This uplifting cosmic harp journey is full of high vibrations. I imagine a sweet spirit guiding me through my life with playfulness and love. They dance next to me, helping me, protecting me, encouraging me to rise up into the light like a beautiful flower. Helping me see my sunshine within. This piece is in G Minor and while the minor keys can have a forlorn tone to them, I love this key, the rhythms, and the energy that’s been created. It feels strong, magical, and full of elation. ★ Support t...
Sep 03, 2021•15 min•Ep. 67
I’ve been thinking how lucky many of us are to have beautiful, relaxing summers. Doing what we want, in the warmth of the sun with sweet scented flowers dancing on the breeze. Feeling free. I want to keep feeling grateful for the simple pleasures in life that some others don’t have. While I played today, I imagined us all dancing in flower meadows with smiles on our faces. All of us, together, happy. Let’s enjoy life’s beauties and nourishing times. Feeling the love and sending love out into the...
Aug 27, 2021•9 min•Ep. 66
This is a bright, ethereal cosmic harp journey where I meditated on the feeling of weightlessness and flying as I played. There are some wonderfully flowing rhythms and uplifting notes. It makes me swirl serenely every time I hear it now, just like a dandelion seed in the breeze. I’m exploring F# Dorian and E Major in this piece. I like its mystical, exhilarating feel. ★ Support this podcast ★
Aug 01, 2021•10 min•Ep. 65
This is an instrumental version of a sweet little song called Cookie Cat I wrote last year. It has a soft, gentle melody with twinkly, sparkly bits running through. It conjures up images and feelings of times past with dear beloved furry friends and bittersweet, final days. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jul 23, 2021•7 min•Ep. 64
This cosmic harp journey is in the Romanian or Ukranian Scale. It suits the current weather here in Scotland where it’s hot hot hot!! It’s a mode of the harmonic minor - the fourth mode - and is full of mystery and magic with lots of exotic sounds running through it. It’s energetic in places - I get totally carried away in parts. It makes me happy to create exciting harmonies and melodies. I love to explore the wonder and power of my little harp. ★ Support this podcast ★...
Jul 20, 2021•12 min•Ep. 63
This beautiful song flows with earth and air energy. Its ethereal overtones make it magical and uplifting. The hypnotic melody comes back again and again to ground you. It’s an extended instrumental version of my song - In the Deep of the Forest - which has profound words and is full of earthy love. I wanted to celebrate its lovely melody, so created this longer piece. I’ve added in some woodland forest sounds too, like beautiful songbirds, which float in and out of the music. I really love it. ...
Jul 09, 2021•17 min•Ep. 62
This piece is contemplative. So much happens in our lives and some of it is really hard. When I think about the earth, steadily turning day by day, I find strength to keep moving forward, step by step. Through the hardships and struggles. Through the crazy emotions. Until I reach the beautiful sunrise, which warms my soul. I like taking solace in the rhythm of the earth. This piece in C Minor follows that steady rhythm. It’s a little forlorn but there are still moments of high sparkle. ★ Support...
Jul 06, 2021•14 min•Ep. 61
I’ve really been swirling around to my latest musical journey. It has lots of beautiful melodies running through it and an exotic, mysterious atmosphere. It’s in the mode of G Phrygian Dominant and has a warm, passionate desert-like feel. The name Sahara Dancing Free comes from a girl I once met and that was her name. I loved it so that now, fifteen years after meeting her, I’ve named a piece after her. Maybe she’ll hear it one day : ) I’d love to stand on top of a giant sand dune. Edit* G Phryg...
Jun 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 60
Today’s improv has a fruity, vibrant feel. I play in C Minor harmonic and added in a little tropical soundscape. The rhythm is quite marzurka-like and that style originated in Poland so it’s a piece of many places. I went into a bit of a lucid state listening to it earlier then came back to reality as the pace and volume picked up again : ) Enjoy. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 04, 2021•11 min•Ep. 59
Oh my goodness, I love this piece sooo much. It’s about The Spring Queen. She’s here to wake everyone up! All the spirits of the forest, the pixies, fae folk and elementals. They’re all fast asleep from winter time and she’s here to fill everyone with joy and wonder and warmth for her season. She’s bold and bright, radiant and beautiful. Her melody is vast, reaching out over the lands, echoing all around. And everything responds to her song. They wake up and shine out their colours and vibration...
May 16, 2021•16 min•Ep. 58
It’s been a weird, spacey kind of day. Toothache woke me up at 3:30am and the day has spiralled in all kinds of weird directions since then, but I’m glad I caught the early morn because I was able to get the most beautiful dawn chorus recording from out my window. I’ve said it before - I love the beautiful resonance that comes from birdsong echoing off the sandstone tenements. It’s really special. A blackbird was the star of the show this morning with a chorus of dynamic seagulls intertwined. Th...
