Meet Your Neighbor: Recording Artist Peter Cincotti
When singer-songwriter Peter Cincotti was working on his last album – “Long Way from Home” – he quite literally left his native home of New York City and decamped to a beach house in New Jersey. There, he figured, unlike in an apartment building, he could play music at whatever times he wanted, and avoid “complaining neighbors” who likely would not have appreciated his late-night bursts of inspiration.
Now hard at work putting the finishing touches on his next album – his sixth – Cincotti does not need to travel quite so far to find a place to play music; his Related building on the Upper East Side offers sound-proofed piano rooms in the lower level amenity space.
“I’d never even heard of that in a rental building,” he said, “It was like a calling, a sign.”
Cincotti in his building's rooftop lounge.
Cincotti has been a fixture on the New York music scene since 2002 when at the age of 18 he performed at clubs around the city, including the prestigious, now-closed Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. The following year, he became the youngest artist to ever top the Billboard jazz chart with his eponymous debut album produced by Phil Ramone, and since then he has collaborated with top names like Andrea Bocelli and David Guetta and has traveled the world performing sold-out concerts.
Cincotti in his apartment
These days, he spends much of his time in his building, moving between his airy apartment with city views, the downstairs piano space, and – when he needs a dash of creative energy for writing – the penthouse rooftop lounge.
“It’s like Related studios, over here,” he joked.
His upcoming album – called “88 Keys & Me” – is a medley of musical combinations of songs by different artists; think Lady Gaga mixed with Scott Joplin, or Oscar Peterson and Billy Joel. According to Cincotti, what these varied musicians all have in common – and what he has in common with them – is the piano, and his job on this album was to celebrate the connective tissue between them (hence the “Me” part of the album title).
“I realized that through all my records, as different as they are, the main throughline between them is the piano.”
Certainly, Cincotti’s work has led him down an eclectic path – sometimes into areas completely unrelated to music. He’s worked with fashion brands Ermenegildo Zegna and Tod’s, played himself on an episode of “House of Cards,” and even appeared in “Spider-man 2.” He’s also dipped his toes into musical theater, collaborating with his sister Pia to write the music and lyrics for three different musicals.
"Writing for the theater, writing for characters is a whole other thing," Cincotti says, "It’s really nice to not have to perform this stuff. I’m able to write things that I wouldn’t be able to write for myself."
Cincotti says he tries to push himself into these unfamiliar fields like this because ultimately, he finds they inform and enrich his music.
“My music keeps developing, it feels like a living thing that I try to follow,” he said, "When I started writing, that kind of burst open the door to many different styles coming together."
Occasionally, however, following his music can be somewhat inconvenient, “A lot of times when I don’t want to, I get an idea and I have to follow it. I get out of bed at three in the morning. It's a nuisance.”
True to his muse – and his "pretty clichéd" musician schedule – Cincotti finds himself often heading down to the music rooms of his building in the wee hours. Though that is often an advantage in terms of competition for the communal space.
“The kids are usually finished with their music lessons by 6 pm,” he said, “That’s when I wake up.”
The Related Life is written and produced by Related Luxury Rentals. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest events, news and announcements in your area, and tag us for a chance to be featured @therelatedlife and #therelatedlife.