Yannis Chryssomalis

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Yannis ChryssomalisYanni

• By Cody Bowman

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Yannis Chryssomalis

• Sometimes we get caught up in our troubles and
  our problems and we let life sort of slip away,
  and life is precious, all of life. And one must
  try to take in as much of it as possible.
• -Yanni (1992)

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About Yanni

• Born on November 14, 1954
• Parents were Sotiri and Felitsa
• One of three children
• Family was musically inclined
• Mother Sings
• Father and Brother play guitar and piano
• Yannis music gifts were apparent at an early
  age.

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Continued

• Didnt enjoy practicing the piano
• Began to play piano at the age of six
• Refused lessons
• Heard music in his head, wanted to play what he
  heard
• Better off teaching himself
• Own pace, his own way

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More Than Just Music

• Broke National Greek swimming record.
• 50 meter freestyle event
• Decided to go with musicial career

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College

• University of Minnesota
• College education encouraged by parents
• Major in Psychology
• Never walked away from music even how busy he was
• Played in a local rock band
• Played piano and Keyboard

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After College

• Received degree in 1977
• Joined a Minneapolis-based rock group called
  Chameleon
• Toured and made albums
• In 1980, began to take his own music to the
  charts
• Recorded and released his own material

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Continued

• Used experiences with Piano and Keyboard to
  create first album
• Optimystique
• In 1984, Yanni signed with Atlantic Record
• Second album
• Keys to Imagination

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Hollywood

• Busy time for Yanni
• Released two albums and worked on a third before
  moving to Hollywood
• Hollywood
• Recorded 4 film scores
• Released 3 more albums.
• In 1990, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  accompanied Yanni in concert
• Adding new, unique style of things to come

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Albums

• Dare to Dream earned first Grammy Nomination
• Fall of 1992, Performed Yanni Live at the
  Acropolis
• Recorded and Videotaped
• Sold over 7 million copies worldwide
• Became a fixture on public television

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Goals

• Provided support to PBS
• Appeared in several PBS pledge specials
• Goal to become first westerner to perform at both
  the Taj Mahal in India and the Forbidden City in
  China.
• Album released in the fall of 1997

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Future for Yanni

• I will always do instrumental music, but now Im
  just trying to expand my horizons and open the
  doors to some incredible talent that can give
  voice and lyrics to my work.-Yanni
• Talking about Yanni-Wake Entertainment

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The Rain Must Fall

• Parents encouraged to play music at his own pace
• Music came naturally to him
• Pouring rain, turning in to a massive
  thunderstorm
• Ends with a ray of light coming through the
  clouds

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Nostalgia

• You have to understand our thoughts are our
  precious resources, everything begins there. At
  some point, thought turns into a dream and thats
  where the magic begins. A mans dream or a womans
  dream is so powerful, it could change the world.
  We have seen it happen in history, time and
  again. Where the possible, magical, became the
  reality.-Yanni (1992)
• Song is about his home, where he grew up.

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Bibliography and References

• 2011 Rovi Corporation, http//www.allmusic.com/art
  ist/p2850
• 2011 Yanni-Wake Entertainmenthttp//www.yanni.com
  /bio/
• Yanni Heart of Midnight CD album, original
  soundtrack recording
• Yanni Live at the Acropolis CD album, with the
  Royal Phiharmonic Concert Orchestra
• stewartgjohnstone.com
• cleveland.com
• thelliersblog.blogspot.com