Here is the full 6 minute movie:

We just got accepted to the Lake Arrowhead Film Festival – which we’re pretty stoked about.

If you’d like to learn more about the movie – check out Last Chance – It’s About Hope

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Summary

Writer’s playlist containing 6 tracks and over 79 minutes of music. Tracks range from 42 to 85 beats per minute and get progressively faster as the playlist continues. Designed to create a calming but stimulating atmosphere that will keep you writing when you start to flag.

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Individual Tracks

Image Credit: John Althouse Cohen

$5.97 – Download Now

Summary

I am a hopeless optimist – I believe in the power of love I believe in romance and soul mates and all of that.  This playlist is all of those things – it’s the meeting, the falling in love, the ceremony – it’s the reality of life where you never see each other ‘cos you’re working so hard,  it’s the deep sexual connection and the beauty that comes from looking at the one you love.

$5.97 – Download Now

Individual Tracks

Image Credit: Cane Rosso

These Things Shall Be – Happy 70th Birthday Dad

It has been an incredibly turbulent week across all fronts.  It started horrifically with Charlotte being badly injured in a car accident and finishes today with my father’s 70th birthday.  Charlotte is on her way to recovery although she has a few nasty surgeries ahead while my Mum & Dad are about to embark on a 5 week trip around the planet – arriving in LA in a month’s time – funny thing life!

I originally wrote the music for a school competition – based around the words of the hymn “These Things Shall Be!” which in turn was derived from the poem “A Vista” by John Addington Symonds 1840 – 1893.  I was never a terribly good student but I do remember working hard on the music and it became one of my dad’s favorite pieces – so much so that he’s requested it to be played at his funeral.

Pretty macabre really, which probably explains why 25 years later I haven’t finished it!  This is the core piano part on top of which sits 4 different string voices and a bloody great church organ that comes in at the end.  I always pick it up again at this time of year, around his birthday, and work up another version.  Maybe I’ll have something I like before they arrive.

Happy Birthday Dad.

Here are the words of the hymn which I always liked – uplifting, inspirational and about as far away from funerals as you get – long may it stay that way.

These things shall be, — a loftier race
Than ere the world hath known shall rise
With flame of freedom in their souls,
And light of knowledge in their eyes.

They shall be gentle, brave, and strong
To spill no drop of blood, but dare
All that may plant man’s lordship firm
On earth and fire, and sea, and air.

Nation with nation, land with land,
Unarmed shall live as comrades free;
In every heart and brain shall throb
The pulse of one fraternity.

Man shall love man, with heart as pure
And fervent as the young-eyed throng
Who chant their heavenly psalms before
God’s face with undiscordant song.

New arts shall bloom of loftier mould
And mightier music fill the skies,
And every life shall be a song,
When all the earth is paradise.

John Addington Symonds

My friend and partner in music2work2 was in a bad car accident this week.  She is in the hospital – her least favorite place on the planet, currently in the ICU and things look pretty scary.  She is the most stubborn, determined and courageous person I have ever met.

If you have some energy spare – please send it her way.

via AudioBoo

Posted via web from Andrew McCluskey

Bob speaks about the opportunities for – well – shit – the opportunities for just about anything that are now available for creatives that own their own shit. Cjheck out:

http://72musicians.com

I loved the movie.

I can feel the music wheels beginning to turn again – thank god!  Here’s a development of a song, (Un)Drastic  written by Jody Schneider. 

And here’s the original version:

The song has this killer catchy lick – almost Coldplayesque (if there is such a word.) You can check out Jody on MySpace and soon on her new website that we’re building over on Kilted Chaos.

I’m still playing with string tones but I kinda dig the dueling aspect here as the two different instruments create their own harmonic tension.  More editing to do but you get an idea of where this is going.

I recently ran across the web site Sound Health – Advanced Brain Technologies. Advanced Brain Technologies is a foundation created by Alex Doman and Brad Boyajian, for the purpose of advancing research, education, and development and access to neurotechnologies that will help people to realize their fullest potential. It is their belief that incorporating Sound Health into your life nourishes mind, body and soul. (Note from Andrew: No Shit!)

They have compiled a series of CDs designed to complement specific activities, such as Concentration, Productivity, Thinking. The music on the CDs are classical pieces, some from the Great Masters and some that were created just for this. Their research gave them the knowledge as to what types of music were effective with the individual activities.(Another note from Andrew: Talking of specific activities check out Sexercise – you can downoad it for free here) In addition to the Sound Health section of their work, they have other similar programs such as The Listening Program, BrainBuilder, Music for Babies, and Shelly’s My First Computer Game.

I like the fact that this web site seems to be very thorough; it discusses the research they did prior to forming the foundation, how the musical pieces are chosen for the various activities, and who the participating musicians would be. This is all particularly interesting to me since music2work2 was built on the same premise, that music is good for you and can be helpful in many ways. We spent many hours researching this idea before music2work2 got off the ground.

There are many similarities between Sound Health and music2work2. We both believe that instrumental music is more beneficial than music with lyrics and that the Classical genre is most fittingl. Looking at the notes that accompany each piece of music in the music2work2 catalog, you can see that music2work2 also recognizes the benefit of certain musical pieces with specific activities. In fact, I have been listening to 1218 while writing this post.

It’s just over 20 minutes but if you’re looking for a heartwarming, fill you up, get inspired and motivated to make change – then watch Jamie Oliver talk about Food at TED

There’s no denying the urgency of his message and the validity of his cause – but what strikes me about Jamie Oliver is how real and human he comes across.  Here’s a guy who worked hard to develop his talent and as a result was able to leverage his success into making a positive change in the world.  How many people actually make the choice to do that?

There’s a rant in me that wants to throw a light on the salaries and bonuses being generated by financial centers across the globe – but it’s not about the money – it’s about the people.  What the fuck are these human beings doing with all the cash?  Wouldn’t it be great if some 27 year old trader made 14 million in bonuses last year and gave half of that to a program like Jamie’s?

When I look at the end of the video and I see him pause as he catches the enormity of the gift he’s been given – I feel absolutely great to be human – just like him.  I want to stand up with everybody else in the audience and applaud. 

I want to send this video to everybody who made a 5 figure financial bonus last year and ask them “What are you doing to be part of the human race?”  “What are you doing to make things better for your children?”

Jamie’s website is doing a good job of pulling information together – you can sign Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Petition – hell you can even donate.  I don’t do many of these types of posts but this one absolutely hooked me – please pass it around – just click on the red share button on the video player and spread the word!