Our Music Oasis series with the Quiet Hearts Ensemble, resumed on January 8th. As always, please check out online schedule close to an upcoming date to confirm that it is happening. Visit www.amicusmusicduo.com to see the most up to date schedule.
We have 2 cancellations. One in January and one in February. As of now, all other Wednesday performances are a go.
Cancellations:
January 28, 2015
February 25, 2015
Check the schedule here: www.amicusmusicduo.com
Is there someone in your life who you have lost to dementia or Alzheimer’s? Have you given up hope of ever being with the person you knew and lost. There is hope – huge hope.
Right now, in this moment, I am so honoured and proud to be a musician. I am so inspired to know I am engaged in a practice and art that can cause transformation for loved ones in our lives who we have given up for lost to dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Many do not know that Howard and I often play in hospitals and seniors care facilities. We have personally witnessed the kind of transformation that the documentary “Alive Inside” reveals. This really is possible.
Take 15 minutes of your life to see the enormous transformation that is possible simply by providing your loved one with musical favourites from their past.
Honestly, this brings me to tears of both inspiration and regret. Inspiration for what’s possible. Regret that a simple and inexpensive solution remains largely ignored.
I can hardly wait to watch the full length documentary about this. “Alive Inside”.
If the video here inspires you and you subscribe to Netflix, you can watch the entire documentary on Netflix.
This is NOT a NICE scarf.
Well, it is nice, but when you know the story behind it you will likely agree that calling it ‘nice’ is a huge understatement.
I unexpectedly received the scarf this morning when I attended Creative Mornings. As I walked home from the event, the significance of the scarf sunk in and I was moved to tears. These were tears of inspiration. I’ll explain the meaning of the scarf, but first you need to know about the project that makes this scarf possible. I received this scarf from Peter Dupuis, founder (co-founder) of World Housing and it was Peter who gave a presentation about World Housing at today’s Creative Mornings.
World Housing
In a nutshell, World Housing is this:
“World Housing was conceived and created to provide housing to the most disadvantaged people on earth: families subsisting in garbage dumps. The gap between wealthy and poor continues to widen. People living in dumps, scavenging through garbage to earn less than $2/day, are the most effected. World Housing exists to provide these people with homes.”
World Housing is “A Blueprint for Creating Third World Bottom of the Pyramid Housing Supply Through a First World One-for-One Real Estate Gifting Model”
This short video will give an even better sense of the project.
Vancouver House
Here in Vancouver, we have one of the first projects and simply by purchasing a home in Vancouver House, 395 people have also financed a home for individuals and families living in squalid poverty. World Housing has a goal of providing 30,000 homes by 2020.
Vancouver House – http://vancouverhouse.ca
Vancouver House – The first World Housing certified project was announced on April 30, 2014. This super prime project, located in one of Vancouver’s leading waterfront communities and developed by Canada’s leading developer, Westbank Projects, will create 395 homes for the Cambodia Children Fund’s community while offering international condominium buyers an unparalleled lifestyle.
The Scarf
The homes have all been pre-sold and each person who purchased or invested in one of the homes in Vancouver House received a scarf like the one I am wearing. The scarves were made from materials collected in landfills by the actual people in the garbage dump community who have qualified to received one of these new World Housing homes. The scarves were made by people who have lived in huts constructed with garbage and who are now, or will soon be, living in a new home provided by World Housing.
Typical Slum Home – Photo: Davehamilton.ca & CCF – Cambodian Childrens Fund
World Housing Home – Photo: Davehamilton.ca & CCF – Cambodian Childrens Fund
So, like I say, this is NOT a NICE scarf. It represents the transformation and betterment of peoples lives. It is a tremendous honour and pleasure to have one and if anyone ever compliments me on my new scarf, you know what I’ll be telling them.
What would it be like for you to purchase a home knowing that you were radically improving another person’s or family’s life?
Enjoy this series of magical night images as you listen to one of my renditions of Silent Night. There is a link for a complimentary download of the piece as well.
www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CraigAddy
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I have just released my new album “Journeys Under the Piano”.
The second track evoked cold winter scenes in my mind and it seems the perfect offering for this time of giving. I invite you to enjoy it as a movie with wonderful paintings of winter scenes by artists including Monet, Brueghel and Moras.
Download the music for enjoyment on your computer or smartphone by clicking the download button below.
