Known for his relaxing piano compositions featuring a unique blend of classical and jazz, Spencer Hardy Welch will be performing at the San Juan Community Theatre Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
“The concert will feature mostly lyrically relaxing music that fits somewhere between classical and jazz, as well as a few other genres. It’s almost meditative,” Hardy Welch said, although some pieces are heavier and more complex. There will be at least one improv.
The general atmosphere will be similar to that of after-dinner music, having coffee and dessert while relaxing with friends.
Hardy Welch’s passion for music is no surprise – he was raised in a musical family. The youngest of four, his siblings were already playing piano, violin and vocals.
He began piano lessons at a young age, but it was when his brother brought home an album by composer and pianist Keith Jarrett, Hardy Welch fell in love with classical and jazz music.
“I became enthralled,” he said.
While his passion for music was strong, his passion for education was similarly strong. He taught for years before deciding to focus on his music. “I like to think that I made a reasonable difference in people’s lives, helping them get to where they want to be,” Hardy Welch said.
Balancing his own life between his two passions, education and music, has been a challenge. “My parents taught us there are only two things important in life, to find your passion, and to contribute to the world,” Hardy Welch said. Over his 40-year career, he has tried to weave music and teaching together to make his contribution.
Though retired from teaching, Hardy Welch still does public speaking events as well as musical performances. Speaking themes have surrounded finding passion and identifying a contribution. Once the passion is unveiled, the contribution is usually connected.
“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. Each has its own meaning,” he explained, “[By showing] who we are in our highest potential, that’s the most beneficial to the greater good.”
Hardy Welch consults on the topic as well, working with organizations on effective leadership and personal development, working toward an ultimate goal of developing sustainable communities.
Music, and all the arts, take people outside the rush of their daily lives, according to Hardy Welch, and connect them to something deeper, something that is often missing. His 2023 album, “Nostalgia,” for example, seeks to connect individuals with their favorite memories. “It reminds us that memories are as close to us as the air we breathe. Music is a medium that connects us to those memories,” Hardy Welch said. To back that up, studies have shown that music is highly beneficial for those with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
“Music and all the arts open up regions in our minds, brands that our work and daily life don’t allow us to access,” he added.
For those up-and-coming musicians, Hardy Welch says, “Do it for the love of it, follow your passion, and what your interests are telling you. Continue working on your craft and ability, but the main focus should be how it makes people feel, the delight. Don’t do something because it’s popular.”
Stemming from the Seattle area, this will not be Hardy Welch’s first time in the San Juans, however, it will be his first winter venture.
“I am delighted to play at the Theatre, to have the opportunity to perform there and share ideas. I am honored the Theatre invited me,” Hardy Welch said.
For more information, or to buy tickets, visit https://www.sjctheatre.org/.
For more about Hardy Welch, visit https://spencerhardywelch.com/home.