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For many of us, 2002 has been quite a challenging year, made even more so by the ever- increasing speed of daily events. How do you handle your stress?

Many people are returning to basics. This mean different things to different people, and taking the time to listen to music we love is a basic quality of life activity that many people I speak to are remembering to build into their life.

Back in the '60s, the release of a new album by our favorite artist was cause for celebration. I still remember getting a late night call from my piano buddy David Gittler, who had just bought Paul Butterfield's breakthrough recording, East-West. I went over to his turret apartment in Buffalo, and listened "deeply."

We were inspired, and formed our own rock/blues band with horns the next day. That was the beginning of an incredible chapter in my life ... but that's another story.

Rarely do I hear about something like that nowadays. Why don't you call up a friend, and make a listening date. If that's not appropriate, make a date with yourself! If you don't have an hour, start with 20 minutes, or even one tune. The point is -- do it.

Now, you may also find that certain soundtracks work wonderfully as background for you to speak your truth ... for you to audiblize your affirmations (called "resolutions" in other circles). I find that I am most effectively motivated by speaking over deep drones, like the solo monochorde track 5 on The Sacred Chorde, or many of the tracks on my recent release Inner Peace II.

In fact, with this soundtrack, you can "chant" along, or rap, essentially speaking your affirmations, not singing.

Another key track is #8 from Cruise Control. This song was actually produced as the background for a "self-esteem for teens" project. The rhythm is deep in the pocket, and you'll find it's very easy to speak rhythmically, fitting your words in the spaces between the big beats.

Home Recording: In the Shower?

One of the best rooms to record in in most homes or apartments is the bathroom. That's one reason so many folks sing in the shower. It "sounds" so much better than the living room or bedroom, where the carpet and sheets soak up the sound.

So make your own reverb, add "nature" sound effects (shower equals waterfall?) and enjoy.

If you don't have even a simple cassette player to record yourself, you deserve one. They are so inexpensive nowadays -- especially since minidisc and DVD-R are coming in, that you cannot afford not to have one. This is an investment in yourself will pay for itself many times over.

John Coltrane and "A Love Supreme"

In a day and age where "American Idols" are young singers who perform, as critic Sonia Mansfield wrote, "Watered down versions of songs we all know and love ... and has the audience guilty of worshipping false idols," it's great to see that John Coltrane, one of the greatest artists of American music, finally has an entire book dedicated to his breakthrough recording, A Love Supreme. Ashley Kahn has written a timely and timeless account of the story behind this album, A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album (Viking 2002), and is highly recommended.

For many musicians, this was the recording that united spirituality with revolutionary sonic explorations. It impacted musicians and fans from all walks of life. I know ... I'm one of them. In a sense, this seminal recording from the iconic tenor sax jazz giant was a contributing factor in the birth of New Age music. (I doubt that was brought up in the book, though).

I also strongly recommend that you devote an hour or so to listening to the album, with no distractions. The written invocation is an inspiration today as it was when I first read it on the liner notes. It wasn't until last year, though, that I learned that every note in the title track relates to a syllable of the written invocation. Wow, that just made it even more amazing.

Annual Turkey Award

A well-known former Senator used to offer his annual Worst-of awards. I'd like to invite you to submit your nominations for my next column. (And if you saw John Tesh on Conan O'Brien on Thanksgiving late night, you'll especially appreciate the new meaning John and Conan bring to this award ... and yes, those really were live turkeys Conan brought on stage to play with John.)

Until next time, keep listening.

Steven Halpern

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Steven Halpern is one of the world's leading composers of music for healing, wellness, and inner peace. His most recent releases are INNER PEACE II and PERFECT ALIGNMENT (the latter features Grammy winner Paul McCandless).

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