Music From the Expansive Sky: John Gregorius on Spotted Peccary Music

 

The music of John Gregorius blends a love of both acoustic and ambient electric guitars, resulting in a wonderful sound that is easygoing and engaging, a mixture of acoustic and amplified instrumental music that ranges from refreshingly simple finger style guitar to the emotional resonance of layered textural soundscapes. The sounds that result grow out of life’s mysteries, and through this process continues a search for meaning within a highly dynamic environment that is tightly focused on the volatility and transience of listening. For the tracks on his newest album, Full of Life, Gregorius employs New Standard Tuning, which was developed by Robert Fripp. Five consecutive open-notes of new standard tuning are spaced seven semitones apart on the chromatic circle; the highest interval is only three semitones apart, which places some of the guitar strings under greater tension than standard tuning. Standard sets of guitar strings do not work well with the tuning as the lowest strings are too loose and the highest string may snap under the increased tension. The body of the instrument seems to focus a heightened sonic awareness of what falls within the listener's contextual perception, filling the space with a sound that we appreciate and enjoy, thus prompting a rich and satisfying mode of experiencing the music.

His first album is titled Under the Ice, and was released in 2000, from his studio, Sound Art Recording. In his own words, "From this, I discovered my music created a space for people to live, travel, pray or even sleep with. Under the Ice was followed by Heaven and Earth, which was picked up by Spotted Peccary Music, and that was followed by Still Voice, which features electric and acoustic ambient guitar with piano, cello, upright bass, drums, programming and vocals." Yet, with all of these new instrumental layers and dimensions, there remains a sense of minimalism and mystery. "The music I create is part of a larger spiritual quest. I'm learning that being still and listening is important beyond measure and my hope is that my music will facilitate a deeper and more real experience of what it is to be awake and alive. Ultimately, if one sees a glimpse of the source of beauty and love from the music then I am greatly blessed."

Full of Life has an awakening contemplative spiritual sound that invites mystery and joy to flow together, the listener experiences a series of smooth and polished instrumentals, exploring a deep spiritual space with layers, atmospheres and melodies that feel much like being up in the Sonoran Desert mountains with breezes blowing through the trees, discovering spiritual connections in nature and the spirit of love. John Gregorius invites you to watch the evening light change the distant mountain's rocky slopes and high-desert washes as it flows, creating deep channels of shadows and mirages, "painting" the music. The listener can become awake to the divine presence, which is how music can become prayer.

Full of Life was mastered by Howard Givens, and is available for physical purchase in CD format and in 24-BIT AUDIOPHILE, CD QUALITY LOSSLESS, MP3 and streaming formats. The CD version of Full of Life arrives in a factory sealed 6-panel gatefold package that includes vibrant artwork, liner notes, a 4 page booklet, and exquisite package design by Daniel Pipitone, incorporating photography by Micayla Gregorius.

 

Tracklist:

1 The Expansive Sky 05:45

2 Unfolding Beauty 05:08

3 Full of Life 05:49

4 Path of Renewal 05:22

5 Blanket of Stars 04:51

6 Winds of Change 05:21

7 Wellspring 04:28

8 Early Reflection 05:01

9 Monsoon Clearing 04:49

10 Painted Vistas 03:19

11 Catalina 04:15

12 Rincon Fading Light 04:00

 

Links:

Spotted Peccary Album page: https://spottedpeccary.com/shop/full-of-life/

Album unboxing video: https://youtu.be/iJ64GiL3Nzs 

Bandcamp: https://ambientelectronic.bandcamp.com/

Spotted Peccary Artist Page: https://spottedpeccary.com/artists/john-gregorius/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spottedpeccary/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/spottedpeccary

Artist website: https://johngregorius.com/

She Plays: Celebrating Women in Music

When is International Men’s Day? Pretty much every day, so BEING is taking at least this one day to give a shout out to all of the fabulous women of the world! A balanced world is a better world. How can you help forge a more gender-balanced world? Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.

International Women's Day (IWD) is powered by the collective efforts of all. Collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity is what makes IWD successful. Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."

International Women's Day has occurred for well over a century, with the first​ ​IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the​ Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom's Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women's equality.

Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.​ So, make International Women's Day your day and do what you can to truly make a positive difference for women!

