Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William Anthony Burrus. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

William Anthony, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on thus far was my recent solo piano EP called “Dawn”. Up until its release, I really had only worked on projects for other creatives – creating scores for short films and producing songs for other artists. I enjoyed that, and still do. I’m looking forward to continuing my work with other artists. However, I finally felt like it was time to say something for myself with this project.

Whenever I sit down at the piano, I always record voice memos of whatever melody or chord progression comes out while I’m improvising. I literally have hundreds of short piano sketches like this but this particular one stuck out to me for some reason. I ended up calling it “Dawn” because it reminded me of that feeling of something coming. The name is also inspired by the fact that I feel like I’m entering my next chapter as a creative and really embracing myself as an artist. I spent some time developing my initial piano sketch into a roughly 3 minute piece and decided to release it as my first solo piano single. This is the first track of my “Dawn” EP.

The second song on the EP is called “That Feeling” and it was written to capture that feeling of uncertainty. As artists, we don’t always know what we’re doing but it’s important to understand that we don’t have to have it all figured out. As long as we trust ourselves and trust the process we’ll be in a good place.

The third song is called “Gravitational Waves”. This song was inspired by my love for science, centered around Einstein’s theory of relativity and his prediction of gravitational waves. These types of waves were finally detected for the first time nearly 100 years after his prediction. They result from high-energy events in the universe, such as two black holes colliding. The black holes grow closer and closer, dancing around each other and stretching time as they become one. I wrote it as a metaphor for relationships, two people growing closer together over time. Relationships, like black hole collisions, can be scary but they can also be really beautiful.

The fourth song is called “No Escape” and it was originally a theme I wrote for a short film. The film centered around a young woman with severe anxiety and her struggle living with it. The theme itself was pretty short, around 40 seconds, but I felt the inspiration behind the song fit well into this project so I decided to elaborate upon it musically and turned it into a roughly 4 minute piece.

The fifth song is called “Angels All Around” and centered around topics of grief, loss, and the celebration of life. As we grow older we tend to lose those closest to us, especially older family members such as grandparents. I wrote this as a tribute to all the loved ones I’ve lost over the years and while the piece has some melancholic elements, I really wanted it to be a celebration of their lives and impact. They’re no longer physically with us but their presence will be felt forever.

The sixth and final song is called “Somewhere Out There” and this one at its core is an existentialist piece. It’s also heavily inspired by science and asks questions that we as humans often ask ourselves – “What’s out there in the universe?”, “Why are we here?”, “Are we alone”, etc. Every time I look up at the stars I find myself pondering these questions, knowing that we may never get the answer to any of them. The second meaning behind this song though is that “somewhere out there” are all of your goals, dreams, aspirations, and everything you’ve ever wanted. All you have to do is keep showing up for yourself and be consistent, you’ll be surprised what you can achieve.

This entire EP was very personal to me and it took a lot out of me to compose each piece. I was able to share and perform it live recently at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles which was also really special to me. I remember going on field trips there when I was a kid, so it was really a full circle moment for me.

“Dawn” is also the first installment in a four part solo piano series I’ll be releasing over the next decade. The 4 projects will be called “Dawn”, “Day”, “Dusk”, and “Midnight”.

Thank you for hearing my story!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started playing piano when I was 7 years old growing up in Carson, CA. My parents put me in classical piano lessons and basically forced me to practice over an hour every day. I liked playing the piano but I hated being forced to do it, so after about 3 years, I stopped taking lessons. We ended up moving to the East Coast for a few years and I attended college at North Carolina A&T State University where I studied Math. Music was placed on the backburner as I took a corporate job in tech (software engineer) and moved to San Francisco.

After moving to San Francisco, I started to renew my interest in music, teaching myself music theory and jazz. I began producing, composing, and networking with other artists in the area. Eventually, I was asked to help out on a short film, marking a pivotal moment in my music career. I scored a roughly 20 minute short film, providing the musical backdrop for each scene. It was my first film, but I really loved working on the score. Since then, I’ve scored several other short films which have won various awards at film festivals.

A few years ago, I moved back to Los Angeles, still working my corporate job but with plans to transition fully into music soon. Since being in Los Angeles, I’ve done extensive networking, leading to collaboration opportunities with a number of artists in both film and music. Currently, I’m producing for a few singers and rappers, while also working on an electronic project of my own.

I’m really proud of my attention to detail on each project. My background in classical music, combined with my newfound knowledge of jazz and my experience as a software engineer, allows me to bring a really unique perspective to all of my musical compositions. I love immersing myself into artistic worlds when working on a project. I place myself in the shoes of the characters in the given film, song, or album and enjoy close collaboration with the director or artist, refining the final product through sketches and ideas.

I provide a range of services including film scores, music production, and unique musical compositions that blend classical, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic elements. My work aims to solve problems such as enhancing the emotional impact of films and providing innovative soundscapes for various projects. What sets me apart is my diverse background and my methodical approach to understanding and translating artistic visions into music.

For potential clients, followers, and fans, I want you to know that I am dedicated to creating detailed and immersive musical experiences. I am passionate about collaboration and committed to pushing the boundaries of my craft. I’m most proud of my ability to convey deep emotions through music.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the journey of making something from scratch and releasing it into the world. There’s a unique satisfaction in seeing an idea evolve into a finished project. It just scratches a certain part of your brain. It’s challenging to follow through and complete an idea you come up with, but when you finally do, it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

I surf quite a bit, and I often liken creating something to the experience of catching a wave. Paddling out, you get beaten up by the ocean, and you fall over countless times while trying to stand up on a wave. Then, when you finally succeed, it feels incredibly rewarding knowing that you never gave up. Similarly, the creative process can be full of obstacles and setbacks, but the sense of accomplishment when you see your finished work is unparalleled. It’s a testament to perseverance and the joy of bringing your vision to life.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Stop waiting until you’re ready. I wish I had understood this years ago, but now I realize that being an artist is more about the journey than the destination. Even global superstars like Kendrick Lamar and Christopher Nolan are continually learning and refining their art with each project they release.

I used to feel like I needed to have all the answers before I could put my own project out. This mindset kept me from sharing my work, as I always felt I needed more time to perfect my craft. However, now I know that this is a fool’s errand. I’ve learned so much just in the past year of releasing my own projects, I can’t imagine how much more I would’ve learned if I had started sharing my work 5 or even 10 years ago.

Now, I’m happy to see an idea through to the end, release it, be proud of it, and then move on to the next project. Embracing this approach has allowed me to grow as an artist and appreciate the process of continuous learning and improvement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://celesound.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/wyatony
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wyatony
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wyatony
  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12156346

Image Credits

Deandre Evans, Brandon Ruffin, Cozyylens, Jordan Streeter, arthur gallery