Release Date: September 26, 2025
Label: Independent
The Evolution
of Tim Neumark has been through the keys of the piano. Having the opportunity
to hear his music over the years has been a pleasurable experience. And not
just in an audio sense, an all-around awareness of the music makes me feel,
think, and reflect in a certain way as I listen to each track.
This is Tim’s solo piano Op.11, and it begins with the track
“Runner.”
With a title such as that, my first thought was that it would be
fast-paced, so much for that thought. It begins with a slower tempo and
gradually builds to a medium tempo as he adds more layers to the composition.
Within the 4 minutes, he makes several transitions as he takes his classical
foundation and builds upon it, breathing life into the notes with his emotive
playing. This is the beginning of a contemporary piano-based instrumental
recording with a strong influence from the classical music world.
“Traveler” immediately brings forth an image. The piano begins
its own movements with a melodic introduction. Then, as that statement is made,
Tim goes off in another direction as the classical element shows its strength
and elasticity. Here is where a musician like Tim takes that foundation and
builds his own mansion of sound and color. The music is full of drama and time
for reflection through our own self-imposed mirrors. Its beauty lies in its
strength and resilience, as he moves through each movement with precision and a
sense of rhythm that always pulls you in. As the fingers travel, so does your
mind.
“Younger” begins with a catchy melody, and as it resonates with
you, the keys are in a mid-tempo mode and very resolute. The word implies a
time frame or a sense of oneself feeling a certain way; is there more to it?
The sounds I am hearing are a look back, tinged with some sadness, to a time
when the character was younger. It ends in a very matter-of-fact way.
“Flour” is a very literal word; there are no hidden meanings.
However, what you discover in the music may bring you to a different
conclusion. Right away, there is a change in energy from the previous tracks.
The playing is quicker in the beginning, and the immediacy is felt. Then, there
is a change in tempo; it slows down and sounds more serious now. In between the
echoing of the last note, there is another change to the flow. Perhaps the
meaning here is that flour can be used to make something, a white powdery
substance that turns into bread or cookies. This is merely my conjecture; I can
only listen and note the changes in the composition and how they relate to the
human condition.
“Greener” denotes the strength of one color, taking it up
another level in how the eyes perceive it. The music is soft and warm, like the
sunshine that can make a tree, the grass, or the leaves on a plant greener. The
piano keys sound like a ballerina gliding across the stage as the physical
drama of their movements tells a story. You are here for a very brief stop as
the last note echoes before another change in direction. Whenever you hear a
pause in a song, there is usually some change that follows directly after
it—another beautiful journey through the keys.
“Vulture” is a bird and a negative label of a specific type of
personality, so you would expect to hear some pensiveness or strong emotion.
The piano sounds like it’s traveling into uncertain territory here, as if it’s
giving a warning to whomever is listening. The pace quickens, then slows again.
It ends, leaving you wondering, so you must make the choice, and what does it
all mean to you?
“Darker” continues down similar paths of thought before moving
forward. I did not just think of day to night with the change in light. I
thought of a space in time, an attitude, a place where one can go that brings
them down rather than up. The piano is very emotive here as it builds and
builds. The tempo increases as the notes become increasingly complex.
Three-quarters of the way through, there is that short pause and another change
in tempo to a slower, more reflective one.
From “Vulture” to “Darker” to “Beggar,” the story begins to
unravel. This forms into a trilogy of sorts when you process the track titles.
And you must listen carefully to the atmosphere and attitude that may arise in
this music. This time, the keys sound as if they are taking very measurable
steps as the music rises, like issuing a warning to the walker to watch out for
the “Vulture.” The piano is thoughtful as it carefully sounds through its keys.
“Renter” is not the owner. One must pay to use the space they
desire. Things begin slowly and then take a dramatic turn; the sounds are like
a sudden wake-up call to what is happening as the music transitions from that
drama to something softer and sweeter. You know that, while listening, you were
the “Renter” of this time and space.
“Loaner” is another progression into this instrumental outing.
These tables have turned on the character transition from “Renter” to “Loaner.”
However, they have similar meanings if you consider them. In both instances,
you are either giving someone else something to use for a period of time or
allowing them to. I am trying to hear that in the music as it plays out so
slowly with its purpose. Because of the tempo, I think there is more thought
and responsibility involved in being the “Loaner.”
“Writer” starts another transition into the final character in
this story. Now we become more serious and thoughtful, as this time requires
putting thoughts into words on paper, or, as we do today, in Word on a
computer, or on a social media platform. The piano’s shifting tones emulate all
the complexities and emotions of a person with the responsibility of being the
writer, the one everyone needs to understand as they read the words. The music
unfolds, and the pages turn within the music as the book is written.
As we close out this musical journey and story through the
piano, it is time for the “Speaker” to end it. The piano’s keys speak softly
and thoughtfully, choosing its intonations and movements so whoever is
listening can understand and relate. The “Writer” has moved from one position
to the next to amplify the words in person. The tempo does not change much, but
the notes do, as a good speaker would.
After considering the meaning of each word in the track titles and how the piano conveyed them, I can understand why Tim Neumark titled this work “Evolution.” It was the Evolution of characters and his music. At the same time, the different circumstances, attitudes, personalities, or life changes one person could go through unfold (in your mind and through his fingers). It is beautifully played out in the drama of one man’s piano keys—the dance of the human condition set to music once again.
Keith
“MuzikMan” Hannaleck-NAMR Founder
September
9, 2025
Tracks:
01. Runner
02. Traveler
03. Younger
04. Flour
05. Greener
06. Vulture
07. Darker
08. Beggar
09. Renter
10. Loaner
11. Writer
12. Speaker
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