Stephen Heller the Working Man

8/10/2008 - Rants and Raves

BandChi is always on the lookout for young artists who work for a living. Stephen Heller stands as a shining example of the Indie dream at work. And let's be perfectly clear. There are tens of thousands of new bands and artists with stars set so deep in their eyes that they can't see past their arrogant little noses. But in the case of Stephen we tip our hat in respect.

Most of those that invest in a college education come out finding jobs that steal away their time and energy and push their musical ambitions a little further back on the stove. When Stephen Heller graduated he got fast to work on his true ambition; a career in music.

His full length, self produced debut CD 'From East to West', a 2007 Independent release, features his incredible range of music abilities. Stephen Heller performs all instruments accompanied only by his father on the tracks 'Is This the End?', 'Valentine Verses', and 'What Goes Around'.

This album is a bright and insightful set of songs that celebrate life and ask timeless questions that can only be answered with music. And Stephen Heller punctuates those answers with songs like 'Only One Knows', an instrumental with a personal meaning that transcends words and evokes tears. Tunes like 'Is This the End?' are distinctly reminiscent of the John Melloncamp school of ballads that could earn Stephen Heller a long lasting career.

At age fifteen he was playing for a local band while doing the booking, marketing and management; a natural extension to becoming a solo artist. This fall he has a wide reaching tour that kicks off at the end of August during Park Rock in Great Mills, Md. He'll be playing dates from Boston to St. Louis, from Houston to Daytona, having set up his entire tour with nothing more than a phone, email address and lots of sweat. Fifty dates on the schedule and counting.

The impressive thing about this tour is that Stephen Heller is donating twenty-five percent of the tour proceeds and fifty percent of CD sales to the John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

Stephen says, "Life is my inspiration, I have always thought how lucky I am to be here." A statement that is clearly reflected in his music and his dedication to his career. <<Back