Making Hearts Sing

The BEING editorial team has gathered together an array of female artists from this growing community in tribute to International Women’s Day. There is global demand for new music beyond pop, rock and hip hop...contemporary, worldly, instrumental, conscious, new age...by authentic voices expressing real women's lives. For International Women’s Day, let's shine a light on the immense variety of women making music. Their inspiration to create is as diverse as the beautiful new music they make.

Fiona Joy Hawkins, Little Hartley Music

Fiona Joy Hawkins

Australian Pianist and Singer Fiona Joy Hawkins reflects on a busy lifetime career that includes a performance at New York Carnegie (Weill Hall), a live concert on Echoes/NPR and accompanying Deepak Chopra. Having toured China three times now, Fiona Joy is nick-named The Piano Angel, not just for her romantic, melodic songs and lush arrangements, but also for her graceful performance style in concert.

A prolific composer, she has always been interested in creating music that evokes images, emotions and stories. It follows that her upbringing was filled with music. Her classical piano training is evident in her thematic and melodic compositions. Ravel’s Bolero emerged as an early influence, she says, adding, “I loved it, I played it over and over and deconstructed every part. George Winston, Prokofiev and Mendelssohn also intrigued me."

One of her upcoming projects is a collaboration with Rebecca Daniel titled Lightness of Dark, which explores loss and mourning. Perhaps her most celebrated collaboration is with the popular New Age group FLOW (Fiona Joy, Lawrence Blatt, Jeff Oster, and Will Ackerman). https://fionajoy.com/

Deborah Martin, Spotted Peccary Music

Deborah Martin

Deborah Martin’s passion is to visualize and create music that takes each listener on a journey through time and space. With a vivid imagination and a deep love of historic places and peoples of the past, we see her as being blessed; for they are few, those visionaries, who can bring forth into the present, and into our hearts, the spirit of that which has been so utterly lost in antiquity.

“I simply close my eyes and imagine what it would have been like to exist in another time, another place, and then the music comes.”

Deborah has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the North American continent, experiencing firsthand the diversity of cultures and the historic threads that weave together connecting us all. This perspective enables her to recognize and uncover links between present and past, and to interpret the resulting panorama with a compositional style all her own.

Deborah joined Spotted Peccary Music in 1991, with musical contributions on the album Tracks in Time. Deborah states, “I wanted to combine visual elements of places, people and events of long ago with sound.” Her three compositions, “Tracks In Time,” “Watercolors,” and “Forgot In Stone” did just that and much more. Since then she has created many albums of fine music.

Whether collaborating with other artists or working on her own projects in the future, Deborah Martin, one of Spotted Peccary Music’s highly acclaimed top selling artists is sure to inspire listeners with visions of the past and present; and when the time comes for her to reveal the next installment of her musical saga, it is certain that it will be one for the ages. Learn more at https://spottedpeccary.com/artists/deborah-martin/

Valerie Romanoff 

Valerie Romanoff, Valrock Music

“Music has the power to heal, transform, evoke emotion, underscore and enhance our lives. By consciously aligning with elements of music, we can affect deep changes in our world” proudly proclaims Valerie Romanoff: she loves to share ideas about music, art, meditation, passionate pursuits, intentionality, the upliftment of our world, and the power of LOVE.

“I love playing the electric guitar and creating music; I am devoted to my family; I live mostly in New York and part-time in Sedona, Arizona; I co-founded Starlight Orchestras in 1998 and have spent many years producing and performing live music for upscale events around the country.”

Participating in the growing global conversation about uplifting our world with peace, love and,music has become her life’s work. In addition to her meditation music, look for her new band, SPIRIT JAMFEST, where Valerie and friends are creating a platform for upliftment, celebration, ecstatic expression and the sharing of a common goal; our world in love and at peace! She performs a live concert on Friday March 8, 2019, International Women's Day, at Sedona's Creative Life Center. Visit http://valerieromanoffmusic.com/

Suzanne Doucet, ONAM

Suzanne Doucet

"I devote my total being to whatever I'm doing," says Suzanne Doucet. This principle is the underlying factor in Doucet's success and has seen her through many transitional phases of her illustrious career. She is a former entertainment Star from Europe, Co-Founder of the New Age Music Circle, NewAgeMusic.com, and NewAgeUniverse.com. She became one of the pioneers in the New Age Music industry in West Germany and is now recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the subject worldwide. She has lived in the USA since 1983.

