Musical Sculpting

Musical Sculpting

I’d love to take this opportunity to describe the production of the tracks that you’ve been listening to (and if you haven’t, check ’em out).

Taking Everything Away to Reveal What’s Left

The creation of Dream CPR Tracks is similar to a sculptor. I’ve taken sound FX, nature, streams, percussion, and measures away. There are faint motifs that occur in several tracks but more as a bridge to connect the sound than as a traditional melody. Then, I work with what is left.

The Art of Gentle Sound

I tried to eliminate the abrupt beginning and ending of notes. Without getting too technical, I wanted to transform the “attack” of each note from a harsh knuckle on wood to a breeze. The next challenge was figuring out how to end notes without jarring the listener. To achieve this, I made the instrument slowly release the notes rather than dropping them like a hot pan.I didn’t want notes disappearing quickly but to fade out over time.

Creating Sound Waves

The music works best when some notes gently flow in like a feather on linen, while earlier notes fade ever so slowly, like a beautiful sunset just out of earshot. The cumulative effect is a wave that should bring the listener in tune with their own vibrations and their flow within the frequencies of our surroundings.

Facilitating Inner Peace

This music doesn’t vie for attention; instead, it aims to facilitate your inner dialogue, grounding, meditation, and peace.

Overcoming Technical Challenges

One of the key challenges in creating these pieces was ensuring that frequencies don’t clash with one another. When an instrument is turned off very slowly, it can cause high-frequency disturbances (notes are just frequencies that we’ve decided to name C, C#, D, etc.). Writing seemingly simple music can quickly become complicated when trying to create a serene, placid sound. In Dream CPR, any clash would happen in slow motion, magnifying the challenge. To manage this issue, I used specific intervals that allowed me to paint with sound colors and avoid unwanted distortion.

The Resilience of Dreams

I don’t believe our dreams ever die. Sometimes they change form, shift, or get ignored and left for dead. But all they need is some attention and a dedication to living more in line with the actions of a person who would pursue such a dream. My hope with Dream CPR is that you’re able to breathe some fresh life into your dreams.

Your Feedback

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear from you. Which album or track has resonated with you the most? Which albums or tracks are you finding that help you? I’d love to hear your feedback on this ever-evolving project.

Stay Connected

Thank you for being part of the Dream CPR journey. Follow us on your favorite streaming platform and social media to stay updated on our latest releases and discoveries in the world of relaxation music.

On Spotify, a playlist including all Dream CPR music can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Q1qaPoMYild8hZ7NyTI1H?si=808eee35363c496c

Sincerely,
Colin

Science Alert: A 2013 study published in PLOS ONE found that listening to relaxing music before sleep improved sleep quality in adults with insomnia. The study showed that participants who listened to music for 45 minutes at bedtime for 3 weeks experienced significantly better sleep quality compared to those who didn’t listen to music.

Read the full study: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070961

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