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
Genedigaeth koring-bato – Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita
27 January 2017
I had never heard of Catrin Finch or Seckou Keita before but I was following a thread inside Spotify that was supposed to be an essay writing playlist and yet most of the music was just – meh! I bounced off one artist into a different playlist, started going down that and the opening bars of this track just grabbed me by the ears.
Requiem in D Minor: Lacrimosa Dies Illa – Mozart
20 January 2017
“It’s always got me, it’s slightly haunting – it lingers and the musicality appeals to me. The melody (which isn’t a word I particularly like) evokes a certain peace – a sadness yes, but a peace – it’s a positive sadness and I just love the music.
Why Can’t We Live Together – Sade
20 January 2017
“I listened to Sade’s Diamond Life CD – the songs Hang on to Your Love, Sally, and Why Can’t We Live Together took on entirely new meanings as I listened crying for my dog.”
I Miss You – Ozymandias
13 January 2017
Short, simple and super sweet – it’s the kind of thing I might have written. Simple arpeggiated bass line with this uncomplicated meandering melody that reminds you of how it feels when you’re wondering, lost after your loved one has gone.
Heal – Tom Odell
13 January 2017
“Take my mind and take my pain”
Oh if only that could happen.
The initial seeding of this playlist was dominated by instrumental tracks but this track made it in by the sheer beauty of the vocal – Tom Odell has a fabulous voice.
Loss – music2work2
13 January 2017
Loss – when it’s still visceral – when you still think you can call them – when you’re still discombobulated and not sure when it will end.
Loss – when it colors your every move and burns hot in your heart.
Sadness – music2work2
13 January 2017
Have you ever had your family break apart?
I have.
There are a hundred different feelings you go through, none of them good, but the emotion that lingers long after everything else has faded, is sadness.
By Night – Sophie Hutchins
13 January 2017
I wasn’t aware of Sophie’s work until Nicole introduced me to this track for the Music to Grieve to playlist – I immediately fell in love. Melancholy piano – not overdone or flashy, just a simple theme that you can hear her breathe life into – and then the cello arrives – and it’s beautiful!
Acceptance – music2work2
13 January 2017
There is a hopefulness to this track – particularly at the end where it’s all about imperfect and perfect cadences resolving positively around the G major root. The reality of grief is that life does go on, and while the grief may never fully subside, it does fade and we do get to feel good again.
Floating / Sinking – Peter Broderick
7 January 2017
It’s the birdsong and background sounds that get you at the beginning – the scrunching through gravel accompanied by the sparsest piano chords and the whole mood is set.
Memories – music2work2
20 December 2016
Follow This Playlist Following Originally track 3 on the music to grieve to album, Memories has become one of the most popular piano tracks on the playlist. It’s the balance between major and minor – remembering the good times but always seeing them through the veil of sadness that grief covers everything with. Full liner… More
Why Listening to Music at Work Could Make You Smarter
4 May 2016
I was going to be a doctor – just like my dad – but music kept getting in the way. Whether it was zoning out instead of studying, or skipping school to hang out with Adrian (who had the Yamaha QX1 Sequencer,) the older I got the less interesting academics seemed and the more attractive music became.