started last summer, but then we got all kinds of busy, so finally our schedules are aligned. We started recording some demo pieces last week at my home studio. Here is a slow samba song called "Um Copo de Verao" which means "A Glass of Summer" in Portuguese. At least that's how Google translated it for us. Enjoy!

Review from Inside World Music

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:16:11 GMT

I received a nice review for "Passage" from the Inside World Music blog. Thanks guys!! Read on... The chilled and relaxing grooves of Kelly Carpenter’s piano playing combine elements of ambient rock with new age instrumental magic on his latest release, Passage. The adventurous “Summer Rain” takes on a life of its own with lush piano melodies and an ambient rock vibe that is wholly instrumental. The quick and short keys resemble falling rain. “A Distant Shore” seems more like an ode to Ireland with a pensive, yet emotive violin solo that only lasts thirty-seconds. “Whom Have I But You?” contains playful piano melodies and a little percussion to add some meat to the track. The fluttering electric sounds merge into an electric guitar medley that appropriately accompanies the piano. The rain and thunder noises of “Waiting” are accompanied by solo, meditative piano. “Saying Goodbye” contains a rousing and jazzy melody with light percussion and piano accompaniment with the unmistakable sounds of an electric guitar. This is probably the most ambient rock-type song on the album that encompasses a bit of blues and roots music thrown in. “Ascent” opens with bird sounds and a fast-paced piano with light percussion and atmospheric keyboards. “The View From Here” opens with spacey noises, atmospheric washes, and sparkling piano sounds before a little post-ambient rock guitar breaks the serenity. The last few tunes add a little more rock guitar, but it does not detract away from the new age nuances throughout. In fact, the rock guitar is a perfect addition to the instrumental music. If Passage is a journey, his piano is the vehicle. Fans of solo instrumental piano, new age and ambient rock will love it. Similar artists: Michele de Wilton, Danny Wright, and Al Conti.

Performing Dave Grusin's "Mountain Dance"

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:21:13 GMT

Here is more footage from the CD release concert on Nov 18, 2011 at Fremont Abbey in Seattle. Here they "play homage" to Dave Grusin by performing a cover of his classic jazz song "Mountain Dance". In the band: Scott A Burnett/Acoustic Guitar; Mike Stoican/Electric Guitar; Marc Miller/Bass; Bryon Atterberry/Drums??.

Video From CD Release Concert

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 03:15:00 GMT

Here is footage from the CD release concert on Nov 18, 2011 at Fremont Abbey in Seattle. Here they perform a cover of David Ruis' "Whom Have I But You?" with a stunning intro by Bryn Cannon and a wonderful guitar outro by Scott A. Burnett.

So Very Thankful!

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:45:22 GMT

Well, the CD Release Concert is behind me now. Words cannot express how pleased I am. The response was ecstatic! I am very thankful for all the support people have given this fledgling enterprise, from the CD sales to the kind wishes on various social media and email to showing up at the release concert. I feel very blessed.

Thank you all and I wish you a wonderful thanksgiving weekend as well!!

A Busy Season

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:07:39 GMT

This is turning out to be a very busy season for me. Let's see, there's lots of prep work involved for the CD Release Concert. I just got finished writing music charts for the band. Since most of the band I recorded with are Canadians, I had to recruit local guys, so there are songs to learn. This group of musicians will also be Jessica Ketola's band for her set at the release party. So now that my charts are finished, I am finally getting around to updating this website and getting social media tools up to date.

If that's not enough, I have two other gigs in the meantime. First up is the annual Turning Point benefit this upcoming Saturday night. And a week later I am conducting some keyboard workshops at the CMS event on Nov 12. So everything is hitting at once. Fun times! Check out the events page for all the particulars.

Working on the Party

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:14:00 GMT

Hi All! Just a quick news note to let you know I'm currently working on putting together a CD release concert. The band I recorded the album with was mostly made up of Canadians, so I'm putting together a group down here. I'm also looking for a venue, finding a caterer, working on promotion. Really, lot's of things I should have done a couple months ago, but I seem to be doing everything the hard and slow way. I guess that's what you call the learning process. Meanwhile, you can now get Passage on places like iTunes. Here's the link: http://itunes.com/kellycarpenter/passage It would be simply mahvelous if you could post a review on iTunes. I would truly appreciate it. Let me know when you do.

CD Baby

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:45:49 GMT

Passage is now available on CD Baby. Both the physical CD and complete album download are available. I will be putting up the digital version of the album on this site soon. I just need to convert the master audio files into 256-bit mp3s. Oh I got geeky there--sorry.

