About The Music

Composer’s Statement

I am calling this collection "Music For Mature Souls". I'm not trying to change your taste in music, just offering something that maybe can provide some enjoyment to occupy your mind during times when you might be in need of a little change of pace. Like it or not, as we mature the number of entertainment choices we have starts dwindling, as does the number of people we interact with daily. As "mature souls", we may be just intellectually curious, or we may become lonely, sick, handicapped, hospitalized, etc. In other words, I am offering this collection as "feel good" music for those times when not much else is going on. I myself listen to these songs all the time, although it's not surprising that the music appeals to my soul, because that's where it came from.

There are many types of love themes, plus lullabies, waltzes, patriotic songs, sad songs intended for remembrance or loss, & even a march or 2. Many songs evoke the image of the song title, such as a walk in the park, a good day's work, a fine spring day etc. Some try to capture the feeling of particular events, such as an old steam train or a total eclipse of the sun. The songs are primarily melodic (as opposed to rhythmic), and in fact I imagined them as pure melodies with no percussion. About half of the songs have lyrics, half don't. I have included only songs that can be played enjoyably even without the words.

The songs are computer generated, but don't let that scare you away. How does that work exactly? There are such things as sound fonts, which are the building blocks of notes the same way that a character fonts are the building blocks of printed words. I won’t bore you with details. I have tried to use fonts that strike a balance between the desired sound, as I first envisioned it, and the sound that can actually be achieved with sound fonts. My objective in all cases is NOT to reproduce the exact sound of any existing musical instrument, but to use the sounds that best evoke the feelings I am trying to tap for each individual composition.

The music is distributed as .mp3 files, the type of file that most digital music is packaged in. My procedure is to first generate a score for each song, then to generate the actual music by using open source software ("MuseScore") to record the .mp3 file. For songs with lyrics, there is also a .lrc (lyrics) file which scrolls through the lyrics as the song plays on platforms that have that capability, such as smart phones and mp3 players. The synthesized instrument played for each song is the one that comes closest to what I want the song to sound like. Many songs though have multiple versions, each one of which has characteristics that I like.

"Music for Mature Souls" contains the core music which I have created. A "mature soul" is basically a mellow soul, mature enough in age or experience to give this music a chance. It’s intended to make people feel good, with engaging melodies and sometimes lyrics, and maybe help them forget about whatever may be bothering them, such as illness, injury, loneliness etc. Remember, all the .mp3 files that are being sold are playable on the website, so you know what you are getting.

When you buy "Music For Mature Souls" you can of course pick only the ones you like to put on your playlist. Most of the songs have a description of the inspiration for the song in question.

It is possible that in the future these songs can be studio recorded. Anyone who registers for the newsletter when buying this music will also be on a list for an upgrade to the studio versions. At checkout, just check the box that asks if you want to subscribe to the newsletter. This puts you on our mailing list. You can also sign up for the newsletter on the home page.

If you like the music enough to make a gift of it, consider that you might be able to cheer up individuals who are lonely, bedridden or immobile, in a hospital or hospice, etc. You could make a playlist and put it on a phone, mp3 player or other device for private hearing with headphones.