I’ve always loved collecting quotes—whether funny, inspiring, or wise—from people walking through life today and from those who lived long ago. This past week, I revisited some of my favorites about “being the light” in order to make a difference in a world that needs it now more than ever. A few of those quotes are shared below and served as inspiration for the composition, which is built on the theme that "if we want the world to change, we've got to be the light." My hope is to encourage each of us to bring light into the lives of others whenever and wherever we can.

“There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” -  Amanda Gorman

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 
– John 1:5.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." – Martin Luther King Jr.

 "A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love".  - St. Basil

Be The Light

Be the Light

Vocals: @Oddrun-Eikli 
Trumpet: @Arne-Hiorth
Lyrics: @user-264930040 (Peter)
Piano: Debra Buesking
This piano composition takes its cues from Beethoven's Bagatelle "Für Elise".  It seemed a bit of fun to give Beethoven's famous piece a new twist and so we have.  Thank you to my dear friends Oddrun, Arne, and Peter, for this marvelous and joyful experience of working together.  It brings us all a bit closer together.

An Autumn Pastorale

The year’s getting late, now summer’s sleeping
I contemplate how autumn’s creeping in.
Berries shining for the birds
As they harmonise each others’ words In a chorus like the angels heard.

The year’s getting late, for carefree living

Lazy times, with honest give and take.
Simple joys like baby smiles
And climbing hills to see for miles
The evening star switching on…year’s getting late

The year’s getting late, memories clinging
Better times, that sweet hope’s bringing in
The last of this year’s butterflies
Mother nature’s neat surprise

Can’t those days come back please? … year’s getting late.

Autumn Pastorale | Oddrun E, Arne Hiorth, Peter the Poet, & Debra B

Escape Velocity

"I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I  have treasured our life together" — Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook.

I Treasure You

“MELORAN” drifts like a memory bathed in light, flowing gently at ~74 BPM in D minor. Its lo-fi textures soften every edge, while cinematic ambience spreads wide yet remains intimate (Stereo width ~0.45). With a dynamic range of ~19 dB, melodies rise and fall like faint tides, and spectral energy around ~2.7 kHz glows before fading smoothly past 7.4 kHz. The result is a mix that feels luminous, calm, and quietly nostalgic.

This track is made for late-night reflections, quiet study, or walks under dim streetlights. Subtle neo-soul voicings and light jazz inflections weave in and out like echoes of the past, giving “MELORAN” both warmth and melancholy. It’s a piece that carries peace in the present, while holding on to fragments of memory.

Technical Notes: ~74 BPM • D minor • Stereo width ~0.45 • Spectral centroid ~2.7 kHz • Rolloff ~7.4 kHz • DR ~19 dB • RMS ~-17.3 dBFS • 48 kHz

Genres:

Primary: Lo-Fi Chill / Cinematic Ambient
Secondary: Neo-Soul / Jazz-influenced Downtempo

BPM: ~74 (slow-downtempo)
Tonality: D minor 
Stereo Image: Stereo; (Side/Mid ≈ 0.45)
Spectral Centroid (avg): ~2.7 kHz
Spectral Rolloff (85% avg): ~7.4 kHz
Dynamic Range (P95–P05): ~19 dB
Overall Loudness (RMS): ~-17.3 dBFS
Sample Rate: 48 kHz

Fusion Breakdown (%): Lo-Fi Chill 35% / Cinematic Ambient 30% / Neo-Soul 15% / Jazz 10% /  Experimental 10%

MELORAN

What remains of us

Original composition by Neno J., october 2025.
Nylon electro-acoustic guitar Cordoba Studio GK, Bass Ibanez, recorded directly using multi effect Hotone Ampero 100, Guitar Rig 5

Escape from rabbit hole

My sister Cindy wanted me to write music for her. It is becoming increasingly hard to play and that makes me sad.  I have lay so far back in my powerchair that I can't see the controls. I can't tolerate sitting up, it's too hard to breathe. Some days I can't even get out of bed.

My son attached a projector to my computer so my screen is now 6'x4', and I have a small keyboard I hold in my hand. So I try to keep up, but it takes much longer to do anything. ALS is not easy to deal with. It's important to stay positive and make good use of the time I have left.

Something To Remember Me

Song from the rock opera Five Thousand Sasquatch

Gold Colored Teacup

Inspired by the short story The Reactor: https://substack.com/home/post/p-176987522

Elegy for a Vanished Audience

Brass, drums, reverb. Anything more? Maybe a bit of a madness. I think I need to produce track like this from time to time, to release tension. Let the darkness do its thing so the light can take over next time.

Glimpse of Brass Madness

Music is the greatest human invention, the only language that speaks to us all. It would be a shame not to share my share. Just for fun, just for mere survival of one man's mind. Thank you for listening!

Glimpse of Brass Madness

Key Fragment