This month…a new free piece, a new release, and some recommendations.

Free Piece

I haven't written any music in alternate tunings in a long time, but I was noodling around in an open G minor tuning the other day, and this little tune presented itself.

Use rubato playing to bring out the emotion and really focus on those campanella lines, making sure all the notes are clear. 

*Campanella - playing scalar lines across multiple strings using fretted notes and open strings.

“Where the Pictures Used to Hang” - Standard Notation & TABs - PDF

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VgZ0v90jmu7fBaydBGn8tWZ7gHN6ejTM/view?usp=sharing

“Where the Pictures Used to Hang” - YouTube

https://youtu.be/LhiXEh4ynv0

“Where the Pictures Used to Hang” - Video Download

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zggMm5CvG7EQycDxwgZPaKdF2ZXtBxiQ/view?usp=sharing

New Release

My first duet with Canadian guitarist, Denis Turbide, is out now. “New Beginning” is a short, lovely duet for two nylon string guitars. 

We hope that you will give it listen, add it to your peaceful music playlists, and share it with your like minded music friends.

Click this cover for links.

Books & Music

(Click the pics for links.)

Last Night's Fun is fantastic book on the culture of traditional Irish music. It's full of history, iconic musicians, tall tales, poetry, geography, and even food. Written by poet, novelist, and traditional flute player Ciaran Carson, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys traditional Irish music and wants to learn more about Irish culture.

The Stoic Philosophy of Seneca is thought provoking and contains wisdom that is applicable in our lives today. In these essays and letters, Seneca addresses many topics including the brevity of life and how much time we waste on unimportant things, how we should focus on what we can control in our lives, and the importance of the present as opposed to the future and past.

If you enjoy Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, you would dig this.

Mimi German is the Poet Laureate of Oregon for 2023-2025. Her book Beneath the Gravel Weight of Stars is a collection of poetry that addresses the struggles of people living on the streets. It is lyrical, full of powerful imagery, and extremely moving. 

Tom Eaton's newest release Weathering is flat out brilliant. Written over the course of a number of years in Tom's life, the music is an open journal of change and growth, full of emotional highs and lows. Gorgeous melodies on piano are gently supported and uplifted by layers of synth, fretless bass, swirling electric guitar, and accordion. Tom is a master of his craft…writing, playing, recording, production…all of it. Very highly recommended. 

Darach Ó Catháin was one of Ireland's most celebrated sean-nós singers and an icon in traditional Irish music. This collection of Irish songs sung in Gaelic is stunning. 

John Coltrane playing ballads. I don't need to say anything here, you know it's brilliant, but this album is a masterclass in phrasing.

This new reinterpretation of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring for two pianos is mind blowing. Sylvie Courvoisier, known as a jazz pianist, has teamed up with classical pianist Cory Smythe for this incredible performance. The album includes Courvoisier's composition Spectre d'un songe, inspired by Stravinsky's work. This record is wild.

That's all for now. As always, thank you for reading these. This is newsletter #20. I'm still shocked that I have been able to keep at this without missing a month.    

I hope you and yours are well. Thank you for your continued support!

Vin Downes - Info and Music - Links & Icons

https://linktr.ee/vindownes

Cheers,

Vin