Category: Calming music for relaxation, yoga and daily life

Good to be back in Portugal again enjoying the wonder of life.

I was very excited to get a harp again after having lost my old one in the fire of 2017. This is the first piece of calming music I have recorded with it. I’ve always been very inspired by the African harps used when taking Iboga to help hold the space. This is very much a western Style piece but with the idea of repitition and trance.

This is a collaboration with Luis de Barros on Santoor and percusion. It uses middle eastern scales.

This is a piece of calming music I recorded using an instrument I was commissioned to make by Arganil Council. It’s a xylophone made with wooden spoons which is a symbol for this area.

This week I decided to collaborate with my wife, Beth Richardson Thiessen​. I looked at one of her paintings and composed this piece of music. The piece is entitled breathe and, inspired by the subject matter of the painting, I’ve dedicated it to house work and cooking, although I’m sure it could be used for all sorts of things.

It has african sounding themes which is perhaps being influenced by the black lives matter movement which has been in the spotlight this weeIt has african sounding themes which is perhaps influenced by the black lives matter movement which has been in the spotlight this week. All power to racial and gender equality.

It´s so important to remeber that this is it, this is our life, right now. We can dream of the future, think about where we are going to be, work towards it, whilst missing this precious moment. It´s likely that when we get to the place we want to go, we will be trying to get somewhere else and carry on missing this moment.

The future might never come or turn out different to our ideas, this is the moment we´ve been waiting for all our lives. Or as John Lennon said “Life is what happens whilst were busy making other plans.”

This piece is called grace and is inspired by this sentiment.

A simple piece that can be used as the soundtrack to your life.

This is a calming relaxing piece of music made in response to the crazy times we are living in. I hope it brings you a little peace.