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
Opus 20 – Dustin O’Halloran
18 March 2017
That’s the thing about solo piano – just 2 notes in and you’re done – captured by an emotion that you can’t quite identify until – aaah, yes – there it is, …sadness…
Ambient 1 / Music for Airports – Brian Eno
17 March 2017
I’ve been aware of this album for as long as I can remember – it was only when I got into the whole music2work2 thing that I really started to listen to it.
In A Silent Way – Miles Davis
17 March 2017
Another Steve Silberman track but Man am I digging this to write to. It’s almost 20 minutes long which – to my ears anyway – is a perfect length for essay writing music…
Moving Forward – Colony House
16 March 2017
Insane amount of energy in this one – sometimes the sadness is invigorating – hell – it’s an emotion…
Glósóli – Sigur Rós
15 March 2017
I like to think of this track like a short sprint – you’ve got six minutes to go from nothing to fully fleshed out idea before the music becomes too overpowering and knocks you off.
Throes – Half Moon Run – Grieve to
15 March 2017
This track is on a couple of playlists, making it onto the Music to Descend in an Airplane playlist as well. It’s so beautiful in its sadness that it’s kinda hopeful.
The Proposition #1 – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
14 March 2017
Oh yeah – I remember this one – it’s a totally killer, visual, “set the scene” kind of track.
The instrumentation is awesome.
The Day You Went Away – Wendy Matthews
14 March 2017
The awkwardness and silence of miscarriage – especially in that first trimester. Women are told not to tell anyone they are pregnant, and when the pregnancy fails they silently grieve their loss.
What Music to Listen to when Studying for or Taking a Test?
10 March 2017
If you’re reading this chances are you’re probably in school of some kind and looking for help! If you’re in the library or some common area like a coffee shop, have a look around and see how many people are wearing headphones…
Lord, I’m Discouraged – The Hold Steady
10 March 2017
Sad music doesn’t have to bring you down – sometimes a sad song punches you in the gut and leaves you staggering but strangely energized. When you have a lyricist like Craig Finn and a guitar player like Tad Kubler, you get pummeled on many different levels.
Trozo – Tristan Eckerson
8 March 2017
Some tracks just have a way of bringing you into a specific state of mind – I wasn’t thinking of the music to grieve to playlist when I heard this but I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards.
Spirits – Jamie Woon
8 March 2017
Not all music to grieve to has to be downtempo and sad sounding. You never know what track is going to be associated with certain events in your life and while much of the music on this playlist tugs at the heartstrings, tracks like this one are more up-lifting.