MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Heart of Silence New Age Music Reviews

9/03/2016

Instrumental New Age/Classical Review: Janice Lacy Project-Sanctuary For The Soul

Release Date: July 20, 2016

Label: Shore Light Records

Sanctuary For The Soul is Janice Lacy’s debut album. First of all, I think the title of the recording is perfect and very inviting if you happen to be looking for music that allows you to relax.

Piano music is a gift from the heavens when presented the way Janice Lacy introduces herself. Her producer Rob Mullins also played piano on the recording.

The very first track is the title track which is the perfect way to open the curtain on your debut. It has a longing coming from the cello which provides a resonant introduction. The cello can sound that way even though that may not be the intention however it is an appropriate pace for solitude the track offers the listener. It sets a certain tone for Janice’s piano to come in and change the direction of it all.

Then if you listen to “Lover’s Flight” you can hear an entirely different sound and approach with the cello and the piano flows and strides along taking the lead as the other instruments provide a base to launch the absolute beauty of the ivory keys. It is the intent of the artist to create music that soothes the soul and provides that inner sanctuary we all need to connect to so we can reenergize and refocus. I do not believe sleep is the only thing we need to attain rest and more specifically enlightenment, that is not likely during a busy day. Music such as this stops the pace and invites you to listen to your spirit or that inner voice that calls out and needs recognition.

I once again find myself recognizing the close relationship between instrumental new age and classical music. The influence is very strong on this recording but when you hear a great melody like the one on “Sunrise Dance” you are not thinking about how there are classical influences, you are feeling the warmth and connection to the music and the rhythm and joy it is providing. This is one of the more upbeat and unconventional tracks that really do not seem to fit into any category, it is just wonderful piano instrumental music that makes you feel good and smile.

By the time you are done listening to Sanctuary For The Soul you realize that the Janice Lacy Project have created a superb debut album that can be appreciated by any true music fan. The simplicity and diversity of the music is a beautiful thing and the piano playing of the artist is outstanding. If you are in need of some sanctuary for your soul, this music will find that place rather quickly.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Sanctuary For The Soul, Lover’s Flight, Sunrise Dance

Tracks:

01. Sanctuary for the Soul
02. Take Care of My Heart
03. Everything's Alright
04. Lovers' Flight
05. Refuge
06. Sunrise Dance
07. Through the Shadows
08. Shimmering Ocean
09. December Goodbye
10. Jim's Waltz
11. Crystal Harbor
12. Full Moon
13. Prayer
14. Tell You That I Love You

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 3, 2016

Founder of:

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews

3/28/2015

New Age Instrumental/Meditation Review: Peter Kater & Michael Brant DeMaria-Heart of Silence

Release Date: March 31, 2015

Label: Sounds True

Website

This is the first collaboration between renowned new age recording artists Peter Kater and Michael Brant DeMaria. Both men have carved out their own niche and are well respected in the genre. The combination of piano and flute coexist with a purpose and meaning on the new release titled Heart of Silence.

The duo refers to the eight tracks as sound poems. Kater’s elegant piano coupled with DeMaria’s Native American flutes is a step into solace and grace found beyond daily life and our surroundings. The tracks invite your soul to find the peace waiting to be discovered, it’s yours for the taking if you let this music look inward. Just relax and let it take you over. This is excellent meditation music however I found it quite enjoyable to listen to without any particular focus, I just took it all in with the realization that I could enjoy it for no other reason than letting the vibrations and sounds soothe my weary mind and give my soul a sense of calm and peace.

DeMaria was inspired to go in this direction after his mother nearly died in his arms. While that is a very sad event in a person’s life I am sure he saw the beauty and acceptance of moving on for his beloved mother and also how blessed he was to be there for her. Life and death is a process we all go through but it is our choice which road we take and how we either embrace each phase of our existence or turn away and refuse to acknowledge the spirit within us all. Most certainly the love a child has for a mother is something special and a connection like no other for all living creatures. I think DeMaria opening himself to that experience allowed this amazing music to be created and has prepared him for when that day arrives when his mother decides to move on. He decided to use a deep base flute that provided a drone like sound comparable to a didgeridoo. That sound projects beautifully and provides a foundation for the rest of the music to gently float over the top like clouds moving across the sky or a hot spring bubbling beneath the surface. It was a choice that was initiated by DeMaria’s experience while his mother was going between the spirit world and her existence her on the physical plane. When he closed his eyes while holding his mother he could see a light and a deep oooommmm sound, a drone if you will. That is how this all came about. He is blessed with the comfort of knowing that his loved one will indeed pass on to another beautiful existence.

I found “Tender Heart” as the most exceptional track. It is moving and spacious as a clear night glittering with thousands of stars. The music is pure like the earth and sky above and the sounds and textures in the track made me feel closer to Mother Earth. We are all here to honor our place on this great planet. All eight tracks are beautiful and serve a higher purpose and all you have to do is listen and find out where it will take you. Each track blends into the next making it a complete and satisfying journey of sounds and atmospheres.

This is the kind of music that is for relaxation, meditation, reflection, recharging yourself and realigning your purpose and meaning. Life holds many gifts for us all but at times we are pulled away from what is right in front of us with our busy lives and pressures of work and all the noise and chatter that can swallow us up if we let it. I choose to survive the day and then let music from CDs like Heart of Silence remind me of who I am and what is really important. Without words music can carry a very powerful message and I am thankful I was able to hear it and grateful for some insight into the lessons presented to one man.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Tracks:
1. Heart of Silence
2. Radiant Dawn
3. First Breath
4. Holding Space
5. Tender Heart
6. Timeless Echoes
7. Midnight Dreaming
8. Awakening

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

March 28, 2015