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FOR LIFE & ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT REPORTERS
DR. ALAN SHINER: ‘967-11-11’ JINGLE-WRITER, LONG-TIME BANDLEADER, SONGWRITER AND DENTIST EXPANDS HIS RÉSUMÉ TO INCLUDE EVENT AND MEDIA MUSIC CONSULTANT
Musician recorded original music with Mariah Carey and worked with Paul Anka, Harry Belafonte, The Pointer Sisters and a myriad of entertainers in 30+ year career
TORONTO (June 4, 2003) – Dr. Alan Shiner is a name you’ve probably never heard. But chances are you’ve heard his work – or sat in his dentist’s chair. With 30+ year credentials as leader of the Toronto-area social circuit band, Nova Sounds, as a song and jingle-writer and as musical director on more awards shows and events than he can remember, Shiner is embarking on additional ventures.
Shiner, who has recorded a co-written composition with Mariah Carey, has written several songs in response to recent world events, such as the recent Iraq war and the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The songs, titled “Within Our Grasp” and “Voyage of a Lifetime,” are currently in production, and initial response from record companies has been favourable.
Shiner is also managing a new, all-female pop and hip-hop group, whose members sing and play their own instruments. Shiner has written songs for the group for radio play. The group will also perform as part of an expanded Nova Sounds offering at private and corporate events.
Shiner, who wrote Pizza Pizza’s ubiquitous ‘967-11-11’ anthem among other notable jingles, is teaming with fellow musician Cody Fenwick (who himself has written for Bounce, Budweiser and Allstate) on a new creative partnership called Toyhouse Sound. The pair are writing new jingles for commercials and producing original material for artists and media, such as television and movie soundtracks.
“It’s funny – I wrote the “967-11-11” jingle sitting in my car one day, waiting for a friend,” says Shiner. “I’ve surrounded my whole life with music, even when I was a practicing dentist and music was a nearly-full-time hobby. You just never know when inspiration will hit you.”
During one of Carey’s visits to Toronto, Shiner found an opportune moment to personally put a co-written original into her hands – literally. Carey subsequently recorded the song, entitled ‘First Mistake,’ but the chance of a lifetime came just prior to Carey’s public divorce from her record label, so ‘First Mistake’ was never released.
“I walked over to Mariah while she was in Toronto and said, ‘I wrote this song for Céline Dion, would you like to hear it first?” starts Shiner. “At the time, Mariah apparently wasn’t getting along with Céline, so Mariah heard the tune, liked it and we sat down right away at a nearby piano to work on it. The next thing I know, all of her people were calling me, and they flew me over to London, England to demo the song with Babyface and Walter Afanasieff, who both co-produced the track. It was a fantastic experience, even if it was the lucky break that never was.”
Shiner is perhaps best known for creating and sustaining a Toronto institution – the Nova Sounds band. Nova Sounds provided the live soundtrack to many Toronto-area events over the past 30 years, starting from basements, bars, hotels and academic events to exclusive private and corporate events.
During this time, Shiner also served as musical director on a variety of private and televised shows, recorded music for movie soundtracks and wrote or collaborated on memorable commercial jingles, including: Air Canada, Coca-Cola, Sleep Country Canada, Sleeman’s Brewery and Marineland.
“I’ve done so many things in my career – from live bands and pop songwriting to commercials and movies – I’m never sure where the next call is going to come from,” says Shiner.
This experience puts Shiner in a unique position to pick-and-choose his next musical directions. “Over the past several years, I’ve expanded my musical career from player, writer and producer to include event and media music consulting.”
Shiner’s near-hit with ‘First Mistake’ has motivated him with renewed vigor to continue pitching his cross-over pop, hip-hop and ballad originals to artists, such as Destiny’s Child, Christina Aguilera, O-Town, Céline Dion and N’Sync.
“If I could get past Mariah Carey’s entourage, only to find myself recording my tune with her in London, I’m confident I’ll one day land that big hit,” says Shiner.
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For more information:
Rodel Ramos, Duet Communications
Tel: 416-818-9330, Email: rodel@duetcomm.com
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