Find it

'Close To Her' is a personal, improvised piece that was recorded one late night in the studio a few days ago. Hope you enjoy. 

Photo: Melania Brescia 
www.melaniabrescia.com

Instagram - instagram.com/benjamingustafssn

Close To Her

This is the title piece for this project, appropriately called "Comfort". Approximately 8 minutes long, this piece uses the sounds of the ocean, a resting heartbeat and sweeping but gentle instruments as well as vocal lines to create a comforting ambience that may bring a child to sleep or calm a stressed, agitated adult. The music is tuned to A = 444 Hz and corresponds to solfeggio tones that are nurturing, liberating and quiet fears. 

Comfort

Unexpectedly captured this live recording of the song during Revive, April 2018. It’s raw and emotional and full of peace. I could never capture this in a studio. You can’t really duplicate the presence of the moment but you can experience it again through the recording. Put in your headphones!

With thanks to the band Loose Change Quintet. Barry Simmons/Drums, Ryan Ethier/Bass, Scott Mason/Guitar, Laura Porter/Vocals & Percussion, Larry and Jacqueline Pearson Vocals, Barbara Simmons/Vocal&Keys. Recording by Tyler Cowie.

Copyright Barbara Simmons, 2018.

Just Breathe

Nimbit

This is a song I've been waiting over a year to share - written 2 summers ago, and powerfully helped me begin to break through a really dark time, as songwriting tends to do for me!  I was hoping to produce it properly, add video component, etc. before sharing... well, circumstances are such that I'm just going to share it unfinished and messy, as is - I've waited long enough, and never has this song been more relevant to my life.  Still hoping to produce it properly, add visual component, and my incredible 15 year old niece Aria (a phenomenal dancer) is going to choreograph a dance to it sometime in the future!

Most sounds are recorded from my parents' mug cupboard, along with Mom's autoharp (SO FUNNN), some piano, and obviously lots of vocals.

*Bird sounds came from online sources: "meadowlark_daniel-simion" (Sound Bible)and "beating wings" SoundDogs (Pond5).

BEATING WINGS (Singer-songwriter - voices, mugs and bells, autoharp, piano)

This piece was written for the University of Toronto Concert Orchestra while I was composer-in-residence with them, directed by Paul Widner and featuring the amazing violin soloist Joanna Gorska, performed in Walter Hall at U of T on April 4th, 2018.  The UTCO was an amazing group to work with - mainly undergraduate string players who are studying in areas of music other than performance.

The piece is about the 5 stages of grief, transformed.  The past 2 years I've had to face grief from multiple angles all at once, unexpectedly - it was a fascinating, crushing, beautiful, necessary, difficult, redemptive process.  Grief is healing - a gift, and it CAN learn to dance!  Of course, music is one of the best ways I knew to express the process...

As always, I hope the music speaks to you where you're at :)

Grief Learns To Dance  V. THE DANCE

Grief Learns To Dance  IV. LETTING GO

Grief Learns To Dance  III. AN OPEN DOOR

Since opening in 2003, The Jazz Kitchen studio has enjoyed recording singer/songwriters, indie bands, classical and jazz musicians. Over time, our emphasis has been shifting from recording to mastering, reflecting a growing trend for DIY recording. This trend has increased the need for professional mastering services as well as input at the recording/mixing level for musicians recording their own projects. We can jump into your project at any point to provide advice and expertise seriously upping the quality of your recording.

We use state-of-the-art digital mastering technology and expertise. As musicians ourselves, we understand and appreciate all genres of music from rock to classical and we recognize the different mastering needs for each of these genres.

We are also available for studio recording, on-line mixing and audio restoration.

Just Breathe

The Jazz Kitchen Studio

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