Originally from Germany with an international career first as a teen-pop star, singer and songwriter, then as a TV-host, producer and music publisher Suzanne devoted all her energies since 1969 to help explore the “New Age Music” scene world wide. She is regarded as one of the foremost experts and pioneers of this genre. She opened the World's first "Only New Age Music" store in Hollywood California with her husband James Bell in 1987, on Melrose Avenue, and she founded the International New Age Music Network (1987 - 1992). 

Since 2009, she has produced the successful MP3-compilation series "Sounds from the Circle", which consists of 10 volumes so far, with artists from all over the world, such as Peter Kater, Steven Halpern, Ricky Kej, Fiona Joy, Omar Akram, Bernward Koch, Laura Sullivan and many others. See her full story at http://www.suzannedoucet.com/

Ann Licater

Ann Licater, Photo by D'Arcy Allison-Teasley

Ann Licater is an award-winning recording artist, world flutist, producer and composer. She created and facilitates “Flute for the Soul” workshops where she plays Native American and world flutes as tools for personal discovery. On her five albums, Following the Call, Doorway to a Dream, Invitation from Within, Beyond the Waves and Quiet Spaces: Flute Meditations for Mindfulness and Relaxation as in her healing concerts, Ann’s unique approach merges her intuition, spiritual perspective and traditional music background. Her love of wood and clay flutes led her to study with master flutist R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo-Ute) complementing her years of classical flute training at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN.  

Licater’s music accolades range from “Top Ten Best New Age Album” by Amazon music editors, to “Best Relaxation Album” by ZMR Music Awards and beyond. Her music is featured on Sirius XM, Soundscapes, a Music Choice cable radio channel, Pandora and Spotify and as in-flight entertainment for Cathay Pacific Airlines, Virgin Airlines and Air Canada under the music category “Well-Being.” Licater has performed at the World Flute Fest at Carnegie Hall, the Awakened World Conference in Rome and Florence, Italy and at “Sound Body, Sound Mind” Specialty Week at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate. Mexico. She holds a B.A. from University of St. Thomas, and an M.L.A. in Creation Spirituality from Naropa University and divides her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California. Explore at https://www.fluteforthesoul.com/

Rigzin

In her wildest of dreams, Rigzin never aspired to become a singer or performer. She devoted her main life’s effort, for now over 30 years, to studying and practicing the meditational lineages, of Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism.

Her original background was in fine arts photography, she graduated summa cum laude, with a BFA from the University of New Mexico. She traveled to India with the intention of studying East Indian art, and photographing. Wandering, she was drawn to Bodh Gaya, the place where Sakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment, under the Bodhi Tree. Being introduced to Buddhist philosophy there, she stayed for one year, falling deeply in love with the teachings, and the practices of mediation that develop ones love and compassion, on the path to awakening.

Rigzin, Rigzin Music

All of the albums in her Sacred Trilogy Series (Union, Transition, Protection) are a complete practice, effortlessly guiding the listener from lineage to dedication, subtly developing our wisdom and compassion. Mantra are enlightenment through sound vibration, hearing or reciting them is a direct connection to our inherent enlightened nature. The actual CD disks are imbued with mantras, a spinning “prayer wheel” sending out prayers in all directions.The stunning visual art of the Sacred Trilogy is by one of today’s most prominent visionary artists Android Jones. The beautiful six panel package is a small treasure of art and prayers. All eco friendly recycled materials and ink, free of plastic, made in the USA. One tree is planted for each CD sold, which will continue to grow for years, benefiting subsistence farmers around the world, and offsetting carbon emissions, thus easily making accessible the ancient blessings of the Tibetan Lineages, in modern times, with the intention to bring infinite benefit to all beings without exception. Learn about Rigzin, her music and weekly online meditations at http://rigzinmusic.com/

Anaya

Anaya is a timeless composer and vocalist devoted to elevating the human spirit through music, to fulfill a collective yearning shared by humanity for harmony, unity and balance. Anaya’s desire to learn the universal language of music emerged when she was 4 years old reared by a rich culture driven by music and the arts. Her musical journey began on guitar and piano, which led to many years of dedication to composing and producing her own albums.

