And some stuff you just love from the very first chord … timbre, qualities of its attack, sustain and decay, the authority with which it’s played, the key it’s played in, the instrumentation and even their arrangement, the way all these elements come together in that brief moment when sound […]

I’ve always loved this scene introducing Peter O’Toole in David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia. In a film rife with extraordinary storytelling and wisdom, it remains my favourite. In hindsight perhaps it’s the spiritual undertone of Lawrence’s statement that’s always intrigued me most because, of course, Lawrence isn’t only talking about […]

Some weeks ago I watched a documentary about a piano prodigy. In his young teens, the boy spoke about music with a profound wisdom. One thing he said, in particular, stayed with me. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like: “The more you work with a piece of music, the […]

This is, I am So beautiful and fierce This is, violence And holy words And I swear fealty To smile beyond dignity To be kissed and salted To be kissed and salted Oh to kiss and be salted By love extreme This is Veda Hille. A pianist friend tells […]

Precious Heart ~ Finding the path out of darkness :: Veda Hille's song, "Precious Heart" is very much about one kind of darkness, and wavering on the edge of falling into it or escaping it. Hille's advice? Look down, look down, and find your feet. The next step is the path you're on.

Mantra music came to me at a time when I needed its tranquility and centredness most. The Gayatri Mantra is among my very favourites, and Deva Premal's angelic voice brings its spirit to life.

Some music becomes sacred for us. That's true in both the secular and non-secular uses of that word. It becomes a part of us, and the world just seems better -- divine, if you will -- when we allow whatever emotional state we're in to be displaced by the music. There are few pieces of music which evoke in me more calm than this one, "Lotus Feet," performed here live by the world/jazz ensemble, Shakti.

A music post featuring Sarah McLachlan's "Good Enough" performed live on KCBO....The Violence Against Women Act recently passed in the USA. Finally, a fundamental re-orientation of thought regarding a traditional, one-way pattern of abuse. One more step away from the tradition of being 'not good enough.' A long way to go yet. But in time... Next up? Violence Against Men.

Bif Naked's "Everyday" may or may not have saved my life. What it did do for certain was keep me functional during a period of chaos.

I'd never done it before, downloaded an entire album of songs -- for free, mind you -- off the internet. I was broke and broken, a whole lot out of sorts at the time. The act was uncharacteristic, and it proved immeasurably wise. Bif Naked's music became the primary muse for my spiritual recovery.