Cello Man Dreams is an album of original instrumental music including cello and some other nice sounds.

Here are notes on the songs:

Reunion

This piece was commissioned for a dance piece that was part of the Master's work of Rise Karns Stokstad. The piece was originally entitled  "Reunion of Three Sisters. The choreography featured an older sister returning by train to visit her two younger sisters, with the ensuing sense of memory, at times conflict and ultimately celebration and embrace. I thoroughly enjoy composing for dance!

Unfolding

This piece was created basically as an experiment using a very cool sound I found in my collection of Omnisphere sounds - a " multi" called meditation in E minor. The piece is not in E minor, though - it is in D minor. No matter though - just know that although I played the cello and keyboard on this, it is not me doing the deep chanting in the background. I like how the piece " unfolds"  - thus the name!

Park Play

One day I was playing in the park, really having a good time, quite a gathering had come along, sprawling on the meadow and on the benches. Everyone was rather entranced, including me. I had played many things I knew, and everyone just kept hanging there, rapt. At a loss, I started to play this piece, extemporaneously. The basic idea was there from the beginning, but when I started to get serious about recording it later on, I had to tighten it up, because I discovered I really was playing it different every time. I remember at the time when I first played it and came to the end, everyone just sat amazed, including myself. I enjoy playing it every time - great fun, great play - really reminds me of what a joy Lithia Park is.

Gift Waltz

This piece was also commissioned, by a dear friend, for two of her best friends who were getting married. I didn't know the couple getting married, but when I thought of what to create I immediately thought of a waltz, and this melody flowed out. For a long time I felt it needed some harmonies behind it and wasn't really able to come up with those. Then the idea of something continuous carrying the melody through came in and the piece was finished very quickly. I love waltzes, so this is a particular favorite...

Artistry and Survival

This melody emerged from a much longer healing piece I created, again, for a friend. There were parts of this I found myself playing in the park, and I could see there was a lot of enjoyment from that - but when I decided to put it on the album I had to go back and capture the details of the spontaneous melody I played in the healing piece. There was something quite special about it. I had various names for this piece but eventually I settled on " Artistry and Survival" - I could write about that for a couple more pages, but I will save that for later. this was also recorded at Ashland Yoga Center - thanks to it's director, Vanessa Scott.

Wishing Well

Also known as " What if I Fell Into a Wishing Well?" - I created this piece many years ago - it is probably at least 20 years old. And I play this piece often, in the park. There is just something very settling about it.

Cloudburst

In a way, this is an extension of the "Wishing Well" theme, although a very different flavor. The basic pulse of this piece emerged in the park, and it always reminded me of a sudden rain, so the name just came right through for that. In the recording I added a couple of elements that again are taken from my collection of Omnisphere sounds. In this case, it is a little chaotic ( like a good thundershower) - hopefully cleansing, too!

Cello Man Dreams

This piece is one on only two ("Unfolding" is the other) on the album that really had no life before the recording process. And I am very happy with what emerged. This was inspired by a sound called "Symphony of the Pulsing Harmonia". It has a built in pulse to it that just immediately suggested a chord progression, which then easily flowed into a melody in the cello. I like the simplicity of this, the grandeur, the heart. I think it really captures a lot of the energy that led to the creation of the whole album and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did creating...

a sample...