A grand piano, soft hands delicately hitting the keys and lights above shining down on a figure. A figure flowing with emotion side-to-side with every key he hits.

Fingers hitting the keys like rose petals falling to the ground and melodies coming to life was the sound of Richard Green, composer/pianist.

A little story is attached to each piece that he plays, a glimpse of history that you could feel coming out of him as he stroked the keyboard.

In one of his pieces, “Song for Kathleen,” he recalls a woman from his past, and he hits his first note with a deep and low melody, the song turns into Kathleen, and you could feel a confused place.

He is speaking to Kathleen in his melody and you could feel her presence, he is speaking to Kathleen with a soft melody and he is living the emotion out of his body and into his keys, bouncing into the audience with an intense sound.

“You can tell what Richard is feeling when he is playing, his body flows with his hands, and the sound of his music really does come to life,” said senior marketing major, Trish James. James, who has been studying music for most of her life, felt inspired and was impressed by the talent exhibited by Green.

“The piano is an extension of my arm,” said Green. “I want people to feel the spirit of my song, to feel it soaring out of me.”

Green doesn’t put any emphasis on the applause, how many people are in the audience or the amount of success that comes along with his talent, he?s only concerned with expressing his music.

“When I am telling a story, it puts me in the mental state of that tune and nothing else in that moment of time seems to matter,” Green said.

Green has performed both as a soloist and with a number of well-known groups, such as James Intveld, Jerry Donahue and Iron Maiden. On stage he is an artist bringing to life sounds of happiness from Disney?s “The Tigger Movie,” and sounds of newfound love from “The New Love Boat.” And in his new solo album, “Awakened Heart,” he brings the sounds of the heart to life.

If you missed Green’s performance Wednesday don’t “pianic,” because he will be here again. For more information contact Dean Sorensen at Unique UnionPrograms for more information.