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The Heart of America's Art

by Céran

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1.
“THE HEART OF AMERICA’S ART” OFFICIAL LYRICS SPOKEN WORD INTRO This is for All those Kansas Citians— That "Show-Me-State" nobility, y'all —Who were "raised royal" In "chiefs' kingdom" Westside all day... O Kansas City! O Kansas City! VERSE I Raised, born and bred In a town where I knew that I’d move ahead Peace, solace, serenity Ain’t nothin’ in the world like this city “Going to Kansas City Kansas City here I come” That’s what’s opined Where music was defined Jazz and Blues on 18th and Vine Dreams shine like the sun In a place second to none I’m from… CHORUS Kansas City flashin’ so bright It’s that feeling you get In the “Power & Light” All the way to the Plaza Clubs We the “Heart of America” The world’s hub World’s best From the “Port of the West” Down to Raytown KC will be world-renowned VERSE II Fountains on the Boulevard Ward Parkway landscapes America’s Heart Winding through’s the Missouri River The spirit of the “River Market” glistens silver The air of Crown Center's noble And the words of Hallmark are heard to be global Much more than meets the eye— Towers of the city reach over the skies Despite where I go This is always home Y'all know… [Chorus] BRIDGE If you from KC wave your hands in the air Wave ‘em like you ain’t got no care ‘Cause no place else can compare (to us) Overland Park, Lee's Summit, KCK too We gon’ do what it do KC this song is for you (So) From America’s Heart Never broken apart (from…) [Chorus]
2.

about

"The Heart of America's Art" is the sixteenth and final promotional (and twenty-third overall) original single by Céran. The former song in the two-track single which constitutes the A-Side—"The Heart of America's Art—was written, composed, arranged, orchestrated, sung, and produced by Céran [Carlton Dubois McClain], with an interpolation of the classical piece "Phantasiestücke, Op. 12, Aufschwung" by Romantic-era German composer Robert Schumann. And the final of the two tracks—"Phases of Life"—which constitutes the B-Side of the single, was also composed, arranged, orchestrated, and produced exclusively by Céran. The two-track single's former song, "The Heart of America's Art," was initially self-released as a free download on March 28, 2019, exclusively on ReverbNation, which coincided with the 166th commemoration of Céran's birthplace and hometown of Kansas City being incorporated by the state of Missouri on March 28, 1853.

Recording sessions for the single took place in Céran's home studio in his native Kansas City, Missouri, in January 2019. Regarding the single's commercial performance, streams for "The Heart of America's Art" exclusively accrued for Céran domestically in the United States. In regard to the title, “The Heart of America's Art” has this quintuple (V) entendre, because, in a possessive sense, Céran feels that he represents Kansas City, and his music is the “art” of this city that he represents (whose nickname is "The Heart of America") (I). On the other hand, out of all of the “art of/in America,” his music is the heart of that, the core, the centerpiece of it all (II). Moreover, in the sense of "The Heart of America's Art" standing as a sentence with a verbal contraction, not only can "art" in fact be found at "America's Heart" (III), but "The Heart of America" is also a "work of art" (IV), and it is indeed "art" that stands firmly as the defining characteristic of America (V). Therefore, Céran's composition is thus “The Heart of America's Art.”

Moreover, this composition was inspired by “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” by New York City's own Alicia Keys, and one might hear some similarities between the two tracks through subtle undertones given throughout Céran's composition. Similar to Keys, Céran endeavored to compose an ode to his birthplace and hometown, specifically and, on a personal level, of Kansas City in the great state of Missouri. Furthermore, Céran himself has ties to Greater New York, as his paternal grandmother passed away in the New York metropolitan area (specifically Iselin, New Jersey). Moreover, Céran is the second cousin once removed of GRAMMY-nominated R&B/hip-hop singer-songwriter, Sonyaé Elise, who also hails from Greater New York (specifically Newark/Montclair, New Jersey) and who is herself also the great-granddaughter of the sister of Céran's paternal grandmother and who won the inaugural and only season of the 2011 Bravo American reality television competition, "Platinum Hit."

In addition, Céran's prestigious high school alma mater, The Pembroke Hill School (which is ranked as the best high school in the Kansas City metropolitan area and among the Top 5 in the state of Missouri per "Niche"), is also the alma mater of fellow Kansas City, Missouri-native, John Kander, who, alongside Fred Ebb, composed the iconic number, "Theme from New York, New York," which is annually recited in New York City's Times Square district during the New Year's Eve festivities, and this celebrated version is performed by the eternal Frank Sinatra, who also hails from New Jersey in Greater New York (similar to Céran's second cousin once removed, Sonyaé Elise, where Sonyaé's great-grandaunt (Céran's late paternal grandmother) also passed away).

Finally, the state of New Jersey's lone Big Four professional major league sports team (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) that specifically identifies with the state of New Jersey (that is, the New Jersey Devils of the NHL) was founded in Céran's birthplace and hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, as the Kansas City Scouts. Therefore, it was more than appropriate for Céran to compose an answer song for his native Kansas City, Missouri, to Alicia Keys' native New York City, New York, for all of these connective reasonings stated.

Additionally, the two-track single's latter piece, “Phases of Life,” is an original piano solo composed and arranged by Céran. Heavily inspired by the pianistic work of famed Shaker Heights, Ohio-born composer Jim Brickman of Greater Cleveland (particularly "Angel Eyes"), Céran’s original composition was created at the age of 15 in June of 2007. There are four parts of the composition, each representing the four seasons (or, “phases of life”): Autumn (0:00-0:41), Winter (0:42-1:27), Summer (1:28-2:16), and Spring (2:17-3:05). “Phases of Life” is only one out of a slew of original piano solos that Céran had composed and arranged in his youth and adolescence. As he moved into young adulthood, Céran began to take on his aforestated moniker, and transitioned into strictly focusing on Pop and R&B vocal compositions with instrumentation serving exclusively as accompaniment. With his decade-plus-old classical piano background serving as the impetus, Céran's original piano solo, “Phases of Life,” was composed in the key of D major, is recommended to be performed at a tempo of "allegro maestoso," and spans a length of three minutes and five seconds.

In addition, genres featured on this single include, but are not limited to, Classical, Contemporary Piano Pop, Kansas City jazz, Pop, R&B, Neoclassical, Piano Solo, and Soul. In conclusion, the aforementioned original classical piano solo, “Phases of Life,” serves as the B-Side to the A-Side of the neoclassical Pop/R&B leadoff track, “The Heart of America’s Art.”

Genres: Classical, Contemporary Piano Pop, Kansas City jazz, Pop, R&B, Neoclassical, Piano Solo, Soul

Total time: 8:15

credits

released March 28, 2019

The song that constitutes the A-Side of the single—"The Heart of America's Art—was written, composed, arranged, orchestrated, sung, and produced by Céran [Carlton Dubois McClain], with an interpolation of the classical piece "Phantasiestücke, Op. 12, Aufschwung" by Romantic-era German composer Robert Schumann. And the final of the two tracks—"Phases of Life"—which constitutes the B-Side of the single, was also composed, arranged, orchestrated, and produced exclusively by Céran [Carlton Dubois McClain].

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Céran Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri-native, Carlton Dubois McClain, who performs musically under the mononym, Céran, is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and global-selling Pop/R&B singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, record producer, and recording artist.

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/ceranmusic
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