Yanni in Words

by Yanni, David Rensin

The composer for the platinum album Reflections of Passion discusses his childhood in Greece, self-education on the piano, struggles with the music industry, experiences with depression, relationship with Linda Evans, and insight into the creative process. $200,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Biography, Music, Autobiography, Nonfiction, Memoir

318 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

His music, Yanni says, is all he has to say. But I am glad that this memoir exists to tell the story of his life, his path to becoming a musician and his philosophy. It is a story well worth telling and one of the most inspirational memoirs I have ever read. Just the impact of his family upbringing alone is a beautiful story--most of us in America, even if it is a good childhood, it's normally dysfunctional on some level. Yanni was raised in a beautiful part of the world, Kalamata, Greece to two people who devoted themselves as parents and did a damn good job of it. Not only raising a child who would become one of the greatest musicians to live but his siblings also attained their Ph.Ds. in America (and of course that is not the only measurer of success but they are achievements none the less). His parents demonstrated what it is to be a perfect parent: loving yet firm, accepting yet teaching how to be a self actualized person. And Yanni's path to becoming a musician was not a straight one. But it is fascinating to know that he learned musical notations and to play instruments early in life and that he stubbornly taught it to himself! Later, in his college years he relied on playing the piano for solace and his loneliness being in a foreign country and learning English for the first time. After graduating college with a degree in psychology, he decided to spend a year to decide if music is what he wants to do and- thankfully for the world- he decides it is...and he stays by that decision no matter how hard it got. He built his first music studio with his own hands and recorded his first album entirely on his own and in isolation in 1980. Early 80s music producers and stations were amazed at his sound but didn't know what to do with him. They stuck the label New Age onto him but Yanni was not aware that that was what he was doing- he was just composing the music, not trying to fit in anywhere. Yanni has said that when he plays his music it heals himself and I can definitely feel this way by his music-it heals the listener-and I love his live videos because you can see the joy lighting up his face as he plays. He still tours worldwide and often at holy and beautiful sites such as the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Egypt, the Forbidden City in Beijing. The most valuable part of the book is when Yanni shares with us his secrets of creativity. An artist, he says, faces "the black." It is the fear of the Unknown that every artist must stare down. As long as you can sit in silence you can create. Even if showing up for practice means you sit in silence the whole time, you still have benefited. Next time you sit at your notebook or at your computer, words can begin to show up. Just persevere. Other days, you may be writing and writing and writing....and have to toss it all out. It's not like making bread to a recipe. Sometimes it comes out whole and sometimes it doesn't. It is learning to heed the call of the Muse and differentiating (not between good or bad) but between true and false and only to write down the True. Obviously you need fundamentals but after that the practice is a lot like sitting in silence (with a pen). Finding this magic inside yourself- the only way I can understand it. Every day the artist faces the blank page, the blank canvas, the quiet piano--he faces the Unknown. Yanni did not fear this and he broke through to become his dream and he is living it now and continues to inspire those of us like myself who love, admire and are inspired by him. A final word from Yanni--he warns against not stopping this process. Once you tap in you need to stay with it: do not judge it, do not criticize it. That's not your job yet. Stay with the process, let it flow with you....

words from Yanni:

"I believe music represents humanity's soul....when I compose I blend a rainbow of styles and ethnicities and witness the souls of many cultures come together obviously and easily. The result is more color, beauty and strength. A seamless mesh. Unity. I do it all the time. I feel it, and it's not at all awkward or unusual. In fact, it's completely natural. When I see how our musical souls come together in art, I ask myself "why can't we do the same?" The answer is that we can. We must. I know the world is in turmoil but I believe that we are on a one-way street, and that to survive we have no choice but to become a global community. I believe that what I see in the music means that the human race has the chance to find common ground.... I'm supposed to see the world as it can be. I'm an artist. I am about instinct, not logic or history. If our souls can come together in music, they can come together anywhere, and as a race we can achieve harmony and peace." (2002)

[Andrew Schirmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

You there! Do you ever find yourself bored? Not content with your life? Do you need some inspiration? Look no further than Yanni in Words, available from your local bookseller for the paltry sum of $0.01!



Unless you live under a rock, you should know that Yanni is practically a force of nature, and this book is the history of his life! It's just chock full of historical goodies like this one:

Now that I was a man, there was only one "problem". I liked sex. A lot. But I didn't have enough money--the drachma equivalent of about ten dollars (plus ça change!--ed. )--to keep going back. I'd had to save for a long time just to show up in the first place. That left me in a quandary. No fourteen-year-old girl at my school was having sex.

