"Music reaches beyond our personal defenses to the discovery of our inner strength. It uncovers the potential for creativity and shows how life can be lived from a center of security."
Helen Bonny, pioneer in the field of music and consciousness
Valerie Andrews is trained as a pianist and vocalist and has experimented with the harpsichord. She has always improvised melodies for the piano, and her recent CD, Mindful Music, is a series of nine musings that listeners are using as an aid to meditation, healing and self-renewal. These compositions were recently featured at the conference of therapists and healers called, "Music at the Edge of Life," presented by the Bonny Institute.
In her keynote address, Jungian analyst Karlyn Ward said:
"Novalis observed that every disease is a musical problem, every cure a musical solution, referring to the healing effects of music on the psyche.
"Valerie Andrews' piano meditations are meditative and thoughtful, and exquisitely nuanced in feeling. At the same time they move freely, sometimes even playfully. They reflect the process of improvising one's way through a life transition, and bring the listener to a deeply settled place within."
These compositions have also been used as background music and sound tracks for commercial videos and DVDs. Says filmmaker Mary Keil, writer/producer of SWING:
"Certain songs elicit sweet moments; others dip into more reflective spaces. Filmmakers can use this music to enhance the mood of landscapes and support tender interactions. I have several of these melodies stuck in my head and that's always a good sign."
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