Loris Holland
Encyclopedia
Loris Holland is an American composer
, record producer
, synthesizer
and songwriter
.
s and classical music
, due to the deaths of his maternal grandfather and uncle on separate occasions, whilst playing popular music
at a nightclub
. His mother, a piano teacher, would instruct him on various classical pieces, which he would then practice on the piano till he fell asleep. Eventually, when he was thirteen years old, he began to play the keyboard in secret, till his parents found out when he was fourteen and a half.
Years later, his parents gave up the ban on popular music, and Holland moved to London, attending the Royal School of Music and then eventually pursued a scholarship in New York City
, where he attended the Aaron Copland School of Music
. During the mid-seventies, Holland began receiving calls from jazz legends including and the Brecker Brothers
, to do sessions with them. However, he did not have confidence in his own abilities, and so declined each time. His musical career began when he successfully auditioned as musical director at the Brooklyn Pilgrim Church. He then called in his colleagues from college to work with him, and eventually started his own gospel/fusion band.
As Holland's career blossomed, he received offers from numerous gospel artists, but he declined, in order to stay with the church, until he realized he would need more than the $350 dollar per month salary he received in order to support his family. He then coproduced a Christmas album by Mariah Carey
, with Carey and Walker Afanasieff, and also set up a writing and production deal with Zomba Music and Jive Records
. He later worked at London
's battery studio's, together with artists including Jonathan Butler
and Ruby Turner
, but quit work there after a dissatisfaction with cuts made on the album he had worked on with Turner, and after Zomba Music called his writing partners to join them. When his marriage failed after he set up studio in his Long Island
house, and his singers teamed up with Mariah Carey, (although they would still call on him to play music for them, and ask to use it in their tracks) he resumed work at the Brooklyn Pilgrim Church.
Holland was eventually asked by Tony Prendatt to help Fugees member Lauryn Hill
, who was working on her own hip-hop record, but was unhappy with her players. When he played for her, she had him redo everything on the track, in favor of his work. She asked him to be her musical director, but he declined, though he stayed and helped her band along.
Holland moved to Los Angeles
in hopes of a high career at an A&R major label, but eventually left. He then found himself broke and living downtown, mostly around the homeless people, he decided to quit the music industry, after he finished his own album and dedicate himself to Christian music. He moved back to New York, got married and is now living in West New York, N.J. with his wife Antonia Holland pursuing independent projects.
. He won the award in 2002, 2003, and 2005. His first nomination was shared with Terry Walker, A.J. Gundell
, Jerry Pilato
, Dominic Messinger
, Gary Kuo
, Mike Renzi
, John Wineglass
, Brian Comotto, Robbie Kondor
, and Ron Goodman. His first win was shared with the above, plus Peter Fish.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Biography
Holland grew up in the British Guyana, to a family which forbade any music other than hymnHymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, due to the deaths of his maternal grandfather and uncle on separate occasions, whilst playing popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
at a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. His mother, a piano teacher, would instruct him on various classical pieces, which he would then practice on the piano till he fell asleep. Eventually, when he was thirteen years old, he began to play the keyboard in secret, till his parents found out when he was fourteen and a half.
Years later, his parents gave up the ban on popular music, and Holland moved to London, attending the Royal School of Music and then eventually pursued a scholarship in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he attended the Aaron Copland School of Music
Aaron Copland School of Music
The Aaron Copland School of Music is one of the oldest and most distinguished departments at Queens College, founded when the College opened in 1937....
. During the mid-seventies, Holland began receiving calls from jazz legends including and the Brecker Brothers
Brecker Brothers
The Brecker Brothers was the musical duo of Michael and Randy Brecker , who recorded commercially successful jazz fusion albums together in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. They had a notable hit single with "East River" in 1979...
, to do sessions with them. However, he did not have confidence in his own abilities, and so declined each time. His musical career began when he successfully auditioned as musical director at the Brooklyn Pilgrim Church. He then called in his colleagues from college to work with him, and eventually started his own gospel/fusion band.