[ddownload id=”2193″ text=”Download Wintertide” style=”button” color=”black”]
Downloads: [ddownload_count id=”2193″]
In 2009, an instance of childlike freedom and play culminated in the creation of Under the Piano. With excited anticipation, I had visited Showcase Pianos to try out the wondrous new Fazioli grand piano.
For some reason I remembered being a child lying under the piano as my mother played and suddenly, there I was, a 47 year old man, lying under a nine foot $250,000 grand piano in the store. I noticed how the piano’s vibrations enveloped me and resonated through my body and soon after I invited friends to my home to explore the idea further. Their response to lying under my piano as I spontaneously composed music was astonishment and amazement. I have never stopped since.
Under the Piano is a multi-sensory musical experience. Imagine yourself nestled in the luxury of silk comforters and cushions with artwork, a multitude of candles, and even aromatherapy. Imagine the powerful sound vibrations of spontaneously composed piano music permeating, envelop-ing and resonating through your body. This is indeed an experience that engages all the senses – a whole new context in which to experience music.
The handful of selections on this recording are taken from over 2000 improvisations created during Under the Piano sessions for over 500 people. The orchestration of “Meditation in a Storm” was added to the piano improvisation at a later date.
Track listing:
1. Dawn Awakens
2. Wintertide
3. Sweet Bliss
4. Meadow Muse
5. Relinquish
6. I Came Upon a Silken Glade
7. Dreamscape
8. Cobalt Caverns
9. Meditation in a Storm
10. Into the Clouds
Special thanks to Rachel Lando of www.landoimages.com for the beautiful cover photo.
Learn more about Under the Piano at www.UnderThePiano.ca
Monday, November 10, 2014
843 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC
5:45 to 8:45 PM
Collaboration and connections – it’s what let’s wonderful things happen. The Quiet Hearts Ensemble is pleased to part of a great collaboration – Mark E. Sackett (The Art of Active Networking), Roger Killen (Vancouver Business Network) and the Quiet Hearts Ensemble.
Since meeting Mark last year, I’ve been attending his networking events whenever he comes to Vancouver. These are rare opportunities as he spends most of his time in New York and San Francisco doing these events. Mark has been a fan of Quiet Hearts Ensemble and takes time to enjoy our weekly Music Oasis events whenever he is in town. Mark shared the idea of having his next Art of Active Networking meeting at St Andrew’s-Wesley so we could contribute some music during the event. I loved the idea, but came up against a wall. The church was already booked during the evening of November 10.
Where else? I thought of Roger Killen. He hosts his own weekly Vancouver Business Network meetings at Pyatt Hall, a venue with a $240,000 Steinway Grand sitting on the stage. So I contacted Roger and connected him with Mark. Because Roger’s usual meeting fell on Remembrance Day, he did not have a meeting scheduled that week. He made a call to his Pyatt Hall contact and was able to book Pyatt Hall for November 10 in lieu of his regular Tuesday booking. Thank you Roger for making this possible.
If you have been wanting to but unable to attend one of our weekly Music Oasis events at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, we’ll be giving a special 20 minute performance at during Mark E. Sackett’s next Art of Active Networking event here in Vancouver. I’m salivating at the opportunity to create music on Pyatt Hall’s $240,000 concert grand Steinway.
About the Art of Active Networking
“Do you hate Networking as much as most of us do? Are you also bad at it, often wondering why no one returns your calls or follows up with you after a “Networking Event”? Join us for a very special edition of “The Art of Active Networking” in Vancouver, BC.
On Monday November 10th we are going to hold a special edition at Pyatt Hall in a joint event with Roger Killen of Vancouver Business Network featuring a special performance by the Quiet Hearts Ensemble (Craig Addy of Under The Piano, Howard Meadows, clarinet & recorders, and Mark De Silva, violin & vocals).”
For tickets and more information about this event:
TheArtofActiveNetworking.com
About the Vancouver Business Network
The Vancouver Business Network Meetup (VBN) was founded in March 2010 and today is the largest community of active and aspiring small business owners in Canada.
VBN holds inexpensive, high-quality seminars and networking events every week. These events help small business owners, entrepreneurs and marketing professionals learn, network and grow. They learn new tactics, tools and techniques. They network with like-minded people. They grow their networks, their businesses and their characters.
more…
Founder: Iman Aghay
Co-organizeer: Roger Killen
Vancouver Business Network
Listen to Quiet Hearts here:
Friday, November 7, 2014
Under the Piano at Interesting Vancouver
Taste the Sonic Version of Beluga Caviar, also known as Black Gold and the most expensive food in the world.
