Balance Your Mind

What we Set Out to Achieve in Balance Your Mind with Ancient Musical Modes

 

As it happens, it is just as well that the medieval composers did push the boundaries of modality!  Purely modal composition is artistically very restricting. It is a real challenge for the composer to maintain musical interest in a musical environment where neither key changes nor chromaticism are possible. (In fact, he's in serious danger of losing his own mental balance in the attempt!)

This fact has been brought home to me first hand as, in addition to the basic "Balance Your Mind" set, I have been faced with the challenge of writing 96 compositions, (twelve pieces in each of the eight modes) for the Special Series.

The healing music of "Balance Your Mind" then, is really a step back to something much simpler than the musical languages that we have become accustomed to since the 16th century.

They are designed to be not so much "Art" as "Sonic Wallpaper". I conceived them not so much as to be artistically fulfilling, but more to act as a vehicle for "delivering the modes to our ears" in as palatable and interesting a way as possible.

As a result, we in the 21st century can now use this healing music as prescribed by the ancient Pythagorean teachers of mental balance and inner harmony through music.