Musician Ryan Farish comes home tonight

Singer, songwriter and composer Ryan Farish has been away from Hampton Roads for more than a decade now, about the time the 34-year-old Norfolk native began having his music regularly featured on The Weather Channel.

Farish, whose background includes lots of time with the cello and classical violin, specializes in what he likes to call "world pop" - a dreamy, atmospheric brand of music not unlike what you might hear in a New Age shop or yoga studio.

In fact, one such song, "Pacific Wind," became a YouTube phenomenon after a 15-year-old fan used the song in a video called "Remember Me," used to honor veterans of the Iraq War. It became a viral phenomenon, thrusting the creator into prominence and adding to Farish's luster.

His work also has found fans among the smooth jazz audience, which gave him the opportunity to work with some of his childhood jazz heroes, including Najee and Pieces of a Dream.

World pop - check. Smooth jazz - check. New Age - check. What are we forgetting? Oh, gospel. Not just a gifted composer, Farish, who has seven albums to his credit, has also dabbled in gospel with not-bad results: He won a Dove Award ( the Grammy of gospel) in 2008 for writing the song "Listen" for the group Trin-i-tee 5:7.

And he's still expanding. Now, returning to Virginia from his new home in Bel Air, Calif., Farish is performing live. His nine-piece group is what you might call a 21st century orchestra, playing his brand of jazzy, ephemeral world pop.

This is a relatively new foray for Farish - an experiment in experimental music, if you will - with lasers and video.

"It's sort of anthem moments of Coldplay, the soaring of Enya," he says. "It's a reflective, classical sound. We like to lift the spirits."

Malcolm Venable, (757) 446-2662, malcolm.venable@pilotonline.com