Heart of Silence: Piano and Flute Meditations

Deeply peaceful and healing improvisations between Grammy Nominees Peter Kater and Michael Brant DeMaria. Serene, open, expansive and evocative, these tracks remind us of the rich tapestry within our hearts and souls, inviting us to relax fully into our true eternal nature.

Michael Brant DeMaria (Native flutes) and Peter Kater (piano) collaborate on one of the most meditative releases so far in 2015, Heart of Silence. Wholly improvisational, the eight tone poems on the album showcase both artists’ talents for playing in a restrained, subtle yet powerful method. Regardless of the particular piece’s tempo or mood, the overall evocation is one of introspection, a traveling inward to explore the depths of one’s emotions, memories, and connectedness to the world and others. The opening title track starts the album off in an extremely minimalist vein; both DeMaria and Kater develop the musical theme with utmost patience, delving as much into the silence between the notes as the notes themselves. While no detail is listed in the liner notes about the assortment of flutes DeMaria plays on the recording (other than the three individuals who crafted them), on this track, the flute is low-pitched, which lends an earthiness and a more pronounced primal sensation to it (it even apes the sound of a didgeridoo at times). The second cut, "Radiant Dawn," while opening softly, builds in energy and tempo over its seven-plus minutes, no doubt seeking to evoke the titular reference of sunlight flowing over the horizon and signaling the start of a new day. The shift in momentum from the first track is not jarring, but instead is handled fluidly by the two artists. DeMaria's short flute notes are matched by Kater’s fingers flitting nimbly over the piano keys. "First Breath" returns the music to a sparse vein and also re-emphasizes lower register flute tones. Sustain pedal on the piano notes underscores the mood of patience and even contains traces of haunting mysticism, while DeMaria holds some of those low notes so long that he sometimes achieves an almost drone-like sound. "Holding Space" continues in the same sparse vein, but the piano seems to take a more prominent position in developing the minimal melodic structure, which at times has a somber/melancholic aspect to it. There is an underlying tempo to this piece, but it’s quite slow, and as the song progresses, there is a lightness of mood intermixed with the darkness. "Tender Heart" develops the piano-led melody even more, although long gaps between notes are still heard at times. As the track develops, a more structured, less minimal motif by both instruments takes over and the music evolves into something more fluid. As befitting the song’s title, there is warmth and comfort in the music. The last three cuts, "Timeless Echoes," "Midnight Dreaming," and "Awakening" all travel more or less the same basic path but with enough deviation so that a seamless integration of musical vision cohesion and variety of particular motifs and thematic approaches is achieved. Each song allows for ebbing and flowing, from sparse musical phasing to more flowing melodic content. "Midnight Dreaming" is particularly evocative, painting a serene yet subtly disquieting soundscape, perhaps conveying a troubled, sonic portrait of a sleeper's dreamscape. Heart of Silence is obviously ideal accompaniment for massage (the album running time is one hour, likely intentionally), but I can also see it being used in situations such as stress-relief, background for mental activity (played at low volume) such as studying, or perhaps as a sleep aid for young children (you may want to program "Radiant Dawn" out of the sequence for that instance though). The excellent production and engineering quality would also allow listeners to enjoy it as foreground, not just background, music, although the lower register flute notes will require good speakers if the album is played above a quiet volume setting—those low notes are low enough that they may cause resonant distortion in mediocre speakers (understand, this is not the fault of the recording in any regard; I listened once through my computer speakers and some buzzing occurred, but not on headphones or decent speakers). DeMaria and Kater are very much simpatico with each other and in sync musically throughout Heart of Silence, each one displaying their unique gift for expressing the theme "less is more." It's a special recording, one to savor time and time again in order to fully appreciate the detail and nuance exhibited by these two musicians.

