As I was growing up as a young boy in the projects of Camden, New Jersey in the mid 50's, I would somehow after playing all day with my friends find a couple of empty 5 gallon cans and begin whaling away, creating rythmic beats that were all improvised as I hammered away. That was my subtle beginning, not really being aware of what all that meant. I had the rythmn. As I grew older and put away my five gallon paint can I discovered more of my innate DNA,a sensation from within that excited my senses and made me find a groove. It was the piano sounds of Ahmad Jamal's "Poinciana" and Vince Guraldi's "Black Orpheus. That led me to Charlie Brown's soundtrack and Linus of the "Peanuts" cartoon. My awareness was sharpening and my feel for the rythmns was ever deepening. It never dawned on me during this entire revelation, aside from those 5 gallon paint cans, "why don't you learn how to play an instrment and make music". I knew music was in my blood, apart of my DNA, but it never turned me towards creating. All during the 70's and 80"s I had amassed an albumn collections second to none. From Lonnie Liston Smith to Billy Cobham. Creative Source to Chaka Kahn. From the Black Bryds, Bobbi Humphries to Joe Sample and the Crusaders. I had them all, listen to them all and loved them all. That was my kind of sound. Then along came Yanni, and John Tesh and Enya, and finally Kieko Matsui. A culmination of a blend of styles and rythmns that has influenced my music sense. Now that I had my foundation, rock solid, it wasn't until the 90's that I ventured into the creation of my sound. A modest beginning, using a Casio 49 key keyboard with onboard accompanyment, I started my journey into the electronic music arena. Never a music lesson, unable to read or even understand music theory I just follow the accompanyment and like those cans, I was just playing. My skills as a pianist are still lacking yet a lot better than at first, but with modern technology and the advance of computer intergration I am able to put sound ideas together and creat original compositions anchored in the foundation of my musical journey. I am now able to produce, arrange, performed mix and record all my material and make it available to all who will listen. My biggest excitement and enjoyment is to know that someone else can dig where I am and where I have come from. I derived my stage name from my given name, Ronnie, and because of the major impact Yanni's music has on my being, Ronnie becomes Ranni and my last name Johnson, abbreviated to Johns. Hence Ranni Johns. This CD, "Second Wind" is the culmination of two element that have transformed my life. The first the birth of my son, Ronald Johnson Jr. and secondly, from that birth, my "Second Wind". The and titles reflect on the relationships that have developed and the music, the energy that has been released. "First Child" relates to his birth. "All or Nothing" and "Become as One" and "Bass'd on Love" are all about the union between Mother, Father and Son. "Intimate Friend" relates to my idea of an ideal wife. And so on, as the titles go its all about the Union. Note: "DreamCatcher" is the title given to me by Ronald Johnson Jr. Have a Blessed and Prosperous Day.
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