Anaya, AnayaMusic

Music is the heart of Brazil and has been the foundation for Brazilian culture enriching all festivities, religious ceremonies and simple daily life. As an accomplished composer, performer and producer, Anaya passionately expresses her spirituality and the influence of her Brazilian roots through music, art, and poetry. Her style truly captures the soothing, inspiring and energizing essence of Brazilian music, which delivers a stellar synthesis of genres such as new age, electronic and melodic trance. Anaya is a multi-talented professional with a Post Doctorate degree in leadership and a Phd in Information Technologies. She has a very unique international resume, which includes traveling the world as a performer of Brazilian pop music and working for the University of Brazilia and the United Nations as an Information System Specialist. Anaya weaves her expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of universal spirituality to create a union between technology and the senses, which becomes the heart of her work. “Our best instrument is the universal harmony of being.” Visit http://www.anayamusic.com/

Kristen Speller

“This journey of being a musician has saved me. Whenever I am hurt, I can write about it, which is an emotional attachment that has fed my music quite well. I often struggle with being a “tortured musician.” I don’t necessarily feel tortured as a person, but I can develop music to revert back to pain. So the journey has been fulfilling, in that, I can write the best songs from pain. But my vibration is that of light and that’s where “The Rising of The Phoenix,” came into play. I learned to play Dulcimer, became an energy source within the rhythm of it, strung the cords to my heart’s delight. So the journey has been more emotional than anything. It’s complex, it’s subjective, it’s complicated, it’s beautiful, it’s love and it is my life. As Maya Angelou has so eloquently written, “I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.”

Kristen Speller, artist-entrepreneur

“Part of the inspiration for ‘Addiction’ was the conversations I had with people who had asked about David Ness who passed away in 2014. I thought about the wide range of addictions that all human beings are subject to, and the fact that there’s not a huge conversation surrounding that. I didn’t like the fact that people were judging David, just as I wouldn’t want people judging me for being a food and sugar addict. Instead of addiction being a societal norm, I think prevention should be a societal given. I feel like a lot of people can relate to the song and that it could be a catalyst to start the larger conversation.” Listen and explore Kristen's ever-expanding world of music, organic cosmetics, and wellness at http://www.kristenspeller.com/


Jennifer DeFrayne

Jennifer DeFrayne, Palo Isle Music

Jennifer DeFrayne is an international award-winning contemporary new age pianist and composer. Her music has been described as ~ Inspirational ~ Uplifting ~ Calming ~ Relaxing ~ Healing ~ Storytelling... She began writing music at a young age, is self-taught, and finds her emotional voice through the piano… She didn’t’ release her first album until she was 40 years old when she realized how precious life really is… and finally followed her passion for music and healing.

Born amongst the stark (and, in winter, savage) beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, one of the cradles of Finnish heritage and culture in North America, Jennifer (Palosaari- her Finnish given name) came to love playing piano by the age of five. She eschewed the more typical classical lessons, opting instead for crafting her own original melodies, inspired by the surrounding beauty of her physical world as well as her emotional connections to her family. During favorable weather, neighbors would request that the family leave their windows open to allow Jennifer's melodies to reach into their homes. One (of several) musical turning points came when, while playing at a local art gallery as a teenager, the gallery owner compared her music to George Winston's (who was unknown to Jennifer at the time). Needless to say, the discovery that others "out there" embraced her style of music propelled her to explore a more concrete vision of performing and recording, leading her to college studies in music management, where professors, friends, and performers all offered more encouragement. Visit Jennifer at https://www.jenniferdefrayne.com/

Kimberly Haynes

Kimberly Haynes, Music Medicine Woman

Despite limited exposure to art and music in the inner city where she was raised, Kimberly Haynes bravely followed a divinely inspired call to song. Naturally immersed in music of all kinds as a young child, Kimberly knew that she wanted to be an artist and a songwriter very early on. She began performing at a young age making her professional debut at age 12 singing with the televised group Young Life Singers. By age 15, she was already recording demos for other songwriters. At 19, Kimberly traveled to Japan and began a decade of performing in various clubs and venues there and in Los Angeles.

You will hear Kimberly’s greatest musical influences – such as Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell, and Sarah Mc Lachlan – as she harmoniously weaves inspirational heart-felt lyrics into a rich tapestry of world instruments to create poetic reflections. “Having risen from my own ashes multiple times, it is my mission to carry a positive, uplifting message into the world,” She says. “My life and my music are richer and deeper for the challenges I have overcome, and my songs are a reflection of my personal journey.” She sings en Español for the first time on "Pinta" (see the video up top); enjoy more  at http://www.musicmedicinewoman.com/

Madhavi Devi

Electronic musician, harpist, and meditative sound painter Madhavi Devi (Cheryl Gallagher) produces and performs music with intention towards supernal inner growth and development, composing inspiring sound-spaces reflective of mystical vibrations and light from the center of being. Her critically acclaimed releases feature rich textures and nuanced melodic structures that are evocatively moving and intimate, and yet celestial in scope. Nature sounds, various acoustic percussive elements, and subtly crafted electronic sub-components all add eloquence to her sonic palette and choreography. With several releases over the last couple decades, Madhavi Devi continues to explore her innate sensitivities towards musical conversation, evolving sound as a vital connection to personal discovery.

