Sometimes, it begins with a spark…

A Spark was meant to have a bit of an edge to it, musically speaking. I was looking for songs that would explode, but I also wanted the explosions to be just a little bit on the sharp side, while still possessing a strong emotional element. I also wanted to make sure that although I was walking up to an edge, this album isn’t about jumping off, in terms of aggressiveness.

As I’ve written before, I see the Life Is My Soundtrack’s music as a spectrum, and I’m trying to be as open to that idea as I can while I’m writing. By that, I mean that music can be made up of varying degrees of different characteristics. It doesn’t have to be as simple as “happy,” or “sad” (though it CAN be that simple, if that’s what the song requires). Sometimes, different emotions or ideas come together that might not seem like they’ll work together, but when you’re finished and you step back, there it is. Somehow it just works. As I look back on A Spark, I’m really happy with the balance of edge and beauty that it became.

Related Links:

Listen to A Spark on Spotify: HERE

Purchase A Spark on Bandcamp: HERE

Early concepts of 11 songs that helped inspire the Life Is My Soundtrack series…

Inspiration, Vol. 01 is the first entry in a series within the Life Is My Soundtrack universe, featuring early and or alternate versions of songs that have been released. In Vol. 01, songs from sever albums are represented, including A Silver Cloud, After Violet, Whispers, Nostalgia, Gold, Flight, and A View.

It was quite a nostalgic experience going through countless recording sessions and years of material to put together this album. It also reminded me of how much music I’ve written that I haven’t revisited. And though I settled on only 11 songs for Vol. 01, I found countless others that will hopefully come to see the light of day!

Related Links:

Listen to Inspiration, Vol. 01 on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Inspiration, Vol. 01 on Bandcamp: HERE

Some time ago, a thought occurred to me. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours writing and recording different material, only a very small fraction of which ends up being released. Songs go through different shapes and forms as I try and work through the writing process, and what I release is often not very close to where I started.

In thinking about this idea, I realized that I have dozens (if not hundreds) of recording sessions of different songs that exist in different states. I decided to spend some time going through them and listening to each one. What I found was a lot of early drafts of songs that were later released, as well as all sorts of sketches of songs or short pieces that are in different states of completion, and have only been heard by myself. I also found that I really enjoyed listening to the great majority of it, which led me to the creation of the Inspiration series.

The Inspiration series is a chance for me to share songs early in their inception, in the midst of creation. As I develop new songs, so many things change between the beginning and the end. Some parts are added, some are taken away. Sometimes the key changes, and sometimes it’s the tempo. Sometimes it’s instruments, and quite often it’s the arrangement. There are so many variables in play that what I start with is almost never what I end up with, and this is a chance to share this look behind the scenes with you!

Light, uplifting songs to take you away…

Pollen is the result of demoing out some ideas, looking for songs that had a bit of energy to them, but also a lightness. I also took some inspiration from the image of the butterfly that I ended up using for the cover. I wrote all 4 songs at once, and felt like they fit together really well. I think my favorite track from the album is “Inception.”

Related Links:

Listen to Pollen on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Pollen on Bandcamp: HERE

Remixes of “Whispers,” reimagined and recorded at 432Hz…

The original Whispers was really well received, and I wanted to revisit it. Near that same time period, I was experimenting with alternate tunings and de-tunings, and it seemed like Whispers might be a good place to try some things out.

I settled on tuning down from A-440Hz to A-432Hz, and used much different, synth-based sounds, resulting in a difference that felt right to me. I realize that 8Hz isn’t a dramatic difference, but I enjoy its slightly lower frequency, and look forward to revisiting 432Hz again in the future.

Related Links:

Listen to Whispers (432Hz Remixes) on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Whispers (432Hz Remixes) on Bandcamp: HERE

Reflective songs to spark your imagination…

A View was the first big release after Gold, and continued the expansion of Life Is My Soundtrack’s spectrum. The songs are a little more reflective and maybe a little bit darker than my previous releases (especially Gold), but also a step forward in the stylistic expansion of Life Is My Soundtrack. A View also led to one of my favorite songs that I’ve written: Halcyon Nights.

Related Links:

Listen to A View on Spotify: HERE

Purchase A View on Bandcamp: HERE

Soar above the clouds, looking down at the earth below…

Shortly after Gold was finished, I was hungry get back to recording, but a bit hesitant to take on a full album. I settled on exploring a demo I had worked on a ways back, and the result was Flight. The song came together quickly, and listening to it now, I enjoy its movement and the mix of a driving beat against ambient-style synths.

Flight was a fun song to work on, that also helped me transition from the months of working on Gold into my next album, A View.