Of course, I would rather you purchase the CD here on this site. Advantage for you: You get the option of a personalized autographed copy at no extra cost. Advantage for me: I enjoy personally filling orders. It makes me feel closer to my buyers. Second advantage for me: I'm not having to pay the middle man a cut. The higher price on CD Baby offsets this a little, so you're paying less from my site. Which turns out to be a second advantage for you. Everyone wins.

It's here!!

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:20:00 GMT

Yes, I'm looking at the boxes that arrived yesterday. After a heat-wave and power outage at the plant in Indiana delayed manufacturing for a week, I am happy to announce that it is here!! For a short while, the CD is available exclusively on this website. It will also be available through CD Baby in a few weeks and then on iTunes and other digital outlets a few weeks after that.

But why wait? Order the CD here and enjoy the music in full audio fidelity. When you purchase it here, I personally process the order (which I love to do) and if you'd like, I can autograph the CD for you as well.

Heat Wave...

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:56:40 GMT

My sympathies for folks in most of the U.S. who are suffering one of the worst heat waves on record. I have been complaining a lot about the cold rainy weather here in the Northwest this summer, but realized that I would rather have this than the sweltering heat and humidity generating perceived temps into the 120's F.

Unfortunately, the resulting power outages sweeping the Midwest have halted manufacture of my new CD Passage. I was expecting a partial shipment this past week so I could fulfill the orders of the pre-release edition customers, but it looks like I may not be getting any until sometime next week.

Sorry for the further delays and thank you for your patience.

Less Than 2 Weeks!!

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 04:15:00 GMT

My new CD "Passage" is currently in manufacturing and will be arriving at my doorstep in a little under two weeks!! Hear what people have been saying:

"[This is] what I, as a yoga-lover, call "yoga music". Seriously, from what I hear, it would fit perfectly in a yoga class. Very relaxing. I like it a lot. Also, when I was playing it, my 6.5 month old, who was playing on the floor and making her noises, got sort of calm and quiet when the music started." - Fran, SF California

"First of all I wanna say that I love your music, I'm quite a stressed person and your stuff really helps me to relax! The first words that came to mind was atmosphere, really nice production, and exciting choices of instruments." - Fred, Sweden

"I find myself on a wonderful peace filled journey. Your music is very moving, full of great tension; yet so soft and gentle while still keeping a sharp focus. I love your attention to the details, and the choice of instrumental blends is superb and very tastefully executed and well produced." - Carl, Orlando Florida

You can pre-order it today!

Artwork Approved, We're On Our Way!

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:00:00 GMT

It took a couple rounds of approval, but we're finally happy with the cover design for my upcoming CD, "Passage". The second print proofs arrived today and we liked them. So, the manufacturer has the green light to start manufacturing!! Yippee!! We're looking at about 3 1/2 weeks. Finally!

Status Update, The Order Going Out Today!

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:35:00 GMT

Great news! I'm sending out the manufacturing order today. Finally! I SO wanted to announce that a month ago. Why the delay, you may ask?

We made the decision about a month ago to rethink the CD package design. I originally wanted to find some cool artwork for the cover, either off Getty Images (which is where I found the art for the pre-release edition), or have it feature an art piece by my friend Scott Burnett. Then, it was suggested to me that perhaps we should put a picture of me on the cover. Although I was hesitant, I realized that it made a lot of sense. Let's consider it a measure of growth for typically bashful me.

So it was necessary to set up a new photo shoot. Scott's son Nigel did the previous photo shoot and we just loved the pictures he had taken, but we wanted something new. So we went atop the Burnett's apartment building that is right across the street from Green Lake in Seattle and Nigel shot some new photos. We were really happy with how they turned out.

With the photos done, it was time to do the package design. For budget reasons, I decided to do the design myself. I was encouraged with how the pre-release design turned out, which I did myself in Adobe Illustrator. That said, the design process for the final version turned out to be much more arduous. There are certain restrictions when preparing for an offset printing job that I was not aware of. Can you say "Total Ink Limit"? All to say, I had a baptism by fire of sorts with Photoshop. I thought I was done several times in the last two weeks, only to find that I wasn't really done.

So, I am happy to say, finally, I am done!! Thanks for hanging in there waiting for this CD. I am very proud of how it turned out, in fact, prouder of anything I have ever done before. I never imagined this would take almost a year, but the time and attention was worth it!!

With the order in, it will take about 3 1/2 weeks to get the final product, so we're looking at mid-July. If you would like to get your hands on it sooner, there are still copies of the pre-release available here. When you order the pre-release, you will get an autographed copy of the final version when it comes out next month. I want to thank all who have purchased the pre-release edition, as it has helped to raise funds for the final manufacturing costs.

Thanks again for your support!!