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
Wheels Within Wheels – Penguin Café
20 September 2017
One of the cool things about being a Music to curator is that you get to hear the tracks that other curators have selected – and they’re always bloody amazing. There’s just so much music “out there” it would be impossible to know it all, so to have a group of amazing music lovers hand selecting a track a week just means that we get exposed to the really good stuff!
Too Far Down – Hüsker Dü
20 September 2017
And so another musician dies and we look to their music for comfort. I had read about Grant Hart dying of cancer at 56 and while I knew of Hüsker Dü, I’d never really listened to their music. It took Chris from the Burn A Million Miles playlist to hip me to this track.
Custom – Yellow6
5 September 2017
I suspect that some of you are not going to dig this track – which is fine – you can’t please all of the people all of the time and a playlist like this is set up so you can skip ahead if something doesn’t match your mood. Me however – I love this stuff! ;-p
Weathered – James Walker
5 September 2017
Break Ups – perhaps the “safest” form of grief there is – no-one actually dies or is maimed but yet – when you’re going through them – safe isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind.
What I like about this track is how we’ve all been there – how when you think you’re out the other side you start to speak to your ex again and – in many cases get back together, but here – James deftly steers us away and puts an additional melancholy spin on the whole process.
A Tune For Jack – Lemon Jelly
30 August 2017
It’s the cool thing about being in a community of music lovers – you get exposed to all kinds of tracks you’d never normally come across. This Lemon Jelly track actually first appears on the Music To Blow Smoke Rings Across the Floor Playlist – curated by my English Teacher – crazy how the world works huh!?
What About Me – John the Asian, E10
29 August 2017
Depression is still one of those things society doesn’t really like to talk about – hell – the people dealing with it don’t exactly like to broadcast it. And yet, all the data that we’ve accumulated from studies along the way say the best approach is through socializing, through contact, through talking about it and working it through.
Eulogy – Simeon Walker
22 August 2017
Sometimes all you need is a bit of a space and a melancholy piano – hell – sometimes you don’t even need the space – a pair of decent headphones can be world building – especially if the soundtrack comes from Simeon Walker.
Las Claves – Dr. Fuego
22 August 2017
We’re in Barcelona, dodging terrorists and finding our work groove. You’re probably just starting or about to start school again – the evil spectre of Essays looms over you.
This track is going to help – here’s the previous write up:
Grey Together – Tristâme
15 August 2017
The best bit about curating a Musicto playlist is when you come across a beautiful new track that you would otherwise never have heard. It’s the beautifully measured voice that stands out in this track – the melody and subtle backing is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel’s version of “Scarborough Fair” but Rami’s gorgeous tone takes this to a different place.
Adagio For Strings, OP.11 – Samuel Barber
8 August 2017
It’s crazy to think that this was written in 1936 and yet it is one of the most popular pieces of American “classical”music and enhances the stories of some of my favorite movies: Platoon, The Crow, Gattaca, Amélie – the list goes on and it’s always appropriately gut wrenching.
Beam Me Up – Pink
8 August 2017
I don’t know about you – but when it comes to tracks like these – I totally become the singer – I get to feel what they feel and experience it as they do – I think most people do this in some way or another and it’s why songs are cool!
Minnesota Got Colder – Corey Koehler
1 August 2017
2009 was a rough year. I think I went to more funerals in that one year than in the past ten combined. One thing that really hit me was how hard it is to find something to say to people who are mourning the person they just lost.