May 04, 2021•13 min•Ep. 57
I decided to record a practise session today. I feel a bit like a sculptor, chiseling away at marble in order to find the art, the object, the person, the melody. There are chords and experiments as I pass over the strings, things that feel familiar and then things that sound weird. There are completely unknown things and unusual territories (when clashing notes come out). Then all of a sudden I get inspired, I know what’s waiting for me and I go in search of it chasing it down like a butterfly ...
May 01, 2021•12 min•Ep. 56
Welcome to The Night Circus , a place of enchantment and dreamy realities. I read this book by Erin Morgenstern a few years ago and this new piece feels like it belongs in the book. There’s magic and mystery in the layers, also playfulness and chaos. I feel I’ve pushed the boat out further creatively this time. There are moods and beautiful phrases coming out of nowhere. The pace shifts around. There’s an exotic, mysterious feel which can be uplifting yet mournful. When I make these podcasts, I ...
Apr 30, 2021•17 min•Ep. 55
This is an instrumental version of the last song I released called Uma Viagem. It felt good to explore chords and see what sounds came out. It’s definitely got an exotic feel in places and a vast amount of dreamy reverb dancing around of course. I’m on quite a journey myself at the moment (aren’t we all?) with lots of realisations and decisions being made meaning that psychological burdens are being lifted. I feel so light. Hooray! Happy Spring Equinox! Let’s welcome back the light. Long may fre...
Mar 19, 2021•16 min•Ep. 54
A soft, gentle song sung by a fire with nature as a soundscape. This song’s melody lulls me as I sing. It calms me and gives me peace. The sounds of the crackling fire connect me deeply to somewhere safe. Here’s the video I made for it. E lá vou eu Pra mais uma viagem Afirmando a imagem Do meu Cristo Jesus Meu Deus me ajude Para cumprir a risco Eu estou de viagem Com meu Jesus Cristo Meu Rei São João Mestre dos meus estudos Aprender vou com tudo A final eu existo Odemir Raulino da Silva Quadro A...
Mar 17, 2021•7 min•Ep. 53
Here’s an epic Santo Daime song for you. It was already fast and strenuous to sing and then I went and made it sound like it was in a cathedral too. It’s on the faster side of my song repetoires and I love singing it for its power and clarity. I made a video for it also, which you can watch here . Veio da floresta Como um Beija-Flor Pousou na beira-mar E explandiu o seu amor Mostrando para todos O caminho do Senhor Ajuntando os seus filhos Na estrada do amor Esta força é o Daime E o Daime é luz ...
Mar 04, 2021•8 min•Ep. 52
I love the energy of this song. It’s hypnotic to sing and I’m all into being protected by angels so it makes me sing even more passionately : ) I’ve made a video for it here with lots of colour and vibrancy. O anjo de Deus nos protege Com seu santo manto azul De leste a oeste, de norte a sul Viva a Estrela do azul Que faz brilhar as Estrelas do Céu Do arcanjo Rafael Este globo gira perfeito Com diversas amostragens de cor É Deus em tudo, é o fruto, é a flor Vida do meu Criador Que faz brotar com...
Feb 24, 2021•6 min•Ep. 51
This beautiful song is about The Queen of the Sea ~ Mamãe Yemanjá . I’m sure I was a mermaid in a past life as I’m much better at gliding through the sea than walking on land these days so I connect in a knowing way with this sacred song. I remember hearing it in ceremonies years ago and thought it had an oriental feel. I never seemed to have the words to sing along with at the time but now I do hooray! I think it goes very well with the dreamy harp melodies. There are a couple of nice surprises...
Feb 16, 2021•12 min•Ep. 50
I really enjoyed making this piece. It’s got a wintry feel. I’ve had the melody in my head for a long while, since 2012 in-fact when I originally wrote the song. I love singing it, especially in the colder months. It feels super magical and mysterious. The melody is hypnotic and the whole mood of it is like a music-box. I’m transported to a far off land where nothing is quite as it seems. The majesty of the snow sounds other worldly in D harmonic minor and there’s an aura of things being unresol...
Feb 02, 2021•8 min•Ep. 49
When I hear this song I think of kites and bubbles : ) I like the moods it goes through in the space of five mins. The tempo changes, it’s loud then soft, it ebbs, it flows, it soars in places and swirls up, up, up. I feel like I’m flying in the sky listening to this. It’s in E minor today with a simple chord progression which sounds like bubbles making their way to the surface to pop. ★ Support this podcast ★...
