"Ambient Music from the Mosh Pits of my Mind"
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
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
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:
Soooo…I’ve been traveling lots recently. Much of July was spent in Kuwait which was interesting. Most relentless heat I’ve ever experienced. I did meet and befriend some very kind people which is always the big plus of any of my travels. But there is nothing better than coming home.
I’m finishing the mixing/mastering of a piece I started in June. Tentative title is “Melancholic”. I’m not sure if I’m going to release it as a single or compile some more pieces for an album. I’ll see as more music comes forth.
I’m presently reading “The Memory of Old Jack” by Wendall Berry. It has captured me in the same manner as “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck did equally because of the settings of days long past in America and the descriptive nature of the writing of deep emotions. I strongly recommend this book.
Thomas Merton (1915-1968), the Trappist monk and author, has been a major influence in my life via his writings and the influence he has had on others that I admire (e.g. The Dalai Lama, Richard Rohr). For anyone curious, I strongly recommend you explore his writings.
He has referred to “The True Self” in his writing which is, as I understand, our self that is beyond ego, beyond fear, beyond even what we consider our identity. It is, as he describes it, reachable by way of a contemplative practice. His description is comparable to those of Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi figures throughout history which I find fascinating and encouraging. To use Richard Rohr’s term, it rings of “perennial truth”.
In the past few years, I’ve made it a daily routine to awaken 1 hour before I have to get ready to depart the home so as to allow a time of prayer, meditation, reading, etc. It has made a subtle but noticeable difference in my demeanor and inner peace. It has been akin to dipping my proverbial toe into the contemplative waters.
I share this as much to note to myself that, in spite of my noisy mind, fears, frustrations, and shortcomings, I have made some minor progress in this life to understand what serenity is. I know enough to know it is elusive and isn’t something to grab or obtain so much as it is something to be uncovered and rediscovered. It is, I believe (as Merton put it), to discover our true self.
May peace be with you,
Alan
My latest piece of music, “An Infidel’s Prayer” is available 23-January 2024 at Bandcamp. It is a “name your price” piece, meaning you can download for free or pay as you will. All I ask is that you listen and, if you find worth in my music, please tell a friend.
I wish you peace and every good.
Alan Imberg
https://alanimberg.bandcamp.com/track/an-infidels-prayer
Since my last update, I’ve been traveling extensively for my day job. For context, from 2005 until 2017, I was on the road approximately 80% of the year for my work and accruing over 1 million miles of air travel.
In 2017, I took a position that, thankfully, got me off the road for 5 years. However, I’m now back to traveling, having been to Green Bay, Tijuana, Virginia, and Istanbul in the last two months.
I’m not a big fan of work travel, particularly as it takes me away from my loved ones. But I do what I must and without complaint.
All this is to say that my musical activity has been interrupted by this travel and I’m adjusting to the new “normal” that now includes extended periods away.
I’ve been delayed in releasing music via Bandcamp as I stated in an earlier post but I hope to have at least one new piece up before I leave again. I’m also completing a new piece that was done fairly quickly and inspired but some ethereal elements of sound and light that I experienced (I’ll explain later…perhaps).
I hope you are well and am grateful for any interest in my music and creative output.
May God bless you.
Alan
Hello All:
Been traveling for the past month and attending to family matters. I will update via a blog post later. Some new music will be available via Bandcamp by end of July as I clean out the queue of work that has been awaiting release. I’m either going to release all I have in the queue or archive it for later as some of it doesn’t feel up to par. I’m working on a more ethereal direction that I hope will feel like a break from my previous output….we’ll see.
In any case, I thank you for your support and interest in my music. May you be blessed with every good.
Cheers,
Alan