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When Jim Calabrese began trumpet lessons at the age of five and piano lessons a few years later he never realized how wondrous the gift of music was, and how lucky he was to receive it from his father at such an early age. Before enrolling at the University of Buffalo where he received his B.F.A.& M.F.A. in piano performance in 1980, he had studied with legendary jazz pianist and educator Russ Messina. | ||
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Yvar Mikhashoff | ||||||
Julius Eastman | ||||||
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His list of scoring credits since then include commercial and industrial work for Kodak, Mastercard, Phillips Electronics, Madison Square Garden, Fisher Price, Hasbro Toys, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Jorg Hysek, Jacob & Co. and Xerox. | ||
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Along with writing music for picture, he has worked as a arranger/engineer/producer for Ray Charles, Johnny Gil, Thelma Houston, Micky Howard, and Stephanie Mills, which enabled him, in 1991, to open a new recording facility located in the Elmwood village area of Buffalo. | ||||||||||||||||||
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In 1998 he formed Jibber Records- a contemporary jazz, alternative, world, record label and with the release of “Dream A Dream” in 2002 garnered a National Parenting Publications & Parent’s Choice Gold Award for the collection of lullabies with vocalist Mary Stahl. | ||||||||||
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Since then Mr. Calabrese has been constantly improving his facility by acquiring a great selection of vintage keyboards, microphones, and signal processors, along with expanding his collection of synthesizers, sound modules and samplers along with WNY's most diverse state of the art digital audio workstations. | ||||||
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After having the opportunity to study composition and electronic music with UB’s prestigious faculty including studies with Yvar Mikhashoff, Julius Eastman. Leo Smit, and Morton Feldman, Mr. Calabrese won the Cameron Baird Concerto Competition playing the Stravinsky "Movements For Piano & Orchestra". (read 1978 review)
Morton Feldman
Soundscape is owned by pianist, composer, arranger, producer, Jim Calabrese. Having his own music-based recording and production facility, he has pursued a path in music scoring, songwriting, record production, and playing the piano.
At this time he collaborated with new friends and musicians, including co-writing “Where You Are” for Whitney Houston with LA-based singer-songwriters Dyan & Lemel Humes, and scoring the Hemmingway miniseries starring Stacey Keach with New York based composer Ken Higgins.
Then, after successful stints with a regional ballet company (read 1981 review) and a local funk band, Mr. Calabrese decided to open SOUNDSCAPE a recording studio and production company in 1984.
vocalist and actress Lorraine O'Donnell goes over score
bassist Jerry Livingston at the original studio
Leo Smit
