David Tolk

David H. Tolk distinguishes himself as a pianist and keyboardist who readily credits his mother's formative role in shaping his path. Raised by a Juilliard School of Music graduate mother and a father who earned a doctorate in Physics, he matured amid an intellectually rigorous setting that featured direct piano instruction from her. Although skilled enough to earn a living exclusively through performance, he deliberately maintains parallel careers as an attorney and musician, drawing satisfaction from both.

Speaking in an online interview, Tolk observes, "I very much enjoy combining a career in music with a career as an attorney. These two fields have blended quite well to create a wonderful harmony in my life." He adds that observers routinely inquire when he will abandon law for music full time, then explains, "People always ask when I will give up being an attorney to pursue music full time. My music is a reflection of my life, my travels, my family and my experiences. I will continue to seek to maintain a balance among all of those different areas."

Sustaining equilibrium across his professional commitments and family remains central to his outlook. With his wife Lisa he parents two daughters and one son. Fellow artists portray him as a refined presence; independent recording artist Peter Breinholt, for instance, calls Tolk's musicianship "unreal" yet stresses that personality has most endeared him to Big Parade and its audiences, noting that Tolk forms "a huge part of what we do now, and his wit and integrity are part of why he's been able to have success with his own albums, I think." Colors member Russ Dixon simply states, "As a person, David is one of the most sincere individuals I know."

Tolk contributes piano, synthesizers, and acoustic guitar to Big Parade, to session work, and to his own recordings, though the piano remains his primary devotion. Intensive early exposure to classical masters, fostered by his mother, informs compositions that merge New Age and Contemporary Instrumental idioms. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Brigham Young University and a law degree from the University of Utah. As of 2002 he and his family have lived in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, Utah, and he maintains the website www.davidtolk.com.