Paint the Forest Winter

About the Artist
"Zola Van, pianist/composer creates inspiring, beautiful music described by reviewers as lush, evocative, compelling; intuitive with strong melodies expertly played. Zola's music possesses a breezy accessibility and is absolutely gorgeous!


Zola Van, pianist and composer, brings a unique blend to her listeners: the beauty of her original piano solos and that of scenic Southern Illinois, where she resides. Her music has made music lovers out of outdoorsmen and has inspired people to get out and see the actual spots that have inspired her musical creations. Her music is also gaining national attention for its beauty and worthiness alone. Zola has been called an "Ambassador for her area" bringing attention and recognition to the beauty of Southern Illinois through her music.

Zola has many intensely loyal fans who have expressed devotion and admiration of her music and creativity. It has been said repeatedly of her music, "All they have to do is listen once, and they are hooked!".

Her first CD, River to River Trail: The Hike, has elicited an enthusiastic response from the public, tourism officials, trail societies, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the National Forest Service. The March/April 2001 issue of American Hiker contains a full-page article about Zola, the CD, and how it originated. Outdoor Illinois, a publication of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, State of Illinois, will feature her in the August, 2001, issue. No other musician has ever enjoyed these two distinctions. She also began her own Really Big Shoes Publishing Co. to release her own albums.

WDBX Radio in Carbondale, IL aired a two hour program titled "In Search of Trail Magic" on Jerry Nelms’ Music from Beyond the Lakes based upon Zola’s CD. Radio stations across the country are using Zola’s music in their programming and receiving favorable comments from their listeners.

The Southern Illinoisan sponsored and promoted her CD release concert at the Herrin Civic Center. Ken Seeber of the Southern Illinoisan hailed her "A Walking Inspiration. Celebrate the Shawnee with Pianist Zola Van." Five Southern Illinois newspapers have printed articles about Zola and her music.

Zola has a music degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and throughout high school she studied piano privately with the Music Department Chairman. She has taught music privately and in public schools. Having played since childhood, she has always heard and written music. A strong family background in the arts and love of nature has nurtured her appreciation of both.

Zola’s music touches people, makes them feel something of what she felt when inspired by the beauty and the history of Southern Illinois. An admirer says, "What I cannot do with the many inflections of voice, Zola can do with a piano key." Listen yourselves! It is Zola’s wish that through her music, you may stand in the forest with her, no matter where you may be.



Product Description
"Paint the Forest Winter ranked as the #1 New Age CD in the NAV Top 100 Radio Airplay Charts in December 2002. An evocative and lush solo piano CD, Paint the Forest Winter reflects thoughts and emotions tied to natural and historic sites in and around the Shawnee National Forest across the season of winter.

Paint the Forest Winter,Zola Van,The Orchard,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

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Average customer rating: Frozen Waterfalls and Magical Crystal Cave Dreams Tranquility New Age Voice Magazine - NAV, Jan 2003 - Peter Manzi, Editor Beautiful, Original, Unique Pretty but BUSY

Paint the Forest Winter Zola Van Manufacturer: Really Big Shoes ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Piano | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: River to River Trail: The Hike Through Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois Carol: A Christmas Journey ASIN: B00005S80B Release Date: 2001-12-01

Tracks:

1. Snow Dance at Sand Cave
2. Chamnesstown School Trail at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge
3. Winter's Kiss at Rim Rock Trail
4. Gathering at Teal Pond
5. Wintertide at Miller's Grove
6. The Snow Day
7. Paint the Forest Winter
8. Trail of Tears: Kyrie at Brownfield
9. Burden Falls
10. At Rendleman's Grave: Giant City State Park
11. Promise of Spring at Bald Knob
12. Vivaldi's Winter: Largo from Concerto in F minor

Album Description

Visit the website at zolavan.com Zola's music has been described by reviewers as lush, compelling, evocative and absolutely gorgeous. "On Paint the Forest Winter she captures specific moods that are conjured by the forest's sleepy winter months, as well as some of the history associated with some of the more remote areas." Ken Seeber, Flipside, Southern Illinoisan, December 13, 2001. Van says in her CD insert of Paint the Forest Winter, "Were I a painter the moolit woods would sparkle under a deep blanket of fresly fallen snow, and my canvas would express the beauty and solitude of the winterscape before me. The strokes of my brush would paint for you the openness and scarcity, the sleep and rest, the death and promise of renewal. For this 'painter' the brush is my pen and my canvas a blank manuscript paper. Each stroke recreates these sights in a soundscape of motives and rhythms as at my piano I paint the forest winter."

Customer Reviews:

Frozen Waterfalls and Magical Crystal Cave Dreams.......2004-07-20

Walk with me through timeless moments of beauty as the forest rests and seems to endlessly sleep through days and months, across countless years of winter. The forest lies open and vulnerable, sharing its secrets while resting peacefully through this season of scarcity and earth, waiting patiently for spring and the promise of renewal. ~Zola Van

If snow fell to the earth as musical notes, they might sound like "Snow Dance at Sand Cave." There is a crystalline beauty in Zola Van's playing that almost rivals nature itself. Her playing is born from a love of nature and her connection with her environment weaves its way into the notes in her piano solos in an almost breathless anticipatory beauty.

