D. Ølsen is a solo piano side project I started in 2025. The concept is simple: I start with a piece from the classical repertoire—Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Satie, and others. I learn a simplified version (I’m not a particularly good piano player), and then I begin to alter it.
I might reharmonize it, change the melody or meter, add new sections—really, anything—until I reach a point where I feel the piece has become my own, or that I’ve made a unique contribution to the original. Sometimes the source material is easily recognizable; other times, I can barely remember where I started. :)
The inspiration for the project was to shine a little light on music from the past. We have centuries of documented music to draw from, and the idea that every new work needs to begin with a completely original idea seems, in a way, unrealistic. Art has always been built on what came before, so why not benefit from those creations—and see where they might lead?
Have a listen
I might reharmonize it, change the melody or meter, add new sections—really, anything—until I reach a point where I feel the piece has become my own, or that I’ve made a unique contribution to the original. Sometimes the source material is easily recognizable; other times, I can barely remember where I started. :)
The inspiration for the project was to shine a little light on music from the past. We have centuries of documented music to draw from, and the idea that every new work needs to begin with a completely original idea seems, in a way, unrealistic. Art has always been built on what came before, so why not benefit from those creations—and see where they might lead?
Have a listen
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Here is a video which describes a bit of the thought process that goes into the creative process. To clarify, in the D.Ølsen project, I tend to use more functional harmony similar to the harmony used in most classical music (1600-present)
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