The Inner Sound Story
Who is Rachel Currea?
I am a pianist and composer in the Classical/New Age music world. My works have been performed in the Middle East and US. I compose primarily for solo piano, despite a background in violin, viola, voice, and percussion, because I prefer the sound of acoustic piano. One of my favorite pastimes as a young pianist was to place my head on different parts of the piano while playing. The vibrations and sounds appealed to my sensual and playful nature.
What defines the music?
An insatiable, soul touching love affair with sound, the living reverberations of acoustic piano.
What was the origin of inspiration?
I first began composing out of necessity. Music running through my head would wake me nightly around midnight. Try as I might, I could not get rest until I got up and either recorded the music or wrote it down. So in the interest of getting some sleep, I began composing. Selections from this time period: Inner Peace and the first half of Quiet Joy.
A year after this type of inspiration, I suffered a serious auto accident after which I could not compose due to head trauma. Even playing the piano was painful and challenging due to wrist and arm injuries. About 10 years later, I learned the art of meditation and within a month of practicing, my creative juices began flowing freely again and I composed I Found You, You Found Me in five minutes. Many pieces were composed during this time of creative solitude. Selections from this period: Passions and Dragonflies
The third period of inspiration follows my marriage and is defined by a more conscious desire to compose and develop the pieces with forms other than verse/chorus form. Epic Romance, As the Night Moves
When did the project begin?
It began while dating my husband. Up to that point I had always composed just for myself, never with any thought of having my music go public. My real satisfaction, composing, was too sacred, too private to share. Some people write journals or diaries, I write music.
However, as our wedding approached, we wanted to give our guests something that represented the combined talents of our relationship - his visual, mine musical. We made a short CD of my piano solos with his artwork entitled, “New Beginnings”. It was so popular that we received numerous requests for more. The demand and positive feedback was so great that I began to reconsider my “artistic” position.
I reworked some of my compositions from the wedding CD, composed new ones, and began recording Inner Sound in the spring of 2005.
How was it recorded?
The piano:
The quality of the piano is VERY important to me. University of Miami Gusman Hall offers two pianos, both Steinways, one from Hamburg, the other New York. I personally preferred the warmth and lovely overtones of the Hamburg Steinway, however it was having a few technical difficulties at the time of my recording so I wound up using the New York Steinway for all the sessions. Technician Paul Bruno did a wonderful job voicing the piano to my specifications.
The equipment:
Inner Sound was engineered by Paul Griffith, the director of Recording Services for the University of Miami School of Music. He used:
- Yamaha DM-2000 console
- AKG & Neumann microphones
- Magix Sequoia audio software
The upper register of the piano did not have much resonance so we added a touch of reverb from the TC Electronic M-3000.
What was the inspiration for the artwork?
The nautilius was chosen to represent The Universal Sound. Many shells offer a peaceful sound, but the nautilus is visually elegant, as well. Also, this particular animal is incredibly violent in hunting its prey, yet still when we listen to its shell, the sound is so peaceful. Humans are similar. Our lives can be so fearful, violent and desperate, yet our core, our soul still reverberates and craves peace. My hope is that this album will inspire listeners to reconnect with their inner peace.
I am a pianist and composer in the Classical/New Age music world. My works have been performed in the Middle East and US. I compose primarily for solo piano, despite a background in violin, viola, voice, and percussion, because I prefer the sound of acoustic piano. One of my favorite pastimes as a young pianist was to place my head on different parts of the piano while playing. The vibrations and sounds appealed to my sensual and playful nature.
What defines the music?
An insatiable, soul touching love affair with sound, the living reverberations of acoustic piano.
What was the origin of inspiration?
I first began composing out of necessity. Music running through my head would wake me nightly around midnight. Try as I might, I could not get rest until I got up and either recorded the music or wrote it down. So in the interest of getting some sleep, I began composing. Selections from this time period: Inner Peace and the first half of Quiet Joy.
A year after this type of inspiration, I suffered a serious auto accident after which I could not compose due to head trauma. Even playing the piano was painful and challenging due to wrist and arm injuries. About 10 years later, I learned the art of meditation and within a month of practicing, my creative juices began flowing freely again and I composed I Found You, You Found Me in five minutes. Many pieces were composed during this time of creative solitude. Selections from this period: Passions and Dragonflies
The third period of inspiration follows my marriage and is defined by a more conscious desire to compose and develop the pieces with forms other than verse/chorus form. Epic Romance, As the Night Moves
When did the project begin?
It began while dating my husband. Up to that point I had always composed just for myself, never with any thought of having my music go public. My real satisfaction, composing, was too sacred, too private to share. Some people write journals or diaries, I write music.
However, as our wedding approached, we wanted to give our guests something that represented the combined talents of our relationship - his visual, mine musical. We made a short CD of my piano solos with his artwork entitled, “New Beginnings”. It was so popular that we received numerous requests for more. The demand and positive feedback was so great that I began to reconsider my “artistic” position.
I reworked some of my compositions from the wedding CD, composed new ones, and began recording Inner Sound in the spring of 2005.
How was it recorded?
The piano:
The quality of the piano is VERY important to me. University of Miami Gusman Hall offers two pianos, both Steinways, one from Hamburg, the other New York. I personally preferred the warmth and lovely overtones of the Hamburg Steinway, however it was having a few technical difficulties at the time of my recording so I wound up using the New York Steinway for all the sessions. Technician Paul Bruno did a wonderful job voicing the piano to my specifications.
The equipment:
Inner Sound was engineered by Paul Griffith, the director of Recording Services for the University of Miami School of Music. He used:
- Yamaha DM-2000 console
- AKG & Neumann microphones
- Magix Sequoia audio software
The upper register of the piano did not have much resonance so we added a touch of reverb from the TC Electronic M-3000.
What was the inspiration for the artwork?
The nautilius was chosen to represent The Universal Sound. Many shells offer a peaceful sound, but the nautilus is visually elegant, as well. Also, this particular animal is incredibly violent in hunting its prey, yet still when we listen to its shell, the sound is so peaceful. Humans are similar. Our lives can be so fearful, violent and desperate, yet our core, our soul still reverberates and craves peace. My hope is that this album will inspire listeners to reconnect with their inner peace.