Scranton-based composer Zach Sprowls debuted his first full-length neoclassical album, “All Beginnings Are Hard,” on October 25, 2024.
Photo Credit — Submitted
The arts collide in Scranton for the “All Beginnings Are Hard” album release show
Zach Sprowls celebrates his album release at The Shakes Space on Saturday, November 9, at 7:00 p.m. with the support of artists from across the creative community.
Photo Credit — Submitted
SCRANTON — Composer Zach Sprowls celebrates his debut album, “All Beginnings Are Hard,’ as a variety of community creatives come together to honor his latest contribution to the arts.
“All Beginnings Are Hard” came out on October 25 on all streaming platforms, exhibiting 11 songs fully composed and arranged by Sprowls. Six of the songs also have accompanying live in-studio videos of the captivating recording sessions. Hear the depth of emotion in each track as it builds to bring you on a moving musical journey.
Zach Sprowls works full-time as a composer, usually creating musical works for others, but this time — he did his own thing! In 2023, Sprowls first played his own music live at Scranton Fringe Festival and now, he’s unveiled the first full-length album of his very own.
Sprowls calls his genre “neoclassical,” which is the magic that happens when mixing classical training in with modern elements, such using piano and strings alongside synthesizers. It’s such a new genre, Sprowls is currently defining it with the beautiful music he’s making!
“I try to keep what is timeless about music, like melody, harmony, form, compositional principles and things that always work, but then package it in a way that’s fresh and modern,” explained Sprowls.
Zach Sprowls’ album release show takes place Saturday, November 9, starting at 7:00 p.m. at The Shakes Space inside The Marketplace at Steamtown in Scranton. The event features a collision of the arts to introduce the defiant new finished piece.
The Saturday night show highlights the full spectrum of the arts to expose attendees to many different forms of creativity, all in one cool, artsy package. In addition to Zach Sprowls’ live performance with Valenches String Trio, he collaborated with other masters of their craft within the community to pull it all together.
“I wanted to celebrate the release of this album by bringing together people who wouldn’t normally be in the room together,” said Sprowls.
Mystic Joy, who provided ambient vocals for select tracks on the album, will be present at the event to perform those songs live. Indie folk artist, Timothy Zieger will also play a few of Sprowls’ songs alongside Valenches String Trio and with Sprowls on piano.
Greenfield III, including musicians Jesse Mower, Jon Ventre, and Jami Novak, will open for “Zach Sprowls & Collaborators Launch an Album” with some power funk to set the mood. An unlikely yet perfect match for what Sprowls had in mind!
Christine Smith will do live painting, Keith Perks will be there for photography, Tony Susi did the graphic design, and Michael Nassar will be doing custom visual arts projections with audio support from Clyde Rosencrance of Republic Audio Studios. All this will come together for a truly artistic evening at Scranton Shakes Space with a bit of something for everyone.
“One of the things I love about Scranton and one of the reasons I’ve chosen to make this my homebase is the amount of talent that’s here,” said Sprowls, who went to school here and moved back to Scranton about six years ago. “ — And not just musically, all the different art forms. But if we’re talking about music, there are some blues and some funk and jazz and rock artists here that are world class”
Sprowls aims to invite new people into the neoclassical movement with this event. In much of Europe, classical music is a regular part of the late-night circuit but that’s not the norm here in the States and especially not in Scranton. However, there’s an importance to this music that we all ought to appreciate the value in.
This collaborative album debut might just be the perfect lens into the expansiveness of the neoclassical movement. Sprowls believes there’s a benefit in experimenting across different art forms and he leverages all that to celebrate “All Beginnings Are Hard.”
“I have always felt that creatives of any kind really benefit when they branch out of their little circles and their tiny genres, whatever that may be,” said Sprowls. “Start cross-pollinating with other disciplines and genres. I’ve been enriched by that and the neoclassical music that I make is a lot richer, more complex, and more interesting because of that.”
That sense inspired him to offer a multifaceted sensory experience where everyone can find something they resonate with.
“All these different artistic things are coming together in an eclectic and, what I hope will be, a communal experience,” said Sprowls. “Being the weekend after the election, I’m hoping it’ll be a reminder that we all are still people, and we can all still come together.”
As a full-time composer, music serves as Sprowls’ primary form of expression; personal experiences and collaborative projects drive his creative process. He often makes music for films, television, and other projects. However, this one was all for him!
“This is personal. This is written as if my life was the movie and the music that I’m writing is the score that came out of the movie,” said Sprowls. “I think of it as a concept album. It’s a story of what it’s like to start over.”
In “All Beginnings Are Hard,” Sprowls utilizes everything from ambient sounds to electronic beats, from Americana influences to cinematic soundscapes, to send his message. He also pulls inspiration from all those disciplines he’s come to appreciate himself.
In addition to arranging and composing the entire album, Sprowls plays piano for the songs and enlisted help from accomplished musicians to make each piece of his vision come to life. The album is mostly instrumental with three songs including lyrics and singing, with Sprowls even taking the mic himself for a change.
“I felt even despite my insecurity about my voice, they needed to be on the album, because the album tells a story,” said Sprowls.
Using the same approach he takes to shape the perception of a movie or any other project he’s working on, Sprowls allows his sense of emotion to guide the composition.
“I’ve always been one to express myself better at the piano than in the world,” said Sprowls. “I just communicate better through music. So, it’s easy to write those songs because it’s just coming out.”
Sprowls said he loves what he does. In music, he’s found fulfillment and plans to continue pursuing it in both his career and life. It sounds, literally, like he’s on the right path!
Zach Sprowls also loves the community he’s been able to make this music in. He loves that he’s the only neoclassical artist in NEPA and believes that will lead to new milestones for himself and the genre. Scranton is his home, and the album release show for “All Beginnings Are Hard” on Saturday, November 9, will be a testament to not only his distinct, artistic talent but all of the starpower we have here in our community.
