Simple, beautiful, and calming solo piano music that creates a sense of still-ing, ie, becoming still.

18 MP3 Songs
CLASSICAL: New Age, NEW AGE: Healing



Details:
Eleven days before my helmeted head hit the ice during an ice hockey game, I purchased a beautiful 1917 Steinway 'O' Grand Piano. At the time, I had no idea what a big part this new addition to my living room would play in the healing of my closed head injury.

As a classically trained musician (Bachelor of Music in oboe/bassoon performance), performing music had been a integral part of my life since I was a teenager. As a freshly head injured person, I found all music, even the simplest early Mozart, to be too complicated and complex to follow and listen to. I craved simple, beautiful music that would touch my heart. Nothing in my entire music library came close to what I wanted to hear. Gradually, I began to pick out simple little melodies as I sat daily at my new piano. Each new creative progression of notes made me smile, and often they also soothed a deeper part of me. Over time, I started writing them down. These simple musical compositions regularly gave me goose bumps, often made me cry, and definitely challenged me to focus.

stilling was completed on the fourth anniversary of my head injury. This CD represents a musical documentary of my healing process, speaking in sound and melody what I was unable to express in any other way. Deliberatly composed to induce a light alpha state by flowing with an underlying rhythm of one beat per second, this music calms, breaths, and creates a sense of still-ing, ie, becoming still. It is much more than just music by which to heal a head injury. It has become first and formost my gift to me. And then, from the place of personal fullness, I release it now as my gift to all others.

In a time when our daily lives can seem so hectic, toxic, and filled with everpresent movement, stilling represents an opportunity to step away from the momentum of daily life, to rest in the quiet rhythm and gentle beauty of these simple yet beautiful, stilling sounds.

It is my great honor, desire, and passion to make these healing compositions available to others. As my own healing journey continues, my life continues to be enrichened by this music. May these original compositions gently nourish and enrichen your life as they have mine.


stilling - 1. invoking stillness via music; 2. quieting, resting, breathing, releasing; 3. a play on the name Stillman; 4. music by which to heal a head injury; 5. beautiful yet simple music; 6. facilitating rampantly running innate creative flow; 7. an opportunity to come from deep within and create something completely new and original.


Some of my favorite times to listen to stilling are
- in my car. When the caos of crazy driving and fossil-fuel fumes start to get to me, I can rest assured that within the time of listening to two to three pieces of stilling, I'll be calm and relaxed again, and can sit back and just enjoy the drive. So far, it's worked every time!
- quietly in the background while I'm studying, reading, or doing a creative project. My son has said it helps him do his homework to have this music playing softly in the background.
- receiving body work. (of course it's all I can do to not sing along with it, I am originally a woodwind player after all)
- while I'm preparing food. Being in a calm, relaxed place while creating my meals definitely makes them taste better!
- just for the fun of it. Winding down and getting ready for bed, or on a quiet morning while I sit in gratitude and enjoy the beauty all around me.