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Tim Story was born in 1957 in Philadelphia, and currently lives in the small river
town of Maumee, in northwest Ohio.
Tim's intensely personal style as a pianist, synthesist and composer developed
from years of experimentation in his home studio, and a love of composition.
Along with his self-taught, idiosyncratic approach to the piano, Story saw the
great potential of the new breed of electronic music instruments that were
evolving in the early 70's. This affinity for synthesizers, as well as electric
guitars, tape loops and kitchen utensils, is evident in the early recordings.
The careful juxtaposition of acoustic instruments with electronic textures,
and an inventive approach to composition are common threads running
through most of Story's work.
Tim Story's work has come to be known for its haunting elegance and
meticulous compositional detail. When writing and recording, he often spends
months carefully working and refining the shape of each composition until he
achieves the desired emotional and intellectual effect. His seemingly simple
pieces distill harmonic and melodic ideas that are often quite complex.
"I like to work with a finite palette of sounds and keep paring things
down to a pure, though often ambiguous, expression. Simplicity needn't mean
simplemindedness. I think of the deceptively simple, ironic pieces of Erik Satie,
or the lovely yet challenging piano music of Debussy. The very best of these
pieces appear so effortless and perfect that they seem as if they've existed
forever..." Story also cites a diverse range of musical preferences including
Bartok, Arvo Part, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Dwight Ashley, Can and Robert Wyatt.
" ...a goal of mine is to get the listeners to put something of themselves into
the music. I want to prod the listener to find his or her own feelings about a
piece, even if those feelings are sometimes uncomfortable. As Charles Ives
said, 'Beauty in music is too often confused with something that lets the ears
lie back in an easy chair.' I like to think of good music as a sculpture or a
Japanese garden, where you can never experience the whole from any one
point. Music that insinuates, you must move through it, live with it for a while,
before it yields its secrets."
In addition to eight solo albums and dozens of compliation appearances, Story’s work has appeared on numerous television and film soundtracks, and was nominated for a Grammy award (for 1988’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, a children’s recording, with Glenn Close). His music has consistently landed on critics’ annual “top ten” lists. Notable collaborations include two acclaimed CDs with Dwight Ashley; a third is currently in production. His ninth solo project, “Buzzle”, is slated for release in 2004.
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