Marianne Osiel
From California to New York - Musical Journeys in the Life of a Sophisticated Bohemian
‐ are most unleashed . Listen to her CD , “ Full Of Wholes ”, and you ’ ll hear personal songs of love , loss , and longing . Surrounded by a tasteful and intimate production , her formidable guitar playing moves seamlessly from delicate to ferocious ; her voice rises from a delicate whisper to a soaring alto , oozing emotion . She reaches into your heart and mind , inviting you to risk a new thought , a hidden feeling .
About Marianne by Cindy Ackley Nunn
To say that Marianne Osiel is a passionate singer‐songwriter is to tell only half her story . Her musical journey is truly a unique one . She took her first piano lesson at the age of five , in her home town of Santa Barbara , CA . At nine years old , she began playing guitar , the flute a year later , and at age 13 began studying the oboe . At age 15 , she began more serious studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan , majoring in oboe and minoring in voice . In 1974 , she was only oboist in the country selected to attend the Cleveland Institute Of Music , where she studied under John Mack .
She secured her first orchestra chair with the Santa Barbara Symphony in 1977 , and stayed on for two years . After a brief period of study at the San Francisco Conservatory ( on a full scholarship ), she moved to Nashville , where she was a member of the Nashville Symphony for ten years . In addition , she was a first‐call session player , appearing on hundreds of recordings .
While in Nashville , Marianne blossomed as a singer‐songwriter , often playing as a solo artist “ in the round ” at the Bluebird Café , or leading one of her bands , the Delta Elements , at the
12th & Porter or Ace of Clubs .
In the fall of 1998 , Marianne moved to New York , and soon began performing in clubs in the Northeast . Earlier that year , and again in 1999 , she played Mainstage at Kerrville Folk Festival . From 2000 – 2002 , she toured the country as a member of the John Hall Band , playing acoustic guitar , slide , and oboe . She opened many of those shows with a solo set of original material .
On stage , Marianne consistently delivers powerful , honest , convincing performances , whether solo artist or with a band . It ’ s in the recording studio where Marianne ’ s myriad of musical talents ‐ writer , arranger , producer , singer , multi‐instrumentalist
Her debut release , “ Strange Girl ”, presents an explosion of creativity and diversity . This self‐produced collection of intricate and provocative songs features Marianne playing seven instruments ( most notably guitar , slide , and oboe ), and with the support of some of Nashville ’ s finest studio musicians , the tunes jump off this CD – soulful , rockin ’, symphonic , and just plain funky . Combining her talents as classical oboist with her propensity for adventure , she released “ How the Light Gets In ” ( June 2005 ), an eclectic collection of oboe and keyboard improvisational duets . Her CD recording , “ Peacemeal ” ( free of charge ), which was created after 911 , encourages self‐healing as the seed for healing in the world .
Among the many musicians she has performed and recorded with in both the classical and the pop world are : Jo‐el Sonnier , John Hall , Nanci Griffith , Ashley Cleveland , Gary Nicholsen , Nashville Symphony , Nashville String Machine , Roy Orbison , Itzhak Perlman , Michael LeGrand , Emmy Lou Harris , Take Six , Reba McIntyre , Marvin Hamlisch , and Judy Collins . As a backup musician , she has performed with John Hall ( Orleans ), Robbie Dupree , Jackson Browne , Nanci Griffith , Daryl Tookes , and Rick Danko ( The Band ), among others . In the past few years , Marianne has taken a more passionate interest in healing through music and prose writing .
Meeting Marianne :
I stumbled upon Marianne one day while conducting research for my next non‐fiction book ., a story about a bizarre religious cult founded and run by a woman who was an expert in the art of manipulation . Marianne ' s grandfather had , at the very least , a minor role in connection with this cult leader , and possibly a more major role than at first realized . Little did I know that my search for information about a long dead West Coast antiques dealer would lead me to such a brilliantly talented musician , song writer and singer in the state of New York .
What started out as a fishing expedition for information about Marianne ' s grandfather , and the location of some very strange cult‐related gold gilded furniture , turned into an interest and curiosity about Marianne and her music .
To say that Marianne is passionate about life , her music and meeting new people would be an understatement . This is one
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