1/ AWAKENING *MP3*
East, Spring, Possibilities, Morning
Range: BETA>ALPHA 12+Hz. to 8Hz. (over 3 minutes)

2/ FLOURISH
South, Growth, Summer, Noon
Range: ALPHA 8 Hz.

3/ THANKSGIVING
West, Autumn, Gratitude, Afternoon
Range: THETA 6Hz

4/ DREAMWORLD
North, Winter, Sleep, Night
Range: DELTA 3 Hz.

Produced, composed and arranged by David Bradstreet - SOCAN

David Bradstreet - Composition, Guitar, Piano, Midi
Vern Dorge - Flute, Clarinet
Jose Shapero - Cello
Brent Titcomb - Voice, Big Drum
Liz Tansey - Voice

Recorded and mixed by L. Stu Young with assistant Robert Guido at Metalworks Studios.

Special thanks to Alex Andronache and Gil Moore at Metalworks and to Cheryl Russell and Brent Titcomb for their consultation and inspiration.

Cover photography by Walker, Brooks © Firstlight

Mastered by Brad Rogers
Art direction by Elliot Lahman and Robin Hutchins
Executive Producers: Andy Burgess and Gordon Gibson

My personal thanks to Dr. Lee Bartel, University of Toronto for his direction and encouragement with this project.

"Bradstreet's soothing soundscapes artistically incorporate ancient music principles and the latest research on brain-wave and body entrainment to help reduce stress and promote overall wellness."

Dr. Lee Bartel
Professor of Music and Associate of the Centre for Health Promotion
University of Toronto
Expert in Music Response
Research Advisor to "Music for Your Health"

HEALING
Producer's Note:

This recording incorporates a number of techniques that are designed to enhance your personal approach to healing. It is based on the belief that the most effective healing treatment revolves around minimizing stress, fear and anxiety.

Music has been described as organized sound with a therapeutic, emotional impact. Medical practitioners have historically recognized its power and have discovered that as a controllable influence, it can lead to a state of confidence and relaxation. In Ancient Greece, Apollo was both the god of Music and Medicine - the connection has long been recognized. In music, as in life, this sense of completion helps us to relax. We tend to need this satisfaction of closure to find a sense of wholeness - and with this feeling, we allow ourselves the grace to heal.

Each of the compositions on this recording to reflect cycles in nature and attempt to create a feeling of closure. Using the metaphor of the four seasons, points on the compass or even the times of day, each piece has its own distinct tone or feeling, but features some essential connections.

The Binaural Beat Brain Wave Entrainment technique that Dr. Lee Bartel & I used in the acclaimed Solitudes "Music For Your Health" Series is what makes these recordings particularly effective. Inducing Binaural Beats by using specially developed out of phase sine waves, we are able to tune our brain waves to the four main states of brain wave activity: Beta (above 12 Hz.) , fully awake; Alpha (12 Hz. to 8 Hz.), relaxed but still engaged; Theta (8 Hz. to 4 Hz.), the daydream state; and finally, Delta (4 Hz. to 3 Hz.), the sleep state.

The first track, "AWAKENING", (70 bpm or beats per minute) takes you from Beta, 12+ Hz. down to Low Alpha, 8 Hz. over a period of 3 minutes and then remains there for the duration of the track. The objective is to slow the brain down from its normal daytime active frequency to a very relaxed one. The effect is to entrain the brain waves from active to passive which should help to dispel anxiety and tension.

"FLOURISH" (60 bpm) is the most engaging track on the recording and presents 8 Hz. all the way through. This frequency is known to trigger the high Theta range in which you are no longer fully attentive. You will find yourself less focussed on pain or discomfort.

"THANKSGIVING" (65 bpm) helps you to relax even further by providing a Theta, 6 Hz. Binaural Beat. At this stage you are preparing to fully disengage and the music and tones are designed to be well in the background at this point.

The final track, "DREAMWORLD", is designed in all aspects to help you fall asleep. As the tempo descends from 55 beats per minute down to 40bpm, simply surrender to the soothing music and tones of Delta, 3 Hz. and gently drift off to healing sleep. Sleep is the time when the body can do the most healing.

A note on Listening Level:

Listen to this recording at a level that is comfortable for you. You will find a maximum volume on track 3 at approximately 12 minutes into the song. Briefly listen to that section and adjust your player accordingly. This recording is most effective when listened to in perfect stereo, preferably on headphones or centred in front of a full spectrum speaker system.

REVIEWS FROM AMAZON.COM

"Very soothing", December 14, 2003
Reviewer: (Waterford, VA USA)
"Very nicely done CD. The songs are slow, not overly complicated, and use a variety of instruments (piano, guitar, cello, drum at some points, flute etc). There are 4 songs on the cd, all about 12 minutes long. Since they're not listed by Amazon I'll include them here: Awakening (subtitled East, Morning, Spring, Possibilities); Flourish (subtitled South, Noon, Summer, Growth), Thanksgiving (subtitled West, Afternoon, Autumn, Gratitude), and Dream World (subtitled North, Night, Winter, Sleep). I hadn't read the cd insert until just recently but in it Bradstreet talks about a technique incorporated into the songs called Binaural Beat Brain Wave (I don't completely understand since its just a short paragraph about it but it seems as though the music is designed to create specific sine waves that our brains will relate to in order to relax and let go of stress/tension. It definitely works for me. This is one I like to listen to before falling asleep at night - especially since so much of our body's repair work is done while we sleep. Great cd! Highly recommend it!"
 

Soothing without being distracting, November 30, 2003
Reviewer: A music fan (Canada)
"This CD is not distracting as I have found others of this genre to be; it is not full of "nature sounds". While I can find the music beautiful to listen to, it can truly fade into the background, which is what I want it to do. Without fail, I find myself relaxing into a deep state of peacefulness and calmness, as do those around me. I listen to it while I am working in my studio (I am an artist), while I am "working in my home", and when I am just relaxing. As a matter of fact, my children have asked me to turn it off at times due to the fact that is making them drowsy! They have also put it on themselves when they have felt the need to de-stress. I highly recommend this CD, especially to those who also dislike the "traditional" nature-sounds and newage music style of relaxation CD's formerly available."