Original adult contemporary progressive electronic musical compositions inspired by a modern-day interpretation of Lehi's Dream of the Tree of Life as found in the Book of Mormon

8 MP3 Songs in this album (39:47) !
Related styles: Spiritual: LDS, New Age: Progressive Electronic, Mood: Dreamy

People who are interested in Mannheim Steamroller Philip Glass Vangelis should consider this download.


Details:
According to the LDS faith, approximately 600 years before Christ's birth, the prophet Lehi was commanded by the Lord to flee Jerusalem with his family. While in the wilderness, Lehi had a dream which is commonly known to members of the LDS Church as the vision of the Tree of Life.

Lehi's dream has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. In May 2011 the concept of a contemporary, progressive, electronic musical interpretation of Lehi's account came to my mind. "The Dark Road to Light" represents a modern-day, personal view of the Tree of Life story. I hope you enjoy the journey!

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All eight songs on "The Dark Road to Light" were played and recorded using exclusively the GarageBand app on the iPad 2 and using only native GarageBand instruments and effects (no loops or samples).

Why GarageBand? Simple. In early April 2011 I purchased an iPad 2. While at the Apple store one of the sales associates demoed GarageBand. I was hooked!

My work as a management consultant in the sport event industry requires extensive travel so having something like GarageBand is just perfect for me. The iPad 2 and GarageBand allow me to (quietly) compose music during long-haul flights. In fact, every song on "The Dark Road to Light" was composed and recorded in-flight to various destinations including London, Geneva, Doha, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, Glasgow and Paris.

Granted, GarageBand has significant limitations. A maximum of 8 tracks. No custom instruments. Limited set of effects per track and only two master effects types. No event edit. No overdubbing. Only 4/4 time signature. No key changes allowed.

Still, for USD 4.99 the capabilities of GarageBand are amazing. The user interface is stunning and introduces entirely new ways to "play" instruments. For me it was more than enough. The only other tools needed during the entire music production process were NCH Switch and WavePad applications for file conversion and mastering.

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My mother cultivated within me a love for music, always playing classical records on the old console stereo in our living room. Although I felt an intense emotional connection to the music I listened to as a child, I showed little interest or ability in playing a musical instrument.

After returning home in 1988 from a two-year LDS Church mission to Mexico, my grandfather taught me how to play a few church hymns on the guitar. I purchased my first keyboard in the early 1990s - a consumer Yamaha PSR-500. Since then I have owned many keyboards, guitars and drum / groove machines along with various recorders, mixers and other devices.

These instruments, however, are not entirely compatible with my profession which requires frequent overseas travel - with nearly 2 million miles flown to over 100 cities around the globe. Most instruments were not built with the portability required to accommodate such travel. Heavy workloads and family activities at home have limited the time available to spend making music.

Given these realities I sold much of my equipment and what I have left has been gathering dust in the bedroom closet for several years. But then I bought an iPad 2 and downloaded GarageBand, rekindling my desire to compose music and culminating in this first album, "The Dark Road to Light".

I dedicate this effort to my incredible wife Lynn, to whom I have been very happily married for over 21 years, and to our four wonderful children.