His first memory of playing music was around 5 or 6 years of age when he sat down with his mother’s upright Spinet piano, pretending the low notes were bears and the high notes were birds.

Since then, Richard Theisen (left) has made a name for himself as an internationally recognized, Garmmy® award-winning composer, vocalist, and keyboard virtuoso. The award came from his contribution to the score for the 1984 blockbuster, Beverly Hills Cop.

Born and raised in Dallas, he and his wife, Gina, have called Fairfield home for the last twenty-five years.

Richard Theisen is set to release his third album – Estonia – at the end of this week. It includes eight original, instrumental pieces.

When he is composing, Richard says that he “just experiments.”

Richard mainly plays by ear, but admits that he can read music “very slowly.” He uses the computer during much of the composition process.

“Technology has gotten amazing,” he said. “I can build sounds without having to score it out.”

Inspiration for this latest release came from research he did on the country of Estonia, which borders the Baltic Sea, and its capital city, Tallinn, whose history and architecture span back to the Medieval period.

In the album liner notes, Richard said that he feels a certain kinship with this region of the world, and the culture of its people.

“I’m not sure if it’s ancient memories from my Germanic descendancy or just fantasies but I I feel that I’ve spent time deep within those magic Nordic forests of Estonia,” he writes.

The first track, Freya’s Tears, has a rich sound with a melody that is at the same time melancholy and hopeful. It is based on the story of the Nordic goddess’ search for her husband Odin, with her tears falling to create gold on the ground and amber in the sea.

The music is beautifully put to video on their YouTube channel, featuring a figure draped in red velvet walking through a snow-covered forest.

This alluring vignette is thanks to the talents of Gina Theisen, a talented video producer who coordinates all of their social media content.

Track 4, Goldenwulf, is a popular favorite, inspired by wolves that can spark admiration and fear at the same time. “They are known for their fierce personality, but they also symbolize intuition, loyalty, and intelligence,” read the album notes.

This piece has a pleasant flow that at the same time feels a bit unsettling. Listening to it evokes a sense of walking through a gorgeously thick forest with an intense awareness of wolves waiting in the shadows.

The last track, Twilight, has a sweet melody with the feel of a lullaby gently leading you to rest.

According to Richard, this piece was inspired by the Nordic ritual of Kura skymning, which translates as “sitting quietly and pondering at dusk.”

“It’s meant to be a time of relaxation and meditation,” said Richard.

This talented artist has enjoyed a varied career in music – founding the rock band “Daniel” as a teen, touring with country singer Eddie Rabbit, and performing a dueling piano act.

He formed Theisen Productions in 2011 to produce instrumental music for use in television and film.

And last year, Richard and his wife started NRZen, a YouTube channel dedicated to providing spiritual-oriented audio and video productions aimed at raising the vibrational consciousness of the planet.

The uplifting music of this new album is certain to further that vision.

Estonia may be purchased from most major music outlets including Spotify, Apple, Amazon and Deezer.

Learn more about Richard Theisen and his music by visiting his website at RichardTheisen.com

You can also connect with him on Facebook, subscribe to his channel on YouTube, or listen to his playlists on Spotify.

 

Cover Art (at top) by Adrian Theisen)