"Heart of Silence" is the first collaboration by pianist Peter Kater and Native American flutist Michael Brant DeMaria. With fourteen Grammy nominations between them, this album seems very likely to place both artists firmly inside the Winners Circle for 2015. Both are widely-known for their deeply spiritual improvisations and the music for this album was created during meditative sessions. Each track is a free improvisation performed without any rehearsals or pre-planning. Kater and DeMaria chose which key they were going to play in and started recording. In turn, the intention is for the eight tracks to be listened to as meditations. The inspiration for "Heart of Silence" was DeMaria’s experience of having his mother die in his arms only to be revived by emergency cardiac surgery. Profoundly touched and changed by the experience, DeMaria wanted to find a way to express that experience musically - the mix of grief, connection, and love that was both ominous and comforting at the same time. He had three custom deep bass flutes made for this project, searching for the lowest sound he could find. The flute with the lowest tone used on this recording is five feet in length - a sub-bass A minor flute - and only one other such flute exists. It becomes a voice from the depths and a drone instrument to express the inexpressible. DeMaria says that his whole body vibrates when he plays this flute. Blended with Kater’s soulful piano, the duo has created a masterpiece of simplicity and profound meaning that should touch the spirit of anyone who experiences it. The music itself is very open, free, and deeply emotional. The sound of the deep bass flute is dark but also very warm and comforting. The percussive quality of the piano contrasts beautifully with the more rounded tones of the bass flute. Kater has often recorded and performed with Native American flutists, so it is no surprise that this album works so well. However, this is far from a duplication of previous work - DeMaria has his own musical style and message to convey - and the duo has created an album that is unique and very personal. Although there are short breaks between the tracks, the album plays as a cohesive one hour listening/meditating experience and yet each piece stands alone as well. Very highly recommended!

As the album’s subtitle, “Piano and Flute Meditations” indicates, the music blends Peter’s elevating piano with the soothing sounds of Michael on a variety of Native American flutes. In describing the recording and creative process, Michael shares: “Each track was a total free improvisation - no rehearsals - no preplanning. We just decided on what key to play in and started recording. We both have a similar process of recording - by allowing the music to emerge out of silence - letting go of the logical strategic mind, and allowing the spirit of the moment to guide us. This description certainly proved to be accurate as the album opened with the title track. It is indeed quite spacious and meditative and took on a particular significance for me as I listened and reflected on the gossamer veils that separate life and death, which is a focal point in the inspiration behind this album. In my full-length review of this album on Music and Media Focus, I covered this back-story in depth. The next track, “Radiant Dawn,” has more motion, driven by Peter’s rolling arpeggios that flow like a river with Michael’s higher pitched Native flute soaring above it. The sound of the low bass flutes sometimes have a similar role and effect as a drone instrument like a didjeridoo, as it does on the gentle and expansive “First Breath.” Peter’s piano playing here is absolutely gorgeous and I marveled at his ability to improvise such evocative melodies in the moment. There are a number of interesting role reversals from song to song as the album evolves. At times, the drone of Michael’s bass flute creates a foundation for Peter to improvise over. While on some tracks, Peter’s more sparse playing, as on “Midnight Dreaming,” holds down the fort, so to speak, as Michael weaves an enchanting spell on a higher-pitched Native flute. Throughout the album I appreciated the improvisational nature of the recording and an image came to mind of these two musicians as sonic surfers, waiting to catch the next wave of inspiration and riding it into shore, which they did on each of these heartfelt musical meditations. As mentioned, the separation between this world and the next is thinly veiled, and I appreciate Michael and Peter’s intention to musically explore this diaphanous realm. Heart Of Silence is perfect for meditation, relaxation, yoga, healing work, and more. The creative chemistry between Peter Kater and Michael Brant DeMaria is magical. They are both superb musicians in their own right, but what they have created together is as unique as it is transcendent. "Heart Of Silence" provides a dream-like voyage between the worlds that I’m sure many listeners will enjoy taking again and again.

I found “Tender Heart” as the most exceptional track. It is moving and spacious as a clear night glittering with thousands of stars. The music is pure like the earth and sky above and the sounds and textures in the track made me feel closer to Mother Earth. We are all here to honor our place on this great planet. All eight tracks are beautiful and serve a higher purpose and all you have to do is listen and find out where it will take you. Each track blends into the next making it a complete and satisfying journey of sounds and atmospheres. This is the kind of music that is for relaxation, meditation, reflection, recharging yourself and realigning your purpose and meaning. Life holds many gifts for us all but at times we are pulled away from what is right in front of us with our busy lives and pressures of work and all the noise and chatter that can swallow us up if we let it. I choose to survive the day and then let music from CDs like Heart of Silence remind me of who I am and what is really important. Keith Hannaleck