Francisco Tarrega and Darren Curtis Skanson Collaborative Composition
“As you look for that moment of peace in your day, this solo classical guitar selection A... [see article]Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze
“World Meditations” is music to free your spirit.
For practitioners of the meditative arts,
Acoustitherapy World Meditations produces a
profound state of restful alertness and inner calm. It
is perfect for all forms of meditation, yoga, Tai Chi,
visualization, and prayer. The variety of instruments
from around the world include Celtic harp, Japanese
Shakuhachi, Australian didgeridoo, Chinese Koto,
Indian tambour a, and Tibetan Chant.
Acoustitherapy is acoustic instrumental music that is always
soft and soothing. These beautiful combinations of harp, guitar,
flute, cello, violin, and piano as well as native and world instruments
are never loud or fast. The instruments give a natural vibrational
energy to a music that is never obtrusive. The variety of instruments
produce collections that are never repetitive. The different titles give
you music you need to calm your mind, lighten your environment,
warm your heart, relieve your tension, or free your soul.
Click on each song title below to listen to an approximate 30 second segment of the song. Expand and learn more information about each song and composer by clicking on the Show Info description link next to each song title or by clicking on the composer's name. Buy song by clicking on the plus icon under downloads.
Solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar leads off the Acoustitherapy World Meditations compact disc by setting the stage for a relaxing and therapeutic three minutes of stress releif and mental quieting and preparation.
Darren Curtis Skanson (1967 to present) American composer. Encouraged in music from a young age, Skanson began singing, playing instruments, and composing as early as he can remember. At 13 he took his first classical guitar lesson and began a partnership with the classical guitar that has produced a wide variety of music. After an outstanding collegiate career studying classical guitar, composition, and recording science, Darren spent the early part of the 1990's touring and composing for both the progressive band Mata Hari and violinist Malcolm Watson. Embarking on his solo career in 1995, his composition output exploded with works for classical guitar, acoustic fingerstyle guitar, 12 string guitar, cello, and violin. Skanson is known mostly for his classical guitar compositions and arrangements of Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, and other classical composers. Skanson continues to record, compose and perform out of his Denver, Colorado base. His discography currently includes 10 compact discs of classical guitar arrangements and original work with over 200 pieces to his credit. As well as playing solo, he performs with his trio of classical guitar, violin, and cello aptly named The Skanson String Trio.
From the Tibetan meditation tradition, this chant fills you up with the throaty sounds of the monks. Chanting serves various purposes. They serve as a preliminary exercise in the practice of meditation and when recited properly have an effect of concentrating the mind. With this mental composure thus gained, one can find emotional relief from the troubled society. Tibetan music has had a profound effect on some styles of Western music, especially New Age. Composers like Philip Glass and Henry Eichheim are most well-known for their use of Tibetan elements in their music. The first such fusion was Tibetan Bells, a 1971 release by Nancy Hennings and Henry Wolff. The soundtrack to Kundun, by Philip Glass, has helped to popularize Tibetan music.
Jonathan Goldman is a writer, musician and teacher. He is an authority on sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. Jonathan is the author of HEALING SOUNDS: THE POWER OF HARMONICS (Inner Traditions), SHIFTING FREQUENCIES (Light Technology) THE LOST CHORD (Spirit Music) and TANTRA OF SOUND (Hampton Road), co-authored with his wife Andi. He has studied with masters of sound from both the scientific and spiritual traditions, including the Dalai Lama's Chanting Gyuto and Gyume Monks and has been empowered by the Chant Master of the Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Film Making from Boston University and a Master's Degree in the Independent Study on Sound Healing from Lesley College. He is a lecturing member of the International Society for Music and Medicine.
