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
Equilinox Main Theme – Jamal Green
23 January 2018
I’m a big fan of video game soundtracks for writing to – as evidenced here and here – they exist solely to accompany you doing something – and hell – what’s the difference between writing and killing a few trolls?
Big Inf – Music to Curator Interview
17 January 2018
From our weekly series of Music to Curator Interviews, this week we’re chatting with BIG Inf from Music to Rep New York – check it out:
Black Star – Radiohead
17 January 2018
It’s interesting to see the main themes that come out from this music to grieve to playlist – certainly there’s death and loss, there’s depression and mental illness, there’s the whole relationship breakup genre and there’s family and friend trauma, although strangely enough, not many songs about moving house (which often makes the top 5 lists of “most stressful things that can happen to you!”)
Green Sugar – Kikagaku Moyo
16 January 2018
Sometimes all you need is a grooving bass line and everything falls into place. There’s just something about the constant motion, the repetition, the familiarity of tracks like this that just make them easy to write to.
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.