Related Links:

Listen to Flight on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Flight on Bandcamp: HERE

8 instrumental, anthemic songs to inspire your life…

Gold is a really important part of Life Is My Soundtrack’s history, and in many ways, began an expansion of what I’ve always wanted it to be. The paragraph below is taken from an interview from when Gold was first released, and does a good job of summing up my thoughts on what the album means to me.

“Music has a huge spectrum, and I want to dive in and explore it. The previous releases in the series have been slow, minimal, mostly ambient songs, and Gold is a bit of a departure, with its tracks feeling bit more anthemic. I want to continue to explore bigger music in future releases, and Gold is the beginning of a bridge to the next destination. I will (of course) also continue to also make smaller pieces as well, but that’s the nature of the spectrum.”

Related Links:

Listen to Gold on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Gold on Bandcamp: HERE

Journey back to a distant time where long forgotten memories come back to life…

The idea for Nostalgia came about in the middle of writing and recording Gold. I was probably about half way through production, and the idea for a few new songs came to me rather suddenly. I felt they they didn’t quite fit with the feeling I was going for with Gold, but I felt compelled to take a break from that album and record these 4 new songs.

I was also inspired by the picture that I used for the artwork to the album. It was taken by my grandfather, who was leaving on a boat with my grandmother and my mom to go live and work in Brazil. All the people on the dock are other family members who were looking on and wishing them well on their new adventure.

I spent a lot of time looking at that picture when I was recording, and feel like it was a strong influence on how the album turned out.

Related Links:

Listen to Nostalgia on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Nostalgia on Bandcamp: HERE

Whispers (9:10) is a duo of delicate, minimalist songs that combine to evoke the sounds of quiet whispers…

The concept of Whispers came to me quite unexpectedly, and it seemed like a great opportunity to begin to work on some shorter pieces. My previous album (A Starless Night) clocked in at just under one hour in length, and I’d been feeling a pull to start spending some time crafting shorter songs. I was also very inspired by the pictured I ended up using for the artwork. It seemed like it would fit well with soft piano melodies, and helped the album come together quickly.

Related Links:

Listen to Whispers on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Whispers on Bandcamp: HERE

A Starless Night (59:37) is nearly one full hour of ambient, relaxing soundscapes that will put your night at ease…

When I was writing A Starless Night, I had a clear vision of where I wanted to go with it. My hope was to give it strong ambient tones and textures, mixed with just a bit of melody to tie it all together. This particular album is very much aimed at exploring the feelings that accompany drifting off into deep sleep. Also, I have to give a huge thanks to photographer Chris Hendren for letting me use one of his pictures for the album art. Chris is an amazing photographer who specializes in night sky photography. Please visit his website at: www.hendrenimaging.com…

Related Links:

Listen to A Starless Night on Spotify: HERE

Purchase A Starless Night on Bandcamp: HERE

Revisit fond memories of childhood, or make new ones with Life Is My Soundtrack’s rendition of Brahms Lullaby (59:17)…

After working on Silent Night and Moonlight Sonata, I decided that I wanted to spend a bit more time with classic song reinterpretations, and I quickly decided on the very popular “Brahms Lullaby“. I also wanted to keep a similar feel between the three songs, to tie them  together. Lullaby is a song that has played a very important part in countless peoples lives over the years, and I really wanted to make a version of it that would invoke the fond memories people have of listening to it, and that would encourage them to pass the song on to future generations…

Related Links:

Listen to Lullaby on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Lullaby on Bandcamp: HERE

In Moonlight Sonata (9:32), the first movement of Beethoven’s classic gets the Life Is My Soundtrack treatment…

During the holiday season of 2011, I spent some time listening to classical music. I rediscovered Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and it brought back memories of a close friend’s piano recital that I attended as a kid. Even at a young age, I remember really being struck by the beauty of its first movement. It had a dark, mysterious, romantic quality, and hearing it again inspired this arrangement. It was a joy to work on and a great way to start Life Is My Soundtrack’s 2012…

Related Links:

Listen to Moonlight Sonata on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Moonlight Sonata on Bandcamp: HERE

Silent Night (58:54) is a new, dynamic take on the classic holiday favorite, featuring over 58 minutes of music to help relax and inspire you during the busy holiday season.

As 2011 began and I was planning out the music I wanted to work on for Life Is My Soundtrack, I had the idea of doing a holiday-themed album. After a lot of searching and experimentation, I decided on the classic, Silent Night. it’s always been one of my favorite songs to listen to at Christmas, and I worked really hard on giving my take of it a bit of an ambient feel. The holidays can be such a busy, stressful time, and I wanted Silent Night to offer a few moments of peace, relaxation, and nostalgia…

Related Links:

Listen to Silent Night on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Silent Night on Bandcamp: HERE

In The Best Of, Vol. 01 (63:42), travel from the depths of the sea to the farthest reaches of space. this “Best Of” album features songs from Into The Deep Blue Sea (The Dive) (21:52), A Silver Cloud (Sunshine) (20:16), and The Stars In The Sky (Into The Heavens) (21:34). If you are new to Life Is My Soundtrack, this album makes a great introduction.