Jonathan is the director of the Sound Healers Association; a non-profit organization dedicated to education and awareness of sound and music for healing. He is also president of Spirit Music, which produces music for meditation, relaxation and self-transformation. Jonathan has created numerous cutting edge recordings including: "Dolphin Dreams", "Sacred Gateways: Drumming and Chanting", "Trance Tara", "Ultimate Om", "Holy Harmony" and "Medicine Buddha"; created for H.H., the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Northern California this May, 2001. His overtone chanting is heard on Kitaro’s 2001 Grammy Award winning album. Jonathan’s best selling release "Chakra Chants" won the 1999 Visionary Awards for "Best Healing-Meditation Album" and "Album of the Year". Jonathan’s highly acclaimed albums: "The Lost Chord", "The Divine Name" (co-created with Gregg Braden) and "ChakraDance" also won as the Visionary Awards. His latest album are "The Tantra of Sound Harmonizer" and "Reiki Chants". His collaboration with Tibetan Chant Master Lama Tashi "Tibetan Master Chants" was been nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for "Best Traditional World Music".
This Japanese flute serves as the basis for their meditative tradition. Much of the shakuhachi's subtlety (and player's skill) lies in its rich tone colouring, and the ability for its variation. Different fingerings, embouchures and amounts of meri can produce notes of the same pitch, but with subtle or dramatic differences in the tone colouring. During the medieval period, shakuhachi were most notable for their role in the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhist monks, known as komusō ("priests of nothingness"), who used the shakuhachi as a spiritual tool. Their songs (called "koten honkyoku") were paced according to the players' breathing and were considered meditation (suizen) as much as music.
Avstreih teaches Sui-Zen shakuhachi in the Meian tradition in Denver. Before settling in Denver in 1997, Avstreih was Artist-in-Residence at Humes Japanese Stroll Garden for 12 years, and performed throughout the U.S. and in Japan by The New York Times and Newsday have praised the meditative quality and revealing peacefulness of his playing. Avstreih received his name, Seigetsu, from Dai Shihan Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin. He has also studied in Kyoto and New York with Yoshio Kurahashi.
An interesting and fresh mix of cultures, instruments, and meditative traditions are exemplified in this piece. It uses both the Koto, a Japanese traditional instrument like the Chinese Zither, and the very American invention, the electric guitar and most specifically the Fender Stratocaster. Outlining chords and modes, the Koto creates the harmonic structure as the electric guitar, effected heavily with reverb and echo, weaves dream like lines in between the harmonies
Levi Chen's unique musical voice combines ambient electric guitar textures with the distinctive influence of traditional instruments from around the world, particularly China.
He has been heard on over 350 radio stations, in over 30 countries. His latest recording "Alhambra," was the number #1 radio recording for October 2001, as reported on the New Age Voice "Airwaves" airplay charts. His music has been featured on national and international TV shows such as "Friends" and "Dangerous Minds".
Levi performs on one of the newest and one of the oldest stringed instruments known to man: A Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, and the Gu Zheng (Chinese Harp or Zither,) an ancient instrument played in China for 3,000 years. Levi's ability to express himself on these two instruments is all the more remarkable in that he performs on them simultaneously, a technique he calls 'solo duets'.
Australian didgeridoo is the primary instrument in this composition of sounds both natural and electronic. Pulling from the New Age musical genre, the songs Australian roots come thru with the didgeridoo as well as whip like instrument that is making the whirring sound. For Aboriginal groups of northern Australia, the didgeridoo is an integral part of ceremonial life, as it accompanies singers and dancers in religious rituals.
As far back as he can remember, Dave Crowder has been a vocal noise maker. He would do little motor boats and seals when swimming and imitated most any animal noises - cows, horses, dogs, crickets, and even elephants. Moving ahead in time, Dave heard a really interesting sound in the background of some Australian movie. He couldn't even listen to what was being said because he was so intrigued by the sound of what he now knows is the didjeridu. About a year later, he recieved a tape recording of "Baka" with, of course, Graham Wiggins. He was captivated.
About a year later, Dave saw someone packing up his didjeridu stand from a local art festival. It was Rob Thomas of Inlakesh, one of the American masters of didjeridu. Rob said that he was sorry that he had to leave, but that he would be at the One World Fest at Angel Fire NM that summer. Dave wanted desperately to get his hands on a didj, but this was the only person who he had seen that even had one, let alone selling one. So Dave set out to Angel Fire that summer. Rob Thomas wasn't there, but someone else was selling didjs. So Dave went over to check it out. The sales guy looked really familiar. They both looked at each other for a while trying to figure out where they had met. After a time, the salesman said, "I'm Patrick and you were my 8th grade teacher." So Dave replied with, "Great, now you can teach me something." So that was the actual moment where he was introduced to didgeridoo.
