You could say Greg Hansen has music in his genes. He is, after all, the great-grandson of pioneer musician Ebeneezer Beesley.
You could say Hansen happened to be in the right place at the right time. He was a student at Brigham Young University just as the new studio-composition major (now called media music) was introduced, and he, along with Kurt Bestor and Sam Cardon, was among the first to go through the program. "We all went in different directions, but we were the first to come out and all make a living in music and composition."
Or, you could say that Hansen is one of those people, who, through opportunity, certainly, but also skill and choices, has created his own successful path.
However you look at it, you will soon see that Hansen has definitely made a mark on the local music scene as a composer, arranger and record producer for more than 20 years. "I started as a copyist (for the Osmonds), and then wrote for movies for about 10 years and became a record producer after that."
Like many local musicians, he had his brush with the glitzy side of the business. "I hooked up with record producer David Foster in L.A. and worked for him off and on for about a year."
During that time, Hansen worked with such artists as Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Gladys Knight. "I considered moving to L.A. but I got dissatisfied with the cut-throat nature of the business there. In the end, it came down to chasing just another love song. I wanted something with more meaning, something that would do some good, would maybe improve things. I decided not to go. And for me, I know I did the right thing."
Hansen hooked up with Sounds of Zion and began producing inspirational music. "I feel like I'm doing more good, even on a smaller scale, than I would with Top 40 pop."
For Hansen, and the other folks at Sounds of Zion, "it has always been message over messenger. The message is the music. It's positive, it's uplifting, it fills places that need to be filled."
Nor has he suffered from a lack of talent. "We have the greatest artists here; some are as good as you get. They make incredible music, and it's very satisfying to work with them."
He's also been in a position to mentor a lot of new artists. "It's always fun to break in new folks, to see the talent that's coming up."
As a producer, he says, the fun part is working with that talent. "They each have their own individual flavor, and it's my job to try and bring that out, to help them find who they are as artists and to communicate that to the audience. Then we try to package it in a way that will reach people. It's very satisfying when it all works."
Several recently completed projects illustrate his approach. "Believe in Him: Inspiring Music for Youth" features themes that encourage youths to realize their potential and work through life's challenges. It features vocal performances by singers Jessie Clark Funk, Rob Honey, Greg Simpson, Dave Tinney, Clint Poulsen, Rebecca Lopez and Sam Payne, with special guest performances by actors/singers Kirby Heyborne (on a Hansen arrangement of "Climb Every Mountain") and Corbin Allred ("Pure Love").
A second CD is titled "Prayer: Songs of the Blessings and Power of Prayer" and brings together vocal and instrumental songs from previous albums performed by Funk, Tinney, Joy Gardner, Katherine Nelson, Barry Hansen, Michael Dowdle and others, bookended by two instrumental selections written and performed by Hansen.
The third CD, however, is the one he might be most excited about. "Living Water Volume 1: Hymns to Lift and Renew the Soul" features arrangements of favorite songs performed by harpist Lysa Rytting and Hansen's wife, Beverly, on the violin. "I've produced 300, maybe 400 albums. And we finally did one as husband and wife."
Beverly is an accomplished musician in her own right. She plays and teaches piano. She plays the violin as a freelance studio musician and performer. She has played for Ballet West, and with countless traveling musicians who have come to town and currently is with the Orchestra at Temple Square.
They met as music students at BYU. "Ours was an orchestra romance," he says with a grin. But until now, the chance to work on the same project just didn't come along.
"I really like 'Living Waters,' " Hansen says. "It's soothing, meditative music, the kind we like to put on in the mornings. We do that a lot. It just seems to make the kids happier, helps them get along better." (The Hansens have four children, two still at home.)
Working together is great, they say. Beverly helped on three arrangements for "Living Waters," and "she came up with the whole idea for the prayer CD."
The fact that they have a new state-of-the-art recording studio in their home in Eagle Mountain also helps the collaborative process. "This is my writing studio," Hansen says. "I can come up with bazillions of sounds here. I can record things and then send them on the Internet to our other studio."
Moving to Eagle Mountain, where they have a five-acre plot, has been a great move creatively, he says. "The atmosphere here works. There's peace all around. It's very inspiring."
Besides that, he can keep horses. Hansen grew up in Washington state, next to a dairy farm. "When I went into music, I thought I'd have to give up a rural lifestyle. As a family, we've always enjoyed trail riding, and we did that out of Orem. But out here, I'm getting back to my childhood. I even get to emcee the neighborhood rodeo."
He's also taken up some other extracurricular activities in recent years, including writing for an Internet magazine and acting in local movies and commercials. "I specialize in the bad guys," he jokes.
You could say that Hansen is at a good place in his life. And that's the feeling he hopes to share through his music. "It's where we can go, when we want to get out of our hectic, busy lives. We're all too busy. We have so many choices. We don't take time to ponder, reflect and think. We need that in order to find ourselves. With all the stuff going on in the world, finding a little peace can't hurt."
E-mail: carma@desnews.com