As a visual artist, Madhavi creates beautiful atmospheric spaces, inspired often by both Western and Asian ancient art, but always by sacred themes, spiritual culture and other natural influences especially intended for meditation, divine development, healing, and support of inner wisdom and truth.

She has specialized training in creative arts education using the Intentional Creativity Methods, established by maestra Shiloh Sophia, offering transformational painting experiences using intuitive methods for revelatory self-discovery, personal development, release of limiting beliefs and healing. Listen and explore the many gifts of Madhavi Devi at https://spottedpeccary.com/artists/madhavi-devi/

Listen in on International Women’s Day: March 8, 2019, then click the link to get everything you need to run a successful International Women's Day celebration! 

- by Robin B. James

Music Review: Healing Music Volume 2

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Valerie Romanoff has succeeded in delivering the ultimate two-disk relaxation album. Comprised of seventeen tracks, Healing Music Volume 2 is a two-hour serenade rife with delicate textures and brilliant guitar work. Most clocking in over five minutes each, these songs are designed to keep the listener in a peaceful mindset from beginning to end. The free-flowing nature of this music promotes a sense of openness and clarity and promote an uplifted state of mind.

Having studied music since childhood, Romanoff has always been driven to create atmospheres with her extensive knowledge of different instruments and genres. She categorizes her work into a spectrum that she likes to call “STILL, CHILL, THRILL,” all of which she uses to determine what kind of "life" or vibe each track will take on. She describes “STILL” as music for times of reflection and relaxation, while “CHILL” encourages active thought, and “THRILL” ignites energy during energetic peak times.

Staying within the realms of STILL and CHILL, disk one of Healing Music Volume 2 features eight of Romanoff's full-length compositions. “Pink Skies Over Still Water” showcase Stevin McNamara’s beautiful sitar playing as well as Tom Rossi’s ethereal flute. Paired with Romanoff’s guitar work, this trifecta comes together to create a piece with plenty of space, atmosphere and overflowing joy that continues on into “Pink Skies Over Waves.” Further down the list, “Om Shanti Shalom” has more of a groove than most of the other songs do. It is carried by solid percussion and her guitar playing layered on top of some ambient synthesizer work.

Disk two offers nine tracks which are radio edits of the songs on disk one, providing a compact version of the compositions from the previous disk. Concluding the second part of the collection is the bonus track “Prelude Went Beyond.” A celebration of love, it includes Tom Rossi once again on the kora as well as McNamara on sitar. Loaded with layers of strings and a variety of ornamental flourishes, the listener is left with a warm glow of motivation and positivity.

With this second album -- and a variety of notable singles including one with beloved yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch -- Valerie Romanoff emerges as an exciting new voice to follow in the arena of World and New Age music. Her lively social feeds, especially Instagram, offers a daily dose of positivity and good energy.

For more information on Romanoff and a list of her upcoming talks and live performances, visit www.valerieromanoffmusic.com. Healing Music Volume 2 is now available anywhere music is sold or streamed, as well as on her Bandcamp page.

- Samantha Garcia

Sounds of Healing: Music’s Power To Heal

Neil Tatar, musician and workshop facilitator

Music can be so much more than entertainment, it often has a strong impact on the brain.  Science has proven that certain types of music boosts immunity, increases cognitive function and memory and can even help alleviate pain.  Mood-elevating music releases the powerful neurotransmitter, dopamine, which regulates our reward-motivational behavior. As a result, we may become joyful, enthusiastic, passionate and inspired, possibly even smarter, more creative and more productive.

New Age musician Neil Tatar is a composer, pianist and guitarist who says he uses music as a means of communication. “Music becomes my words,” he says. When he isn’t recording music, he focuses his creative energy on leading improvisational workshops for a variety of groups, including, regional arts councils, various college groups, adult mental health programs and camps for children with serious illnesses. His workshops echo the energy he brings from continued inspiration and training. As a facilitator, he creates a safe and supportive environment for participants. He welcomes the musically inexperienced as well as the seasoned professional.

