Rarely those classical piano pieces excite people in this day and age. With so many ‘highly-strung’ genres of music today like rock, rap and techno, who would? But, there is something soothing and peaceful about piano instrumentals that it evokes the deepest emotions in one person. Rob Costlow got that, even while he was a young kid, and he is now sharing this with everyone else.
Who is Rob Costlow?
As a young kid of 5, Rob already had signs of becoming an original virtuoso. It was very difficult for him to play the usual musical pieces during recitals and even lessons because, in his own words, there were just too many notes running through his head. At 12, he quit and started composing his own. When he was older, he got a major in music and even took up a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology in the Indiana University.
Rob Costlow’s Music
Sophomore Jinx by Rob Costlow His first album which he named Sophomore Jinx was a bit of an ironic title. On his second year, he injured both his hands in a very unfortunate accident. But that did not stop him from making great music.
He has such a great insight on his music that it makes listeners feel as if they know what he is going through, what he was thinking while he was composing.
‘LA: Passing By’, an 8-minute piece on this album, would be great as background music while you’re on a bus going somewhere. It feels just like it.
‘Bliss’, another long piece, had the same effect.
My personal favorite is ‘Goodbyes’ basically because the song stirs up emotions that one would feel when saying a reluctant farewell.
[divider]
‘Worlds of Chaos’, his second album was released in 2005. Compared to the first one, this is louder and more intense. According to Rob, it was a manifestation of his struggles at the time, the failures, successes and most importantly, his determination to move forward.
If you listen to ‘Meant to Be’, ‘Reflections’, ‘Not Alone’ and of course, ‘Woods of Chaos’, you will understand it all.
[divider]
In 2006, he released ‘Return’ wherein he tried something very different from the genre he is used to. Three tracks ‘Return to Flat Rock’, ‘Fruitful’ and ‘Respect’ were under laid with techno and trance beats. He collaborated with allMeadow, a well-known mixing group.
[divider]
‘Reconstruction’ was out in 2008. Again, the tracks were inspired by everything which was going on in his life at the time. There are three different singles for his baby girl, entitled Baby Girl Parts 1, 2 and 3. He also included one of the songs which he made when he first met his wife called ‘Falling (For Her)’.
[divider]
‘Switch On’ was the next album he worked on, which he released in 2009. This time, he completely collaborated with allMeadow. They came up with ten tracks which are more modern sounding, laid back and more ‘chill’. He used some of his old releases like Reconstructed and Return to Flat Rock for this album.
[divider]
‘Reunion’ is the last one he has made so far. It was released in 2011. It seems that Rob Costlow loves the mixes very well because this album is exactly that. There are four tracks in this album: Forbidden – Wax on Mix, Reunion, Rolling Thunder – Sunday Mix and Tugboat Road.[highlight][/highlight][highlight][/highlight]
Rob Costlow has been nominated for numerous awards as an independent music maker. And if that is not enough, he’s got his own label. But one of the best indications why he is such a great artist is his fans.
Both young teenagers and older adults – people of all ages – like what he makes. And that is because there is nothing more honest than making music based on what you feel. That sincerity is definitely his key to success.
