John Tesh brings his many talents to Pittsburgh

John Tesh

Benedum Center

Oct. 11

Tickets: $20-42

7:00 p.m.

When a resume is packed… John Tesh

Benedum Center

Oct. 11

Tickets: $20-42

7:00 p.m.

When a resume is packed with titles like “television host,” “recording artist,” “music director,” “author” and “syndicated radio show host” — the word “versatile” doesn’t begin to cover it.

John Tesh — possibly one of the only men alive who can lay claim to that string of professions — will perform at the Benedum Center on Oct. 11. His eclectic collection of accolades boasts three gold albums, six Emmys, two Grammy nominations, an Associated Press Award for investigative journalism, a Keyboard Magazine Award and two tours as an Olympic announcer.

Tesh said that the performance will feature a wide variety of material including his earlier compositions, love songs, classical music, gospel and hip-hop dance, creating a sort of greatest hits variety show.

“We try to be more than just a concert. We incorporate a lot of genres of music and some comedy too,” he said.

With an audience that Tesh said spans from as young as 10-years-old to as old as 70, it is necessary to pull from a lot of genres.

“We want people to bring their families and [we want to] find a way to connect with them with talking and music from the radio show,” he said.

Tesh’s radio show, aptly named “The John Tesh Radio Show,” is played on more than 250 adult contemporary stations nationwide. He said his concert performances allow him “to connect with listeners and get in front of them personally.”

“I really enjoy performing live. You can hide behind your computer and write a blog or make music in a studio, but being onstage live behind a grand piano, for me is the most fun. Creating on the spot and connecting with an audience is the most exhilarating thing for me,” Tesh said.

Instead of putting on dozens of shows over the span of several months, as performers typically do, Tesh and his band members do around 50 shows a year — usually three or four a month — so that they can spend time with their families and on other projects.

Tesh mixes his musical performances with performances from other musicians and dancers. He uses stories from his life about growing up and the successes and failures he’s had. Tesh calls these “informational morsels,” which he also prominently features in his radio show, “Intelligence For Your Life.”

“We wanted a show that was unique from what else was on the air, without the goofy pranks and banter,” he said. “We tried to distinguish ourselves as the show that offers little tidbits that you don’t have time to find yourself. We put them into the show and surround them with music.”

The tips are usually culled from Prevention Magazine or Oprah and cover topics like losing weight, improving relationships or getting better grades for students. It takes more than seven hours for Tesh and his staff to produce a five hour radio show, and much of that time is spent on research.

Tesh also shares many of his own life experiences, from growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, to being in a local rock band, to hosting the Olympic games and interviewing Hollywood stars.

“To put it bluntly, it’s all the mistakes I’ve made that you don’t have to make. I use myself as an example of a guy who left a very high-paying job and decided to follow my dreams to become a full-time musician,” he said.

Tesh’s DVD “Alive: Music and Dance” combines gospel and hip-hop — a combination inspired by visiting his daughter Prima’s dance class. He said he was so impressed with her hip-hop teacher that Tesh asked him to join the tour.

“I’d never seen anything like this before. His interpretation of the music was just incredible and I thought, ‘Nobody has ever done gospel with hip-hop,’” Tesh said..

When students ask Tesh for advice regarding the best way to get a job, he said he always answers, “You have to be an expert in everything these days. You have to know how to write, to edit video and audio, to make a movie, to post a YouTube video. The bottom line of it all is communication and finding the best way to communicate with people.”