With The Best Of, Vol. 01, I wanted to put together some of the most popular Life Is My Soundtrack songs into a single album. I also arranged it to travel in a vertical direction, by  starting in the ocean, working its way up into the sky, and finally ending deep in outer space…

Related Links:

Purchase The Best Of, Vol. 01 on Bandcamp: HERE

After Violet (64:42) is a musical exploration of the far end of the color spectrum. Take a journey past Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Blue into Indigo (23:45), Violet (19:00), and After Violet (21:57).

I’ve always been interested in color. It can be bold, or subtle. It can promote relaxation, or energy, or even stress. It’s such a dynamic thing, and it affects us all, each and every day, whether we pay attention to it or not. I came up with the title After Violet in my head, while I was thinking about color and wondering what happens after it ends, and what that would look like in a musical context. The name led to both the concept, and a rough demo. The demo went through various stages, was featured in this short film (http://youtu.be/OU0IYLWDvEU), and eventually led to the creation of the final album…

Related Links:

Listen to After Violet on Spotify: HERE

Purchase After Violet on Bandcamp: HERE

Remixes, Vol. 01 (64:56) features reinterpretations of songs from A Silver Cloud, In Twilight, and The Stars In The Sky combine to imagine the time between sunset and sunrise. The journey begins with A Silver Cloud (Goodnight Mix) (25:18), which imagines the experience of drifting off to sleep. In Twilight (The Dream Mix) (20:55) explores the often surreal experience of dreaming, and the feelings and faint memories that often accompany them. Finally, Through The Silence (The Dawn Mix) (18:43) ends the night with the rising sun of the new day.

When I was first thinking about starting the remix series, the idea was to take songs from the Life Is My Soundtrack series and reinterpret them in different and interesting ways. I’ve always enjoyed listening to different versions of songs (remixes, covers, etc.) and the idea of remixing my own work seemed like it would be a fun experiment. As I started to get into selecting the songs and writing, I realized that i could potentially take the remix concept to a deeper level by creating a story or theme around it. That idea really lit a fire in me and to me, the result is a unique album that uses familiar songs in a new way to tell a new story…

Related Links:

Listen to Remixes, Vol. 01 on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Remixes, Vol. 01 on Bandcamp: HERE

Through The Forest (65:40) imagines a quiet afternoon spent alone in the woods. The album begins listening to The Wind In The Trees (25:14), and then continues with an early morning walk through the forest in A Stillness In The Woods (14:24). The album ends lying Under The Shade (26:02) of a tall tree, looking up at the branches and the skies above.

On Through The Forest, I wanted to take the feelings of peace and tranquility that many people associate with being in the woods and put them in a musical context. The main challenge was finding the different instruments and textures that would invoke the right atmosphere. I also wanted to start the album with a realistic feel and then work towards ending in a sort of daydream-like state. This was a very rewarding album to work on, and I think it fits really nicely into the Life Is My Soundtrack collection…

Related Links:

Listen to Through The Forest on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Through The Forest on Bandcamp: HERE

The Stars In The Sky (59:10) is a cinematic exploration through the vast expanse of space. The journey begins with Above The Auroras (14:51), which focuses on the stars and galaxies visible from just above the earth’s atmosphere. Next, in Through The Silence (22:45), the focus shifts to the idea of traveling through space over an indefinite period of time, leading to Into The Heavens (21:34), which imagines the deepest reaches of space, never before seen by human eyes.

With The Stars In The Sky, I wanted two things: to transport the listener from the earth to the unknown reaches of space, and to put music to the idea of silence. I’ve often heard that outer space exists in silence and it feels like one would feel very alone (though not necessarily lonely) there as well. I wanted to examine those themes in a musical context, and the result is the finished album, which takes both takes a journey and explores the silence of space in an interesting way…

Related Links:

Listen to The Stars In The Sky on Spotify: HERE

Purchase The Stars In The Sky on Bandcamp: HERE

A Silver Cloud (61:52) is over 1 hour of minimal piano melodies against a backdrop of cinematic soundscapes. The title track, A Silver Cloud (25:11) starts off the album with a combination of soft piano melodies and light, airy synths. The next song, Sunshine (20:16) takes a simple piano line and places it next to a dynamic, moving composition that envelopes the piano, leaving the cinematic motion to finish out the song. Finally, In Bloom (16:25) continues using the piano theme, imagining a blooming garden in the spring.