What a conundrum !

So my friends and I sometimes went from bordello to bordello just to check out the girls...You could browse just like in any store.

Eventually, Yanni comes to the United States, where he dreams up his world-classical-fusion music that takes PBS by storm. He gets to bag a catch that a young Greek boy could only dream of. No, it's not Farrah Fawcett. It's Linda Evans.

I was no stranger to women who liked me, but a famous, beautiful woman wanting to speak to me just because she liked my music was very exciting and a nice ego stroke...When Linda rang I realized that she didn't know much about me. Right away she confessed that she'd thought I was Japanese.




They share hair tips.

Not simply content with being the most amazing musician that has ever lived, Yanni is amazing at loads of other things. Didja know he was a great swimmer, who set records?

People swim a lot faster today, but I think my win was miraculous.

And he's a philosopher of science !

Original thinkers have always fascinated me. Take the idea that the universe is made up of small "building blocks," or atoms. The name is derived from the Greek word atomos, which means "indestructible particle."...How in they[sic] heck did they think of this stuff?

I'm not going to give up the rest, it's just too amazing. Read it for yourself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: All has not been smooth sailing in Yanni-land !

Via the Smoking Gun:

YANNI IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BUST
MARCH 7--Yanni, the New Age musician, is facing domestic abuse charges after allegedly tussling with his girlfriend last week in the couple's Florida home. The 51-year-old pianist, whose given name is John Yanni Christopher, allegedly struck the woman after ordering her to move out of his house last Thursday, according to a Manalapan Police Department report. The woman, whose name has been redacted from the report by cops, told investigators that Christopher asked her to move out during dinner and that when the pair returned home, the musician verbally abused her, calling her a 'cunt' and 'whore.' He also allegedly told her that she was 'garbage' and, as such, 'should be packing her things in garbage bags.' The woman said Christopher slapped her in the face as they argued. When cops arrived, they noticed that her upper lip was swollen and split open and that there was a small amount of dried blood on her lower lip. They also noted redness on both her forearms and that she appeared visibly upset and was crying and shaking. While Christopher denied striking the woman, he told officers that he did grab her arms to stop her from kicking him. Christopher spent about 11 hours in the Palm Beach County jail, where the below mug shot was snapped, before being released without bond. He has been ordered not to contact the alleged victim and must check in daily with court officials. (4 pages)



You can't win 'em all. Sigh...

[Elizabeth Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before picking up this book all I knew of yanni was that he played the piano. That's all. Even if you know less about yanni than I did, I would still recommend this book. I loved hearing his thoughts on the world, people, life. I can't play any instrument but after finishing the book, all I want to do is create. The only negative I have to offer - midway through the book I googled pictures of yanni (just curious) and found his mugshot from a domestic violence dispute - I try not to judge - I don't think one can ever truly understand a situation in which s/ he is not directly involved- but try as I might I felt the image trying to alter my feelings while reading.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Yanni since I was a kid and the first albums that I actually bought in my life were Keys to Imagination and Out of Silence on cassette. There are a lot of misconceptions and just flat-out immature opinions about him out there. Yes, he looks like he belongs on the cover of a cheesy romance novel, yes he has the "one name" thing that people immediately connect with being narcissistic and even flamboyant, but once you stop being childish and actually listen to his music and maybe even find out a thing or two about him, you'll realize just what an amazingly talented musician and person he is.

This book is more of a memoir than an autobiography but that's splitting hairs. He has a lot of positive words of encouragement but this is mainly for his fans to have some insight on his early life and career. It's encouraging to read about how he taught himself to play and even his most well-known concerts and events were wrought with near-disasters and heaping doses of reality slapping him in the face over and over again yet still went on. Even someone as globally popular as Yanni has been screwed over countless times by record labels and knew what it was like to put his entire bank account on the line to fulfill his dreams as a musician. He was told countless times that he couldn't do something and went out and proved them wrong each time.

Some critics would say that he has a huge ego but that's what iconic artists throughout history all share in common. That's just how it works and rather than judge him as a person, judge his art. He's a flawed guy: women problems, did drugs and boozed it up in the 80s, was short with people, very self-centered and focused beyond a healthy level, micromanaged his concert staff, etc. But that's what a good amount of tremendously talented, dedicated and successful people are like, especially artists. They can be hard to be around and deal with, but we appreciate what they give us and no one can ever say that Yanni didn't earn everything he got. He was no pop-star, no record label creation, no one-hit wonder who leached off of others. He does admit that becoming involved with Linda Evans helped put him in a spotlight that he might not have otherwise, but from what I read in this book and have seen of him in interviews and heard from her as well, they were genuinely in love and it wasn't some Hollywood shotgun-marriage meant to boost both of their careers. If you're educated in the matter you can choose not to believe that if you want, but I do.

