An Alteration to My Morning Routine and Meditation Music From Ann Sweeten
Over the last few non-work days I have altered my morning routine a little ,well maybe quite a bit. I have started to begin my morning with a 30 minute meditation. Followed by my morning exercise. Yesterday I began with a nice quiet meditation. The soundtrack was the new solo piano album from Ann Sweeten Flying Solo Silhouette. Now I will admit that I do not know that much about Ms. Sweeten. I do know though that many times when I have the Spa station on Sirius XM radio during my morning yoga routines, I will hear something that I like and when I turn to the radio to see who the artist is, it is Ann Sweeten.
The Soundtrack – Flying Solo Silhouette
While Ann Sweeten has been recording and performing for over 20 years, Flying Solo Silhouette is her first Original Solo Piano Album! The album is composed of a dozen compositions from works she has recorded at Imaginary radio studios over the last decade. During that time, Ann has co-produced with Will Ackerman five albums that include fifty-five compositions. To create this fantastic album Will and Ann re-mixed and re-mastered all the compositions completely to create a new entity. The tracks were then arranged to create a playlist sequence that would flow seamlessly from one to the other. Even though the tracks flow from one to the other they also stand apart because of the wide diversity and breadth of her compositions, along with the nuance of each performance.
Will Ackerman says this about the album and Ann….
“I have witnessed a brilliant pianist and composer become even more brilliant with each release. Flying Solo Silhouette is a collection of her finest work”
About Ann Sweeten
Here are a few things that caught my attention while I was reading Ann’s biography. Ann was born and raised in Westfield, NJ. actually not far from Kean University where my son Andrew went to school for a while. She began playing keyboards when she was six years old! Her intensive piano study began with Russian-born concert pianist David Sokoloff after receiving a Baldwin piano for Christmas at the age of nine! Ann sites Sokoloff as her greatest mentor.
In 1997 Ann released her debut album Prism. By her third album Reflections (2000) her albums were selling by the hundreds weekly on listening stations at major record chains like Borders, Books and Music. As I read that I thought back fondly on those listening stations at Borders. I also realized that I probably listened to Ann’s music at one of them!
Finally, Ann writes this about her music: ” the fact that my music touches people so strongly is the greatest reward I receive from my music and I have been moved to tears by the personal stories that people have shared with me”.…..
And that my folks is what it’s all about!! And a reason that you should check out the music of Ann Sweeten!
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Ann Sweeten
Artist’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Buy Ann’s Music
Here is the opening track from Flying Solo Silhouette “A Light Rain” You can check out the whole album here