Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present The album "elements" will be released incrementally. Get the full set of dates and read about the creative process here. The post Getting Ready for “Elements” Album appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present Making music - sometimes it's easy and sometimes it ain't. Stan Stewart explores both sides of what drives musicians. The post Sometimes Making Music Ain’t Easy appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

My release of Cosmic Theories has made me think about how I can be more down to earth #HopeSongs #MusicRelease

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present I'm retiring from my day job. This will be a huge change for me. Some of this change has the potential to be really good... The post And now for something completely different appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * People enjoy, appreciate, adore, and admonish music. Music creators (musicians) can tend to be a quirky breed. It turns out that this is scientifically backed: music has an effect on your mind in the creating, playing and listening. Many studies in neuroscience back the idea that music is like “medicine to the mind“. Like the pharmaceuticals dispensed by medical doctors, the results of this musical administration seem to vary from person to person. Like the warning of “harmful side-effects”, music has its positive and negative influences on the feelings and behavior of people. Music is mood-altering, mind-altering, body enlivening, stress-reducing and mentally relaxing for many people. It has been shown to have benefits in the healing process. Bottom line: music is really cool. (And I will do my best to avoid the “classical vs. rock” arguments that I encounter occasionally. I don’t think this delineation is as clear cut as some would like to think. It’s hard enough to define what “classical” and “rock” are, let alone their neurological-influence differences. Yes, I know there have been studies on the subject and they’ve been repeatedly debunked as well. Moving on…) Various neuroscience studies or case studies indicate that music may help with Parkinson’s, improve hearing, keep aging minds sharp, impact cognitive development, even reprogram DNA, and more. Want to know more? A little light reading. * Wonderful podcast on various positive effects of music * More on the effects of music * My friend Jennifer Warters on vocal toning and it’s potential impact * A PBS series on the instinctiveness of music in humans Wonderful news that our intuition about music is so on target… Meanwhile, it’s also okay if you just want to listen to music for fun. 😉 Playful blessings, Stan (It is possible that the author has used sarcasm somewhere in this essay.) ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * A visual poem. All of these photos were taken within about five miles of our home. They are here as reminders of how inspiring and beautiful the earth is. I am also deeply concerned for all this beauty and inspiration. May we human beings treasure it in gentle care. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Stan Stewart - @muz4now

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Anyone with a heart has had it broken by the recent obscene mass murders in Buffalo and Uvalde. Yet, no matter how sad and angry we may be, the answer is not to act out our feelings. It is to direct our caring towards people who have no sense of connection or relationship. View this web-story to see what some of us are doing to help shift our culture away from these terrible killings. The grief is too much. But our hearts will open again so that we may heal the future of our humanity. Create connection to end the tragedies ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present As you know by now, I’m composing one of four pieces for an album of “elements”. Now, I know that this list varies depending on our culture. We will be creating on the themes of water, fire, air, and earth. I chose “earth“. Wood as Earth As I began to ponder these concepts, I noted […] The post Elements Vary With Our Culture – Wood and Metal appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * In my previous post, I wrote about pushing. And not pushing. ## Keep Pushing Specifically, I wrote about _not_ pushing down a sustain pedal while pushing _too hard_ on a creative project. Well, some of you thought that I needed to provide examples. Ideally, those would be audio samples. The idea is that these would demonstrate the different sounds that range from the initial inspiration to the overdone (and now abandoned) version. I want you to get what you ask for. So, here you go. ## Sustain This Normally, when I play a piano, I make ample use of the sustain pedal. Basically, this keeps the felt dampers from stopping the sound. In other words, the sound keeps going even if I lift my hands off of the keys. The ankle fracture is on my right leg. That means I can’t put too much weight or pressure on that ankle. So things like driving and sustain pedal are “out” for now. Piano without the sustain pedal can sound a wee bit odd Click To Tweet ## Sustained. Not sustained. I started my new composing/recording project with piano improvisations. That’s not unusual. However, this time I intentionally played without any sustain pedal. (Though I thought I wouldn’t be able to use my left foot to press this pedal, I later discovered that I can.) But first I need to give you an idea of what these improvisations sound like with a “normal” sustain pedal throughout. Press the play button and listen… Sustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Here’s that same segment as I originally improvised it (with no sustain pedal). Unsustained Piano (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) ## Hearing Is Believing When I listened to that unsustained improvisation, I thought, “No one will ever listen to this. It sounds stunted and unreal.” So, I set out to make an arrangement that sounded better. Using a broad range of sounds, I created this trying to overcome the “stunted and unreal” sound of the sustainless piano. No Piano at all (from “Rudimprenatz”, Copyright ©️ 2024) Which of these 3 sound examples do you like best? Choices are sustained piano, unsustained piano, or no piano. Let me know in the comments or via social networks. It only took me 3 days of listening to this pile of sound to decide that I could not continue. I had started with stunted and moved on to a weird barrage of noises. Choosing which way to go with our creative work can be complex or simple Click To Tweet ## Let’s Start At The Very Beginning One thing I could have done is gone back into all of the piano improvisations and added sustain pedal. That seemed very contrived, plus it sort of made me go back on my word that I would create these without that particular crutch. So, I listened to the original recordings again. To my surprise, they sounded like the most authentic of the options. There was a vulnerable beauty in those raw performances created in the moment. (I reserve the prerogative to mix in some of the other sounds, of course.) Soon, you’ll be able to listen to these recordings. Thanks for your support. Main photo is by decrand via pixabay. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Created by Stan Stewart on Stan Stewart - @muz4now - Stan Stewart - the muse is present Never throw away creative output. It may come in hand down the line. #creativity #CreativeProcess The post Nothing Lacking – Nothing Wasted appeared first on Stan Stewart - @muz4now.

