Continuing the development around individual personalities – it’s ironic that this album starts with a track called Identification.

Identification is a very chilled out string heavy piece, Lally and Emma’s Numbers are both solo piano developments and Irene and Marsha both have additional voicings.

Click on the track title for liner notes, longer streams and 5 minute sample mp3s.

Identification (14:13)Download audio file (id2.5.mp3)

Lally (15:21)Download audio file (lallydev2.5.mp3)

Emma’s Numbers (14:30)Download audio file (emmasnumbers2.5.mp3)

Irene (13:49)Download audio file (irene2.5.mp3)

Marsha (18:56)Download audio file (marsha2.5.mp3)

Join the music2work2 mailing list – get free 5 minute samples of all music2work2 tracks as well as a bonus 20 minute playlist.

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Now playing: music2work2 – Irene
via FoxyTunes

Second Piano piece written for a friend fighting Cancer

An old friend was dealing with cancer so I wrote her some music. After sending it to her, I asked for her numbers and then produced this piece. When I’m writing for or about someone, I often ask them for a couple of numbers, I use these to denote the meter and beats per minute of the piece – I like the randomness of the process and the idea that the recipient is determining the musical outcome.

Emma survived and continues to Skipper her yacht around the globe – she’s an amazing lady. Having had the pieces for a while Emma and her husband Richard sent me the feedback below.

“The first piece makes me remember the moment all this shit began, the horrific nightmare and all its tricks.

Rich and I were talking and for us the piece takes us on a little journey from the beginning right up to the post-mastectomy stage. I feel aggression, hatred and fear at the outset and then the music lifts which for us denotes the next step – the positive move forward after the removal of the cancer – the brighter side of this nightmare beginning to shine through if you like, the positive rather than the negative.

The second piece of music takes on the treatment – tentative at the outset taking on the unknown – I can see myself treading carefully through mess, gently with each step, nervously moving forward – sometimes feeling delicate from treatment, sometimes charging forward with stubbornness – positive and almost light hearted, but each step with determination, all the time pushing, pushing to beat this.

This cancer is strange – whilst I have a cast of thousands around me each one supporting, helping in their own different way – I feel like a boxer – ultimately it is me that stands alone in the ring to deal with this, me that has to step forward and take the hit.

I write this as I listen to Emma’s Numbers – I can just see you sitting there, eyes closed, composing, thinking, feeling the music. We were having dinner whilst listening to my iPod last night, we had friends over, and they asked what we were listening to – the second piece – they loved it. Just thought you’d like to know that.”

I did – thank you Em!

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Now playing: music2work2 – Emma’s Numbers
via music2work2

Glenn Hardy, one of our MySpace friends, is a solo pianist and composer. He now lives in Connecticut but was born in California and grew up there in a musically diverse home. His music is classified as Classical/Rock/Jazz.

Glenn Hardy has recorded ten CDs of solo piano music and collaborates with his wife, a poet, on vocal and choral works.

My favorite piece from the four available to hear on his MySpace page is The New Day, a beautiful, melodic piano piece which reminds me of the music2work2 sessions in which the piano is the sole voice, such as Boys Bedtime Music or Emma’s Numbers.

Check out the work of Glenn Hardy.

Our MySpace friend, Rob Costlow, composes and performs piano music in the Healing & Easy Listening/Ambient/Down-Tempo genre. Rob is located in the United States. He founded his own record label, Tourist Records, in 2004.

I enjoy listening to all four samples of Rob Costlow’s music available on his MySpace page; the music is relaxing and beautiful. His piece, Not Alone, makes me think of music2work2′s Emma’s Numbers from two aspects – the music and also its title. Not Alone and Emma’s Numbers are both piano solos that create a similar mood – one of calm and peacefulness. The title, Not Alone, also makes me think of Emma’s Numbers in that it was composed for one of Andrew’s friends who was dealing with a difficult time in her life. I can’t think of any better way to convey to a friend that they are “not alone” during a stressful, difficult time than to compose a beautiful, soothing music session especially for them.

I don’t know what the motivation was for Rob Costlow’s compositions, but his music is very pleasant and enjoyable listening. Check out all four pieces by Rob Costlow on his MySpace page.

There are a couple of pieces of news today – -

There is a new session on the website. Emma’s Numbers is a companion piece to Emma. Check out both of these!

And, congratulations to Kelli.com; they now have their shopping cart up. This entire website looks fantastic. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to go by and have a look around……………purchase a couple of their great songs while you are there!