As Holland's career blossomed, he received offers from numerous gospel artists, but he declined, in order to stay with the church, until he realized he would need more than the $350 dollar per month salary he received in order to support his family. He then coproduced a Christmas album by Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, with Carey and Walker Afanasieff, and also set up a writing and production deal with Zomba Music and Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. He later worked at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's battery studio's, together with artists including Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music.-Biography:...
and Ruby Turner
Ruby Turner
Ruby Turner is a British R&B and soul singer, songwriter and actress. In 1967, she relocated with her family to Handsworth, Birmingham, England when she was nine years old...
, but quit work there after a dissatisfaction with cuts made on the album he had worked on with Turner, and after Zomba Music called his writing partners to join them. When his marriage failed after he set up studio in his Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
house, and his singers teamed up with Mariah Carey, (although they would still call on him to play music for them, and ask to use it in their tracks) he resumed work at the Brooklyn Pilgrim Church.
Holland was eventually asked by Tony Prendatt to help Fugees member Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, who was working on her own hip-hop record, but was unhappy with her players. When he played for her, she had him redo everything on the track, in favor of his work. She asked him to be her musical director, but he declined, though he stayed and helped her band along.
Holland moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in hopes of a high career at an A&R major label, but eventually left. He then found himself broke and living downtown, mostly around the homeless people, he decided to quit the music industry, after he finished his own album and dedicate himself to Christian music. He moved back to New York, got married and is now living in West New York, N.J. with his wife Antonia Holland pursuing independent projects.
Awards and nominations
He has been nominated for five Daytime Emmy awards from 2001 to 2005, all of which were for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series, for his work on All My ChildrenAll My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. He won the award in 2002, 2003, and 2005. His first nomination was shared with Terry Walker, A.J. Gundell
A.J. Gundell
A.J. Gundell is an American musician and music director. He has won 13 Emmy awards; his favorites being three in the "Outstanding Original Song" category.-Discography:...
, Jerry Pilato
Jerry Pilato
Jerry Pilato is an American director of television shows and theatrical plays. He has worked on the ABC Daytime drama series All My Children, for which he has received four Daytime Emmy wins and fifteen nominations...
, Dominic Messinger
Dominic Messinger
Dominic Messinger is an American soap opera composer. He began his work in soapmusic on "General Hospital", and has since co-written and composed over one hundred original songs for various soaps...
, Gary Kuo
Gary Kuo
Gary Kuo is an American composer and violinist. He has worked as a composer on Another Night , As the World Turns and All My Children. He played the violin for the film The Glass Shield in 1994, and instructed on the violin for Mirror, Mirror 2: Raven Dance that same year...
, Mike Renzi
Mike Renzi
Mike Renzi is an American pianist, arranger, and musical director. He is best known for his collaborations with some of the legends of pop-jazz singing, notably Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Mel Tormé, Cleo Laine, Blossom Dearie, and Jack Jones...
, John Wineglass
John Wineglass
John Christopher Wineglass is an American television composer.-Biography:Wineglass was born in Washington, D.C., in 1972. He played in the DC Youth orchestra in 1984, and ten years later he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Composition at the American University...
, Brian Comotto, Robbie Kondor
Robbie Kondor
Robbie Kondor is an American composer, session musician, and arranger. He has worked as a composer on The Significant Other, Ball In The House, Sally Jessy Ralphael, Happiness , The Suburbans , Forever Fabulous ,Drawing Angel , Series 7: The Contenders , Home Delivery and Equality U...
, and Ron Goodman. His first win was shared with the above, plus Peter Fish.
Credits
- "Grace (Jeff Buckley album)" (1994)
- Everyone Says I Love YouEveryone Says I Love YouEveryone Says I Love You is a 1996 American musical film that was written and directed by Woody Allen. The film features many stars, including Julia Roberts, Alan Alda, Edward Norton, Drew Barrymore, Gaby Hoffmann, Tim Roth, Goldie Hawn, and Natalie Portman.Set in New York, Venice, and Paris, the...
(1996) - A Day in Black and WhiteA Day in Black and WhiteA Day in Black and White are a band based in Washington, DC who formed in 2001. They have been described as post-punk, post-hardcore, experimental/indie rock and even post-emo. Their sound has been compared to bands such as City of Caterpillar, Sonic Youth and Fugazi...
(1999) - All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
- Rude Buay (2008)
- The Hunt (2008)