Date: Fri 20-Sep-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A10

Quick Words:

David-Orris-singer-piano

Full Text:

(feature on singer-songwriter David Orris, 9/20/96)

Take Note: David Orris Is Ready With His First Album

(with photo)

By Shannon Hicks

DANBURY - David Orris wrote his first song when he was nine years old. His

first "real song," he says, was written four years later, at age 13. Called

"Forever Friends," he performed it at his middle school talent show. It was a

hit. Sort of.

"The girls cried, so I kept writing," he said recently, punctuated with the

distinctive laugh that follows many of his statements. David is now 23, and

ready to start getting people to sit up and take note of his music. "I've been

doing this ever since."

The singer-songwriter-piano player grew up in the Chicago area. Last December

he moved to New Fairfield, and a few months ago he took up residence in

Danbury. In Chicago he had played a number of cabaret-style bars, but knew he

needed to be closer to New York City, which prompted the move north.

On August 30, David celebrated the completion of his first album with a

concert at Seattle Espresso in Danbury. The album, which he hopes to have

released by the end of this month, is called Addict .

David wrote the 15 songs on the album - he says songs are "born, they come

into your brain or into your body... they sort of appear. I never sit down and

say `Oh, OK, I'm going to write five songs this month.'" - then organized who

played what throughout the album. His sister, Karissa Orris, flew up from

Virginia Beach to do background vocals for Addict , and local musicians helped

him fill the sound of the album.

Drummer Joe Giacometti and bass player John Foley, both of New Fairfield,

began rehearsing with David last January, and along the way James Herstatt

came on line with electric and acoustic violin donations. The New Milford

violin player will probably be the only accompaniment David uses when he

begins performing more regularly for Addict ; he prefers solo performances to

group shows. The album is being released on CD by Danbury-based Tint Records.

The August 30 Seattle Espresso gig was the latest in a lifetime of steps -

with many more still ahead - the young, determined musician has already taken

toward something he always knew he wanted:

A Life In Music

When David Orris began taking piano lessons at age four, he lacked the

discipline to stick with it, and his parents stopped paying for the lessons.

Three years later he begged for lessons again... and he has been tickling the

keys since then.

David grew up in a very conservative, Christian, evangelical environment. "I

always knew music was what I wanted to do, but if you listen to [my] lyrics it

isn't exactly Amy Grant. [Traditional "Christian" music] isn't exactly what I

ended up doing, but I am a musician." Again, the laugh.

The singer-songwriter-piano player has come a long way from the middle school

talent show performance ten years ago. ("It was a very emotive song... Looking

back, it was a pretty bad song, but I'm glad I kept trying," the laugh, a

deep, resonating, comfortable Chuckle, punctuates another sentence.)

David went to Wheaton Conservatory, located just outside Chicago. But when he

and his music teacher began having "irreconcilable differences," as the former

student calls it, David decided it was time to change base.

"My voice teacher wanted me to sing all Italian arias, and I was like, `But

that's not what I want to do.' I did that for a couple of years, I did my time

singing French and Italian and German. But being a baritone... It was good. I

mean, I don't regret it, but..." the tale trails off.

It was at this point David switched to Wheaton College, became a

communications major and studied theatre and audio engineering. He graduated

with a degree in communications (emphasis in theatre and audio engineering,

with a minor in music).

New York City is where David figures he is going to make it big, be noticed,

maybe be signed to a full record deal. While he thinks he has to make it

within the city, he still wants to be able to get out at the end of the day,

which is why he decided on the move to Connecticut last year. Connecticut is

also home to quite a few musicians itself, a fact that has not escaped David's

notice.

"[Danbury is] a quiet, normal community I can afford. I like to be able to

leave New York City at the end of the day. And there's actually a burgeoning

music scene around here.

"I mean, it's obviously not New York City, but there's a nice artists'

community. You can escape the B.S. of New York City and kind of be with people

who really enjoy the music. The community around here, it's about the art,

it's not about who's gonna stab who in the back, who's gonna get what kind of

money, who's gonna get the deal, who's gonna get the gallery... you know,

whatever!"

He has studied composition ("I've played all the Beethoven, the Bach, and

later the Bartok..."), because, he says, "You can't play that stuff and not

have studied composition. Even though it's pop music, when you break it all

down it's all kind of similar."

David is still young enough to want to change the world with his art. He's

going to make the world a better place, on his terms, at his time. And who

knows? Maybe he will be the one to do so. He has done the education bit and he

has done some time learning the "inside" of the industry; David had

internships with Sony Music and also with contemporary composer Wendy

Chambers. Now it's time for himself.

"I want the deal, but I want the deal because I want to make the art for a lot

of people... which is hyper-idealist," he admits.

Right now, David Orris' deal includes the release of his 15-song debut, Addict

. Now that the album is completed, the time schedule is going to go into

reverse: Start looking for more of David Orris on the street and around the

area playing live shows, and less of him in the studio.

It is time for David Orris to take his next step.