This album is dedicated to my sister-in-law Dorothy Blythe Lloyd Frostick, who died unexpectedly, and far too young, on January 16, 2005.
We fear time, thinking that it limits us and steals all that we love.
We also fear love, believing it will take what we need for ourselves.
But the long dance of love and time is the inner story of all our lives.
What are we if not love wrapped in time and cast into space?
“When on Waves” came to me a week before Dorothy’s death. It is an overture, or opening prayer, an introduction to a wider state of mind.
The rest of the album appeared at one sitting, the day after Dorothy died. This was my way of saying goodbye to her, and wishing her well on her journey beyond our vision. I sat down for an hour and played for her, and this is exactly what came out, with nothing added or removed.
When on Waves
How this song came to be …
I got out of bed at night after reading Rumi, thinking to finish the poem “when on waves”, whose last line has eluded me for years. This music came to me instead. Here is the poem, with this year’s version of the last line. Or maybe it just doesn’t want a last line at all…
when
on waves
of endless
causes i ride
no wave my own but
no wave not my dear child
the unceasing change my seat
the vast love my compass and guide
the untold openness my clear sky
the ever presence my soul’s constant wind
right here, an endless song of sure liberty
Recording process
I cleaned up the audio, divided the session into songs, and named them. Later, I rendered the MIDI recording again using better piano sounds than I originally had available.
The piano sound in this version of the album is by a wonderful VSTi program named Synthogy Ivory.
A more detailed cleanup improved the musical clarity and beauty, especially in the “Love Ascending” tracks, which I felt deserved the extra attention. Rendered again and MP3-encoded at 192 rather than 128 kbps.