Mountains Moved by Emotion: James Shumway’s Neo-Classical Confession, ‘To the One I Love’

James Shumway doesn’t need lyrics to convey the kind of sentiment that leaves an imprint. In To the One I Love, the composer and pianist lets his chords speak with a sincerity that cuts deeper than the average confession. Written as a love letter in sonic form, the piano solo articulates what most fail to find the words for—how love can exist in extremes and still be real. The piece, recorded alongside visuals of Shumway playing against the peaks of Mount Timpanogos in Aspen Grove, carries the same magnitude as its setting. He moves through the composition with the emotional conviction to shift the mountains he’s playing for. At its most impassioned, the performance soars, before it is grounded again by the encroaching shadows of a darker motif midway through—those reverberant notes underscore how even unconditional bliss can be strained by disquiet. But nothing here stays bleak for long. As the turbulence lifts, a gentle playfulness takes its place, reaffirming the resilience of affection when given space to breathe again. With a musical career that started at six and original compositions penned since the age of nine, Shumway has carved his own lane in neo-classical music. While comparisons to Romantic […] The post Mountains Moved by Emotion: James Shumway’s Neo-Classical Confession, ‘To the One I Love’ appeared first on A&R Factory.

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James Shumway doesn’t need lyrics to convey the kind of sentiment that leaves an imprint. In To the One I Love, the composer and pianist lets his chords speak with a sincerity that cuts deeper than the average confession. Written as a love letter in sonic form, the piano solo articulates what most fail to find the words for—how love can exist in extremes and still be real. The piece, recorded alongside visuals of Shumway playing against the peaks of Mount Timpanogos in Aspen Grove, carries the same magnitude as its setting. He moves through the composition with the emotional conviction to shift the mountains he’s playing for. At its most impassioned, the performance soars, before it is grounded again by the encroaching shadows of a darker motif midway through—those reverberant notes underscore how even unconditional bliss can be strained by disquiet. But nothing here stays bleak for long. As the turbulence lifts, a gentle playfulness takes its place, reaffirming the resilience of affection when given space to breathe again. With a musical career that started at six and original compositions penned since the age of nine, Shumway has carved his own lane in neo-classical music. While comparisons to Romantic […]

The post Mountains Moved by Emotion: James Shumway’s Neo-Classical Confession, ‘To the One I Love’ appeared first on A&R Factory.