Behind the Titles of “I Wasn’t Ready”

As with all my music, titles are a little tricky in that I’m an instrumentalist. Without lyrics, there isn’t a point of reference for a title to come from. And unlike some instrumentalists that I admire, I don’t come up with a title before the composition. Quite the opposite actually. I will start a recording file by giving it a time stamp name (e.g. 240512). On occasion, a piece will lend itself to a name while I’m working on it but, more often, the title will come to me when the piece is near completion. It is almost always informed by an emotion or memory that was prevalent at the time of the piece’s creation.

The pieces that comprise the album “I Wasn’t Ready” were assembled over years. Some were recordings I left undone due to another idea taking precedence or I got stuck.

With all that said, here’s a brief explanation of the titles:

  • “I Wasn’t Ready” – This piece, upon completion, reminded me of the memory of both my late father and my late sister, both of whom died within 18 months of each other. While it’s been a few years now since their passing, there is still (and will always be) grief. I shall always miss them, but it dawned on me that I was not prepared for the pain of their absence and that struck me as odd, in a way. The one thing we all have in common is death. We will all die. We will all lose loved ones. And yet we are so woefully prepared.
  • “It Ends and Begins” – This is one of those pieces that sat for a while. I started it in 2021, put it down, and didn’t get back to it until 2024. When I did return to it, I felt like a different world. A reminder that things are not static.
  • “Melancholic” – This piece came together quickly and was reflective of the melancholic mood I was in at the time.
  • “A Budding” – Another piece that sat for a while. I was not in the best of moods when I started it. I was angry, sad, disgusted. But, having put it down for a while and coming back to it with clean ears and emotions, I saw the initial period as being a period of new beginning born out of a very unpleasant moment.
  • “Grace Amongst the Haze” – When this piece was done, it conjured up a memory of Northern California and the beauty that came with the summer fog.
  • “Where the Waters Meet” – This was inspired by a return trip to my Northern California home region in 2023 and, specifically, Jenner where the Russian River flows into the Pacific Ocean. I was there with my wife, daughters, grandson, and was reminded of the time, in 1988, when I was walking at the same spot with my father.
  • “An Ugly Truth Revealed” – This was recorded at the end of 2024 very quickly. I had just come back from overseas and it felt like the country I had hoped we would be was an overly optimistic illusion and some unpleasant truths were confirmed for all to see.

As always, I thank you for your support. Cheers.

Racism…alive and well in 2025

I’m a bit staggered by the blatant racism that is on full, unapologetic display now…both online and in the real world…an overheard conversation while waiting on a flight…comments on Facebook forums dedicated, ironically, to contemplative prayer….angry stares….racism is nothing new but it has definitely been given “permission” to be out in the open.

I shall not tolerate racism, sexism, etc. because that is the truest indicator of a lack of empathy. If you look at common factors of evil deeds, it always starts with a lack of empathy.

That said, I do get sad when I encounter racism, in that there are wounds, ignorance, and fear at the root of any lack of empathy. There is inevitably a hurt person behind hate and anger. I believe that hate must be resisted against but I also think that resistance is to be animated by love and compassion, not more hate. I do believe that is what Jesus was driving at when he said “Love your enemy”…..which is hard….very hard…but I believe it is what we are called to do to combat evil.

New Album is Out!

I’m most grateful to announce my latest batch of music, “I Wasn’t Ready” is now available via the link below. It is available for “Name Your Prices”, meaning if you want to download for free, have at it. If you want to pay $1000, have at it (though I question your sanity but appreciate the generosity). I just ask that you leave an e-mail address so I can thank you and update you on future releases.

I will be sharing some background behind the music, such as the meaning of the titles, some techy stuff, and other thoughts.

The cover art as seen below is by Ana Babil. Please visit Shutterbox and search her name.

As always, I’m most grateful for the privilege of having my music heard and appreciated. I thank you for the support. I wish you peace and blessings. Cheers.

https://alanimberg.bandcamp.com/album/i-wasnt-ready

Upcoming Release Update – “I Wasn’t Ready”

I’m grateful to announce the release date of my latest collection of music, titled “I Wasn’t Ready”, is January 6th, 2025. It will be released on Bandcamp.com. For the 1st 60 days of release, it will be available for “Name Your Price” (i.e. free if you want…or as much as you feel so inclined).

