Thursday, November 18, 2010

Music I write by: David Arkenstone


Do you play music while you write? What’s your favorite? There are several that I use, but it’s David Arkenstone’s compelling beat and soaring harmonies that really feed my soul.

I have only four of his CDs: Quest of the Dream Warrior, Echoes of Light and Shadow, Return of the Guardians, and Spirit of Ireland. That barely scratches the surface of this prolific musician/composer. Fifty-one albums to date. And I want them all!

Pigeonholed as “New Age,” his range defies genre. He does Celtic, Native American, Asian, Christmas, odes to movies, and blissful atmospherics – nearly all of his own composing. The brief bio on AOL Music puts it artfully: “California's David Arkenstone blends global, cinematic, and rock elements into his new age sonic tapestries.”

And he does! Influenced by the likes of Kitaro, John Williams, and Mannheim Steamroller, all favorites of mine, he does wondrous things for a writer’s imagination.
Follow this ungainly link: http://www.amazon.com/David-Arkenstone/e/B000APYTKM/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1290032284&sr=1-2-ent

Then choose an album that strikes your fancy and listen to samples. You’ll see what I mean!