Tatar saw music’s power first-hand when he recalled this memory of a woman, so disengaged, that he was wondering if she was sleeping.

“As the workshop progressed, I saw that she started communicating by tapping her foot to the music,” he said, noting that it could have been her way of communicating.

“Whenever you get any group together, it creates a safe community where people feel permission to communicate and facilitate an open conversation. They feel safe enough to express their feelings and it allows self-expression. The tapping may have been her words.”

Well-known scientist Albert Einstein was aware of the link between music and spatiality.  To him, music as much more than just a composition of notes and he said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”

Just as mathematics can be considered both a science and an art, so can music.  In fact New Age musician Anaya (Aonki) often uses her background as a Digital Information Specialist to match the most effective sounds with her spiritual concepts, while guitarist-scientist Lawrence Blatt (FLOW) incorporated his love of the Fibonacci sequence into an album called Fibonacci’s Dream.

Many of us know that music has long been used operating rooms to help patients cope with anxiety and fear, but a fairly new program, utilizing music therapy, is being used by hospitals for patients undergoing surgery, rehabilitation or other procedures. The patient spends some time with the music therapist, who will ask what types of music evoke certain memories, and then will select music where the beats are aligned with breathing, heart rate, goals, etc.

Tatar said he was once told by a hospice nurse that one of his songs, “Where Did the Time Go?” was played throughout the facility to calm anxious patients:

“The song was inspired by a phone conversation with my mother. As we reminisced she said to me, “Neil, where did the time go?”

He continued: “Several years later when she was in hospice, I sent it to her.  Sadly, she died before it was able to reach her but, even through my sadness, I was gratified to learn it helped others.”

In fact, one of the highlights of Tatar’s long career occurred in 2017, when The C.A.R.E. Channel notified him that they would add his music to the channel, which is a music and relaxation program shown in hospitals and medical facilities throughout the United States. Neil's latest album is After The Rain.

YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC: KIDS LEARN ITS POWER

Going beyond relaxation, music can also be a tool for motivation and learning. Tatar saw music’s ability to teach kids new skills and develop IQs from an early age, and he began teaching guitar when he was an undergraduate student at Boston University in the ’70s.

Many of the kids seemed distant and disinterested.  Always outspoken about music’s ability to engage and support people, one of the first questions Tatar would ask his students was “why are you here?”  Nine times out of 10, he said, he’d get some version of the “I’m-here-because my-parents-made me” response. So he turned the question around to “what do you like to listen to, and why?” Overwhelmed with the amount of dialogue it opened, he responded,  “Okay, we’ll address that in class, but first we have to do the ‘official’ stuff, like learning chords.”  

The students enthusiastically agreed, and actively participated in the class. His workshops to kids usually involve the creation of a composition, which develops:

•      Understanding and reasoning: The kids have to keep asking themselves “Is this music in line with my writing?” and “Does it convey the emotions I’m looking for?”
•       Listening skills:  In order to ask the above questions, one needs to listen and be aware.
•       Self-esteem:  They need to stand up, present their piece, and take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism
•       Learn the importance of collaboration. Even solo pieces often require harmonization.

So there you have it; whether you’re in need of relaxation, self-expression, or therapy, consider reaching for your instrument of choice, your favorite CD, or a new playlist to help you adjust your mood and reach the state of wellbeing that you desire. It’s not only nice to hear, but to paraphrase that well-known commercial, Music: It does a body good...and the brain, too.

Music Review: MYSTIC by Al Conti

  

Even before inviting us into the grand sweeping musical experience of his latest masterwork Mystic, Grammy nominated new age and world fusion composer arranger and multi-instrumentalist Al Conti intrigues us with the darkness and light of the CD’s compelling artwork. In a monastic setting, a lone seeker dressed in a red robe stands before a mysterious black door, as sunlight pours through stately columns on the left, but not the right. We wonder, is he contemplating a trip towards the light, or towards exploring the mystery of the other side? Or is he the generator of the light that’s flowing out? As we contemplate these questions, Conti sets the musical stage for this mystical opening of a door on the opening title track by laying down a haunting ambiance behind the ethereal wordless vocals of Charlee Brooks and The Oxford Court Monk Choir.

