Today's DailyOM Offerings...
November 9, 2009
Over All of Spain the Sky Is Clear
Interbellum
2008
Interbellum is the gorgeous, pensive collaboration between avant-garde cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and pianist Brendan Burke. Lonberg-Holm is a maven of experimental music, as well as of modern composition. Born in Delaware, he moved to New York, where he eventually studied cello with Ardyth Alton and Orlando Cole, and studied composition under Morton Feldman, Anthony Braxton, and Bunita Marcus. He eventually relocated to Chicago, where he became involved in the free music scene and hooked up with Brendan Burke, a talented pianist equally as dedicated to collaborating with as many musicians as possible. The two like-minded musicians named their project Interbellum, literally meaning a time period between World Wars I and II, which explains the record’s somber mood.
Over All of Spain the Sky Is Clear is the duo’s only album, a fittingly lonely feat for an album that touts such a perfect expression of melancholy. Rather than a spiral into depression, this album is a controlled exploration into the sounds of delicious gloom and exposes the delicate beauty in sorrow. Though beautiful, there is little melody and the songs wander aimlessly and melt into each other for an album that is more concept than concrete. The first song, "Kivumu," is sparse and elegant, a breeze ambling over an expanse of ocean with no land in sight. The cello moves about the subtlety of waves with no wind, and the piano floats idly atop it, like a lone toy boat.
"Kivumu" is followed by "The Life and Death of Anne Zimmerman," a 22-minute piece that truly exemplifies Interbellum’s quiet drama. Interbellum makes an epic out of the simple, with the piano tripping prettily over itself and the cello proceeding a bit more confidently. Like its title, the song has the effect of discovering the life of someone, who has lived in quiet solitude, after their death. "6equj5" is a bit more experimental, embracing rumbling atmospherics and snippets of voices to create music that is less unintrusive and more disconcerting. The combination of instruments and sound effects creates a sonic dream world in the murky half-light between a bad dream and the realization that it is only a dream. With it comes that self-awareness that can only arrive at such a time, which keeps you from becoming too involved and ensconced in the perfect sadness of the album.
November 9, 2009
Becoming the Essence
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may feel philosophical today and experience a deeper wisdom about your life. You may feel more insightful about your life purpose or discover ways to experience a greater sense of fulfillment. One of the ways you can do this is to share your insights with others and aid them on their journeys. You may choose to share your wisdom in smaller ways by serving as an advisor for your loved ones, or you can share what you know with your community through writing or speaking. What you know can benefit many people. Rather than worrying that people will be put off or have no need for what you can offer them, give yourself permission today to enlighten the world.
The wisdom and insight we share with others can have a powerful impact. While we can impart our wisdom to others in tangible ways like speaking or writing, we can also choose to embody our wisdom and demonstrate it through the way we live. Becoming the essence of our message simply means that we choose to make every thought, word, and action be an example of what we believe. We enrich our lives and the lives of those we touch. You can bless others with your wisdom and make the world a brighter place today by allowing what you know to come through your actions, words, and being.
November 9, 2009
A Living Dwelling
Creating a Beautiful Home
The homes we occupy are seldom ideal. A space that satisfies our basic needs may nonetheless leave us wanting where location, décor, or style are concerned. Yet every home has the potential to be beautiful. When we fill our homes with love, we transcend worldly factors such as market value and design. Our conscious, loving intentions can literally transform the spaces in which we live, dispelling any lingering unharmonious energy and replacing it with an ethereal beauty that is felt rather than seen. Our homes become spiritual dwellings that feel soulful and alive. Regardless of their outward appearances, they radiate love, making all who enter, including ourselves, feel instantly welcome.
Turning a space into the beautiful outward expression of your inner warmth is as easy as projecting love into it. When your intentions are sincere, you can infuse the walls of your home with your energy, your emotional sensitivity, and your generosity of spirit, turning it into a haven of affection, joy, laughter, and togetherness. It is up to you, whether you want your personal spaces to be peaceful and quiet or lively and inspiring. Begin by cultivating awareness within yourself. This will allow you to see your home as an integral part of your existence rather than somewhere you simply return to at the end of each day. Consider how you relate to each element of your space, and remind yourself that every room in your home can serve a purpose in your life and the lives of your loved ones. Finally, lovingly thank each room for providing for your needs. As you become more mindful of the manner in which your home contributes to your well-being, you will discover that, more and ! more, you want to love and be loved by it.
Appearance and other superficial qualities can be deceiving. An aesthetically beautiful home can prove unwelcoming. And a home that seems mundane in every characteristic can be as comforting and cozy as a beloved relative or friend. When you nurture and care for your home as if it were a loved one, it will absorb your tender intentions and project a love so touching you will soon come to feel a great affection for it.
