- original music and arrangements -

Nature Suite: Sacred Ground (Lost and Found)

This "suite" is a series of musical vignettes accompanied by a quote on nature. It is an ongoing project and will encompass a potpourri of musical styles: classical orchestra, ambient grooves, a trombone motet, hardcore rock, contrapuntal singing, etc. Many of the pieces are conceptualized around drum grooves that weave in and out of the soundscape.

Each piece is meant to take the listener on a musical journey into the heart and soul of nature: from the wonders and mystery when deep inside a lush forest to the rugged grandeur of the mountains...

Many of the photos were taken when mountain biking or hiking and hope to convey the beauty and spiritual "rejuvenation" of the experience, although admittedly, its hard to match the euphoria you feel when floating down a perfectly sculpted trail on a mountain bike through a lush and vibrant forest!


(click to expand/collapse)

"Sacred Ground (Lost and Found)"

The rhyme for the title is meant to convey our culture’s oft forgotten respect for the natural world (especially in current times with recent focus on resource exploitation at the expense of preservation!). With our citizens, more often than not, wandering aimlessly, blindsided in the raptures of technology, “Lost and Found" hopes to bring awareness of the incredible array of benefits and spiritual uplift that's found in the natural world.

The Matrix

As you look around these days and see everyone glued to their cell phone screens, one wonders if many of us have lost our connection to the real world. Who can forget the movie “The Matrix" where the “reality" perceived is actually a simulated reality.

Studies have confirmed that spending time in with nature—especially when surrounded by trees— helps reduce stress and improves health. The Japanese even have a word for it: Shinrin-yoku or "forest bathing".

A simple walk in the woods or a moment of peaceful reflection outside with greenery can help each one of us rekindle the spiritual connection with nature.

Nature Suite
Nature Suite

Now on CD

Ten compositions from the suite previously indexed on this page have been recorded to CD. Visit the CD/Streaming page for audio samples and how to purchase and/or stream online.

Visit the CD Supplement page for details on the compositions now on CD.


Forests

Tree Time

Ancient Tree
"There is always music
amongst the trees..."

In The Woods

Copper Creek
"In the woods, we return to reason....

Forest Spirit

Crooked Forest
"The cycle of life...
and revitalization."

Dark Forest

Dark Forest
"Dark forests...
quiet and mysterious"

Fallen Giants

Fallen Giants
"The hidden spirit
of the wilderness..."

Delicates

Silver Dollars
"Man is incomprehensible
without Nature..."

Sacred Forest

Scared Forest
Treat the earth well...It was not given to you by your parents—it was loaned to you by your children."

Water

Babbling Brook

Woodway
"Water - the essence of Life"

Ripples

Pond Ripples
"We come and go...
like ripples in a stream."

Glistening Waters

Glistening Waters
"It is life to watch the water.
A man can learn so many things."

Reflections

Salar de Uyuni
"Reflection without learning is dangerous..."

The Sky Above

Big Sky

Big Sky
"The poetry of Nature is that which
uplifts the spirit within us."

Night Sky

Night Sky
"See the wonder of the night sky"

Drifting...

Night Sky
"Watching the clouds
float across the sky..."

Morning

Morning Mist

Lake Mist
"Feel the breath of a mist
in the soft light of morning."

Awakening

Morning Sunrise
"Every day is an awakening..."

Weather

The Gift Of Sunshine

Emerging Sunshine
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea,
drink the wild air..."

Storms

Storm Clouds
"Storms don't come to teach us
painful lessons, rather they were meant to wash us clean."

Harsh Winds...

Sandstorm
"Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind"

Landscapes/Vistas

Majesty of the Mountains

Adirondacks
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you."

Come Forth Into the Light...

Perry Hill, VT
"Come forth into the light of things,
let nature be your teacher."

Granite Ghosts

Granite Ghosts
"Geologists have a saying - rocks remember."

Changing Vistas

Rocky Mountains
"Climb so you can see the world,
not so the world can see you."

Red Earth

Red Desert
"The world is full of beauty"

Nightfall

Night Winds
"The day has eyes; the night has ears."

Desert Dreams

Desert Dreams
"In its emptiness, you can find yourself..."

Ancient Origins

Ancient Origins
"May as well be here,
we are as where we are."

A Vanishing World

Ord River
"The Last Wilderness...."

Inspiration

New Horizons

New Horizons
"Man's living spirit is
his passion for adventure..."

Heed The Call

Heed The Call
"Be the change
you wish to see in the world."

Yesterday's Footprints

Yesterday's Footprints
"We all leave footprints as we
journey through life..."

Transcendence

Transcendence
"Existing beyond the limits of
ordinary experience"

Seasons

Seasons

The Four Seasons
"To the attentive eye,
each moment of the year has its own beauty...."

Springtime

Springtime
"Walk lightly in the spring;
Mother Earth is pregnant."

Mankind’s Legacy

Wasteland

Pollution
"Man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard."

Blood On The Trail

Blood on Trail
"Never underestimate the latent power of nature..."

When the Eagle Cries

Bald Eagle
"Ominous Warnings..."

The Long Shadow

The Long Shadow
"Yesterdays' darkness will haunt
today's sunshine"

Relics of a Distant Past

Stone Remnants
"A ruin should always be protected
but never repaired..."

Our Mother is Calling

Pond
"Across the fields we wander... searching for a clue."


Nature Suite - Composition Details

Are you curious about the featured instruments and arrangement for each Nature Suite piece?