or The Better Part of our Nature. Music Release A Day #8 ~ March 24, 2020
I was debating whether to share this recording from 20 years ago or to video me playing it this afternoon, and chose to go with the vintage version because there is something so jubilant about this piece and the original recording captures it’s integrity so well. I love playing this piece so much because it’s impossible for me not to smile while playing it, and it’s an energy I believe we all need right now as this crises deepens and it’s ramifications spread throughout our lives.
This may not be the cleanest execution of this composition, but the rawness of it’s energy is what I really want to share today, so here you have it, another 12 string original, Angelic.
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As I stated in my launch post, creating or birthing music has been a vital tool for me over the years to manage my emotional landscape, to give form to significant experiences, and to have a release valve for challenging passages. Music has been my therapist, and the conversations we’ve had have been captured in these recordings.
My 12 string guitar has been a primary vehicle in this particular vein of emotional and spiritual exploration and has served me well in this capacity. We’ve been through a lot together, and I consider her to be one of my best friends and teachers.
I am choosing to share this particular piece of music today because it is full of turmoil and the facing of conflict ~ it feels like an apt musical metaphor as we collectively stare down the barrel of societal threat. To stand in the face of an oncoming storm is to confront destiny ~ we are shaped by the experience, knowing we cannot run and we cannot hide. There’s a vital exchange of information, of surrender, and embrace, and the currency of this transaction is transformation. We emerge from our turmoils diminished or strengthened, compromised or forged into a deeper presence.
This piece was born in the murky depths of personal turmoil as I was steadfast and determined to stand tall throughout, face my fears head on, with the hopes that once the tempest had subsided I would emerge tempered and fortified for the days to come.
The title of the piece is derived from a quote by Carl Jung ~ “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
I’m going to add an additional layer of interest to this particular offering ~ I’m thinking that after the video I made today playing this piece (with really cold fingers…) I’m going to tack on a studio recording version of the piece from a couple of years ago with deeper instrumentation as that’s definitely closer to what I hear in my head. It’s a short piece, so the two versions back to back still come in under 4 minutes.
I’m also feeling strongly that by throwing this piece out now as we collectively brace ourselves for the sustained winds of hurricane corona as it blows through our communities, I invoke the strength and courage to face fears that this piece was born from.
If you’ve been moved by your visit, please consider signing up for the occasional newsletter that features new releases, inspirations, and other Tales from the Shadow Gallery…
If you’ve been moved by your visit, please consider signing up for the occasional newsletter that features new releases, inspirations, and other Tales from the Shadow Gallery…