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  This 2- version EP contains both the stereo WAV (lossless) file, and a special enhanced "headphones-only" binaural mix that replicates the Dolby-Atmos surround sound effects on standard headphones or earbuds.
  
  Liner Notes- Stereo Version
  No More Words - released June 2, 2023
  
  This is the first of two singles dedicated to my Mom, who passed away in 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The last two months of her life were spent in a nursing home in upstate New York, where she was not allowed to have any visitors due to pandemic restrictions. The ravages of dementia left her unable to understand what was happening, and she was in a state of deep fear, anger, and inconsolable grief. I was able to schedule weekly video Skype calls (the staff brought an iPad to her bedside) but I quickly discovered that any attempt at conversation was both painful and pointless. When I was taking flute lessons as a child, my Mom would fall asleep to the sound of my practicing, which she always loved. The only thing left to do was play my flute, which gave her a brief respite of peace while the music poured over her.
  
  She had reached that state where there are…. No More Words.
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  The Portland Recording Session - Behind The Scenes
  
  I knew that I wanted Todd Boston to be the recording engineer for my first Dolby-Atmos surround-sound release. Todd has a real sensitivity for world flutes, arrangements, and mood; plus I knew he would be a patient educator and get me up to speed on mixing for surround-sound. After a few phone conversations, and much file uploading (the WAV stems of the “Deep Hypnotic Piano in B Minor” that I’d licensed from Tom Bailey) I booked a weekend in Portland - December 8-9 2022, at Spatial Sound Studios. We allowed 2 full days for recording and preliminary mixing/surround-sound mapping. The rest of the mixing was done remotely.
  
  We did the Native American flutes the first day - I had done several “live” performances, and felt fairly confident that I could get 5 minutes of usable improvised material. Interestingly, the low B High Spirits flute that ended up being one of the main voices, I almost didn’t take with me - it was too long for my carry-on bag, and the finger holes are so large I can only play it in the summertime when my hands are warm! At the last minute, I swapped carry-on bags, shoved that flute in, and covered the part that stuck out, with a “piccolo cozy” to protect it. Turns out, it was the most important flute for “No More Words” and sounded absolutely fabulous that day.
  
  A few secrets are embedded in both of these songs. The bird calls are a tribute to my Mom, who was an avid birdwatcher all her life, and much more so towards the end, when she was no longer able to walk. Before I even recorded the bird-calls, I literally mapped out their positions (tree #1, tree # 2), etc. in the Dolby-Atmos room, and the resulting bird conversations are present in both songs. However, in No More Words, there are also overhead “hawk screeches” - you will hear 3 fly overhead in the first “break” and 2 fly over in the second break. Each hawk stands for a member of my immediate family, and symbolizes the way the Native American flute can call forth spirits of both those in the visible world, and those who now live in the invisible world.
  
  Part 2 "Ashes to Ireland" is the second song from this session -released separately on July 14, 2023 ... more
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