A little bit about the story behind the music…
A quick google search for ‘Music Quotes’ will give you fifty to a hundred famous quotes by historical figures from Beethoven and Einstein to Confucius and Shakespeare.
One such quote, attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, reads
Music in the soul can be heard in the universe.
Music in the soul can be heard in the universe.
I started playing piano from about the age of five. Like learning another language at a young age, I don’t remember ever being without music. Playing, writing, exploring… from my early years through my teens and maybe one day when I grow up, into adulthood.
Around the age of seventeen I discovered Taijiquan. Many, many years later I DISCOVERED Taijiquan. Those who have been practicing for even longer will know there is no end to the discoveries. It became clear to me that the overlaps between music and Tai Chi are so numerous that some of the governing laws must be one and the same.
The flow, the breath, the balancing of qualities. The presence.
Through some good fortune I was commissioned in 2015 to compose some Tai Chi music. The request came from none other than the late great Ronnie Robinson, “Please could you compose some music to accompany the demonstrations of the Tai Chi Caledonia Gala this year”. It was my pleasure to write it.
Retrospectively I cannot remember the exact process of writing this other than that I composed many of the pieces on an authentic Chinese Guzheng, a twenty-one stringed Zither instrument. I had bought it in Beijing a few years earlier and brought it back to my studio in Scotland with some assistance from fellow Tai Chi practitioners. The tone of the Guzheng instantly transports you to the Far East, and it was Ronnie’s wish that the music should blend the philosophies of the East with the West. The melodies are therefore inspired by more traditional Scottish Folk music.
Inside all that is woven my own experience of meditation, Tai Chi practice and life. I am thankful to those that have been kind enough to give me feedback. They let me know they listen to the music during their own practice and that it helps them find their ‘calm’ inside. I also appreciate your support by purchasing my music, as times are challenging for all of us. Particularly so for the performing musician.
So I’ll let you discover who said this:
Without music, life would be a mistake.
Thank you for reading,
Nils