While the first two solos are fast-paced and the notes dance excitably like sun glinting off ice, Winter's Kiss at Rim Rock Trail has a calming quality reminiscent of the security you would feel looking out from a warm house covered in snow. You will feel the chill of winter in the shivers Zola Van's playing will give you. The notes are especially crisp in this piece.

In Gathering at Teal Pond majesty intermingles with playfulness. Wintertide at Miller's Grove is haunting in its delicacy and an element of bittersweet memories have been inspired by a lonely pine grove. Perhaps my favorite track on this CD because the pace is comforting. I'd like to have an entire CD with songs of this pace. Zola's playing does at times have an intensity to it, but in Wintertide, she captures the true feeling of winter in its stillness.

The Snow Day might remind you of playgrounds and snowball fights. Paint the Forest Winter is exquisite and you can imagine a moonlit woods sparkling like diamonds under a starlit night. Zola's sensitivity to each note is very apparent as she delicately unfolds a painting in a musical observation.

Trail of Tears: Kyrie at Brownfield was inspired by the story of mothers who told their children to run into the forest for safety. Zola captures the immense sense of loss and heart-wrenching despair the Cherokee Indians felt in the winter of 1839. It is almost a tribute to the human spirit and even if you didn't know the story that inspired this song, you would be overwhelmed with a sense of someone feeling despair. I am only left wondering how humans could treat one another with such disrespect when surrounded by such woodland beauty.

Burden Falls is a heavier piece representing a frozen section of waterfall trapped motionless in the dead of winter. Water still moves beneath and you can hear a freedom of rushing water beneath the frozen cascades.

At Rendleman's Grave: Giant City State Park was inspired by a story of a child who lived through the Civil War. "Sleeping Periwinkles cover this site (his grave) to come forth in spring." Zola has captured a solitary stillness that then breaks into the continuation of life as it moves from one form to the next. Promise of Spring follows rather appropriately as the death of winter gives way to new life and a heaven of flowers bursting into bloom. There is a sadness of saying goodbye to winter, and a bittersweet welcoming of spring. Zola completes the mood with Vivaldi's Winter: Largo from Concerto in F minor. Her interpretation is dreamily romantic and the perfect ending to a magnificent CD filled with emotion, wonder and pure musical genius.

I am amazed by the profound way Zola captures emotions and scenic vistas. It makes the heart want to escape to this beautiful area in Southern Illinois were she is inspired and lives. I lived in Illinois as a child and part of me remembers the beauty of deep snow and the atmosphere and scents of winter. The variety in this particular CD is stunning. I have rarely heard music this beautiful and heart capturing. Paint the Forest Winter would enhance any walk out in nature, especially if snow is covering the ground.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Tranquility.......2003-12-24

Zola Van's piano solos have so much depth that she virtually touches your soul with the feeling that gave her the inspiration to play these beautiful, melodic tunes.
Imagine being bundled up and warm, trekking through a quiet, peaceful forest in the heart of winter. Ice topped branches sparkling in the sun. Fluffy white snow with deer and rabbit tracks intertwined. Her music can take you there.
I can picture her inspiration to transform the feelings and experience from being alone for hours, sightseeing as she made her way through the deep forest.
But it's best to experience it for yourself. "At Rendleman's Grave", "The Snow Day" and "Paint the Forest Winter" are three of the best songs here but all are beautiful.

New Age Voice Magazine - NAV, Jan 2003 - Peter Manzi, Editor.......2003-02-01

If you're antsy to get outdoors but can't due to the winter's weather, the next best thing may be to listen to Zola Van's second effort Paint the Forest Winter. Her 12 impressionist pieces were inspired by hikes through the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, and most are some of the more melodic, romantic and visual piano efforts you'll hear this year from a piano solo release. An excellent and representative piece is "Winter's Kiss at Rim Rock Trail" (see track 6 on this month's sampler) will make you feel the sting of winter's cold.

The highlight of the CD is "Rendleman's Grave," inspired by the lonely grave that sits in a corner of a children's cemetery--the boy just a day shy of his 13th birthday.

For the piano solo lover, this release has it all: strong compositions with beautiful melodies, a deep well of interesting harmonies, and fine chops at the keys. The CD also contains fantastic liner notes, with explanations from each stop of the hiking journey and several photographs.

Paint the Forest Winter is a fabulous stroll through winter's timeless moments and open forests. -- Peter Manzi, Editor

Beautiful, Original, Unique.......2003-01-25

I am very impressed with Paint the Forest Winter. To find a CD that has such a range of styles and emotions these days is rare. The music takes me from a snowball fight to the tragic story of the Cherokee and lots of interesting places in between. The liner notes and pictures are great. I like the purity of the piano all alone, with none of the streamed-in sound effects that render a monotony to so many other CD's in this genre. The original compositions exhibit complexity and variety, holding my interest, pleasing my ear, and stimulating my thoughts and feelings. I've really loved the "journey" this artist has taken me on!