Over All of Spain the Sky Is Clear
Interbellum
2008
Interbellum is the gorgeous, pensive collaboration between avant-garde cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and pianist Brendan Burke. Lonberg-Holm is a maven of experimental music, as well as of modern composition. Born in Delaware, he moved to New York, where he eventually studied cello with Ardyth Alton and Orlando Cole, and studied composition under Morton Feldman, Anthony Braxton, and Bunita Marcus. He eventually relocated to Chicago, where he became involved in the free music scene and hooked up with Brendan Burke, a talented pianist equally as dedicated to collaborating with as many musicians as possible. The two like-minded musicians named their project Interbellum, literally meaning a time period between World Wars I and II, which explains the record’s somber mood.
Over All of Spain the Sky Is Clear is the duo’s only album, a fittingly lonely feat for an album that touts such a perfect expression of melancholy. Rather than a spiral into depression, this album is a controlled exploration into the sounds of delicious gloom and exposes the delicate beauty in sorrow. Though beautiful, there is little melody and the songs wander aimlessly and melt into each other for an album that is more concept than concrete. The first song, "Kivumu," is sparse and elegant, a breeze ambling over an expanse of ocean with no land in sight. The cello moves about the subtlety of waves with no wind, and the piano floats idly atop it, like a lone toy boat.
"Kivumu" is followed by "The Life and Death of Anne Zimmerman," a 22-minute piece that truly exemplifies Interbellum’s quiet drama. Interbellum makes an epic out of the simple, with the piano tripping prettily over itself and the cello proceeding a bit more confidently. Like its title, the song has the effect of discovering the life of someone, who has lived in quiet solitude, after their death. "6equj5" is a bit more experimental, embracing rumbling atmospherics and snippets of voices to create music that is less unintrusive and more disconcerting. The combination of instruments and sound effects creates a sonic dream world in the murky half-light between a bad dream and the realization that it is only a dream. With it comes that self-awareness that can only arrive at such a time, which keeps you from becoming too involved and ensconced in the perfect sadness of the album.
November 9, 2009
Becoming the Essence
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may feel philosophical today and experience a deeper wisdom about your life. You may feel more insightful about your life purpose or discover ways to experience a greater sense of fulfillment. One of the ways you can do this is to share your insights with others and aid them on their journeys. You may choose to share your wisdom in smaller ways by serving as an advisor for your loved ones, or you can share what you know with your community through writing or speaking. What you know can benefit many people. Rather than worrying that people will be put off or have no need for what you can offer them, give yourself permission today to enlighten the world.
The wisdom and insight we share with others can have a powerful impact. While we can impart our wisdom to others in tangible ways like speaking or writing, we can also choose to embody our wisdom and demonstrate it through the way we live. Becoming the essence of our message simply means that we choose to make every thought, word, and action be an example of what we believe. We enrich our lives and the lives of those we touch. You can bless others with your wisdom and make the world a brighter place today by allowing what you know to come through your actions, words, and being.
November 9, 2009
A Living Dwelling
Creating a Beautiful Home
The homes we occupy are seldom ideal. A space that satisfies our basic needs may nonetheless leave us wanting where location, décor, or style are concerned. Yet every home has the potential to be beautiful. When we fill our homes with love, we transcend worldly factors such as market value and design. Our conscious, loving intentions can literally transform the spaces in which we live, dispelling any lingering unharmonious energy and replacing it with an ethereal beauty that is felt rather than seen. Our homes become spiritual dwellings that feel soulful and alive. Regardless of their outward appearances, they radiate love, making all who enter, including ourselves, feel instantly welcome.
Turning a space into the beautiful outward expression of your inner warmth is as easy as projecting love into it. When your intentions are sincere, you can infuse the walls of your home with your energy, your emotional sensitivity, and your generosity of spirit, turning it into a haven of affection, joy, laughter, and togetherness. It is up to you, whether you want your personal spaces to be peaceful and quiet or lively and inspiring. Begin by cultivating awareness within yourself. This will allow you to see your home as an integral part of your existence rather than somewhere you simply return to at the end of each day. Consider how you relate to each element of your space, and remind yourself that every room in your home can serve a purpose in your life and the lives of your loved ones. Finally, lovingly thank each room for providing for your needs. As you become more mindful of the manner in which your home contributes to your well-being, you will discover that, more and ! more, you want to love and be loved by it.
Appearance and other superficial qualities can be deceiving. An aesthetically beautiful home can prove unwelcoming. And a home that seems mundane in every characteristic can be as comforting and cozy as a beloved relative or friend. When you nurture and care for your home as if it were a loved one, it will absorb your tender intentions and project a love so touching you will soon come to feel a great affection for it.