Either way, I find him to be a fascinating person and a true genius of a musician. This book isn't some literary marvel, but it's not exactly meant to be.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not being a Yanni fan, I wasn't sure what to expect from his book (I was challenged by a friend to read it), but it actually held my interest all the way through. Yanni's words of wisdom with regard to life, love, and creativity were interesting and at times thought-provoking (but not TOO thought-provoking; this was a light read).

The best parts were at the beginning, chronicling Yanni's childhood, into his college years, and beyond into his early music career. It's an underdog story, so it's easy to stay engaged and root for him.

Once he hit it big, the book became a little frustrating, because it focused on various difficulties Yanni experienced, such as fighting with his record label, and a series on set-backs in trying to set up his big Acropolis show.

[RNOCEAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yanni is practically a force of nature. Not only has he sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and earned 35 gold and platinum awards, this inspirational artist has entertained millions more with his groundbreaking concert events at the Acropolis, in Athens, at India's Taj Mahal, and in China's Forbidden City. No wonder the Washington Post called Yanni's career "a miracle, a lesson in pluck that could be taught in business school, preached from pulpits and woven into bedtime stories." And yet, even Yanni's greatest fans know very little about the man behind the music.
Yanni in Words is the remarkably forthright, never-before-told story of the critically acclaimed musician's personal odyssey: from his childhood under a Greek military dictatorship to success as his country's national 50-meter swimming champ at fourteen; from his college years at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a degree in psychology; to his wild years playing rock and roll across America before going solo. Yanni openly discusses his intense nine-year relationship with Linda Evans (Linda herself contributed to the book); his battle for respect from critics and a music industry bewildered by his new style of contemporary instrumental music; the journey through a burn-out depression that threatened to derail his career and prevented him from touching a piano for a year; and his eventual recovery and return. This is a story of how a single-minded musical vision and indomitable will to be heard became the source of Yanni's biggest frustrations, greatest triumphs, and deepest insights about creativity.
Yanni in Words is also a love letter to his parents, under whose enlightened and gentle guidance he learned lessons about love and truth that have lasted a lifetime. It is brimming with a clear-eyed understanding of the human condition, the rewards of original thinking, and the secrets of satisfaction -- all of which evolved as Yanni confronted challenge after challenge in pursuit of his musical dreams. Yanni in Words also includes an exploration of the creative process by which Yanni composes his unique music -- and that anyone can use to pursue their own creativity. As poignantly memorable as it is unprecedentedly candid, this is the story everyone has been waiting to read. Yanni in Words is heartfelt, open, inspirational, honest, and emotional. Just like Yanni's music. Only in words.
****Rate this 4/5. I adore Yanni's music....it was interesting to read his book. He is very frank about his lovelife and Linda Evans, but the part I enjoyed the most was how and why he writes the beautiful music that he does. It contains so much soul and love, and as he explains, that is how and why he writes it. He had a dream, and he fulfilled it, and I am happy that he did.

[Kinan Halloum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very glad that I found this book of Yanni! .It contains lots of wisdom and reading the book was nearly as pleasurable as listening to his music, actually I always listened to his music as I read the book :). I had several AHA moments while reading this book and found it to be very inspiring. It took me almost 2 years to finish it, because of university and life, but I am glad this happened because it felt like a companion as I mostly read it when I wasn't feeling well and it inspired me.

Some people have complained about that he describes himself being in very silly situations. I think this is as important as mentioning his success stories in order to get to know him in depth, otherwise the book would just be like a very long CV. And those acts are not himself, but aspects of himself.

The last chapter about creativity was one of the best, as pure spiritual wisdom. I couldn't help it but think of Eckhart Tolle's writings when reading this chapter.

[Marcos Alcides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yanni. He's no Mozart or your typical pop mega star. You don't listen to his music and think "Ah yes, I understand why he's so popular." Frankly, it's confusing to me. As someone who missed out on the peak of his fame, I always wondered how did he get so popular to the point where he could play at the Acropolis in his native country and places like the Forbidden City and the Taj Mahal.

