Brad Schecter is a creative and talented singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. With a life-long passion for music and performance, he began studying classical piano at age 6, started writing songs at 15, and went on to earn a B.A. in Theatre.  In addition to being a rock tenor, he’s played piano and drums for over 25 years, both as a solo artist and with a number of bands, including Scarred and Blue Embrace, and more recently, a new project Face of Stone with guitarist Marc Palmer.

In October 2015, Brad released his debut album Live Your Dreams, a collection of songs that chronicle his life beginning with the death of his father when he was 16, his ongoing struggle with anxiety and depression and, most of all, never giving up. Drawing inspiration from some of his favorite artists and bands like Sixx:A.M., Pink Floyd, Muse, Iron Maiden and RUSH, he fuses powerful, heartfelt lyrics with hard rock and metal to create a sound that can best be described as progressive hard rock with a significant piano presence. Based on influences from those legendary bands known for their magnificent musical output, Brad’s music is as impressive and compelling as I’d imagined it would be.

For the album, Brad wrote all the music and lyrics, including the guitar solos, and played piano, drums, keyboards/synths, and auxiliary percussion, and sang all vocals. Other musicians providing backup instrumentals included Greg Karas on guitars, Drew Allsbrook on bass, and Daniel Balistocky on additional rhythm guitar and bass.

The album opens with the hauntingly beautiful piano instrumental “Bbc,” which really showcases Brad’s skills as a pianist. The track abruptly segues into the high-energy rocker “Blind Eye,” a powerful song about refusing to let someone continue to hurt you. Rapid-fire riffs and hammering drums propel the song forward, while Brad emotionally sings “Why can’t you see what you’ve done to me? I don’t want to live this way again.” An assertive piano later enters the scene as Brad defiantly sings “No more blind eye. I can see now.”

A standout track is “Another Day,” a hard rock anthem with terrific instrumentals, including some stellar guitar work and piano. The hopeful lyrics speak to not letting life’s problems defeat you:

Maybe it’s not too late, in my hands is my own fate
So much left to do, not too late to start anew
I know I still have time, but it could never be enough
Explain to me the reason why, explain to me the reason why
The moon still rises, the sun still sets
Will my spirit carry on yet?
What if time stood still so we could live on
And I would not have to wait
So please let me see another day

“Spring” opens with sounds of children playing outdoors, then suddenly interrupted by a thundershower. A lovely piano movement takes over, and Brad sings bittersweet lyrics that hearken back to his childhood and his father’s death. The music ramps up with added electric guitars, heavier bass and more aggressive piano as he fervently pleads “Father don’t speak, this is easier. Father don’t cry, I will be fine.” The music slows back down, only to ramp back up at the outro. It’s an epic song.

Brad delivers another amazing track with “So Long Sonata,” an emotion-charged song about telling someone that your relationship is irreparably broken. The track features beautiful, dramatic piano, great guitars and percussion. The sublime piano instrumental composition “Reminiscence” follows, providing a nice interlude and transition to the monumental track “Just in Case.” The grandiose orchestration, featuring an arresting interplay between piano and guitar, result in a gorgeous rock song of immense power, befitting of the subject of mental illness.

Next up is “True Selfie” an exuberant rock anthem about staying true to yourself, not being who you think you should be. Closing out the album is the title track “Live Your Dreams.” As always, the song is chock-full of Brad’s beautiful piano playing, accompanied by awesome guitar work and commanding percussion. The inspiring lyrics speak for themselves:

I know it’s easier to fantasize than to really do the task
Spend too much time pondering what if
Not enough time seeing what could be
No point in trying to relive the past
You must move forward never back
Now there’s an obstacle before you
Only one who stands in your way is you

Live Your Dreams is a solid testament to Brad’s expansive songwriting and musicianship, and I’m glad he reached out to me with his wonderful album. I realize the music industry is a tough, highly-competitive business, and that success can seem elusive for many musicians. I sincerely hope he continues writing and recording music, whether it be as a solo artist or in collaboration with other artists as he is now doing with Marc Palmer.

Connect with Brad:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Reverbnation / Soundcloud
Purchase:  Bandcamp / iTunes/Apple Music / Amazon