A Pondering Heart is my first full album of lyre improvisation and truly was a blast to put together; exploring all the surprises and vulnerabilities that come along with improvisation. Truth be told, improvisation is my absolute favorite form of practice, play, and performance – no matter the instrument. Never knowing exactly what’s going to come out allows me to be simultaneously participant and receiver which is, from my perspective, the ‘best of both worlds.’ Alongside this is the necessary ‘letting go’ that seems to be required for the music to be what it is; that is, without a form of fearful control and self-consciousness squeezing out the spontaneous beauty pouring through, including imperfections. It is both a humbling and particularly joyful task and one which I hope you enjoy.
Included are seventeen pieces on the 19-string acoustic lyre. I switched between two Brandon John builds, one being the American Cherry and the second, also an American Cherry but with a Walnut soundboard. Both instruments are extremely similar in tone and my choice between the two primarily depended on the tuning each was set in at the time, rather than a superiority between the builds.
Special note: The album cover is original artwork generously painted by Dikshant Kochrekar. To learn more about Dikshant and his work, please click the Collaborations tab above.
Spiritual Reflection: As noted above, I find improvisation to be a particularly vulnerable task calling for an openness of heart that, from my experience, can be difficult to allow amidst fears, tendencies for control, or self-conscious preoccupations. However when, by the grace of God, the heart can relax enough within the embrace of the Lord to receive his gifts and to share them freely, there is a form of beauty that emerges which touches both the artist and those with whom it is shared. It is this humble and trusting heart that one might call ‘a pondering heart’ and is one which is filled with awe and gratitude for the gift of participating in such beauty. Whether the reality pondered is one of merriment, suffering, expectation, or desire, a heart which sees and listens deeply can be granted the opportunity to touch something of the heart of God who makes good of all things for those who love him and desires for us to see his beauty. May we all receive the grace to have our hearts continually transformed into pondering hearts, seeking the face of God in and through all things. God bless you all!
To listen or to purchase the album, please click on the Bandcamp link : https://enfoldedheartmusic-catherineguilbeau.bandcamp.com/album/a-pondering-heart-lyre-improvisation
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