After reading his autobiography, it's clear to me—this man was exceptionally focused and driven by passion. Again, the average person might listen to his music and think it's nothing special. The focus and determination he had is to me what is most extraordinary about him.

Although not the best written autobiography, it's still full of insights and intrigue. My favourite parts were about his dad and his outlook on life and how affected Yanni. Regardless if you like his music or not, it's a inspiring story of a person who followed his dreams to their limits.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some surprises. He talks about freebasing cocaine and getting blowjobs during drum solos. But for the most part, it's exactly what I expected from Yanni. It's a New Age Horatio Alger Künstlerroman, with all the smugness that implies, but it's also beautiful and calming and sometimes strays into the territory of sublimity and wisdom. As one would expect, what with the man's music.

It's worth mentioning that Yanni has a very high opinion of himself, but if I were Yanni, I would, too.

[Nalhie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read. Not because i'm a total Yanni addict. This story is motivational and inspiring. I know this book by heart. It changed my life. A masterpiece !!! Just like Yanni's music. This book is my daily motivation and inspiration. The main point is : Follow your dream until you achieved it. And when it's done, find another one because DREAMS DO COME TRUE !!! Just keep the faith. Thank You YANNI ❤

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life stories are always so much more interesting than fiction. This book takes you from the expected journey of youth, littered with a view into the moments of brilliance that no words can describe. Onward through the many years of toil to become famous, it looks so easy fro. afar, the loss of so much and so many bring a deep understanding of the alone necessary, no critical to flashes of inspiration from what I call the other side. This book touched my soul, reminding me that to be successful you just have to get up one more time.

[Kourosh Bonyadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with Yanni's music in 1995. Playing his pieces has since become my daily amusement and passion. To get closer to his world, I translated the book. I put all I had on it. It was published by Kalima publications in Iran nearly 3 years ago.
It is an easy read, friendly, and open explanation of self. Now I feel much closer to him. Allas, I can never visit him or even enjoy his concerts.
I talk about him to my students and music as "love is the fuel of life."
I wish the book included more photos including Kalamata, before and after the earth quake and the university.

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gran libro para fans.

La primera parte es muy interesante, relatando una niñez mas bien sencilla pero con gran afecto. El padre parece haberle entregado herramientas valiosas para enfrentar la vida con esa misma sencillez.

Se vuelvo un poco mas denso hacia el final. Pero no esta de mas para lo que realmente quieren saber un poco mas de su vida y entender de donde vienen sus composiciones.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because I love Yanni's music, I expected to love reading about him too. I can say I was more than a little disappointed. The best part of this book was where he wrote what inspired some of his music. Other than that it wasn't very interesting.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you believe in your dream , you can make it true

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how I can download it . who can tell me?? I really like to read this book.

[Vero Magdy]

is the page number 246 missing ?

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yanni does get a little too detailed with his personal life at times. Otherwise, it’s a very good book about his career and the ups and downs in his life.

[Frank Otero · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have this book standing up proudly on my desk at work... Not because it's good.

Mainly because I bought it for 1 dollar, and the reaction I get when people walk in for a meeting is hilarious.

The inside covers first sentence reads, "Yanni is practically a force of nature"...
I basically died of laughter. It was terrible, i had to call the ambulance and everything.

[Julie Heaton]

Of course I am going to read a book like this! If you are into people who have amazing talents and how they made it to where they are now...this would be really good to read. Yanni is my "idol" when it comes to piano playing and I just wanted to find out what he is all about!

[Ken Parsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring easy read. Yanni is a self-taught musician from Greece who developed his own approach to musical creativity. His book, "Yanni in Words," is a tremendous story of one man's persistent desire to bring his music to the world.

[Arun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yanni is best described with music rather than words.While many of his statements were thought provoking, this book had its dry spots.

I was expecting to know more about how and why each of his songs were given the title that they have.I was disappointed mostly.

[Aresio Mavraganis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I read this.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It made me understand why he is such a jerk

[Top]

so great!!!

[Jan Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

an incredible story of a creative genius. disappointed by his religious views, but nonetheless a great story.

[KRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful read about Yannis' rise and fame, his family, and love affair with Linda Evans - If you happen to be a fan of his music, this will certainly entertain.

[Yanni]

I know it's a guy but he has my name so I'm intrested.

[Harry Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great showbiz bio with lots of background information that helps to understand the success of this incredible artist.

[John]

(to be reread following my attendance at June 2012 concert!!!!!!!