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Normally, I don’t like to let the “cat out of the bag” early. But in this case I’ll make an exception. (This is what a preview is, after all.) ## Preview City I hope you’ve been enjoying these DreamState suites at least half as much as I have been enjoying creating them. Each one is a beautiful mood setter and preview of the beauty to come. Each one a declaration of the inspiration of dreams. Fun music videos give you a taste of the final DreamState suite Click To Tweet Dreams are as varied as our waking thoughts. Check out how diverse our dreamstates can be. The point is that dreams are inspiring. ## Dream Diversity In this case, dreams bring the preview of upcoming attractions. It’s hard _not_ to be attracted to dreaming. Every dream is connected to a waking moment. Truly, your dreamstates are a deep well of inspiration. Of course, I’ve created these videos mostly to deliver the music. But they carry a lovely poetry of visual stimulation as well. Yes, that’s how I think of these music videos. They are like a poetic accompaniment for the music. For example, did you notice how the slow-motion waterfall starts as the viola melody enters? ## Well, Here You Go You’ve heard from our puppy a few times on this blog. These music videos (and the dreams behind them) are often inspired by her. Check out this “real” video, because the upcoming ones change the mood a bit. Thanks for listening … and watching this preview of the coming suite! More videos are on the way… ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * I’m not going to talk about music in this post. Instead, I’m going to talk about my day job. ## The First Day Job This is not the “other day job“. This is the one that has made the most money over a few decades. I’ve been working as an I.T. (Information Technology) engineer for over forty years. (And now you know that I’ll older than you thought.) Some of those work years have been amazing and others have required me to quiet my creative desires. ## Being Not Doing Thankfully, I don’t think I’ve ever had to sell my soul. I’ve just had to hide parts of the real me occasionally. In this age of AI, LLM, billionaire tech lords, and tech for fascism, I think my timing is good to leave the industry. I don’t see much good coming from technology at this moment. So, I’m fine with retiring. That’s right: I’m retiring from my day job. I think this will be good for my soul. And I think this will be good for my musical creativity. ## Day After Day Oops, I did talk about music. But that was inevitable. It’s part of my core. And yet, the end of my I.T. career will be a loss. It has formed the structure of so many of each days for so many days. That will — and already has — lead to grief. I’ve created a retirement job description. In many ways, it’s like a musician’s dream life. Here I go… ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * I am about to tell you two very brief stories. They are very different but with at least one powerful similarity. ## Local Connection The first story is about rehearsing and performing with the choral octet, 8th Amendment. The songs we’re singing have strong intentions about being in relationship with each other and seeking peace. We also care about creating beautiful music that people will respond to. These all combine to make our rehearsals a sometimes intense and frequently vulnerable experience. I’ve found myself close to tears more than once as we prepare to deliver these songs in performance. A big part of my response is because of the connection we feel with each other as we sing. ## Remote Connection The second story is just as touching, but in a very different way. Someone contacted me through my website. To protect their identity, let’s call them Mel. Well, Mel had read and listened to a post about one of my pipe organ pieces. I don’t know if it was Modal Toccata, Fugue and Fantasy, or Shine Inward (from Outward and Inward). And in many ways it doesn’t matter. Mel was inspired by the piece of music. So much so that they researched the origins of the pipe organ. And Mel’s inspiration inspired me. Many times, when someone reaches out through my website, I only hear from them once. However, Mel has corresponded with me again via email. And that is the beauty of connection. ## Humanity Especially in these times of fascism and inhumanity, I cherish these stories of connection. We express our humanness most when we are vulnerable and seek to inspire each other. I’m deeply grateful for the relationships I am part of. Whether by intention or “accident”, connecting with other people is where it’s at. Thanks for keeping these connections strong. * * * The main photo of the rusty chain is by analogicus. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading… ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe