Charles Goodger
“The Music of Travel”
Release date: June 14th 2024
Label: PRIMA Classic
DOWNLOAD
Press Release: Charles Goodger’s “The Music of Travel” Album Now Available Worldwide
Charles Goodger, a British pianist, composer, and language expert known for devising the FunSongs Method of teaching English through music and mime, has released an album entitled “The Music of Travel.” The album is available digitally on all major online stores through Prima Classic, a label founded by internationally acclaimed Latvian soprano Marina Rebeka. The album features melodic piano compositions inspired by people and places Goodger has loved throughout his life. It includes singles such as “Genoa Genova,” “Some Time in Verona,” and “Steps of Caltagirone.” The music captures the emotions and experiences of Goodger’s journey as a composer, educator, entrepreneur, and world traveler who has chosen Italy, specifically Bologna, as his primary residence in recent years.
“I started studying classical piano at the age of 5, but it was the guitar that really sparked my passion for music during my early teenage years. The seventies in England were a magical time for music. In my final years of school, I returned to the piano and collaborated with a talented musician, Mark Williams. We composed semi-classical piano duets, one of which was ‘Capetian Dynasty,’ inspired by the medieval period we were studying in history class at the time. My passion for languages and music emerged after family trips to Spain, where I was first exposed to flamenco melodies. At 13, I had the opportunity to study Spanish alongside French. Later, I learned Italian and lived intermittently in Italy for many years, inspiring several pieces in this album. After school, my language and literature studies continued at Oxford and London, unknowingly laying the foundation for my future educational project, FunSongs Education, a music-based program that teaches basic English and comprehensible pronunciation to children through earworm action songs and related materials. I founded FunSongs in Windsor, UK, in 2000, and it has since taken me around the world. Based on data from all the schools in 50 countries that have used the program, it is estimated that over 100,000 children have benefited from it. The FunSongs website is where schools, teachers, and parents go to download songs and e-books. I’ve been told that the key to FunSongs success is the strong melody of the language songs. Children love learning, singing, and reciting them.”
In 2020, the famous Italian tenor Al Bano recorded and released Charles Goodger’s song “Terra d’Ambra e di Emozioni – Land of Amber,” an anthem to the beauty and spirit of Latvia, where Goodger lived for five years while his Italian wife Maria Teresa taught Italian language and culture at the University of Riga. The Latvian Tourist Board used the song in a promo video. Goodger has also written for one of the world’s most renowned opera singers, the stunning soprano Marina Rebeka. She recently recorded Goodger’s song “Tell the World” (due for release later in 2024).
These instantly memorable compositions represent a search for beauty influenced by a special connection with the places and people that inspired them. They may also serve as pleasant background music during study or work sessions.
Enjoy the Music!
TRACKLIST
1. Steps of Caltagirone
2. Labedoyère
3. Some time in Verona
4. Genoa Genova
5. Eaton Reverie
6. Open Country
7. Lakes
8. Clifftop Ramble
9. Olindo Air
10. Cinque Terre
11. Capetian Dynasty
12. I Love Christmas
CREDITS
Executive Producer: Edgardo Vertanessian
Recorded at Red Pill Facility, Bologna, Italy, by Gian Luca Gadda in September 2023
Mixing and Mastering: Edgardo Vertanessian
Cover design: Andrew Vlasov and Tatyana Vlasova
Booklet: Romina Pacor
All compositions © by Charles Goodger
℗ 2024 Prima Classic. All trademarks and logos are protected. All rights reserved.
BIO
Charles Goodger was born in London but has been living permanently in Italy since 2015. He embarked on his musical journey by studying classical piano in his childhood and later becoming a self-taught guitarist. Throughout his career, he has performed in various countries such as Spain, Morocco, Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. He has collaborated with several artists, including the Milanese band Acid Fly, the Charlie Swain Trio jazz trio, and the renowned singer Al Bano Carrisi, who interpreted the song “Terra d’Ambra e di Emozioni, Land of Amber,” dedicated to Latvia, with original music and lyrics by Goodger and Italian lyrics by Alberto Zeppieri. In 2000, Goodger founded FunSongs, introducing a method based on his compositions for teaching English to children. His work with FunSongs has led him to conduct seminars and master classes in various countries, including China, India, Turkey, Israel, Germany, France, Spain and Russia. Goodger’s career is also known for his appointment as a professor at the University of Bologna in the Faculty of Education Sciences. His contribution to language learning through music and mime was recognized when the FunSongs website was nominated for a prestigious ELTons award from the British Council and Cambridge English in 2011. More recently, Charles Goodger has worked in cinema: he was nominated as best actor at the Mumbai Film Fest in 2022 for his role in the 2021 horror film “Clara” by Francesco Longo. He appeared in the hit Netflix series “Summertime” and currently plays a role in the 2024 romcom “The Italian Birthday” by Dino Di Moia.
PHOTOS
