A Thoughtful Radio Program

Thank you to Jerry Nelms for his kind permission to post a portion of the notes from last week's radio broadcast.



Beyond The Lakes Playlist for November 9, 2008

Playlist
Music from Beyond the Lakes
Produced by Jerry Nelms and Namdar Mogharreban Sundays, 8-10 pm Central Time, USA WDBX, 91.1 FM, Carbondale, Illinois (www.wdbx.org) Streamed LIVE at wdbx.scientistsuperstar.com Listen by going to www.wdbx.org and click on "Listen"

This program featured music by Soulfood with Peter Schimke; Johan Agebjörn; Deuter; Gregory Kyryluk; Lydia McCauley; Jane Sibbery; Davol; Jeff Pearce; John Gregorius; William Ackerman; Michael Logozar; and Dan Kennedy.

November 9, 2008

“The Lessons of Honor and Dignity” (produced by Jerry Nelms)

Time: the morning after the 2008 election.

It’s almost like a dream—that Barrack Obama won the election. People were cheering in the streets, crying with joy, in spontaneous celebrations all over the country, all over the world, for that matter. It was a landslide victory, and Obama gave a wonderful speech in Grant Park in Chicago last night. And I am so delighted that my late-night anxieties the other night, my distrust in the American electorate turned out wrong. And I think, maybe, I was wrong about John McCain, too.

McCain gave a gracious concession speech in Arizona. Indeed, McCain’s speech marked for me his return to genuine honor. He said: I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too. But we both recognize that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound.

A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

That concession speech, to me, may have been the most meaningful thing said last night. As novelist Hermann Hesse once wrote, “It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see [others] and honor [them] for what [they are].” The lessons of honor and dignity continue to be taught—and sometimes, they spring from unlikely sources.

And so, this evening, let’s consider these important human values through a program of acoustic and electronic music entitled “The Lessons of Honor and Dignity.” We begin with this airy, contemplative music by Soulfood in collaboration with pianist Peter Schimke, from Serenity. We’ll continue with a confident piano and keyboard composition by Swedish librarian and electronic music artist Johan Agebjörn from Mossebo; dream-like piano and keyboard textures from native German multi-instrumentalist Deuter’s Atmospherics; and a lovely, lightly bittersweet melody by Gregory Kyryluk from Ephemeral Highways. In our second half-hour, we’ll hear two solemn tracks from Washington state pianist Lydia McCauley’s Quieting, also featuring Jami Sieber on cello; a short poem by singer-songwriter Jane Siberry, set to music by Morgan Fisher, from Siberry’s retrospective collection City; shimmering, gently flowing atmospherics by Johan Agebjörn, again from Mossebo; a richly textured radio mix of a new composition for a video project entitled Truth by Colorado electronic music artist Davol; and finally, shadowy ambience by Indiana Chapman Stick player and sound artist Jeff Pearce from Rainshadow Sky.

We’re contemplating “The Lessons of Honor and Dignity” on our program tonight, ongoing lessons in our own initiations, lessons that can come from unlikely sources and take us to the higher realms of our human nature and give us a glimpse Beyond the Lakes.

8:00-8:30pm

Soulfood – Serenity – Soulfood Music – 2002
“Harvest Moon”

Johan Agebjörn – Mossebo – Lotuspike – 2008
“Shoreline”

Deuter – Atmospherics – New Earth Records – 2008
“Four”

Gregory Kyryluk – Ephemeral Highways – Harmonic Resonance Recordings – 2005
“Tomorrows Journeys”

8:30-9:00pm

Lydia McCauley – Quieting – Brimstone Music – 2008
“Hawthorn”
“Cottonwood”

Jane Siberry – City – Sheeba Records – 2001
“Narrow Bridge/Millennium”

Davol – Truth – GIRA Sound – 2008
“Truth (radio mix)”

Jeff Pearce – Rainshadow Sky – Jeff Pearce Music – 2008
“Harvest Storms”

We’re contemplating the importance of honor and dignity on our program tonight, those sometimes seemingly antiquated names for beliefs and behaviors that speak to our higher human aspirations and values and how lessons of honor and dignity can sometimes come from unlikely sources.

We begin our second hour of these considerations with four sparkling compositions from the debut album of John Gregorius, Heaven and Earth.

Later, venerable guitarist, producer, and co-founder of Windham Hill Records, William Ackerman, will perform new recordings of two of his classic compositions, both from his new CD collection, Meditations. Deuter returns to begin our final half-hour with another coolly ethereal track from Atmospherics. We’ll also hear two delicate, bittersweet compositions by Canadian-born pianist Michael Logozar from Coming into View; and two lovely melodies by Amherst, Massachusetts, pianist Dan Kennedy from Lantern.

“The Lessons of Honor and Dignity,” tonight on Music from Beyond the Lakes.

9:00-9:30pm

John Gregorius – Heaven and Earth – 03e/Spotted Peccary – 2008
“Secret to Light”
“Mercy”
“Heaven & Earth”
“Sackcloth to Ashes”

William Ackerman – Meditations – Compass Records – 2008
“Processional”
“Hawk Circle”

9:30-10:00pm

Deuter – Atmospherics – New Earth Records – 2008
“Nine”

Michael Logozar – Coming into View – Michael Logozar – 2007
“Soaring”
“Waiting”

Dan Kennedy – Lantern – Dan Kennedy – 2007
“Ballad”
“Cycle”

Profile of Beyond the Lakes:

Music from Beyond the Lakes was first aired on Easter Sunday evening, 1996.

Jerry Nelms began as the show's sole producer and host. Namdar Mogharreban joined as co-host that summer and began producing his first programs in the fall. Beyond the Lakes airs eclectic new age and contemplative world music, both ambient and rhythmic; electronic and acoustic; instrumental and vocal. Beyond the Lakes is thematically programmed each week. Jerry's understanding of "new age" music: it provides a space for the imagination, and, so, can take many different forms but always functions in that way of allowing the listener space for the play of the imagination.

Contact Jerry at gnelms@verizon.net.

Send all promotional materials to the following:

Jerry Nelms
Beyond the Lakes
114 Magnolia Lane
Carbondale, Illinois 62903

Thanks to all musical artists for enriching our world!