Joan Kurland Looking Up: Songs Of Hope & Inspiration CD

Pianist-singer-songwriter Joan Kurland began her musical career at the age of five, when she begged her parents for a piano-- and knew how to play it before taking any lessons! Joan studied classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory, but her claim to fame has always been her incredible ear. Her ability to play pretty much anything she hears in any key (she has perfect pitch) makes her the ideal choice for any special event, since she doesn't need sheet music to accommodate requests. From Beethoven to the Beatles, Joan has it all in her head, ready to pull out when needed. After completing her collegiate musical studies, Joan sang and played keyboards in a highly successful Top-40 band on the East Coast. The culmination of the band's career was a performance in front of 10,000 people at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. In 1988, wanting a healthier and more spiritually oriented life, Joan left the band and fulfilled her longtime dream of moving to California. She began playing at Nordstrom, performing at parties and weddings, and teaching piano and voice. Her longtime association with the Optimum Health Institute in Lemon Grove, California, a healing center based around live foods, inspired her to start writing funny songs about the health food lifestyle. Her album of parodies, “Eat It Raw: Food, Love, and Other Disasters,” with its hilarious takes on such topics as sugar addiction, singlehood, and wheatgrass juice, has brought laughter to thousands, and was performed at the Comedy Store in La Jolla to great acclaim. In the 90s, a relative's bout with breast cancer prompted Joan to write the healing song, “I Believe," which she performed on NBC television during breast cancer awareness month in 2001. This sparked another facet of Joan’s career—writing spiritually-oriented songs and performing them at houses of worship and healing conferences. This has been one of the most deeply satisfying things she’s ever done—giving comfort to those who need it and receiving great love and appreciation in return.After many requests from fans for more recordings, Joan recently completed and released a CD entitled, “Looking Up: Songs of Hope and Inspiration,” which features several of her own compositions, as well as such popular favorites as “The Rose” and “The Wind Beneath My Wings.” The album is available through Joan Kurland Music (619)464-2525 and on the web at cdbaby.com. In addition to performing “I Believe” on NBC, Joan has also appeared on television as a “Jeopardy” contestant, a swing dancer, and as one of the most politically incorrect people in San Diego. In her spare time, she loves to swim, walk, dance, and read. Joan’s goal is to continue to grow as an artist and a person, so that she can bring her unique blend of inspiration, healing, and laughter to more and more people throughout the world.