SFU Woodwards
149 W Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC
6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Black gold. What a fitting gustatory match for a lustrous black Fazioli with real gold hinges. Under the Piano is thrilled to be the featured musical artist at this year’s Interesting Vancouver. This won’t be any old “music in the background” experience. No, Interesting Vancouver has a commitment to things being – you guessed it – interesting. I’ll be in SFU’s wonderful World Art Centre with a luscious Fazioli grand piano, generously provided by Manuel Bernaschek of Showcase Pianos, and doing mini Under the Piano sessions for guests during the event. The plan is to set this up as a concert in the round with limited seating to encourage intimacy and connection between me and you. Lucky listeners will be able to submit a written request that conveys a simple emotion, thought, or intention and then I will capture that in music as they lie Under the Piano.
If you’ve been intrigued about Under the Piano, but have not yet made the leap, here’s a chance to get a taste of what it’s like. It’s also a special and rare chance to experience the sound of a Fazioli piano. Many notable pianists consider the Fazioli the greatest piano being built today.
Discover what a $250,000 9 foot Fazioli Grand Piano looks and sounds like.
Discover what it is like to have a spontaneous composition created just for you.
About Interesting Vancouver
“A fascinating gathering of the curious and unexpected. Catalyzing creativity, community and capacity. More than another “sage on the stage” lecture series, Interesting Vancouver is an event that celebrates the uncelebrated, expands the collective vision of what is uniquely possible, and gives people an opportunity to discover interesting new creative pursuits they can apply in their own lives. Celebrating the uncelebrated. Interesting Vancouver is an annual community gathering showcasing the region’s most fascinating people and the way they express their creativity through their hobbies, passions and obsessions.”
www.interestingvancouver.com
Interesting Vancouver sells out. If you wish to attend, get your tickets now at:
Click it for a Ticket
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
St Andrew’s-Wesley Church
In the Sanctuary
1012 Nelson Street (enter off Burrard)
4:30 to 5:45 PM
Special Guest – Kathy Cameron of The Soul of Sound.
Entice and intrigue your ears with new and unusual (but always beautiful) sounds. Kathy Cameron of The Soul of Sound joins the Quiet Hearts Ensemble for Music Oasis on Wednesday, October 29, 2014. Kathy’s wonderful gongs, singing bowls, chimes, and drums add a whole new dimension of creativity and adventure to our improvised music.
What is “Music Oasis”
The Quiet Hearts Ensemble’s “Music Oasis” series is one of Vancouver’s most exquisite and unique experiences. It is an intimate and relaxing musical occasion that is like a holiday away from everyday pressures. Entering St Andrew’s-Wesley’s magical space is like discovering an oasis in a stressful and noisy urban environment. Professional musicians spontaneously compose beautiful music in one of Vancouver’s most stunning cathedral acoustics. Music Oasis listeners are transported, moved and inspired by enchanting flavours of music embracing classical, new age, jazz, folk and world styles. It’s romantic. It’s meditative. It’s soothing. Listeners rave that they “can’t believe” these musical journeys are spontaneously composed on the spot. Quiet Hearts is truly a journey in a musical oasis.
Who is the Quiet Hearts Ensemble?
Amicus Music Duo – Craig Addy, piano & organ & Howard Meadows, clarinet, flute, recorders
Mark De Silva, violin & vocals
Special Guest – Kathy Cameron of The Soul of Sound, percussion
Listen to Kathy Cameron with Quiet Hearts Ensemble
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When you give the gift of an Under the Piano session to yourself or another, you can feel secure in knowing that you have stepped outside the banal and predictable and given an experience to be remembered forever and unlike any had before. Yes, the advantage of lying under a piano, is that you will experience music in a way you never have before and in a way that impacts you unexpectedly and wonderfully. You will have impressed yourself or the lucky gift recipient with your brilliance at making such a choice for a present. This is what happens when you lounge in a “cocoon of pillows and blankets underneath a grand piano, surrounded by candles and lovely scents” and then listen to a a series of improvised pieces literally composed just for you in the moment.
The offer is two Under the Piano sessions for the price of one.
I know Halloween is not even here, but here is a rare opportunity to have one or two magical and truly unique Christmas or Birthday gifts in the bag now.