Dec 30, 2020•6 min•Ep. 48
This piece conjurs up the dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis for me. They're so divinely majestic aren't they? I've only ever seen them in pictures but even that is more than enough. I like the high trills and sparkly bits through this song. It feels cheeky and alive. It builds slowly and reaches magical heights before calming down again. I love its energy. ★ Support this podcast ★
Dec 27, 2020•5 min•Ep. 47
Oooo I’ve just had a final listen to this Mermaid song and I totally lost my sense of space sitting in my chair and felt like I was being taken by the sea somewhere magical. It gave me such a gentle peace. When I was little, one of my favourite films was Supergirl. She was my idol (of course). I remember her home was a sparkling, underwater kingdom. It felt safe, calm and pure. When I created this song I started to see that place again. And mermaids too. Singing, gliding, welcoming, smiling. A c...
Nov 10, 2020•14 min•Ep. 46
When I started exploring chords and feeling my way into this song I saw the image of a girl scrubbing a stone floor. She was tired and sad. It reminded me of Cinderella. Rashin Coatie is the Scots name for her. This song has a contemplative feel. I started experimenting with A Dorian mode which sounds slightly sorrowful and pensive to me. But there’s hope too with sections of high, bright melodies which radiate light. It’s a battle between resignation and strength, fragility and possibilities. J...
Oct 27, 2020•13 min•Ep. 45
I’m really excited about this piece. I’m exploring the third mode of the scale of G major. It’s called the Phrygian mode and I’m blown away with how beautiful it sounds. As I’m obsessed with autumnal colours at the moment I can feel the influence it’s had on the music. I see an elusive, strong golden queen taking care of her trees. The winds blow, the leaves dance in the breeze. And she dances too (she even has her own melody). Dancing with the elements, with the sprites, with the spirits of the...
Oct 24, 2020•12 min•Ep. 44
Hello lovely people, I’ve been digging into chord progression and key signatures recently. Exciting stuff hey!? Even though I’m musical, I’ve always found the theory side boring and a challenge, so I just play for pleasure and search for nice sounds without knowing too much about exactly what’s going on in the nitty gritty world of music theory. But I’m delving deeper now and in this piece I explore some chords that work nicely together in C minor. That means all the levers are down on my 25 str...
Oct 21, 2020•12 min•Ep. 43
In my twenties I spent many hours singing the most beautiful Brazilian songs from the Rainforest. Funnily enough I discovered them when I took a rickshaw ride in Holland and the dutch person driving was singing one of the songs. Talk about fate! I was hooked for ten years. Then I stopped singing them as life changed direction and danced to a different rhythm and they slept in my heart. Now they’re awakening once more and I’m excited to sing them again and play them on the harp. These songs take ...
Sep 28, 2020•4 min•Ep. 42
Meu Pai peço que Vós me ouça Para eu pedir o perdão Eu peço não só para mim Para mim e os meus irmãos Meu Pai quando for perdoar Perdoa como lhe convém Eu peço que vós nos perdoe Como perdoou em Belém A barca que corre no mar Corre no meu coração Aquele que aqui batiza Batizou no rio de Jordão ★ Support this podcast ★
Sep 09, 2020•4 min•Ep. 41
A sacred song written after the passing of beautiful soul Maria Damião. Choro muito e lamento Tudo que já se passou Deixo tudo saudosamente E vou viver no meio das flores Vou viver no meio das flores Junto com a Virgem Maria Os terrores que aparecem É essa grande rebeldia Vamos todos meus irmãos Vamos cantar com amor Para Deus e a Virgem Mãe Nos defender destes terrores Sou filho da Virgem Mãe Reconheço este poder Chamo a força, eu chamo a força Para vir nos defender ★ Support this podcast ★...
Sep 04, 2020•4 min•Ep. 40
I’m experimenting with building sound and drama into my pieces. Less is more in my opinion but even still, trying to decide what to keep in and leave out is challenging sometimes. I enjoy the simple beginning in this one and I love singing it so much. Hope you enjoy listening. Hold Me - by Holly ★ Support this podcast ★
Jul 02, 2020•5 min•Ep. 39
A saturday afternoon jam session exploring strings - making them twang, searching out patterns, going up to the high notes, trying not to lose my trail, my musical adventure. I never quite know what I’m gonna get when I start. Where I’m going to go. Adding another layer to twirl and swirl with the melody is a lovely experience. I love the richness and sparkles. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 13, 2020•10 min•Ep. 38
