Tranquil Music

"Dear Richard, we have just bought your CD 'Magic Happens' we play it every night. It so ministers to our soul. I have now bought your whole collection, so we can bless others with your tranquil music. Well done, keep up the good work.
- Bronwyn Riddle, Brisbane Qld"

"Its relaxing, helps me go to sleep and makes me think of nice things. MAGIC HAPPENS is my favourite but I really like all of Richard's CDs."
- Angelina Bowden 9 years old. Brisbane Qld

Composer's Notes

Spending my early childhood amidst the tranquil beauty of the Tropical Rainforest in Kuranda, I imagined that everyone on Earth lived this way. Beyond our back door and small mowed lawn was nothing but lush, impenetrable rainforest. Bright tropical birds and butterflies visited me whenever I went out to play. My babysitter was a beautiful Indigenous woman, Queen Maggie Donahue of the Tjapukai tribe (who I affectionately called “Mrs. Mango” – much to her delight and amusement). It was only when my Father was transferred and we moved to larger cities that I discovered that the whole world was not like Kuranda.

After eventually returning to live in the tropics as an adult, I was deeply struck by the profound and unique beauty of where I was born and greatly inspired to create an album of tranquil piano music that embodied the spirit of where I come from.

To re-connect with my ‘spirit of place’ I spent time walking, meditating and taking photographs in some of the places I found most special and sacred - cascading waterfalls, deserted beaches, lush forests and misty mountains. When I looked at it all through the lens of the camera it was like I was seeing North Queensland again for the very first time, just as a tourist would. Then at home with my piano, with the tranquil scenes of the photos I’d taken posted all around me, the music for Magic Happens was created.

Musically, at this time I had deeply connected with the tranquil Celtic music of Clannad and Enya. I particularly loved the way they at times blended soft, unobtrusive vocals with gentle piano and instrumentation. From this grew the idea to enhance 3 of the piano pieces with gentle vocals in the background, providing a contrast with the solo piano but not taking away from it. My brief to the vocalist was not to sing any lyrics, but to use the voice as an instrument blending gently into the background. My friend Julie Mercer, also born and bred in the Tropical North provided the beautiful sounds that turned out to be everything I had hoped and more.

To this day, when I play any of the music from ‘Magic’, it immediately re-connects me with the profound beauty and tranquil spirit of where I was born.