"Seven short years ago Jennifer Haines began composing. For an aspiring musician waiting to see the fruit of her labors this can add up to a lifetime. I can tell you it was worth the wait. I had the pleasure of reviewing Christmas Magic, Jennifer’s holiday album, and the warmth and tenderness she exhibited on that album show up everywhere on this one. All the pieces of Thought & Dreams are solo piano works. Occasionally, Jennifer hit a series of notes that are reminiscent of The Lanz Style of Music. I say this in a complimentary fashion. Her overall style is light, sparkling and intricate. Such is the stuff that dreams are made of.
Dark clouds roll on the horizon and a briskened wind sweeps the leaves from the paths. The trees bow and sway as the music fills you with a sense of urgency and trepidation. The opening track The Storm Begins has a lot of movement in the notes. Raindrops the size of pennies begins to fall with a tap-tappet-ta sound on the top of your umbrella. Instinctively, you head for home and safety.
There is a pair of songs called Ocean - Atlantic and Pacific that are quite remarkable and you can hear countless stories in the tunes. Jennifer does an excellent job of turning the past into music. You can hear about the Atlantic, a corridor between America and Europe that is dark green, violent and full of history and myth. It is the rough carpet that was crossed by explorers and armadas by the score and immigrants by the millions with the idea of discovery and hope fresh on the crest of every wave. The Pacific is clear blue, vast and a bottomless bowl to the hungry of several continents. It is a living breathing entity filled with unfathomable trenches and sleeping volcanoes. It is Mother Nature’s ongoing project.
Desert Beautiful is a favorite. It is the sound of hidden beauty and hope. For some the desert is a dry, ugly place with miles and miles of nothingness. To the practiced eye it is place of cactus colonies with outstretched arms, rainbow rock formations that delight the eye and life small and large that thrives despite the unfavorable odds. The sky may well be the color of God’s eyes.
There is something exciting about having a feeling and rushing to the door on a cold winter’s night and getting a surprise. The porch light makes sparkling whites jewels out of the millions of snowflakes that come tumbling silently in the soft illumination. The music you should be listening to is Jennifer’s tune Flurries. By morning Nature will have donned her spotless white mantel to the delight of all.
Finally almost at day’s end is Twilight. The bright orange-red ball of light falls from sight as the earth turns over for the night. The sun gives the earth a final goodnight kiss and the sky blushes with a rosy glow. It is an instance where time slows and hands and hearts touch with emotion. Jennifer’s passionate piano offers a sweet, but reluctant goodnight as well. This is another of my favorite tunes.
Jennifer Haines began her musical career at the age of three. Singing her own songs for self-amusement. She lost the passion briefly, but began again in earnest at sixteen and taught herself to play piano. It is apparent that she had an apt teacher. She began composing in 1999 and has seven albums to her credit. Artist, composer, guitar player and soccer mom. We can hear her faith and passion in her music, but where does she get the energy?"
RJ Lannan
New Age Reporter
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