A First Piano Recording: Sarah McLachlan's Angel
I finally got my computer to record from my piano. I knew I was going to get this done for the summer, because I record every summer. I haven't been able to get the computer to talk to the piano for months, and what was in the way proved to be nothing more than the press of a single button. I suppose you can guess that my music setup has lots of buttons.
Anyway, I wanted to just put up something fast. So, I recorded just a few measures of Sarah McLachlan's Angel with me on piano. This is a "hard grand" patch from my Kurzweil PC2R. I purposely didn't embellish much at all and played it really simple.
I'll do better takes in the future for this and other pieces with the mistakes cleaned up and lay down some genuine Steinway-sampled tracks.
16 Comments
Welcome
"Healing from Trauma and Dissociation"
I'm Paul, a father, husband, scientist, educator, photographer and musician. I'm also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
Mind Parts consists of my own insights on the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, namely trauma stress and the full spectrum of dissociative coping mechanisms, including dissociative identities. Through a blog, I explore the healing process in a variety of ways—using creative contributions of original art, photography, poetry, and music as well as, hopefully, though-provoking essays. Mind Parts is also home to two support services. The quarterly Ezine Trauma Recovery Highlights is a look at some of the best online resources. Also, the monthly Expressive Arts Carnival makes available activities which are published as a group "Carnival."
Comments are welcomed, but if you prefer, you may contact me offline. My belief is that sites like this one can contribute by offering unique perspectives and knowledge, thereby enhancing opportunities not only for survivors but for readers and society as a whole. Namaste!
Sara McLachlan is one of my favorites!
I can't carry a tune in a basket or march properly to any rhythm. If you made mistakes, I couldn't tell. It was beautiful. Thanks for sharing it!
Very lovely. Thanks for posting it.
Kate
Thanks to both of you. This is a little bit of risk-taking on my part because my music is very personal. But, this blog is all about sharing and pushing the envelope a bit for me. So, I'll see where this goes. On to bigger and better places I hope!
Hi Paul,
Listening to this a seoncd time, I was just overcome with a sense of healing coming from the music. Thanks.
Kate
Paul, you are so multi-talented! I really admire how you are incorporating your gifts (art, photography, writing, music) into your healing. What better way "in" to the mind than through its creations? Btw, you have a lovely touch on the keyboard... Do you compose?
Paul,
Thank you so much for sharing this. What a beautiful gift, I loved listening and hope you will share more with us.
Vicki
This is one of my favourite pieces of music. I know that the song is about drug addiction, but it crosses over into many other areas of suffering and pain.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us all. It was beautifully played - Sophie cried :)
Take care...
Sarah McLachlan is one of my faves also. Lovely playing. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Paul -
What an incredibly gentle and healing touch you have with your piano playing -- the recording was very pleasurable for me! I hope to hear more!
I'm assuming you do your own harmonic arrangements . . .? (The harmony flowed very smoothly.) Do you play by ear?
- Marie (Coming Out of the Trees)
http://mmaaggnnaa.wordpress.com/
Thanks everyone! Well, I can play piano in any number of different ways. I was trained to read and play the notes as written. But I didn't do very well with that. It wasn't enjoyable for me and I didn't "feel". So then I learned the notes and how to add in the feeling. Eventually I learned how to just improvise and play by ear with just some simple melody in mind or a certain chord progression. I do compose and I think I'll reserve those posts for a later date when I have more courage. Some of my own compositions are flowing. Some are quite jarring.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Barbara
Well it seems you had us all at Sarah McLachlan! It is interesting that we all seem to relate to her music in our own way. I want to commend you on your courage in sharing this with us and hope to hear more from you, when you are ready of course. Do you have internal chaos/conflict arising from taking such a giant step such as this and sharing this portion of yourself with all of us?
Wow. It's really good.
Thank you Paul. Wonderful, touching playing. I love it and it was real helpful for us this evening (you can't imagine how much).
Very very nice!!! Soothing and relaxing and calming...full of meaning. Thank you Paul.
Thanks to all of you for your nice comments. I think I will play something soon and post it.