Pretty but BUSY.......2002-12-27

I hesitate to give this album only 3 stars because I tend to like music of this type. My complaint with this album is that there isn't much variation in dynamic in the songs....they are all pretty much the same...pretty, but very busy. I think the album would have been better with more variety of moods and tempos and a little less ornamentation here and there. Just my personal opinion...I just feel it gets tiring on the ears after about 3 songs.

Average customer rating: Crisp Piano for a Winter Escape

Paint the Forest Winter Zola Van Manufacturer: The Orchard ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | New Age | Styles | Music Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: River to River Trail: The Hike Through Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois ASIN: B0002VESSM Release Date: 2004-08-24

Tracks:

1. Snow Dance at Sand Cave
2. Chamnesstown School Trail
3. Winter's Kiss at Rim Rock Trail
4. Gathering at Teal Pond
5. Wintertide at Miller's Grove
6. The Snow Day
7. Paint the Forest Winter
8. Trail of Tears: Kyrie at Brownfield
9. Burden Falls
10. At Rendleman's Grave: Giant City State Park
11. Promise of Spring at Bald Knob
12. Vivaldi's Winter: Largo from Concerto in F minor

Album Description

"Paint the Forest Winter ranked as the #1 New Age CD in the NAV Top 100 Radio Airplay Charts in December 2002. An evocative and lush solo piano CD, Paint the Forest Winter reflects thoughts and emotions tied to natural and historic sites in and around the Shawnee National Forest across the season of winter.

Customer Reviews:

Crisp Piano for a Winter Escape.......2006-08-13

Walk with me through timeless moments of beauty as the forest rests and seems to endlessly sleep through days and months, across countless years of winter. The forest lies open and vulnerable, sharing its secrets while resting peacefully through this season of scarcity and earth, waiting patiently for spring and the promise of renewal. ~Zola Van

If snow fell to the earth as musical notes, they might sound like "Snow Dance at Sand Cave." There is a crystalline beauty in Zola Van's playing that almost rivals nature itself. Her playing is born from a love of nature and her connection with her environment weaves its way into the notes in her piano solos in an almost breathless anticipatory beauty.

While the first two solos are fast-paced and the notes dance excitably like sun glinting off ice, Winter's Kiss at Rim Rock Trail has a calming quality reminiscent of the security you would feel looking out from a warm house covered in snow. You will feel the chill of winter in the shivers Zola Van's playing will give you. The notes are especially crisp in this piece.

In Gathering at Teal Pond majesty intermingles with playfulness. Wintertide at Miller's Grove is haunting in its delicacy and an element of bittersweet memories have been inspired by a lonely pine grove. Perhaps my favorite track on this CD because the pace is comforting. I'd like to have an entire CD with songs of this pace. Zola's playing does at times have an intensity to it, but in Wintertide, she captures the true feeling of winter in its stillness.

The Snow Day might remind you of playgrounds and snowball fights. Paint the Forest Winter is exquisite and you can imagine a moonlit woods sparkling like diamonds under a starlit night. Zola's sensitivity to each note is very apparent as she delicately unfolds a painting in a musical observation.

Trail of Tears: Kyrie at Brownfield was inspired by the story of mothers who told their children to run into the forest for safety. Zola captures the immense sense of loss and heart-wrenching despair the Cherokee Indians felt in the winter of 1839. It is almost a tribute to the human spirit and even if you didn't know the story that inspired this song, you would be overwhelmed with a sense of someone feeling despair. I am only left wondering how humans could treat one another with such disrespect when surrounded by such woodland beauty.

Burden Falls is a heavier piece representing a frozen section of waterfall trapped motionless in the dead of winter. Water still moves beneath and you can hear a freedom of rushing water beneath the frozen cascades.

At Rendleman's Grave: Giant City State Park was inspired by a story of a child who lived through the Civil War. "Sleeping Periwinkles cover this site (his grave) to come forth in spring." Zola has captured a solitary stillness that then breaks into the continuation of life as it moves from one form to the next. Promise of Spring follows rather appropriately as the death of winter gives way to new life and a heaven of flowers bursting into bloom. There is a sadness of saying goodbye to winter, and a bittersweet welcoming of spring. Zola completes the mood with Vivaldi's Winter: Largo from Concerto in F minor. Her interpretation is dreamily romantic and the perfect ending to a magnificent CD filled with emotion, wonder and pure musical genius.

I am amazed by the profound way Zola captures emotions and scenic vistas. It makes the heart want to escape to this beautiful area in Southern Illinois were she is inspired and lives. I lived in Illinois as a child and part of me remembers the beauty of deep snow and the atmosphere and scents of winter. The variety in this particular CD is stunning. I have rarely heard music this beautiful and heart capturing. Paint the Forest Winter would enhance any walk out in nature, especially if snow is covering the ground.

~The Rebecca Review

Meditation Music:

1. Passages: Shadows and Light
2. Pathways
3. Peaceful Meditations
4. Perspectives
5. Pine Forest
6. Reiki Spirit
7. Relax: Sublime Music for Reading and Lounging
8. Relaxation Collection
9. River of Stars
10. Rolling Thunder

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