Words and Music ~ make life sing a little sweeter

 

 Just a reminder if you haven't checked out my novels yet - and with the holiday season coming up (or anytime, really) you might find some enjoyable stories here.  Here's a tiny taster ....  there's a monthly Vlog too, and an Authors Blog ....just go to the Author page on here for those links. Woof!

 

......and 3 GOOD REASONS why you should consider Ebooks as part of your reading library:    

1. You don't have to dust the bookshelves    2.  You can adjust the text size in your ipad or other device     3. You don't have to return them to the library. 

~ 😜 ~ 😜 ~ 😜 ~

And we're nearly at the point end of releasing the signature track of the new wetlands soundscape - so hop over to the monthly music vlog for updates on the Wetlands Project.  It's even got a new image now...you'll find it in the latest video. Check it out here:  Wetlands Arts Project 
 

Reaching the first Mark!

 I'm thrilled to report that we've passed the first mark for the Wetlands Arts project.  The new Wetlands Soundscape has been inspired, created, composed, written, arranged and finally recorded. There are 12 pieces that make up the collection.

Beginning last September, the first track of the first piece was recorded in situ, in December last year. It was added to in February, with the choir singing the chorus at the wetlands, then the lead vocals and narration added in July and August, followed by editing, mixing, and mastering.  Along the way, I've had over 50 musicians, singers, and volunteers participating in this first stage, between February and August, working on the remaining 11 pieces.

At the end of this month, the Soundscape will be presented at an Artists Briefing for those artists involved in next year's exhibition. They will then have almost 12 months to develop their ideas and create their masterpiece which is to be based upon what they hear in the Soundscape. 

Every musician involved has their profile included on the projects Vlog and you can meet them (as well as some other volunteers, and the studio engineer) here: Wetlands Arts Project  Through the coming 6+months, I'll be doing profiles on each of the artists involved - some @26 of them.  

In the meantime, the new collection has been named:  Wetlands: A Masterpiece and it will have a staged release; the signature track in late November, with further tracks released in the first few months of 2027. 

Subscribe to the Vlog and join us on the journey 

Where's Your Go To Place?

 

 

When the pressures of everyday life and/or the worries of the global crisis' get us down, it's good to have a bolt-hole.  A "Go-To" place. A place that calms the storm within and the storm without.

 Some will say, "oh, I meditate"or "oh, I pray" ...but there's much to be said for taking your WHOLE body, not just your mind, to somewhere else. And there is much research that supports this view. 

 For example, a Japanese immunologist's 20-year research study proved that the  natural airborne compounds known as phytoncides, (which trees release naturally) when breathed into the human body, had the ability to lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Thus, time in forests, for example physically improved the body's ability to cope better with life's stress. Some people find it beneficial to spend time by the ocean or near water. Simply, being in Nature is a powerful healer.

 My go-to is the wetlands. For me, the sounds of nature, the birds, the wind in the trees, the sound of rainfall, all contribute to a sense of calm and peace. It's also inspirational. So here's where I've been on this chilly wintery morning;   

Looking for the Bright Spots

 Gosh, the world can be feeling quite overwhelming at the moment, can't it. Especially when we might be feeling helpless at not being able to do anything, and hopeless that everything is getting out of control.  

But music is a great escape, isn't it? Whether you're making it, practicing it, learning it, performing it, or just enjoying it! It can lift our hearts, stir our memories, make us feel joyful, wistful, sad, or hopeful. Any way you're engaged with it, music will affect our mood.

I wanted to share this little clip with you today ....because I'm so involved in the Wetlands Arts Project, I'm spending a lot of time in nature and at the local wetlands. Being there always lightens my mood, makes me feel happy. I hope this little clip does the same for you.  (The music is Dancing in the Light from the Luminous album which is NOT on the Bandcamp page.  However, there are some lovely tracks on the first wetlands album "Song of the Wetlands" which IS on Bandcamp and when you listen to Feathered Promenade on that album, the clip below will make perfect sense.)

 Feathered Promenade on Bandcamp