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Back In Time 2:070:00/2:07
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Cherished 2:220:00/2:22
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Through the Fog 2:170:00/2:17
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Undercurrent 3:530:00/3:53
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Glow 5:250:00/5:25
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Tides of Time 4:130:00/4:13
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Composer/pianist Robert Bruce Presents:
“Open Windows”
Solo Piano Program
Your Time to Escape
Composer/pianist Robert Bruce offers a rather unique kind of listening experience in his “Open Windows” solo piano program.
This special collection of gentle but deeply reflective piano pieces has an unusually practical focus that listeners can utilize and take advantage of.
Specifically selected for their unusual depth and stillness, each piece in this program almost instantly creates a very vivid and inviting atmosphere that one can almost “step into” and easily remain in for the duration of that piece.
The composer explains, “In the compositional process for this collection the whole point was to in each piece actually capture and for a few minutes sustain a state of consciousness that is in some way truly desirable - perhaps safe, pleasant, uplifting, stabilizing, beautiful, or in some cases healing, consoling or cathartic - so that, by simply playing that particular piece of music, that particular desirable state of consciousness associated with it would, in a very real and obvious way, be conveniently available at any time.
“Each piece in this collection is structured in a way that gives the listener enough time to enter or assimilate its associated state of consciousness, with no jarring surprizes or sudden turns. The music is genuinely artistic and engaging in many familiar ways but, unlike most other styles of contemporary music, is not at all meant to be entertaining or clever, or meant to display any kind of innovation for its own sake. The real trick was to capture musical environments that are actually worth repeating or sharing in the first place, ones that offer something truly helpful or constructive to the listener. When having successfully done that, the most important thing then is to keep the general sound of each piece mostly smooth and consistent without it becoming totally boring or disappointing to the listener. To not appeal so much to the analytical mind but to clearly have something that makes the listener feel a welcoming sense of trust and naturally want to remain engaged, almost on an unconscious level. It is in this strange balance, a rare balance between art and service or consideration, where all the music in this program actually resides. It’s a unique place on the map that no-one else, to my knowledge, seems to have ever found."
As a full-length program of this music soon establishes its own particular tone and aura, listeners can, of course, use the unique opportunity of “Open Windows” in any way they desire – as a kind of musical spa treatment, as a way to quickly help stabilize themselves when feeling challenged, as an opportunity to inwardly relax or zone-out to a greater degree and on a deeper level than they likely could without the aid of this music, as a mental/emotional breather or “time-out” from today’s very busy and fast-moving world, as a way to press the restart or refresh button or to recharge the batteries, to simply reflect on anything and everything, or to simply just listen, enjoy, experience and explore whatever happens.
Listener's Comments:
"What a beautiful surprise your music was! The emotions you are presenting in your songs were almost touchable, all around me and inside me! What a beautiful feeling to lose yourself in such serene music!" - T.V.
"Your music is very inspirational and I found myself visualizing different scenarios depending upon the emotion I felt from the piece..." - G.T.
"I am self-employed in a very high stressed occupation. Quite few times when I would be visiting Brenda's office she would have your CD on and I asker her about it. I felt an immediate calm come over me and the music seemed to take me back to another place and time. During the course of a stressful day I put your Eden CD on and it truly has a therapeutic and calming effect on me. The world seems like a peaceful place and troubles seem far, far away." - H.K.
"The tonal tranquility and spirituality of this collection of compositions has proven to be an invaluable asset to my Holistic offerings available to the public. There is an inherent therapeutic ambiance to the music. I have recommended this CD to Doctors, Massage Therapists, Reiki Instructors and individuals who require mind/body support. I receive consistent affirmation from those who listen and discover profound emotional connections to the music. This unique listening experience possesses a superior quality that transcends the definition of musical therapy." - N.W.
"Just a short note to let you know how deeply your music touched me. It took me on a journey through the elements of life, love, loss and birth that contribute to who I am today." - B.L.
"I listened to your CD and I LOVE it. I found I went to a very introspective place. I didn't know what would come up. I just let my body respond with where I was at. With each piece and each re-hearing, my response was somewhat different, though there was an underlying introspective theme throughout it."
"One thing that struck me is your music feels very healing to me. I felt like my soul was being asked to tell its story. It's a story I don't have words for. I can only feel it. And what comes may be very different from what's in my head. Sometimes joy and ecstasy, other times pain and hurt. It's below everyday emotion, it's a place inside that has something deeper to say. Paradoxically I find joy through this when I actually feel. It's a challenge, too, to feel, to allow it, to risk it."
"Your music was really resonating with me. I felt like I had this invitation to go deep inside and it was safe to access whatever might be there. I had a sense that if I kept working with your music, I could go more inside and feel more of what's there in some of the closed places." – C.L.
“Robert Bruce is an artist that leads us in other dimensions of human sensation. It's a masterpiece”. - Billy Ifantis, Skylight Radio, Athens, Greece
"This is ambient music at its best. Relaxing, comforting and almost 'visual'. This is a very surprising and pleasant EP." - Tony Bates, Highlands 100.7 FM, Victoria, Australia
Audio Samples from “Open Windows” Live Program
How, When and Where to Hold These Live Programs
These programs are best held in smaller and more intimate settings, oftentimes, as much as possible, with a pleasant atmosphere and comfortable seating. Any number of participants from 10 to 150 is usually okay but it is also possible to have larger gatherings than that. The piano, of course, must be in good working order, in tune, and have a generally good and warm sound. The piano is the very thing that all the sound in this program comes from so it should be able to resonate in a pleasant way.
Background – About the “Open Windows” Music
Robert Bruce: “I began composing music of this nature in the mid-1990s as I strongly felt it would be of value to have such music available, for myself and perhaps for others, and I’ve never been aware of any music with this specially dedicated focus existing anywhere else. Several kinds of music, such as classical and ambient, have some elements in common that I was attracted to but they all also have many elements I definitely didn’t want in this new music I envisioned, so, out of necessity, I just created not only my own style, but my own criteria and value system in forming this new collection of pieces. It actually all just came together without my being particularly conscious of the process and was a typical case of ‘necessity is the mother of invention.’
“There are no innovations in my music from an analytical or theoretical sense. All the basic elements that I draw from have been around for many decades. All the development and forward motion I have in my music - and there is a considerable amount, I’m sure - is a result of my doing new things with familiar elements, infusing them with my own creative energy and doing so for a purpose that is woven from the concerns and experiences of today.”
Open Windows Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/OpenWindowsPiano
Contact
For further information or to book an “Open Windows” solo piano program, please email Robert Bruce at robertbrucemusic (at) gmail (dot) com