Ancora Imparo

In advance of my new release I have been working on some remixes to add as bonus tracks to the physical CD.  Another sample is below which you are free to download and share.

A lot has changed since I first began recording music back in 1996.  Physical CDs were a lot more expensive to produce and more people purchased them than they do today.  There was no such thing as Pandora, Spotify, I Heart Radio or any number of other online platforms to promote music.  But, while there have been many changes the ultimate goal for all recording artists has remained the same: to have their music reach as wide an audience as possible.

With that goal in mind my newest release, titled Saoirse Cnoc, will be freely available as a digital download.  I hope you will listen to the songs, enjoy them, and share with as many people as you can.  I will be making the music available on several different online platforms including Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Bands.com.  Each site is linked with many social media platforms making it very easy for listeners to share tracks with others.  If you like what you hear I ask that you please share!

In order to reach the listeners on Pandora I will also be making a physical CD available through Amazon (this is a requirement to be considered for Pandora).  I understand that some people (myself included) still like having a physical CD with cover art, liner notes, and other material.  So, these will be available for a small price.  Each CD will also contain an access code to a website where you can access special bonus tracks not available on the CD.  I will also be posting additional material there including videos.

Recording music is not by day job or even my night job!  I record music because I enjoy it and I am happy to be able to make music available for you to listen to.  More and more artists these days are independent and not associated with any record label That means that in order for them to continue recording they need listener support.  

At this point, I just want listeners!  Feel free to email me with comments and feedback.  I would love to hear what you think about my music!

A new track from my forthcoming album Saoirse Cnoc titled Fear Siubhail (gaelic for “the traveller”).

Saoirse Cnoc (gaelic for “Liberty Hill”) is the title of my latest collection of original new age instrumental compositions.   
The new CD of original music titled Saoirse Cnoc is currently in production.  The CD will contain 14 new original compositions which will combine elements of electronic, lounge, and Gaelic musical styles.  As always with my original music there is a strong emphasis on melody, upbeat grooves, and ambient accompaniment.  

As an added feature of this release I am making a number of bonus features available including exclusive background information on the music, the stories behind the titles and composition process, as well as exclusive additional tracks and videos.   

Please help me spread the music by sharing and liking as I post new tracks.  I welcome your thoughts and feedback as well!

In a recent article titled “Wasting Young Minds,” Paul Krugman criticizes Mitt Romney ‘s advice to young people:  “Take a shot, go for it, take a risk, get the education, borrow money if you have to from your parents, start a business.”   Predictably, Krugman laments the inability of students to pay for education in these days of high tuition costs and shrinking state and federal dollars available for financial aid.  His solution seems to be to spend more money we don’t have to fund student’s financial aid.  Like many things we do and could fund there is every reason to believe that helping students find the money for college is a noble goal.  But, where is the money going to come from?  And, there’s another more important point that needs to be made.  Students do not need money (or at least not as much as is being demanded from state and federal governments) to get an education.

The point I think both Romney and Krugman miss in their evaluation of education and their advice is the vast amount of change that has made more and more knowledge freely available in ways it has never been available before.Consider just some of the avenues available for learning without college:

iTunes U: Courses rom colleges all over the nation are available for free through iTunes.
YouTube EDU:  Likewise, Youtube now has a vast library of educational videos.
Academic Earth: More free videos
Zero Tuition College; A website dedicated to connecting young people who are seeking an education outside of the college environment.
Udemy: A website which offers some free and many low-cost courses on many subjects.

I could list even more resources but the point is there are options unlike never before for students who cannot afford to go to college.  I know the critics of these options will say that without the possibility of earning a credential these resources do little for students.  But, what they provide is the knowledge that many employers are now seeking.  In a world where more and more people are getting a college degree, the value of these degrees will only hold up if those who hold them actually have the knowledge that the degree symbolizes.  Those who can show that they have the knowledge and the skills without the degree have never had more opportunities to compete than they have now.

It’s easy to criticize the lack of financial resources and tempting to hold out hope for more help from outside.  I have colleagues where I teach who make the same arguments.  ”If only we had more money.”  ”If only the government would spend less on other things and more on education.”  But, what we need is an attitude much different.  We need to be thinking about what we can do without waiting for others to act or spend money.  Yes, it’s unfortunate that resources are lacking.  OK.  So, what can we do without those resources to make a difference and improve education?  Are we willing to say that there is nothing we can do?  Is this the best we can offer?

Stop asking for other people’s money (money they don’t have) and start spending your own time and effort!