For decades, John Viviani has made music in many styles.
He dug into soul and R&B (and backed up Danielle Ponder) as a member of Filthy Funk, explored rock riffs with Blue Falcon and even doled out electro-pop with The Able Bodies. His 2022 power-pop tune “Karen” remains a dead ringer for Fountains of Wayne.
Given his prowess as both a guitar teacher and a Rochester music-scene veteran, Viviani’s chameleonic abilities aren’t surprising. What might surprise, though, is the gentler tack he takes on “Star of Tomorrow,” which he released in June under his own name.
Based around a circular nylon-string guitar pattern, “Star of Tomorrow” is quiet and tender without dipping into schmaltz. Viviani even finds time to work in a brief whistling solo that could easily be mistaken for a flute.
Thanks to a playful chord progression and Viviani’s soulful backing vocals, “Star of Tomorrow” shines with optimism as he sings about “a roly-poly toddler who’s doing somersaults.”
“You’re gonna be a star of tomorrow,” he sings on the refrain. “You have undeniable heart.”
As a teacher, Viviani uses Instagram to demonstrate chord voicings and practice melodies from Hall & Oates, Bach and even “The Legend of Zelda” soundtrack. The crisp sound of “Star of Tomorrow” comes courtesy of a Takamine classical guitar Viviani picked up earlier this year.
“Maybe I’ve gone soft in middle age,” he joked in the song description, calling it a “folky ballad.” But while mellow acoustic compositions don’t grab the algorithm’s fickle attention the way bold, zany arrangements do, they still sound terrific when done right.
“Star of Tomorrow” shares two-thirds of its title with Neil Young’s equally tender “Star of Bethlehem” from 1974. While Young’s tune is hopefully yet bleary-eyed, Viviani sounds pure-hearted and purposeful.
They pair perfectly on a playlist of folksy ballads.
Patrick Hosken is an arts writer at CITY.