Harold O'Neal

Harold Mujahid O'Neal FRSA (born 27 March 1981) is an American producer and musician, known for his work as a pianist, composer, public speaker, social entrepreneur, and storyteller. He is widely recognized for his association with the legacy of jazz pianists and has also worked with a diverse range of artists across various musical genres, including U2, Bob Geldof, Akon, Lupe Fiasco, Busta Rhymes, Damien Rice, Aloe Blacc, and Jay Z.

Harold O'Neal
O'Neal at TEDxMontreal 2013
O'Neal at TEDxMontreal 2013
Background information
Birth nameHarold Mujahid O'Neal
Born (1981-03-27) 27 March 1981
Arusha, Tanzania
GenresFilm score, Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, Pop, R and B, Rock
Instrument(s)Piano, keyboard, synthesizer, drums, percussion
Years active1998–present
LabelsUniversal Music Group
Websitepianocinema.com

O'Neal's work has been featured and profiled in numerous publications and programs, including Forbes,[1] NPR's All Things Considered,[2] Fortune,[3] Studio 360,[4] and the 92Y,[5] with The New York Times[6] comparing him to Duke Ellington, Kenny Kirkland, and Maurice Ravel. He is considered to be among the greatest pianists and composers of this generation.

O'Neal has been awarded a fellowship to the Royal Society of the Arts, an honor shared with eminent figures such as Charles Dickens, Benjamin Franklin, and Stephen Hawking. He played a role as a creative expert for the Academy Award winning Pixar film, Soul.

Early life

Harold O'Neal was born in Arusha, Tanzania, and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. His great-grandfather, Ollie Harold Pennington, was a jazz pianist and composer for silent film in Kansas City, where his grandmother walked to school with Charlie Parker. O'Neal began playing the piano by ear at age four on his father's miniature keyboard. He found his earliest inspirations in the music of Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, and Disney.

Growing up, he spent a considerable amount of time with his grandmother exploring various creative outlets, before eventually becoming a pianist. Having spent much of his youth living in the projects (Public Housing) and surviving near-death experiences, he credits music with saving his life.

O'Neal attended the Paseo Academy Of Fine And Performing Arts, with classmates Logan Richardson, Lil' Ronnie, and Brian Kennedy, where he studied jazz piano and composition under the mentorship of Ahmad Alaadeen. He studied classical piano and composition with Margie Cameron-Jarrett, whose musical lineage can be traced back to Franz Liszt.

Early Career

O'Neal began his career in music at a young age, touring with at the age of 19 after studying composition at Berklee College of Music. He then went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Kenny Barron. It was there where he met the renowned American jazz pianist and composer, Andrew Hill, with whom he soon became the apprentice of. and became his apprentice. Hill was himself an apprentice of the prolific composer Paul Hindemith.

Following Hill's advice, O'Neal left the Manhattan School of Music to replace pianist (musician)|Jason Moran]] in the influential band, the Greg Osby 4. This opportunity led to his major-label debut recording for Blue Note Records[7] at the age of 21. In 2004, O'Neal premiered a jazz quartet featuring Greg Osby, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Matt Brewer.

Later career

In the following years, O'Neal released a number of critically acclaimed albums including "Charlie's Suite" (2006), which was a compilation of his family's legacy, "Whirling Mantis" (2010) with a jazz quartet, and a solo piano album "Marvelous Fantasy" (2011) on Smalls Records. He then partnered with Ski Beats and Damon Dash, after being signed to Universal Music Group as a songwriter and producer, to release the albums 24 Hour Karate School 2 (2011), Twilight (2012), and Cam'Ron And Vado's Blu Tops (2012).

In 2012, O'Neal formed a partnership with producers Lil Ronnie and Jerry Wonda, working with many Pop and R&B artists (Miguel, Akon, Melissa Ethridge, Raphael Saadiq, French Montana). In 2013, he released the album "Man on the Street" featuring a jazz quartet as well as solo piano for BluRoc, an at the time incarnation of Rocafella Records distributed by Def Jam Records.

In 2015, O'Neal worked as a composer for a featurette and documentaries of the 2015 Disney film Tomorrowland, produced by Academy Award winning-filmmaker Anthony Giacchino. The film starred George Clooney and Britt Robertson, and was directed by Brad Bird, with the film-score being composed by Michael Giacchino.

In May 2018, O'Neal released his solo piano album "Piano Cinema," with "Sam and Sam" serving as the lead single. Following the album release, O'Neal completed a spring tour across the U.S. with The Blk Shp, with Pixar as a partner.

Recently, on the recommendation of Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, O'Neal played a role as a creative expert in the development of Pixar's Soul, working closely with filmmakers Pete Docter, Dana Murray, and Kemp Powers.

Music Direction and Production

In addition to his work as a renowned composer, pianist, and performer, Harold O'Neal has also established himself as a highly respected music director and producer in the entertainment industry. He has demonstrated his expertise in creating and managing music for high-profile events, including Electric Burma with U2, The CNN Heroes All Star Tribute with Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa, and The Albie Awards.

The Albie Awards, named in honor of anti-apartheid activist Justice Albie Sachs, was an inaugural awards ceremony organized by The Clooney Foundation, hosted by John Oliver and featuring Aloe Blacc. The event serves to recognize and celebrate courageous defenders of justice, and has featured notable presenters such as Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Dua Lipa, Nadia Murad, and Oscar Isaac. O'Neal's contributions as a music director and producer for this event further reinforced his reputation as a skilled and accomplished musician.

Social Impact and Future Ventures

As a keynote speaker and Social Entrepreneur, O'Neal has been featured at Google, The World Economic Forum, TEDX, TIME, C2 Montréal, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and other leading platforms. Currently, he has a multitude of projects in development, including producing his next jazz album (2023), producing and scoring an untitled feature length film with an Academy Award winning director (2024), and founding a global social entrepreneurship initiative with Paul Propster, Chief Strategist and Story Architect of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Film and television

In 2009, O'Neal appeared as an actor in Jay Z's music video for the hit record Young Forever, from his multi-platinum album The Blueprint 3. In 2010, he was cast in the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire, portraying James P. Johnson. He was also featured in MTV's Sucker Free.

Credits

Film scoring

Year Title Director Production Company
2015 Tomorrowland (Additional Music) Brad Bird Walt Disney Pictures
2015 Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Old School Girl) Anand L. Rai Colour Yellow Pictures
2015 Loisaidas (Episode 6) Damon Dash Exec. Prod. Kanye West Damon Dash Studios

Albums

Year Artist Title Label
2018 Harold O'Neal Piano Cinema Piano Cinema Music
2013 Harold O'Neal Man on the Street Universal Music Group
2012 Cam'Ron And Vado BluTops Universal Music Group
2012 Ski Beatz 24 Hour Karate School Presents: Twilight Universal Music Group
2011 Ski Beatz 24 Hour Karate School 2 Universal Music Group
2011 Harold O'Neal Marvelous Fantasy Smalls Records
2010 Harold O'Neal Whirling Mantis Smalls Records
2007 Harold O'Neal Charlie's Suite PME Records

Miscellaneous

References

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