Al Conti's new album is MYSTIC

These vocals bookend the piece and helps it build to a dramatic conclusion – which of course, is just the beginning of the journey. As a sensual groove and exotic keyboard melody take hold, Conti is pulling (or, rather, sweeping) us toward the heart of his exploratory journey – given extra emotional heft by Butto’s whimsical flute solo. Infusing the soul with relaxation, “Trance” puts us in a moody, musically liquid space before evolving into an exotic and hypnotic ballad featuring an elegant lead melody on the Indian santoor (played by Vanil Veigas, whose mastery graces a total of seven tracks).

The chamber music and rock influenced “Contemplation” features the mystical charms of another special guest, harpist Pamela Copus (2002) interacting with George’s soulful violin lines; later in the piece, Pearce’s soulful and crisp electric guitar echoes sweetly over the lush ambience, then creates a hypnotic steel string harmony behind the harp  melody. “Ritual” alternates atmospheric dreaminess with dramatic drums and percussion fills, bells and powerful keyboard chords. Underneath all that is the deep rhythm of a beating heart, as if on a mission to pump life into the spirit. Capturing the lighthearted side of Conti’s fluid musical spirituality, “Devotion” is a playful and poppy, sensual and infectious romp based on a pilgrimage song from the Middle Ages. It was inspired by a visit to a cloister and reflects humanity’s constant struggle to sustain one’s own devotion and balance.

Driven by Conti’s elegant, contemplative piano melody and some later caressing string harmonies and a gentle violin solo by Manoj George, we are drawn into a “Prayer” whose ultimate aim is to become one with the cosmos – and grateful for all things. In this state, it’s easy to have “Visions” of what Conti’s inspiration, 12^th Century mystic Hildegard von Bingen, called “the shade of living light.” Conti proves a masterful weaver of trippy sonic delights here, tying seamlessly together a gentle flute line, a resonant santoor melody and a deepening wash of dreamy ambience even before the rhythms enter the picture via Karthik K’s ever present tabla. The stark, ambient and trance-inducing “Pilgrimage” was inspired by Spain’s renowned Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage. It features an initial conversation between dark and light elements via Conti’s keyboard melody and George’s violin – then as the tempo picks up, Conti swirls his ancient flavored keys with a lively, dancing violin and the fiery electric guitar of another guest star, Jeff Pearce.

The artist wraps the collection with “Anima Aeterna,” a contemplation of one of the most mystical concepts of all, the human soul. He expresses this never ending mystery via Brooks’ dreamy vocalizing, lush atmospheres, a unique combination of santoor, electric guitar, tabla and other exotic elements. With this artful, sweeping blend, Conti helps us explore the eternal while inspiring the mystic in us all to engage in our surroundings. Mystic is deep and insightful work that can be grasped on many emotional and spiritual levels. While it can be enjoyed all the way through for its dual ability to relax and exhilarate, upon further careful listens, one comes to appreciate the artist’s incredible tapestry of textures.   

Mystic releases worldwide on October 7, 2016.

                                                  -- Jonathan Widran

Music Review

Longitudes and Latitudes: Laid-back, World Class Guitar

New age guitarist Lawrence Blatt displays his mastery of the genre he represents with his new album Longitudes and Latitudes.  As the title implies, the fifteen tracks on this record will take you on a tour around the world.  Recorded at Imaginary Road Studios and produced by new age genius Will Ackerman, this album holds five years of storytelling and passion straight from Lawrence’s heart.

On an Imaginary Road...

Right out of the gate, “Two Shades of Sunshine” makes you feel like you’re sitting on a warm terrace in Hawaii.  The song is rife with contemporary rhythm and Blatt’s distinctive finger-picking guitar tunes. The mood slows down a notch over the next few tracks until stepping it back up on “Open Fields and Running Water” in which he picks the groove back up and introduces new beats and a layering of different, subtle sounds. It is a tastefully done sonic interpretation of the city of Huangshan, China. 

“Morning In Beerse” transports you into a sun-filled room in Belgium. It’s truly an anthem for those lazy, languid mornings. The next track “Upon Griffy Lake” pays homage to Blatt’s roots growing up in Indiana. The soft female vocals add a dreamy vibe to the already calming tune.  

Lawrence Blatt, guitarist & composer

He really kicks up the mood with my favorite track “Noches De Barcelona.” It’s a passionate, upbeat track that makes me envision couples swaying in the balmy moonlight. The violin work is truly romantic.

Longitudes and Latitudes is laid-back and full of class, the ideal album for all those world travelers out there.  

Listen at www.LawrenceBlatt.com 

 - Samantha G.