Complete 44.1kHz (WAV) $15.00 USD Digital Delivery Complete 96kHz (WAV) $30.00 USD Digital Delivery Cover Art JPG: FREE Executive Producer: Gary Muszynski Angelic Producers: Wendy Grace & Mary Berry Recording: Richard & Lalita Karst, Hawk Hill Studios, Scott's Valley, CA Recording: Robin Livingston, Ursa Minor Studio, San Raphael, CA Recording & Mixing: Christopher Krotke, Seven Generations Recording Studio, West Marin, CA Mastering: Bill Engel, Ear Studios, St. Louis, MO Released 2010 on One World Music

CD Quality Downloads - 44.1kHz WAV To listen click the arrow below: 44.1kHz (WAV) 96kHz (WAV) 1. Play Seven Sacred Pools [5:04] Gary Muszynski ($1.50) ($3.00) 2. Play Ancestral Dream [7:30] Gary Muszynski ($2.00) ($4.00) 3. Play Berimbau Express [3:03] Gary Muszynski ($1.50) ($3.00) 4. Play Feeling the Stillness [7:28] Alan Tower ($2.00) ($4.00) 5. Play Beyond Words [5:57] Alan Tower ($1.50) ($3.00) 6. Play Rain Dance [7:06] Gary Muszynski ($2.00) ($4.00) 7. Play Into the Mystery [8:27] Gary Muszynski ($2.00) ($4.00) 8. Play Angel of Grace [4:51] Gary Muszynski ($1.50) ($3.00) 9. Play Serenade for Big Sur [5:33] Dumasani Mareire, Arranged by Gary & Rhiannon ($1.50) ($3.00) The 44.1kHz files and the mp3 samples above were taken from the mastered CD. Files are delivered immediately after payment on the download page and via e-mail. If you have any questions please contact support. Our files are very large and not recommended for those without a broadband internet connection.

Intention and invitation: The music on this CD revolves around the hang, mbira, and berimbau, joined by cello, voice, guitar, flute and tabla. For me, these instruments conjure the mysterious power, beauty and magic of the natural world — the sense of something rooted in the ancient past, as well as a quality of longing that pulls us forward. I invite you to listen deeply and see if you agree.

Hanging in Nature: The percussion on this CD has a decidedly metallic quality. Foremost among the metallic sounds is the hang — pronounced "hung" — a hybrid instrument fashioned by the hands, hearts and ears of Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, who reside near Berne, Swtzerland. The sonic texture of this instrument inspired me to intersperse the elemental energies of nature throughout the CD: crickets chirping, owls hooting, leaves rustling, brooks murmuring, birds singing, rain falling, ocean waves crashing. This music calls us to remember our sacred connection with nature.

A global instrument is born: Born in the year 2001, the hang combines the sounds of the steel drum from Trinidad, the gong from Indonesia, and the udu clay drum from Nigeria. The name comes from the Swiss Bernese dialect. "Hang" literally means the slope of a mountain or alternatively, hand. It's truly a global instrument that echoes the sounds of many traditional cultures yet is fabricated with an advanced knowledge of metallurgy. In many ways, most of the other percussion instruments you'll hear — udu, gahu, cymbals and mbira — are part of tthe parentage of world sounds from which the hang emerged. Collectively, these instruments make up my sonic universe as a performing artist and composer.

In the beginning, there was sound: "Hang/Hung" is also a "seed" syllable or mantra in the Tibetan Bön tradition associated with the mystery of creation emanating from sound. While the Tibetan translation can be complex, two words popped out at me: "luminous" and "equanimity." I now describe this beguiling instrument as a manifestation of "luminous equanimity."

How I was abducted: I was drawn into the hang's mesmerizing orbit in 2003 when I visited the medieval Castle Borl in Clovenia to present at an international arts and business conference. Music beckoned me to enter the courtyard, where I discovered three European musicians playing a family of hangs! I was hooked ... big time. The following summer, while studying vocal improvisation with Bobby McFerrin, I had the chance to purchase a similarly tuned family of hangs.

Prayer and paradox: This instrument continues to enchant me with its resonant overtones, gong-like magnificence and expressive possibilities. Through its distinctive magic, the hang takes us to a moment in which past and future merge, creating a sense of a timeless journey. It is a paradox and a blesing, calling us into the mystery that surrounds us. May the journey Into the Mystery be both a meaningful and healing one for you.