Dave got some lessons on circular breathing and basic droning and spent many hours practicing. The Didgeridoo is now a part of him. He had tried other instruments, but never something with which he could use my intrinsic noise making abilities to harmonize in such a fundamental way. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn't pick it up and create some sort of racket.
This solo soprano female voice doing Gregorian chant is a pure sonic experience that highlights the same purity that the chants are known for. Gregorian chant developed mainly in the Frankish lands of western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries. Used for worship and prayer, a Gregorian chant was a must for our World Mediations collection
Traditional composition - No actual or specific known composer
The use of a harp for calming, focusing, and mediation is well documented throughout history. The most famous example is David playing the harp for King Saul to calm his nerves and focus his mind. The selection played by Lisa Lynne Franco uses the Celtic, Irish, or Folk harp to weave a delicate tapestry of sound.
Lisa Lynne is a veteran musician and performer who has sold over half a million albums of original music featuring her Celtic harp. She has been a self taught multi-instrumentalist since childhood, and has spent the last eighteen years pursuing her passion for the Celtic harp.
From humble beginnings she has ascended the ladder of success to starting her own production company and recording studio. Having signed with the prestigious Windham Hill and New Earth Record labels, she simultaneously launched her own label Lavender Sky Music. Her last four album releases have placed in the top 20 of the Billboard music charts, ("Hopes & Dreams" reaching #6) as well as holding top spots in the Celtic, New Age, and world music radio airplay charts.
Lisa tours year round, performing at festivals around the United States and concert dates with the Windham Hill Winter Solstice tours. She has been active in the music therapy movement and in early 2002 she became the first musician-in-residence at City of Hope, a world-renowned Cancer treatment and research center near her home in Los Angeles. It is there she conducts the "Hands-on-harps" program for patients, staff and families. The success of this program has won accolades and multiple grants for integrating music in the treatment programs at City of Hope.
In addition, Lisa Lynne is successful on the speaking circuit. Her inspiring presentations and workshops incorporate live harp music with her unique life experiences. This combination of enchanting stories with clear planning guidance for "living your dream," proves to be an uplifting and highly motivational experience.
The Native American flute has found a growing audience in modern times but its origin goes back to the open plains and woodlands of America. The instrument was originally very personal; its music was played without accompaniment in courtship, healing, meditation, and spiritual rituals.
Music For Candles is an organization and musical concept started by Nationally Known Recording Artist James Feagans and Kimmara Rosehart. Music for Candles is soft soothing or light uplifting instrumental music combining contemporary and traditional musical forms.
Born of the Indian Hindu traditions, this exotic work uses wooden flute, tambura, and vocal chanting. The most common Hindu chant is "Om Jai Jagdish Hare." Gods are religiously chanted to often include Vishnu and his incarnations, Shiva and the Goddess (Parvati, Shakti, Vaishnodevi).Very common scale in Hindu music is A-B-C#-D-E-F-G, which can be harmonized into a chord pregrossion and used in all kinds of ways.
Traditional composition - No actual or specific known composer
This music dissolves deeply rooted stress and tension, rejuvenates the entire system, infuses the mind with creativity and intelligence, and provides the basis for freeing your spirit.
It is now known that meditation opens the awareness to the infinite reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence that lies deep within everyone. People of all ages, educational backgrounds, cultures, and religions in countries throughout the world practice meditation and enjoy its wide range of benefits.
During meditation, the individual's awareness settles down and experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, a free spirit, where consciousness is open to itself.
The music will help develop the individual's latent creative potential while dissolving accumulated stress and fatigue through the deep rest gained during the recording. This experience enlivens the individual's creativity, dynamism, orderliness, and organizing power, which result in increasing effectiveness and success in daily life.
