Anne Trenning | Artist Info

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About Anne...

Instrumental pianist Anne Trenning strongly believes in the ability of music to communicate and promote the ideas of peace, love, and friendship. The music on her second album, ALL ONE WORLD, reflects her hopes and concerns for all civilizations around the globe.

She wrote the title tune “All One World” as an anthem for humanity. “The song is basically in response to our many worldwide conflicts, and my attempt to represent the voices who would prefer to seek peaceful solutions. I wanted to communicate my desire for a more peaceful, united planet by writing music that allows the listener to perceive the possibility of achieving this potential.” Despite her strong feelings about life and the world around her, Trenning likes her music to speak for itself. “I would prefer my music to be in the spotlight rather than my own thoughts and feelings.”

On its release, ALL ONE WORLD debuted at #4 on the national NEW AGE REPORTER radio airplay charts and was named one of the Top 5 annual acoustic piano recordings by that same publication. The CD, and its predecessor SUITE TEA, have not only been released in North America, but also in Europe and Asia where the recordings have had strong sales.

Trenning’s popularity is attributed to the strong melodies she composes. Her sound blends her classical training with her longtime love of Celtic, new age, jazz, classic rock, folk and Americana. Her recordings feature both solo piano pieces as well as her acoustic piano backed on various tunes by violin, flute, guitar, bass, synth, percussion, harp, wordless vocals and a real string quartet. The album was produced by classical percussionist Rick Dior, who graduated from the Manhattan School of Music, studied with jazzsters Bob Mintzer and Joe Morello, and served as the principal percussionist for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra backing such stars as James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Hamlish, Ray Charles, Bobby McFerrin and Lionel Hampton.

There is an organic earthiness to Trenning’s music that derives from her love of nature and the world around us. She believes strongly in the importance of family and tradition. History is another fascination, reflected by her penchant for antiques and old homes (both are pictured in the CD booklet). A deep respect for rural lifestyles is evidenced by the farm photo on the back of the album. Her love for the past also is reflected in the traditional sounds of acoustic instruments found throughout the recording. Anne, who is an avid reader of all genres of literature, feels strongly about passing on knowledge. When not writing, recording, or performing, she teaches piano performance to numerous students.

Trenning’s background, experiences, and deep feelings make their way into her heartfelt music. Many of her more plaintively emotional and poignant melodies are directly derived from personal life experiences. “Sorrow and despair are as universal as joy and happiness, and songs like ‘Walking Through My Tears’ and ‘That The Night Come’ are musical portraits of my own life struggles.” On the upbeat side of things are songs like “Clarecastle” and “Ben’s Song,” both inspired by “the joy and blessing of becoming a mother, and the shared experience of family.” “How Fair My Love” captures the feeling of “offering your love to another; a gentle reminder of the precious value of a gift that can often be taken for granted.”

Trenning’s love of traditional acoustic Celtic music is evident on several tunes. “The Road To Dunlavin” evokes the mystique of “going out and exploring the world, and seeing what you come across as you follow your own path.” “Maggie Rose” is a “joyous, dancing, whirling dervish of a melody I created to celebrate the personalities of spirited and proudly independent women everywhere.”

Anne ends the recording with arrangements of traditional tunes. “I like the idea of rearranging great melodies and introducing them to new generations.” “Give Me Your Hand” is a classic Irish tune from the 1600s, while “La Valse Des Jeune Filles” (The Waltz of the Young Girls) is a French melody that “evokes childlike wonder, pureness and simplicity.” “Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming” is one of her favorite Christmas melodies “with its lovely and heartfelt ability to provoke the wonder of that season of joy.”

Trenning lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, but grew up in Barrington, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), where she began her musical instruction taking organ lessons at the age of seven. Earliest musical memories from this time include “learning sheet music from the Big Band era, with a lot of bossa nova and fox trot songs thrown in.” When she was 12-years-old piano became her primary focus and she studied through high school with the talented Helen Velleuer. Church and choir also shaped her earliest musical memories. Her father encouraged practicing and a love of four-part harmony by paying her a dollar for every hymn she learned to play from a Presbyterian hymnal passed down from her grandmother. “My entrepreneurial spirit insured that I learned to play every hymn in that worn and well-loved collection.”

Anne has always had a love for varied and diverse musical form. Her early classical studies brought her an appreciation of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy and Chopin. At the same time she always loved listening to “just about anything on the radio.” A teenager in the eighties, she found herself drawn to the outpouring of rock and pop music from the previous decades including Crosby Stills Nash and Young, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Steely Dan, The Guess Who, Elton John, The Allman Brothers, and Dan Fogelberg. Trenning attended Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on a musical scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music and History, minoring in business administration. In college her classical studies expanded and she became a fan of Mendelssohn, Scarlatti, and Ravel, while simultaneously exploring country, folk, and new age music, most notably her introduction to the music of George Winston. “Hearing ‘December’ by George Winston for the first time literally stopped me in my tracks; with its ‘new piano sound’ and memorable melodies, it opened the door for me to a whole new way of thinking about this instrument.” Other artists of influence were Joni Mitchell, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bonnie Raitt, and Emmylou Harris. In recent years Trenning’s musical tastes have continued to expand to new age musicians such as Suzanne Ciani, David Lanz, Jim Brickman and Lorie Line. Jazz and Americana artists are new interests, as well as traditional folk music by artists like Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.

After college and three-months of traveling in Europe, Anne began working and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Her musical career took a dramatic turn when she quite inadvertently began composing music. “I didn’t even own a piano in the immediate years following my graduation from college, but soon after I purchased my first home, mom gave me our family's piano. After years of lessons I found myself without a set goal for my practicing so I began experimenting on the keyboard more freely.” Soon Trenning made a demo tape that was heard by best-selling new age artist David Lanz, who said he liked her style and gave her welcome encouragement. Anne then recorded her debut album SUITE TEA. “The title is a tongue-in-cheek nod to years of classical studies, and my whole-hearted embrace of the refreshing Southern tradition of sitting back and enjoying a cool glass of sweetened iced tea whenever time allows.” The recording was produced by GRAMMY-nominated and DOVE Award-recipient Dave Moody, whose family has played a significant role in the history of North Carolina folk and gospel music. The CD features mostly original material, such as the Celtic-flavored “Eden Hall,” but also includes Anne’s homage to her favorite rock band with the inclusion of her instrumental arrangement of Led Zeppelin’s “The Rain Song.” Anne currently serves as the Artist-In-Residence at the historic Morehead Inn. This prestigious property is a Charlotte historical landmark and is the site for many of Charlotte’s finest gala events and celebrations.

"Music is the great communicator,” Anne states. “People tend to relate to things spoken or performed honestly. That’s what I try to accomplish. I want my music to emotionally connect with people, to shape and color their perspective on the beauty of life and our time on this planet. And when it does, I feel honored.”