Andrew
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to write creatively without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I believe that music can make the world better.
What I'm doing nowPlaylists
Coming Back Home – De’Wayne Jackson
10 January 2018
You know what grief is good at? Apart from the whole making you feel like shit and depressed and generally pretty miserable – grief is really fucking good at forcing you to be real – to be honest – to be true to who you are. Most things in life you can skate over, even unpleasant memories can be safely tucked away and dealt with maybe never, but grief – grief you can’t control – grief hangs around, discombobulating your daily life until you deal with it.
Imagination – Elskavon
10 January 2018
I’m grinning, I’m grinning because I like smart music – I like people who make smart music – I think listening to smart music when I’m writing rubs off on me and makes me a better writer!
I do!
Sean Machado – Music to Curator Interview
9 January 2018
From our weekly series of Music to Curator Interviews, we start off the new year chatting with Sean Machado from Music to Soundtrack Souls – check it out:
The Battle – Gladiator – Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard
3 January 2018
I so don’t want to write this. I’m not ready. I’m still decompressing from a gnarly 2017 and yet – if I don’t write – if I don’t publish – then nothing happens – and I sooooo want something to happen.
Frustration – music2work2
2 January 2018
Have you ever put your heart and soul into something for years and yet it didn’t work out?
If so, this track’s for you.
The frustration I’m referring to is not the angry, cheated emotion – it is the sad one. The frustration of not getting what you want – to be frustrated in one’s efforts.
White Wine In The Sun – Tim Minchin
21 December 2017
So – before we go any further – you should know that this one is for my Dad.
He died in 2015 and I miss him immensely. He was as flawed as the rest of us, but I remember him as just, a really good man. Husband for 51 years, father of three super capable children, Obstetrician & Gynecologist, served his country in the Air Force, lover of books, of music, of humanity, of laughter, of hard work and perseverance – I am incredibly grateful for what he gave me and thankful to have been his son.
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen – Robert Dixon
18 December 2017
It’s that time of year where the planet gets together to celebrate the shortest day and the promise of a returning spring. Amazingly enough it appears that many religions – by sheer coincidence – have significant events at this time too! The different faiths have their own holidays and dates but the big daddy at this time of year – the one that half the planet will be celebrating – is Christmas – the birth of Jesus.
Turtle Soup – Wagon Christ Mix – DJ Food
13 December 2017
Ever heard of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon? You know what it is even if you didn’t know what it was called – it’s the thing where someone mentions a type of car and suddenly you see that type of car everywhere. It’s the frequency illusion and it’s really cool – you can read a better summary of it here.
Antartica II – Prince Jelleh
13 December 2017
Sometimes grief is debilitating – it takes away from you – your hope, your desire, your demeanor – and yet sometimes – it fills you with an energy that you just have to express. We’ve all been there – shouting at people who don’t deserve it (particularly ourselves!) driving too quickly or barely stopping before we put a fist through the wall. And yet – so long as we don’t actually hurt anybody – I’m a huge fan of this kind of energy.
Emma – music2work2
6 December 2017
One of the earlier music2work2 tracks, it has been played over 120,000 times on YouTube and has a small but loyal group of people who swear by it. Coming in at just shy of 20 minutes it is one long extended development that goes all over the place and yet still retains some weird kind of identity.
Don’t Give Up (feat. P!NK & John Legend) – Herbie Hancock
5 December 2017
I remember hearing this track for the first time when it was performed by the writer Peter Gabriel and I think it was Kate Bush – it was one of those songs that you immediately recognize as classic – even to my then teenage ears.
Ghostwriter – RJD2
29 November 2017
Me: I need some energy and a boost to help me write
Also Me: Have you heard of RJD2?