Drene Ivy
Genre: Gospel
Official Web Site
Drene Ivy Bibliography: (click on each album cover to view tracks and Drene Ivy lyrics)
Drene Ivy Biography Drene Ivy began playing the piano at the age of 4, began his formal training in piano at the age of 5 and by the age of 8, he was skillfully playing classical compositions by Beethoven. He studied piano techniques and theory at the Cleveland Music School Settlement and furthered his studies in classical music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. While still a junior in high school, he was awarded a scholarship to Durham College in North Carolina where he studied percussion and composition and was a student in the Eastern Music Festival Youth Orchestra in which he skillfully played the timpani (kettledrum). He also studied music at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH. He later taught jazz composition and techniques and piano theory for the Houston Board of Education and Jazz History at Cleveland State University.
At the age of 12, he received his first paid position as church musician at Jordan Stream Baptist Church. He was also the musician at Pentecostal Church of Christ, his home church, where he was inspired by his pastor the late Bishop Charles Watkins to pursue his talent in the contemporary music realm and his gifted musical skills were honed. At the age of 16 he began recording and by the age of 21, he had performed on six (6) albums.
Drene has composed over 200 songs. His compositions are comprised of a wide range of genres including inspirational, gospel, classical, easy listening, jazz and Latin jazz. His contemporary gospel composition entitled "Standing In The Need Of Prayer" was reviewed and presented at the National Baptist Convention. In 2002, he was the featured artist in concert at Zion First C.O.G.I.C. in Oakland, CA hosted by Watkins Memorial Institutional Church C.O.G.I.C. International and most recently, acted as the Musical Director for a local recording artist at Playhouse Square's Ohio Theatre in Cleveland.
In addition, Drene is an accomplished playwright. His current work, "Saved" is a musical drama for the Easter season spanning from Biblical antiquity to modern church times.
|
