Mesmerizing melodies featuring a blend of great instruments!

mesmerising and passionate playing ❤️

It was seemingly a late Autumn season this year and the leaves held on to their branches a little longer than average this turn of the wheel. I watched as the final remaining members of the deciduous resistance proudly held their ground and clung to their branches, while the wind tried to seduce them to give up their futile attempt at immortality and surrender to the inevitable.  In bold defiance they refused and proudly flew their colorful flags of deep crimson, rust orange, and a shade of yellow so ineffably deep it does not even bare a name. They danced gallantly and gracefully with the wind as they moved in asymmetrical rhythms and flowing tempos - the mathematics of which seemingly beyond human intelligence, boarding on the divine. The eb and flow of the motion together with the beams of sunlight that would burst through the branches and cast a glimmering shimmer onto everything was truly an epically cinematic sight to behold! If I were a cinematographer this is what I would film.  As I am only a composer, I did the best I could with the tools available to my disposal...  I hope you may enjoy it...

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"Autumn Rains" is the second installment in a trio of neoclassical solo piano albums composed, performed, and produced by Andrew Souter. These projects have been two decades in the making and represent a return to traditional music composition, engaging song-writing, and the pure passion of emotional story-telling. This trio represents Andrew's most personal and intimate music. It is quite literally a love project. We hope it may help you on your journey, as it has us...

"Autumn Rains" is music inspired by the spirit of Agape. It is an album dedicated to the concept of spiritual love and universal compassion clothed in the metaphor of transcendental natural beauty. It is an album that simultaneously expresses deep love for both the creator as well as the creation. It is said God gave us music so that we could pray without words. It could be added that nature was provided as an example of exactly how to do this effectively. In this spirit, Autumn Rains is a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to learn from the natural beauty of this world, and an expression of a sense of respect for the inescapable universal equality that nature imposes. It humbly attempts to capture deep feelings of awe, granduer, idealism, and a belief in the innate goodness of the world even when we all face exceptionally hard lessons.

Andrew Souter -- The Wind Whispers To The Trees

"Have patience with all things, but, first of all, with yourself." - Saint Francis de Sales
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Image (c) 2013 <a href=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=772341389449116&set=a.674844345865488.1073741828.156806751002586&type=1&theater>Cap Photography</a>

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Ed Haydon's beautiful piano piece "Hope" was one of my absolute favourite pieces from the Piano Cloud group in 2013. So when we launched a new challenge to record a cover version of another member's music, it was an obvious and immediate choice. 

Rather than simply reproduce the piece in the same way that Ed himself recorded it, I have used his notation as a start point and made some subtle changes. I have added extensions to the chords and re-voiced them, embellished the melody in places and added additional runs and doodles. There's a new ending too. These changes give the piece an "Andrew Eales flavour", while staying true, I hope, to Ed's original vision for the piece.

One of the reasons Ed Haydon's "Hope" was such a great track was its simplicity though, and I realise that by adding complexity I have created a version which is distinct. You may in any case prefer the original, which I encourage you to listen to here:

https://soundcloud.com/edhaydon/ed-haydon-hope-2013-version 

Artwork by Ed Haydon used with permission. 

Ed Haydon: "Hope" (new recording by Andrew Eales)

I feel very thankful and fortunate to have had a truly amazing summer in 2014.  I visited no fewer than seven counties between July and August.  I witnessed so many amazing things in Romania, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, and Iceland. I spent quality time, working, playing, and planning for the future with close friends and colleagues. I met and befriended many new and truly wonderful people whom I now consider close friends.

I was asked many times both by friends and family in the US, as well as the local people in the various cities I was in, what I thought about all the various political instability in the world today.  The questions invariably centered around something to the effect of "Aren't you worried/concerned/afraid to be traveling at the moment?"

My standard answer, which I became quite practiced in reciting, was:  I think that if some alien species which did not speak any human language came to Earth and visited New York, Washington DC, Bucharest, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn, Copenhagen, and Reykjavik it would have a very hard time telling us all apart.  Despite our small cultural differences, people everywhere generally want the same things.  We all look quite similar when we smile and laugh as well as when we cry.

It is said,  everybody loves something, is afraid of something, has lost something, and is looking to find something.  Which will you focus on?  Will you give love unconditionally, or will you help create fear in effort to mask your own?  Will you help yourself and others get lost, or will you try your best to find something of true value and meaning?  Will you focus on artificial divisions and all the reasons why you think you can not do something, or will you open the borders of your heart to new experiences and opportunities for growth? The choice is yours.  It is all of ours.



A deep and humble thanks to everyone in Romania, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Denmark, and Iceland for sharing part of your lives and wonderful culture with me.  The memories will last a lifetime and have already become a formative experience to my creative process.  Thank you!

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"Autumn Rains" is the second installment in a trio of neoclassical solo piano albums composed, performed, and produced by Andrew Souter. These projects have been two decades in the making and represent a return to traditional music composition, engaging song-writing, and the pure passion of emotional story-telling. This trio represents Andrew's most personal and intimate music. It is quite literally a love project. We hope it may help you on your journey, as it has us...