With A Silver Cloud, I was trying to mix pianos and soft backing pads, synths, and strings. I’m very happy with the result, as the album has a light, minimal feel to it. In addition, and unrelated, the title track, A Silver Cloud took the longest to compose of any song I’ve worked on for the Life Is My Soundtrack series (as of the time of this writing), due to the balancing act between the numerous melodies and counter-melodies…

Related Links:

Listen to A Silver Cloud on Spotify: HERE

Purchase A Silver Cloud on Bandcamp: HERE

Beneath The Deep Blue Sea (22:00) is the companion piece to Into The Deep Blue Sea, combining all of it’s songs (The Shoreline, The Tide, and The Dive) into a new and truly unique song, called The Swell (22:00).

When I was working on writing Into The Deep Blue Sea, I was experimenting with different sounds and textures, trying to get everything into place. I wanted to use the album to tell a story, so the songs had to be unique, but they also needed to work together as a whole. In an experiment, I played all three songs simultaneously and found that they worked surprisingly well together. Intrigued, I made a few small adjustments to the songs and what resulted had a strong, swirly sense of ambience, along with a unique emotional presence. Although Beneath The Deep Blue Sea has a strong sense of ambience, to me it feels right at home in the Deep Blue Sea series…

Related Links:

Listen to Beneath The Deep Blue Sea on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Beneath The Deep Blue Sea on Bandcamp: HERE

Into The Deep Blue Sea (58:04) is nearly one hour of ocean inspired music. It begins at The Shoreline (18:02), standing in the wet sand, looking out to the sea. Next, in The Tide (18:10), imagine yourself underwater, listening to the rolling waves crash above your head. Finally, travel out to the open ocean and explore its depths in The Dive (21:52).

When I was writing and working on the concept for Into The Deep Blue Sea, the idea I had was to make it into a story. I wanted it to feel like it had a natural progression. I’ve always been in love with the ocean and to me, it really all starts at the beach. Being out in the the ocean can be really amazing, but if you take away the sand and the waves, the experience feels incomplete. I wanted to paint a picture of the whole experience, and do it in a tangible way that listeners could connect with and enjoy…

Related Links:

Listen to Into The Deep Blue Sea on Spotify: HERE

Purchase Into The Deep Blue Sea on Bandcamp: HERE

In Twilight (19:20) is a song to listen to in the dark. It features two distinct movements and a short outro, all woven together to create a seamless and relaxing experience. It also has the distinction of being responsible (in part) for the creation of the Life Is My Soundtrack series, as well as it’s first song/release.

In Twilight was created during an impromptu recording session that occurred when I accidentally borrowed my cousin’s guitar. He had played at a coffee shop the night before, and I had given him a ride home. We both forgot about the guitar, and the next day, I was surprised to find it in my back seat. I had some free time that day, so I decided to see what it sounded like in Pro Tools. What was meant to be a few minutes quickly turned into several hours and In Twilight was born. I was really excited with how it turned out, so I sent it to several friends to get their thoughts. The response that I got back was really surprising! Several people told me that listening to it had put them to sleep. One friend in particular, who was having medical issues that required her to take sleeping pills told me that when she listened to it, she was actually able to sleep without taking her sleeping pills. All the positive feedback was really encouraging, but I also knew that I was onto something more than just writing songs. It would take some time for me to officially start Life Is My Soundtrack, but I really believe that In Twilight played a huge part in the genesis of the project…

Related Links:

Listen to In Twilight on Spotify: HERE

Purchase In Twilight on Bandcamp: HERE

At the time of this writing, there are over 150 songs in the Life Is My Soundtrack series, with probably another 100+ that have been demoed, or sketched out in some form. Additionally, I have ideas and concepts for countless other songs that I haven’t been able to get to yet.

I’m working hard to release as much new music as I can, and because of that, much of my time is spent looking forward. As soon as I release an album, I begin working on the next one, and I don’t often take time to reflect. I thought it might be an interesting idea to spend some time looking back on the albums I’ve released so far, and share my thoughts about their creation.

Thanks (as always) for your support, and I hope this upcoming retrospective series will be of interest to you!

On Friday, February 3, 2017, I released the 27th album in the Life Is My Soundtrack series (Inspiration, Vol. 03), and also crossed an important milestone: 1,000+ minutes of music!

So what’s next for Life Is My Soundtrack? Getting to work on crossing the 2,000 minute mark!

Welcome to the new blog! I’m working hard behind the scenes on new content, and will be rolling it out shortly. In the meantime, you can view the Life Is My Soundtrack blog archives (powered by Blogger) at: http://lifeismysoundtrack.blogspot.com.

Thanks, and stay tuned!

Coming in 2017! Stay tuned!