The track list is as follows:

The album cover art is by Ana Babil.

More updates to come, including an explanation of the titles.

Politics and Racism

Another U.S. election has come and gone and I’m more inclined than ever to NOT watch TV news and the like. The level of negativity and vitriol is exhausting. That said, there are a few points I can’t help but to make….

1st off, I must state that I’m not a partisan. I have been greatly disappointed by both major parties in my lifetime. If I was to label my political philosophy, I’d lean towards “Anarchism” in the classical definition and Christian Anarchism to be more specific. I’m also a realist and know that we as a society are not evolved enough to have a state-less society as described in classical anarchism. That said, I have, at the least, suspicion of those who seek power and, at the most, contempt.

All that is to say that I am very disappointed in where we as a society seem to be. That racism is no longer a disqualifier, after a brief period in our history (post-Civil Rights movement) where it was, disgusts me. It has emboldened people to display ugliness. I speak not just from observations made in the media but also from recent personal experience. I find myself being suspicious of people in public spaces…and I hate that.

It is my hope that things will not continue to get worse in regards to civility. It is my hope that people who profess to be Christians will remember The Sermon on the Mount before they cast disparagement at their neighbor in support of a leader who, by any observation, lacks the ability to be sympathetic or charitable. It is my hope that love will prevail. Perhaps we must 1st experience more ugliness and pain before “our better angels” emerge.

I will finish this borderline rant by expressing my core values. I’m unapologetically, unequivocally opposed to racism, xenophobia, homophobia (or any social “phobia”) and violence. I have no tolerance for any of that BS. I’m of mixed race (BTW, who isn’t?!) and am married to a Filipina immigrant. I have no time for anyone who I perceive as a threat to those I love.

4 Years Today….

We lost Eddie Van Halen 4 years ago today. There is a growing list of artists near and dear to me that have passed on. That’s what happens when we grow old. But Eddie has left the biggest void and remains the strongest “shock”. I miss him and truly cherish his legacy.

Alan

Last Piece of Upcoming Release

Hello:

Having debated on releasing singles vs an album, I’ve opted for a “mini album” (EP is so 1977). It will be released on Bandcamp before the end of 2024. I have to master the last piece which I’m putting the final touches on. I have a trip planned for end of October so I’m going to target a December release date. More to come.

Cheers,

Alan

Practicing Nonviolence

From the Center for Action and Contemplation:

Franciscan peacemakers Rosemary Lynch and Alain Richard have identified ten “commandments” for those seeking to live a spiritual life of nonviolence. They call it “The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence”:

Active nonviolence calls us:

  1. To learn to recognize and respect “the sacred” in every person, including in ourselves, and in every piece of Creation….
     
  2. To accept oneself deeply, “who I am” with all my gifts and richness, with all my limitations, errors, failings and weaknesses, and to realize that I am accepted by God….
     
  3. To recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another, comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also in me….
     
  4. To renounce dualism, the “we-they” mentality (Manicheism). This divides us into “good people/bad people” and allows us to demonize the adversary. It is the root of authoritarian and exclusivist behavior. It generates racism and makes possible conflicts and wars.
     
  5. To face fear and to deal with it not mainly with courage but with love.
     
  6. To understand and accept that the New Creation, the building up of the Beloved Community is always carried forward with others. It is never a “solo act.”…
     
  7. To see ourselves as a part of the whole creation to which we foster a relationship of love, not of mastery, remembering that the destruction of our planet is a profoundly spiritual problem, not simply a scientific or technological one. We are one.
     
  8. To be ready to suffer, perhaps even with joy, if we believe this will help liberate the Divine in others. This includes the acceptance of our place and moment in history with its trauma, with its ambiguities.
     
  9. To be capable of celebration, of joy, when the presence of God has been accepted, and when it has not been to help discover and recognize this fact.
     
  10. To slow down, to be patient, planting the seeds of love and forgiveness in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us. Slowly we will grow in love, compassion and the capacity to forgive.