Music for deep relaxation and rest ~
Vocal Soundscapes with drums, ASMR, and sounds of nature
I have dedicated this album to our deep connection and love for Mother Earth. My intention for this album was to create sounds that can help us breathe deeper, relax our bodies, and soothe our minds. And hopefully, reawaken a visceral memory of what wholeness feels like.
Most of us are not aware of how sensitive we are to sound. Our refined biological responsiveness to sounds has a lot to do with how our brain and nervous system are connected to our ears. The sound can make us sick but ALSO can help us relax, soothe the nervous system, and help balance our health. Another important thing I focused on while creating this album is to tap into and use the Alpha brain waves. Most of us today function in Beta (stress-inducing) brain waves. To heal and balance our health, the brain needs to go to Alpha waves on a regular, daily basis. Alpha brain waves can be induced with soft and gentle noninvasive sounds and rhythms, natural sounds like ASMR, and VERY IMPORTANT – THE SOUNDS OF NATURE. Our bodies and minds need relaxation EVERY DAY, which is possible when we are in Alpha,
AND sounds can help us do that.
I chose not to use instruments other than drums and the sounds of nature since I wanted to go back to the basics as much as possible. Native and folk music, as always, was my inspiration. Each recording for the first voice, around 15 minutes long, was recorded in one and only take.
I created the compositions for my voice from improvisations and intuitive meditative singing I had been working on for months before each recording would be taken.
Because we wanted to stay in that spirit of relaxed meditative focus, we also decided to apply that in the way we were recording the sounds in the studio. So we would use meditation as our preparation in the recording studio before we would start the actual work. That created a huge difference for me in the way I was singing and connecting to my voice, body, and breath and gave me more space to breathe and work with the text and melody from a more holistic space.
I have created this CD in collaboration with Sharon Stewart
Sharon Stewart studied piano at the Utrecht School of the Arts, Faculty of Music, and later completed a Masters in Music Pedagogy at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague, where she focused on feminisms, improvisation, and technology in a music pedagogical practice. She has a private piano practice in Arnhem, creates (electroacoustic) sound works and installations, collaborates as a sound artist with various dancers, and serves as an Associate.
Editor of the Journal of Sonic Studies. Sharon studied with Pauline Oliveros and is currently one of the core teachers for the online Deep Listening certificate program for the Center for Deep Listening, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Works with dancers have been performed at festivals and other venues in Arnhem, Nijmegen, Amsterdam, The Hague (NL), Copenhagen (DE), and Marseilles (FR). Paying attention to dreams is a rich source for her in understanding her underlying and transform-ing/ational emotional states as well as providing a, sometimes astounding, source of raw materials. Field recordings form an inspirational basis for many of her compositions. The underlying motive is to share the wonder of opening to the sounds around us in an aware and playful manner.
1. Earth Chants
This recording begins with invigorating and stimulating vocal expression inspired by folk music from the Balkan and shamanic chanting, symbolically expressing the energy of the sun and the day. From the half of the recording on it moves slowly into the relaxation and symbolically the energy of the night, the moon, and restoration having an intention to move the listener with it into the Alpha brain waves.
Main vocal and compositions on the Album Earth Chants by Marina Trisic Martris
Accompanying vocals and nature soundtrack Earth Chants:
~The insect sounds were recorded on the hillside of Sixt Vagny, FR, on 8 August 2014 by Sharon Stewart.
~Background vocalizations by Sharon Stewart.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sharon Stewart at SRS Recording Studio,
Arnhem, NL, 2022.
2. Calling the Water Fairies
Inspired by the folk stories from the Balkans about the water fairies and their mystical world underwater. Water symbolically represents subconsciousness, intuition, and the dream world. The intention of this recording was to help the listener relax more deeply.
And with that tap into the Alpha brain waves that help us connect with our inner worlds of intuition, dreams, and creativity.
Main vocal and compositions on the Album Earth Chants by Marina Trisic Martris
Accompanying vocals and nature soundtrack Calling the Water Fairies :
~Water sounds were recorded at the curling water fountain in Sonsbeek Park, Arnhem, NL,
on 5 April 2020 by Sharon Stewart.
~Background vocalizations, ride cymbal, and spoken word by Sharon Stewart.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sharon Stewart at SRS Recording Studio,
Arnhem, NL.2022
3. Deep Forest Chant
Also inspired by the folk stories from the Balkan about the invisible world of the fairies that dance in the forests but only a few can see them. The ones who can see the fairies dance are the ones who can cross the border between ours and their world. This recording intends to take the listener deeper into relaxation and rest.
Main vocal and compositions on the Album Earth Chants by Marina Trisic Martris
Accompanying vocals and nature soundtrack Deep Forest:
~Frogs recorded in the field ditches around farms in Wedde, NL, on 4 May 2020 by Sharon Stewart.
~Gratitude to Freesound user Benboncan for their tawny owl recording.
~Background vocalizations by Sharon Stewart.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sharon Stewart at SRS Recording Studio,
Arnhem, NL.2022
4. Wale Song
Inspired by wales-the amazing creatures-the guardians of our oceans. Wales have incredible ways of sound-producing and communicating, and scientists are still trying to decipher the meaning. We are concerned for their extinction, and we are inspired by their healing sounds and frequencies. We created this recording intending to move the lister further into sleep, relaxation, and rest. Inviting the listener to tap now into Theta and Delta brain waves. Into the world deep within the oceans and dreams.
Main vocal and compositions on the Album Earth Chants by Marina Trisic Martris
Accompanying vocals and nature soundtrack Whale song :
~We are grateful to the whales who have been singing on this planet long before humans and whose songs touch our hearts so deeply. May we protect their habitats and continue to learn from their culture and language. We relied on royalty-free recorded whale vocalizations on Videvo as a foundation and inspiration for our own vocalizations.
~Exploratory recordings made in the cistern at De Watertoren in Delft, NL, were also used in the background.
~ Background vocalizations by Sharon Stewart.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sharon Stewart at SRS Recording Studio,
Arnhem, NL.2022
