Label: Earthy Records
Websites https://www.dclaymusic.com
https://tles.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-hard-times
This is the first time I have ever heard music referred to as “calming strategies.” It is an excellent way to look at what The Living Earth Show and Danny Clay present on their recently released Music For Hard Times.
The hard times we have endured going into the third year of a pandemic forces everyone to pivot and rethink everything. Things we took for granted, visiting with loved ones, going to a crowded mall, participating or going to a sporting event, or how we will work to secure income are some of the many aspects of daily life we did not have to ponder a few years ago. All of it is very complex. It seems like we live in a science fiction movie, but it’s all true.
I am one of the fortunate souls the did not get sick or lose my job. However, I remain cautious and think entirely differently, with more discipline. Lord knows there are enough things to approach with that mindset, and music removes all of those barriers. Music cannot get me sick or hurt me in any way. It is suitable for me regardless of when I decide to listen to it.
The music is composed in a book style with 15 parts with a contemporary chamber duo. And to encapsulate this recording, I would say it’s an effective combination of genres grounded in a new age foundation with ambient, electronic, and meditation elements. It is a very ambitious project with many moving parts and talents combined to make it a reality.
Important Information Direct From The Artist: Recorded in isolation and compiled and edited by Clay, Music for Hard Times exists in two parts. Book 1 was recorded in April 2020 in the homes of guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andy Meyerson of The Living Earth Show using instruments, voices, field recordings, and found objects. Book 2 was recorded in 2021 and includes young musicians from the San Francisco Girls Chorus – led by Valerie Sainte-Agathe – and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, led by Edwin Outwater.
As a listener who respects the music and appreciates what is involved in creating it, I would say that the presentation here is essential. Any theme is great to hear in good times or bad. The significant difference with a project like Music For Hard Times is how it can help heal any soul seeking some comfort from something other than a physical or inanimate. Music is about detaching from anything in our world that you can touch, taste, or feel. It is aural bliss with many different sounds and layers to accomplish the result, a listening experience that will make you feel better than when you started. And once it is complete, you will remember that it is a tool to get back into that space again.
NOTE: The interview provided is very organic and posted as is. We had tech issues and lost the call however we collectively decided to go with it as it was recorded.
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder
January 30, 2022
Tracks:
01. Book 1 - Part 1
02. Book 1 - Part 2
03. Book 1 - Part 3
04. Book 1 - Part 4
05. Book 1 - Part 5
06. Book 1 - Part 6
07. Book 1 - Part 7
08. Book 1 - Part 8
09. Book 2 - Part 1
10. Book 2 - Part 2
11. Book 2 - Part 3
12. Book 2 - Part 4
13. Book 2 - Part 5
14. Book 2 - Part 6
15. Book 2 - Epilogue