Downloads & CD
TROUBLE SLEEPING??? I wrote this composition intending to help those of us who need to solve the nighttime MONKEY MIND problem. This is known as a situation where we think too much about everything the moment we lie down to sleep at night. Because of these busy thoughts, we cannot sleep, and the reason is that….ALL THE THOUGHTS IN OUR MIND are raucously jumping like monkeys from thought to thought and branch to branch! This piece is intended as a descriptive antidote and the performance notes say: 1:30 AM-your head on a pillow wishing for sleep... Your disjunct thoughts swing from branch to branch as you think of... friends....jobs....grades....family....rent....love....tuition....savings....politics.... income....insurance....arguments....guitar strings!!! HELP!!!! This frantic thought-filled B section is illustrated by crazy, scalar musical antics we all relate to as our loyal antithesis known as insomnia. I have performed this work as a solo guitarist, and also with guitar, poet, violin, and percussion. You are welcome to play it however you choose, and with whatever instrumental configuration you may desire. When we play this work, we are all about helping our fellow humans overcome insomnia difficulties which so seriously affect so many of our lives. When this B section ends your thoughts turn to think nothing...then we have a musical moment of silence. Try Again.....The guitar, or guitar and violin and other instruments commence now to play a sweet and gentle recapitulation which is void of the Monkey Mind problems. Finally you sleep. So there you are. See how much that Helped you get your rest! Thank you for listening to and reading about my composition. I hope it helped defeat your insomniac adversaries, and my wish is that you gained a restful night of valuable sleep!
HAIKU I: IF ONLY...
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From Two Haikus for solo guitar.
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To life and death.....
Love in a mem'ry, will caress the sharp edged pair
Only, if only.......
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Recording Studio
Dos Almas and
Bruce Wheelock, Flying Whale Studios
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Producer, Mastering & Sheet Music Notation
Richard Altenbach, Bachiosuarus Studios
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Video Production
Petrina Olson, Zen Ritual Creative Services
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Haiku I poses the question: IF ONLY. If only something would have happened in our lives another way, Or if it would not have happened at all, then maybe we would not have experienced the sharp-edged pain. As the Haiku and my composition express, only the memory of love can continually caress and soften the sharp edges of pain.
HAIKU II: WATER, WIND & STONE
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To my Fellow Travelers:
"a strong wind rushes
to stone mountains, cliffs, deserts
again and again"
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Recording Studio
Dos Almas and
Bruce Wheelock, Flying Whale Studios
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Producer, Mastering & Sheet Music Notation:
Richard Altenbach, Bachiosuarus Studios
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Video Production
Petrina Olson, Zen Ritual Creative Services
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As a musician and guitarist for over 30 years, I have generally played other Composer's music. A few years ago, I began writing my own original pieces which have since developed into a newer and more modern sound. I decided to re-title my compositions as "Innovative Guitar" rather than Classical Guitar. While much of the older "Classical Guitar" music is beautiful, with these compositions you can hear an innovative style of guitar composition and playing.
REFLECTIONS 911
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My best and most emotional instrumental description of the reflections of family members and our society in the USA after the Ground Zero event in New York City, arranged for Guitar, Violin and Cello.
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Recording Studio
Dos Almas Studios & Larry Uzelac at Playland Studios in Auburn, California
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Producer, Mastering & Sheet Music Notation
Richard Altenbach, Bachiosuarus Studios
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Video Production
Petrina Olson, Zen Ritual Creative Services
Reflections 911 is dedicated to our millions of people who lost family, friends, and loved ones in one of the most shocking events in the history of the United States. I rewrote this Reflections piece which was based on and is an excerpt from my substantially larger composition called September Eleventh. I wrote September Eleventh for solo guitar in San Francisco in 2001. This short excerpt became a solo guitar piece called Ground Zero. For this recording I rearranged Ground Zero, re-titled it Reflections 911 for additional instruments. I chose this ensemble of guitar, violin and cello, because I felt it most effective for expressing these emotions in music. Now, several years later, we are able to reflect on how this sad day has forever changed the way we live our lives. As citizens of the world, we must continue to remember that only through reflections on our past can we strive to move forward and be a society that values life, liberties, freedom, art and music.
I offer deep gratitude to my fantastic producer Richard Altenbach. Richard’s superb violin performance is captured on this recording. Also thanks to the distinguished cellist, Susan Lamb Cook, for her lovely cello performance recorded here. This wonderful arrangement was done by Philip Rothman, New York City, New York.
THE TWELVE MOMENTS
for Solo Guitar
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Twelve excerpts (Twelve Moments) from the larger 3 movement work "THE PEACE CONCERTO."
These are selected miniatures illustrating a short young life of a young man. Dedicated to Alexander Louis Johnson and his son.
Thanks to Dos Almas Studios,
Bruce Wheelock at Flying Whale Studios,
Richard Altenbach@richardaltenbach.com
Allen Muresan & Petrina Olson of Zen Ritual Creative Services for filming and video production.
And of course Alex for spending some time with us!
Louis has arranged “Twelve Moments” from“The Peace Concerto” for use by young guitarists in their application for scholarships for the Alexander L. Johnson Educational Guitar Scholarship to help further their careers.
WALKING THE YUBA RIVER/
SACRED PLAY
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Composed and performed by:
Louis Valentine Johnson
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"Sacred Play" original watercolor by:
Jerianne Van Dijk
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Videography & Editing by:
Ivey Cone
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SONG OF THE BIRDS
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Pablo Casals' legendary cello piece
"Song of the Birds"
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Arranged for classical guitar by
Louis Valentine Johnson, by permission of
Tetra Music Corporation
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Recording Engineer Richard Altenbach
Camera Brendan Brooks & Jim Heck
Editor Gerald Martin Davenport, Ariapictures.com
Reflector Justin Brooks
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"We are all leaves on a tree, and the tree is all humanity. A musician, as every man, must take part in the movement of the world." — Pablo Casals