Darla Bower

Hutto, Texas, UNITED STATES

Albums


Blue Butterfly
2020, New Age
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Sleepy Star Lullaby
2019, New Age
SpotifyAppleMusic

Gentleman Bailey
2019, New Age, Neo Classical
ReviewSpotifyAppleMusicAmazon

November Skies
2018, New Age, Neo Classical
ReviewSpotifyAppleMusicAmazon

Mountains Majesty
2014, New Age, Neo Classical
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“Blue Butterfly” reviewed by Pam Asberry

Darla Bower is a composer, pianist, and vocalist who was singing on stage when she was four and taking piano lessons by age six. She attended the Judy Jones School of Music and graduated from the University of North Texas. She has served as an elementary school music teacher and enjoys teaching and performing all styles of music; as a composer, her music has been influenced by David Nevue, Philip Wesley, and Michael Logozar. Her second release, “Blue Butterfly,” features twelve tracks “chronicling life’s journey through loss, grief, and hope” and is dedicated to her mother, Ethel Mary Dawson (1926-2017). Recorded and mastered by Michael Logozar, the album was recorded on a Shigeru Kawai and the piano sound is exquisite. Logazar also produced the album and created the beautiful cover.

The somber opening track, “Woodland Fairy Dance” is a delicate, whispering waltz and the perfect introduction to the title track, “Blue Butterfly.” “Blue Butterfly” was Darla’s nickname for her mother, who loved butterflies; dark and intense, this piece expresses the anguish Darla experienced waiting for her mother’s passing. “Gentleman Bailey” pays tribute to the artist’s dog Bailey. The plaintive melodic theme, played in the deep lower register of the piano, alternates with a short section of undulating, open intervals, and the piece ends with a gentle ascension into the upper registers of the instrument. Clocking in at just over two minutes, the piece seems almost too short – just like the lives of our cherished pets. Elegant yet haunting, ”Mourning Doves” pays homage to Darla’s mother-in-law Judy Bower, and tells the tale of an event that brought great comfort to the family the morning after her passing in January, 2016. Its repetitive rhythms, motives and phrases put me in mind of the solo piano music of Philip Glass. The mood shifts ever so slightly with “November Skies,” written to reflect Darla’s love of the fall season and the month of November in particular. Slow paced and gently rocking, the music is somber without quite being sad and took me back to gray fall afternoons spent walking through the woods, a smoky chill in the air, reminiscing about years past and mentally preparing for the long winter to come. “Falling Petals” alludes to the inevitable losses that come with the passing of time. The sweet cascade of sound from the upper register of the piano over a softly pulsing bass represents the dropping of rose petals from open blooms – very effective!  

“The Swan's Song,” dedicated to Darla’s three sisters, relates the complexity of family relationships. Its mysterious, atmospheric melody over left hand triplets reminiscent of  Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”  Dedicated to her goddaughter, “Sleepy Star Lullaby” is a soothing cradle song. Simple and repetitive, with nods to the childhood songs “This Old Man” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” this one made me smile. “Spring Rain” celebrates a much- needed rainfall on the heels of a drought. Its open intervals and sparse construction give it a bit of a native American feel. Darla describes “Blue Day” as “bluesy funk,” and is evocative of the pain and nostalgia experienced many days in the wake of her mother’s loss. The album concludes with a lovely arrangement of the beloved hymn “The Lord's My Shepard” (sic) and “Prelude – New Beginning.” While it seems unusual to end an album with a prelude, in this case it is entirely fitting, as the music heralds Darla’s mother’s transition into a new journey and beginning.

In “Blue Butterfly,” Darla Bower lays bare her soul, with music that expresses intense grief in the wake of devastating loss tempered with courage and hope. Highly recommended!



“Gentleman Bailey” reviewed by Pam Asberry

“Gentleman Bailey” was written in memory of composer and pianist Darla Bower’s faithful canine companion Bailey, who succumbed to illness in December, 2018. It is a fitting tribute to “the sweetest and gentlest dog” Bower ever owned. The plaintive melodic theme, played in the deep lower register of the piano, alternates with a short section of undulating, open intervals, and the piece ends with a gentle ascension into the upper registers of the instrument. Clocking in at just over two minutes, the piece seems almost too short – just like the lives of our cherished pets. Truly a gem, this is music worthy of repeated hearings. Very highly recommended!



“November Skies” reviewed by Pam Asberry

Described by composer Darla Bower as “a mellow piano piece for relaxation and reflection,” “November Skies” was written to reflect her love of the fall season and the month of November in particular. Slow paced and gently rocking, with tinkling cascades of sound like leaves drifting from the trees, the music is somber without quite being sad and took me back to gray fall afternoons spent walking through the woods, a smoky chill in the air, reminiscing about years past and mentally preparing for the long winter to come. The cover art, a sunset photo taken by the artist’s husband in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, is the perfect complement to the single. This is an absolute jewel of a composition. Don’t miss it!



“Mountains Majesty” reviewed by Cathy Oakes

In her debut CD, Mountain’s Majesty, Darla Bower brings us nine tracks straight from her heart. These pieces represent the struggles, the beauty the ugliness and the victories of this experience called life. Drawing from inspiration she found in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado, Ms. Bower uses notes instead of oils and canvas to paint pictures. She says that each piece is a musical picture of a life experience. Recorded and mastered by Michael Logozar, this CD may hail from the heart of Texas, but it finds its roots deep in Rocky Mountain Nation Park in Colorado.
 
The first track, “Tina’s Dance” was written for her beloved dog, who literally danced on her hind feet. Sadly, Tina passed away. Her ashes are scattered in Rocky Mountain National Park. I love the Alberti bass in this piece and the music box feel, including the “winding down” at the end.
 
The title track, “Mountain’s Majesty” expresses the awe and majesty of the Rocky Mountains. Underlying the majesty is a portrait of the painful experiences we have in life and a reminder that even in the midst of the worst of times, we are surrounded by the beauty and awesomeness of God’s creation. This is one of my favorites on this CD.
 
Another favorite, “Sunset” was the first piece Darla composed. It was inspired by and depicts the simple colors, but brilliant hues of a Rocky Mountain sunset. She says that this piece also represents those we have loved and lost – those relationships on which the sun has set. It is a very emotional piece.
 
“Starry Night” was inspired by Job 38:7, which says that the stars “sing together.” Ms. Bower pointed out that even NASA has proven that the stars give off harmonic vibrations and therefore, truly do sing! She was inspired to write this piece while staring at the stars in the mountains and being overwhelmed by their number and the fact that they seemed so close that she felt she could reach up and touch them.
 
“Broken Pieces” paints a picture of a completely broken life and the scattered pieces that result from that. Darla says that Michael (the engineer) advised her to “get angry” when she recorded this piece.
 
I love the “Chopin Medley.” Darla weaves in and out of several Chopin waltzes in this piece. She plays them masterfully and artistically.
 
Ms Bower finishes her CD with her version of three well-known hymns, “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Come Thou Almighty King” and “Just As I Am,” which is woven together with an original composition. She says that she included those just for her and God as an act of worship.
 
Darla says that sometimes, life’s experiences are simply overwhelming. She found herself unable to put her thoughts and feelings into words, but tried to put them into music. I believe she did this beautifully. She shows great potential and promise as a composer and artist. She says that she doesn’t know whether or not she will ever record another CD. I, for one, certainly hope she does and am looking forward to hearing what else she has in store for us. Well done, Ms. Bower. Excellent first effort! Keep up the good work!