If you love piano music, or you have people in your life who love music and unique and adventurous experiences, look no further. An Under the Piano session is it. If you are looking for interesting things to do in Vancouver, your lucky, because Under the Piano is it and it’s only available in Vancouver. As a recent client, Caitlin Bryant, aptly describes it:
…This was such a unique and life affirming experience. It’s like cultural skydiving…
Purchase one Under the Piano certificate and get a second one of equal value at no additional cost. The certificates can be for your personal use or one or all can be a great gift for friends and family. The second certificate will be an exact match for the first.
Examples
If you’ve experienced Under the Piano before, you know what you’re getting. If not, here’s another wonderful description that gives a glimpse into this amazing experience.
My husband & I were treated to a truly unique, private concert for our anniversary. We lounged in a cocoon of pillows and blankets underneath a baby grand, surrounded by candles and lovely scents. Craig Addy improvised (!!!!) a series of lovely, soulful, meditative, never-played-before music that you can literally FEEL all over; the vibrations enfold and lift with the crescendos, and gently floats you down with the softer parts… and lasts long after the last note fades from hearing.
I wish I could be Under the Piano every day, if only for a few minutes, to be totally immersed in life-affirming music and emerge both calmed and energized. At least I have the MP3s (also available as CD) to remind me of this amazing treat.
A magical experience — I recommend this as a PERFECT gift for anyone who loves music, needs a spiritual pick-up, loves unique experiences, or “already has everything”.
Listen to a track from Angela’s session.
Payment: Credit Card or INTERAC eTransfer
Call me at 604-662-3053 to purchase your certificates or if you have any questions.
Learn more about Under the Piano at www.UnderThePiano.ca
A customized certificate will be emailed to you upon receipt of payment. This offer is exclusive and not applicable in conjunction with any other special offers or discounts.
Heraclitus by Johannes Moreelse. The image depicts him as “the weeping philosopher”
It’s Good to Remember…
It’s good to remember why you are doing what you do.
It’s good to remember why you’re passionate about what you do.
It’s good to remember what’s possible for the world in pursuing your inspirations.
But,
It’s never completely handled. At least, not for me. In an instant, I can forget the sheer joy, pleasure, and fulfilment I receive from contributing my music to people and then seeing the difference it makes for them. In an instant, the less lofty lower rungs of existence – survival, paying bills, assuring shelter – can rear their ugly heads. In many places on this planet, survival IS the name of the game, but here in Canada most of us enjoy the luxury of living for more than survival and I forget that.
Yesterday, at our Quiet Hearts journey in a musical oasis, we seemed to slide back down to the old days. After positive audience growth, we had just 12 people in attendance. At the end, I got the news that donations were poor. With less than $55 contributed and half going to the church, that left us three musicians with a paltry $9 each. Suddenly, rent loomed large. Just 6 days away and not quite covered. Suddenly, down into the dumps of basic survival I rushed and I was a little pissed off at that moment too. The same old tired questions burgeoned in my mind like a skipping record. Am I deluding myself? Is this not as magical as it seems to us? Will it never get better? Will we only be providing this for a tiny number of people forever? Is this as good as it gets?
Then Donna and Cheryl, who were graciously and generously assisting us at the door (for $0) shared some news that changed everything. The news instantly reconnected me to purpose and passion and left me profoundly fulfilled and moved.
What was the news?
Several minutes after we commenced the music, a gentleman in his 60’s arrived. With him was his elderly father, who was a patient next door at St Paul’s Hospital. His father seemed quite confused and Donna suspected he was suffering from dementia. The son had a small window of time to take his father on a respite outside the hospital. They had no idea what they were coming too. Donna and Cheryl explained what it was and so they went into the Sanctuary and listened for about 20 minutes. When they came back out, the son was astounded. He said what they experienced was amazing. The music made such an impact on both him and his father. He knew it had made an impact on his father because, when he turned to look at his father during the performance, he was shocked to see tears falling from his eyes. He had never seen his father do this.
Sometimes words are not enough. This is where the magic of music comes in. Sometimes, music is the doorway in. Sometimes music is the thing that can move past the confusion, the absence of communication and understanding, and connect with someone in trouble or seemingly unconnected to the world.
I’m so grateful that man and his father came and I’m so glad Donna and Cheryl were there to witness and share what happened. If they hadn’t been there, we would never have known and I would likely have gone home pissed off and living in the lower rungs of existence.
It’s good to remember…
My world transformed in an instant.
Our next Quiet Hearts is Wednesday, October 1 from 4:30 to 5:45 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church (Nelson & Burrard)
With gratitude,
Craig