Piano-playing singer/songwriter Michael Cialdella (pronounced See-a-della) was recently honored as the Best New AC/Hot AC Artist at the 2006 New Music Awards in Hollywood, CA. This award follows the completion of Cialdella’s first East Coast college tour and the launch of a new, interactive website (michaelc.com) sponsored by cutting-edge technology company Vimation. Moreover, “Just Another Day,” the first radio single from Cialdella’s self-titled debut album, has received considerable airplay in small and medium-sized markets around the country and spent two weeks at #1 on the New Music Weekly’s AC/Hot AC chart. Cialdella’s remarkable debut rec... [+]ording, which he produced along with two-time Grammy-winning producer/engineer Chris Brooke, is filled with songs that seem destined to become classics and features an all-star cast of accompanying musicians, including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Billy Joel), bassist Lee Sklar (James Taylor, Jackson Browne), and guitarist Michael Landau (Ray Charles, Andrea Bocelli). “Creating the album was an extraordinary experience from start to finish, from writing the songs on a keyboard in my tiny apartment bedroom to recording them in a world-class Los Angeles studio alongside incredibly accomplished musicians I’ve admired since I was a kid...what an amazing journey.” The tracks range from up-tempo, feel-good cuts like “Finally Free” and “You’re the Only One for Me” to soulful, bluesy ballads like “Just Another Day” and “My Love No More.” Musically, they all feature warm, organic arrangements that complement Cialdella's smooth vocals and well-crafted songs. Lyrically, they reflect the transitional period in his life when they were written. “The songs are largely about trying to find a way through the challenges of life and love...having fun, but staying mindful of the things that matter most.” The album’s infectious melodies and sincere, meaningful lyrics are trademarks of Cialdella’s music and the byproduct of his buoyant spirit and sensitive soul. His songs, voice and engaging personality resonate so powerfully with people of all ages and backgrounds that he often inspires comparisons to some of the most significant singer/songwriters of the rock era, artists like James Taylor, Elton John and Jackson Browne. In the words of fellow musician James Tormé (son of jazz legend Mel Tormé), “Michael is really an exceptional songwriter and vocalist, a true artist. His music is timeless and has an honesty that is all too rare in the music business today.” Born in Brooklyn and raised in Goshen, a small town in New York’s Hudson Valley, Cialdella has been a musician from the start. He began playing the piano at the age of four, wrote his first song by the time he was seven, and as a young teenager, was performing regularly as an organist, both at his church and a local horse racing track. But thinking public service was his calling, he headed off to study economics at Johns Hopkins and law at the University of Virginia (UVA). And yet, throughout that period, music was an integral part of his life. While at Hopkins, Cialdella took voice lessons at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory. During law school, he spent hours a day in the university music rooms honing his considerable skills as a songwriter and pianist. Eventually though, this lifelong love of music led to a rather dramatic change of course. Cialdella moved to Los Angeles soon after graduating from UVA and decided once and for all to make music his life. “After finishing school, I woke up to the fact that life is far too short to NOT do what you love when given the opportunity. I realized that making music gives me more joy than anything else I know. So despite all the obstacles and risks, that’s what I had to do.” For more information on the album, upcoming gigs, and all the latest goings-on, visit michaelc.com.

http://michaelc.com

Piano-playing singer/songwriter Michael Cialdella (pronounced See-a-della) was recently honored as the Best New AC/Hot AC Artist at the 2006 New Music Awards in Hollywood, CA.

This award follows the completion of Cialdella’s first East Coast college tour and the launch of a new, interactive website (michaelc.com) sponsored by cutting-edge technology company Vimation. Moreover, “Just Another Day,” the first radio single from Cialdella’s self-titled debut album, has received considerable airplay in small and medium-sized markets around the country and spent two weeks at #1 on the New Music Weekly’s AC/Hot AC chart.

Cialdella’s remarkable debut recording, which he produced along with two-time Grammy-winning producer/engineer Chris Brooke, is filled with songs that seem destined to become classics and features an all-star cast of accompanying musicians, including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Billy Joel), bassist Lee Sklar (James Taylor, Jackson Browne), and guitarist Michael Landau (Ray Charles, Andrea Bocelli). “Creating the album was an extraordinary experience from start to finish, from writing the songs on a keyboard in my tiny apartment bedroom to recording them in a world-class Los Angeles studio alongside incredibly accomplished musicians I’ve admired since I was a kid...what an amazing journey.”

The tracks range from up-tempo, feel-good cuts like “Finally Free” and “You’re the Only One for Me” to soulful, bluesy ballads like “Just Another Day” and “My Love No More.” Musically, they all feature warm, organic arrangements that complement Cialdella's smooth vocals and well-crafted songs. Lyrically, they reflect the transitional period in his life when they were written. “The songs are largely about trying to find a way through the challenges of life and love...having fun, but staying mindful of the things that matter most.”

The album’s infectious melodies and sincere, meaningful lyrics are trademarks of Cialdella’s music and the byproduct of his buoyant spirit and sensitive soul. His songs, voice and engaging personality resonate so powerfully with people of all ages and backgrounds that he often inspires comparisons to some of the most significant singer/songwriters of the rock era, artists like James Taylor, Elton John and Jackson Browne. In the words of fellow musician James Tormé (son of jazz legend Mel Tormé), “Michael is really an exceptional songwriter and vocalist, a true artist. His music is timeless and has an honesty that is all too rare in the music business today.”

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Goshen, a small town in New York’s Hudson Valley, Cialdella has been a musician from the start. He began playing the piano at the age of four, wrote his first song by the time he was seven, and as a young teenager, was performing regularly as an organist, both at his church and a local horse racing track. But thinking public service was his calling, he headed off to study economics at Johns Hopkins and law at the University of Virginia (UVA). And yet, throughout that period, music was an integral part of his life. While at Hopkins, Cialdella took voice lessons at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory. During law school, he spent hours a day in the university music rooms honing his considerable skills as a songwriter and pianist. Eventually though, this lifelong love of music led to a rather dramatic change of course.

Cialdella moved to Los Angeles soon after graduating from UVA and decided once and for all to make music his life. “After finishing school, I woke up to the fact that life is far too short to NOT do what you love when given the opportunity. I realized that making music gives me more joy than anything else I know. So despite all the obstacles and risks, that’s what I had to do.” For more information on the album, upcoming gigs, and all the latest goings-on, visit michaelc.com.