"Autumn Rains" is music inspired by the spirit of Agape. It is an album dedicated to the concept of spiritual love and universal compassion clothed in the metaphor of transcendental natural beauty. It is an album that simultaneously expresses deep love for both the creator as well as the creation. It is said God gave us music so that we could pray without words. It could be added that nature was provided as an example of exactly how to do this effectively. In this spirit, Autumn Rains is a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to learn from the natural beauty of this world, and an expression of a sense of respect for the inescapable universal equality that nature imposes. It humbly attempts to capture deep feelings of awe, granduer, idealism, and a belief in the innate goodness of the world even when we all face exceptionally hard lessons.


Andrew Souter -- Without Borders

When I heard Milana Zilnik was allowing us to collaborate on a tune with her, I was hooked! I have chopped the original up a bit & because Milana is handling the piano I swapped over to the acoustic guitar & added lead & arpeggios to enhance her beautiful piece "Moonlight Stroll". I then improvised string parts over the tune as well. Hopefully you will go on a musical journey with Milana & myself. Enjoy!

Moonlight Stroll-Milana Zilnik Ft. Simon Reich

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River Run

Hi all,

Just for fun I thought I'd upload an instrumental version of this track.  You can hear the original here... https://soundcloud.com/edhaydon/one-of-the-stars-ft-izi-thomas

I recorded my Yamaha piano onto tape using two Rode NT5 mics and a Revox B77 tape recorder.  The strings are a combination of Native Instruments and Spitfire Albion.

Please feel free to download this track - and like/repost at the same time! The download is CD quality (44.1kHz/16bit). Thanks :)

I'd also be happy if anyone wanted to have a go at creating their own version of this track by adding their own vocals and/or instruments.  Lyrics are available if you follow the above link.

I hope you like this version.

One Of The Stars (instrumental) - free to download

Awake  for Piano Day 2016
from #Introspective  #PianoDay

https://youtu.be/iATVo4GZZaI (Official Music Video)

www.gabrieledalonzo.com

https://gabrieledalonzomusic.bandcamp.com/releases

Awake -  for Piano Day 2016

A collaboration between David Hollandsworth & myself, the original piece "Gray Skies" was for piano solo, I added all the orchestral parts. © 2017 Dominique Charpentier & David Hollandsworth. All rights reserved
Photo by Jordi Ganduxe on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/@gandu
You can listen to the original piece here: 
https://soundcloud.com/davidhollandsworth/gray-skies

Gray Skies - David Hollandsworth // Orchestral Rework

Through sound, emotion seeks new dimensions, not as an escape from reality but rather in a search for the image of a new reality. Music that creates emotion, is like a wind that purifies, rendering visible all the obstacles and divisions. It is rather like a piercing arrow that alerts the parts of our mind we do not normally go to, in our daily lives. It opens up unknown and obscure landscapes, like a ray of light that filtering into a dark room, banishes the darkness and leaves nothing to hinder vision. 
”Canone degli Spazi” is about the sound that journeys in all directions, the sound that travels through endless space - through the outer world and the inner space - through the unconscious and the senses. 
When I play with precision and with specific intent, the emotion that rises inside of me is the mirror of the one that arises in the person who is listening - it provokes a sense of union and communion with those sharing the same moment. Music becomes a vehicle of an objective feeling, which is almost the same for most people. Similarly, if I am not One with the sound and my intention is not clear, the same notes played carelessly are empty - they lose their power and their intensity. The level of clarity of my expression depends on what I can make arise inside of me. When that happens, the inner nature of the melodies that are being played spreads out into space, into the air, into the earth and out to the whole atmosphere. A real spell takes place between the performer and his public, creating a magical aura of deep harmony and sharing. This is the wonder of a sound that has come from a long time ago, through myths and mythology, and returns us to the essence of Music, that most supreme of Arts. 
I composed “Canone degli Spazi” around essential elements - the harmony of the triads, the melodic repetition and the cycles that follow the orbits of the planets and the structure of harmonics - the very same fundamental rules that Pythagoras followed to make the laws of the Universe coincide. Sound can help us to realize that our inner space is as vast as our outer space and that in reality there is no difference between them. Sound travels through walls - the walls of the mind too – transcending both time and space. 

Canone degli spazi - Michael

Another track I originally composed for the fantastic artist Gavin O'Donnell's drawing "Azura" that I have re-mastered and edited. 

It's a long track, but it's split into 3 unique sections that tie together. The thought process was to follow the growth and emotions of the woman in the drawing. 

Find the original drawing video here on Gavin's YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M88K0m8eYLE

Azura (re-mastered & edited)

I started off learning piano at around 6 years old, but only realised my ear for music when I could pick out melodies I heard on the radio & from then on I started writing my own music & playing long into the night, to the point where my parents told me to stop so they could go to sleep!
In my teenage years I joined bands & learnt basically on the fly how to work as a group. Once I realised that keyboards were not as portable & able to be played on beaches / around campfires, I taught myself guitar. By adding drums, harmonica & bass to my arsenal, the stage was set for a fully working band to record in my garage. Since setting up my home studio, I love recording a tune each week & especially love collaborating with all the extremely talented musicians on soundcloud. I'm a full time musician, with many different hats in the music community. Including songwriter, composer, live musician & blog writer.

If you are interested in my electronic page, then visit https://soundcloud.com/electro-pup

Check out my blog at http://simon353.wordpress.com/

Moonlight Stroll-Milana Zilnik Ft. Simon Reich

Simon Reich

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