Instrumental music written by three-time Emmy-nominated composer Dan Foliart featuring acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, soprano sax, bass and drums, performed by L.A.’s finest studio musicians in Americana style. With accents of folk, blues, roots and jazz, Journey to My Heartland is driven by the guitar work of Grammy-winner Laurence Juber, the piano of Jim Cox and the woodwinds of Gary Herbig, along with the studio ace rhythm section of Domenic Genova on bass and Michael Jochum on drums recorded at Hollywood’s famed Capitol Studios.

A bonus track “This Time” presents a rare lyric from Arthur Hamilton, writer of “Cry Me A River”.

"The music contained in this album represents the culmination of eleven years of my life. In having had the unique opportunity to compose the music for television’s longest-running family drama, “7th Heaven,” I also had the enviable opportunity to work with the finest musicians that a composer could ever dream of being associated with. Although their performances are captured within the confines of these fifteen compositions, their creativity has graced the instrumental accompaniment to all of our lives through television, film and song.

A great number of these selections were showcased in their abbreviated form as underscore under the opening title sequences, which occurred after that week’s episode’s first commercial break. I will forever be grateful to the show’s creator and executive producer, Brenda Hampton. Rather than filling the space with whatever the popular song of the moment might have been, she allowed me to use this sequence as I saw creatively appropriate.

Of all of the work, I am perhaps most proud of “Kristofor’s Song.” Dedicated to a fallen marine, Kristofor Stonesifer, I feel that we have used music to ease a family’s pain and remember a son, who’s act of courage and youthful enthusiasm, we so much admired. In effect, this is indicative of what this series did time and time again over 243 episodes, as it dealt with issues that not only touched our hearts, but opened our minds as well. These pieces for me embody the soul of this singular series, which covered a significant portion of all of our lives, and I am pleased to have had the opportunity to be associated with it and be able to bring this music to you now.

This album is dedicated to my wife, Cheryl and my children, Matt and Lauren. Your love and inspiration keeps me writing. Thanks to Brenda Hampton, Stephen Collins and the entire cast and crew of “7th Heaven” for eleven wonderful years, and to Joel Feigenbaum and Ken Miller for getting it started. Chris and Jeff Olsen, Mark Heyes and Shawn Kostonian, the great music spotting sessions that were the genesis of these compositions. Shelly Hull and Celest Ray, we’ll miss you. My amazing musical team from inception to dubbing stage, I stand in awe of your talent and your contributions eclipse all words. Although various studios were used over the years and there are great memories in all of those rooms, Capitol Studios and the personnel which cannot be separated from this special place, is always close to my heart and I wouldn’t want to be any other place on earth to record my music. A special thanks to Laurence Juber. Not only is his artistry in a league of its own, but his commitment to seeing this project through has been herculean. It would not have been done without his follow-through and energy.

To my mother, Mary Lou, you’ll always be in my heart". - Dan Foliart
danfoliart.com


"As a studio guitarist, Dan presented me with the challenge of sightreading fingerstyle guitar parts written in alternate tunings.

Typically, guitarists use tablature to render music in altered tunings, but the hand-written music preparation process for these sessions didn’t allow for anything other than standard notation.

The example here shows the hybrid system we used, adapting notation to show the notes as though I was playing in standard tuning, but sounding at other pitches.

It was a unique composer/musician synergy and a studio career highlight, paralleling my own development as an acoustic soloist". - Laurence Juber