Peter Dircks

Biography

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A Late Start

Most kids start playing instruments young.  Peter on the other hand, had a late start since he preferred playing sports. Although he tinkered on the piano, he did not take lessons, and it was not until high school when he discovered he could play "by ear". As he tinkered more, he realized how much he enjoyed piano, and eventually taught himself how to play and memorized (with the help of a note finder taped to the piano) the classical piece by Rachmaninoff - Opus 43, Variation 18 on a Theme by Paganini. This solidified his love of piano.

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A Business Major Who Just Enjoyed Playing Piano

Now at college, during his freshman and sophomore years, many friends in his dorm happened to play piano. Further, there were soundproof music rooms open to students who could play whenever they wanted. Some of his friends were well-trained in piano and taught him techniques and the basics of chords. So after two years of playing (almost nightly during study breaks or just to relax and have fun), Peter's piano-playing chops improved greatly. In addition, because he did not read music, his improvisation skills continued to strengthen and he'd "written" (memorized) many original songs. But pursuing his business degree was the real focus of college, so after the dorms he rarely played piano.

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Role of Synths, Technology & Music Software

Fast forward five years, and while getting his MBA, Peter invested in a keyboard synthesizer - which featured new sampling technology realistically reproducing the sound of just about every instrument - and allowed playing and recording songs on the keyboard that sounded like an entire band. Also at this time, new music recording and sequencing software technology (Sonar and Pro Tools) came to market, allowing even hobbyist and semi-professional musicians to easily write, produce and digitally record music, without costly recording studio time.  Combining the keyboard and software technology together, he recorded and produced all those original songs he had memorized in college into full-fledged multi-instrument songs.

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The Early Fans - Friends & Family

Only family and very close friends were aware that Peter played piano or knew about his original compositions. Then over time, they listened and shared how much they liked the tunes - even people who were not true fans of instrumental music and fusion jazz would tell Peter "you know, this stuff is pretty good - you should do something with it!"

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Effort + Practice + Mentor = Success

After this positive feedback, Dircks began to produce and record a higher quality demo album. In addition, Peter also joined the local conservatory of music where he met Daryl Stuermer, who is the award winning lead guitarist for the rock group Genesis and Phil Collins. Daryl listened to Peter's demo CD and was very kind to take the time to provide critical feedback, suggestions and the encouragement to take the next step forward. Dircks spent effort and time tightening up his tunes, better learning the new software, improving his music production skills and recorded again. And so it began...  

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Album 1 - The Beginning

In 2004, Peter produced and released his first album, "The Beginning". The CD enjoyed sales across the USA and eventually the world via iTunes.  As other music distribution sites exploded up on the Internet, so did the exposure of the album.

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Album 2 - Second Chance

Four years later, in 2008, Peter released his second album titled "Second Chance". This album received rave reviews from editors, journalists and jazz radio programming directors around the world. The album enjoys sales and radio airplay in the USA, Europe, South America, Australia, Japan and many other markets around the world.

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Album 3 - Third Time's A Charm

For the next eight years, Peter continued to write, play, produce and record songs, but did not spend the time finalizing and mastering another album. Then in 2017, he released his third album "Third Time's a Charm" - each song inspired by locations, people and events in his life - and also popular world-wide with his listeners. 

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Album 4 - Quattro

Released November 2019, Quattro is Peter's fourth solo studio album featuring a fusion of blues, rock, jazz sounds and textures.  Featuring complex arrangements with explosive percussion, nuanced guitars and Peter's signature piano.

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Album 5 - High Five

Peter's fifth solo album, "High Five", was released in 2022.  The album features another eclectic mix of jazz fusion, classic jazz and two classical piano cross-over songs. "Requiem for Dad" is dedicated to Peter's father, who passed away in 2020, a very personal and poignant song, it is one of the most complex classical pieces he has written.

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Collaboration Album #1 - Project One by The Dircks-Allen Project

The Dircks-Allen Project is a true collaboration of friendship and music between Peter Dircks and Brian Allen. This is their first album together, released in 2019, which features Peter's signature styling of piano and keyboards, combined with the guitar virtuosity of Brian Allen. Hopefully, you'll be hooked from the first note.

Collaboration Album #2 - Project Two by The Dircks-Allen Project

Released in 2022, this is Peter and Brian's second album together featuring heavier jazz-fusion rock instrumental songs.  Peter, as producer of the album, wanted to showcase Brian's fantastic electric guitar skills with Peter's piano melodies, string arrangements and percussion existing as a strong backdrop for each tune.

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Thank you for reading and your interest and support of Peter Dircks and The Dircks-Allen Project.

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