COLIN FARISH
Colin Farish is a composer, pianist, producer and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded over twenty albums of original instrumental and vocal music. Additionally, he has recorded two albums of solo piano jazz standards (Influences and Spring is Here) and put fifteen poems of Robinson Jeffers to music (Enskyment). In addition to recording his own music, Colin has produced dozens of live and studio albums for other artists from his recording studio and performance space, Stillwater Sound formerly located (1997 - 2005) in the Main Post Chapel of the Presidio of San Francisco. Tibetan songstress Tsering Wangmo's recording Forbidden Voice and Brazilian pianist and composer Weber Iago's Children of the Wind are among the other CD releases Colin has produced for his label Stillwater Sound.

Colin's musical collaborators in the jazz and world music genres include Paul McCandless, Glen Velez, Kai Eckhardt, Glen Moore, Airto Moreira , Deirdre McCarthy and many others, all of whom perform and record with him on numerous CDs in his catalogue, many of them recorded at George Lucas's Skywalker Sound. In the New Age genre, Colin has collaborated and played with Sudhananda of Dragonfly Studios, Dueter, Govi, James Twyman, and hosted Miten and Premal for a concert for their latest recording project produced by Kit Walker.

Colin regularly records and performs with members of local San Francisco Bay Area symphony and opera orchestras and has composed cello quartets, guitar duets, and dozens of small chamber ensemble pieces that appear on his various recordings (please see Discography). He has hosted, co-produced and recorded many concert events, including: a Latin Jazz series, Bay Jazz (co-produced with Linda Woscow) with Omar Sosa, The Snake Trio, Frank Emilo Flynn and others; a World Music series (co-produced with the Cultural Conservancy, www.nativeland.org) with Glen Velez, Ustad Sultan Khan, the Throat singers of Tuva with Paul Pena, Stephen Kent and Lisa Rafael, Linda Tillery and others; and an ongoing orchestral series featuring the music of twentieth century composers performed by the Worn Chamber Ensemble. In 2000, Colin and Richard Worn invited composer Gunther Shueller to conduct one of his octets as part of a two day Gunther Shueller Festival. Colin has also recorded composer Ron McFarland and Australian baritone Maxwell Jarmen both to favorable reviews worldwide.

In 1998 Colin hosted "Sing For Your Life" (with Stephanie Hendricks), a 24-hour a capella participatory singing event originally founded by Bobbi McFerrin at Grace Cathedral featuring members of his Voicestra (Rhiannon, Joey Blake and others) to welcome in the New Year. Colin has helped to produce several albums and concerts for different groups including the all women vocal ensembles of Solstice, Kitka, Juju and French Noel.

Along with his passion for original music and audiophile recording, Colin is deeply committed to using music as a vehicle for social change. He is concerned with creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world and this social consciousness is reflected in many of Colin's selected performances. Colin performed for the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations and at City Hall in San Francisco, the Bioneers Restoring the Earth Conference in San Francisco, the United Religions Global Summit at Stanford University, and numerous other Earth Day and Interfaith festivals.

Together with his wife, native ecologist, author and educator Dr. Melissa Nelson (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) and cultural geographer Philip Klasky, they created the Storyscape Project of The Cultural Conservancy (www.nativeland.org and pbs.org/circle of stories), assisting indigenous communities in recording their native languages, songs and stories. Colin recorded the historic Salt Songs of the Southern Paiute nation, the Mother Earth Songs of Western Shoshone elder Corbin Harney, and is currently involved in helping to establish the Digital Tribal Village project (scdtv.net) in San Diego County.

Born on March 15, 1961, in Pasadena, California, Colin Farish grew up surrounded by performers. By age three, Colin's prodigious musical gifts were already emerging: he was playing the piano by ear, picking out popular tunes and melodies. By age nine he began performing piano for live audiences, playing the guitar, and was composing music. He continued to study at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and with jazz artist Bob Phillips in Monterey, laying the groundwork for the eclectic, stylistic mastery that has become his trademark.

While traveling in India in the late 70s, Colin learned about classical East Indian music, began learning to play the sitar, and performed with many different musicians. This exposure to the East shaped Colin's musical development and continues to influence his musical sensibilities. Since 1987 Colin has owned and operated his own recording studio. In 1991 and 1992 Colin toured the universities and colleges of the Pacific Northwest performing on piano and guitar. During this time he also studied classical guitar and piano composition at Cornish School of Music in Seattle, Washington. From 1995 to 1997, Colin performed at the Pebble Beach Lodge on piano and guitar.

To date, Colin has composed music for film soundtracks in Hollywood, dance productions and a full length musical. His music can be heard regularly on local radio stations, events, festivals, and hotels through the Bay area and at his concerts and CD release parties.