HERB ERNST'S INTUITIVE MUSIC ********* The Dreamflight Trilogy is a collection of music whose themes were derived while Herb was in a meditative state. Some pieces were played in their entirety only once, without composition or rehearsal. Others came in "sections" and were only later arranged into a particular chosen sequence. The Trilogy is the result of an attempt to capture via recorded media the sounds, images and feelings Herb perceived while in a meditative state. Each album in the Trilogy was written for a specific purpose. Dreamflight, released in 1986, was written for relaxation. Dreamflight II, released in 1987, was designed for meditation. The capstone of the Trilogy, Dreamflight III, released in 1990, was created for inspiration. Other albums include: • Diamond Soul, that focuses on attaining inner peace through balancing all aspects of our being by achieving clarity, purity and Wholeness via a conscious connection with the Universal Divine Love-Intelligence; • Angels and Ecstasy, that musically combines sacred spirituality with passionate sensuality to facilitate the energizing and balance of these fundamental aspects of our nature; • Bringers of the Dawn, that facilitates contact with the Inner Child; and • Lightrider, a work-in-progress that will facilitate personal spiritual empowerment. These albums again demonstrate the spectacular range of Herb’s musical talents and the use of tonal symbols Herb employs to reach listeners at their innermost spiritual levels. Herb's music has inspired many. Shirley MacLaine was so impressed with Herb’s music that she used "The Light of Forever" from Dreamflight II on her video Inner Workout. For her double audiocassette Going Within, she included "The Light of Forever" again, and also selected "Prima Materia," "Ascension" and "Song of the Soul," all from Dreamflight III – a total of quarters of the music heard on the album. Herb's music, having wide audience appeal, was selected as the entire soundtrack for the video and audiotape Meditation for Stress Reduction, narrated by Robert A. Schuller of television's Crystal Cathedral fame. Herb has been heard on many major radio programs, including: Spa on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Digital Music Express (DMX), Musical Starstreams, Across the Universe, Hearts of Space, Imaginary Voyage, and Echoes to name a few. Herb produces his high quality albums through his own recording label Musical Voyages. Paul Speer (of Natural States fame and who has collaborated with David Lanz and Tangerine Dream and many others), mixed all three albums of The Dreamflight Trilogy. Herb Ernst has produced unique music that has touched all walks of life with both its delicate and powerful qualities. As he continues to evolve, so his music does also. Through the careful use of specific synthesized sounds to create tonal symbols, his music creates a magical space for the heart, mind and soul. ********* LINER NOTES FROM ALBUM COVERS Dreamflight Dreamflight captures the mind and opens the heart to delightful melodies of a deeply sensitive nature. Gentleness and serenity bring together a masterful work that facilitates the Knowingness within and creates a peaceful relaxation that remains even after the music is finished. Whether serious or lighthearted, this music will enchant you! 1. Awakening Stars Listen 2. Candlelighting Listen 3. Sea Quest Listen 4. Liquid Indigo Listen 5. Celestial Descent Listen 6. Celestial Ascent Listen 7. Voyage into Silence Listen 8. (a) The Voyager 9. (b) The Silence 10. (c) The Return Dreamflight II Dreamflight II joyfully ascends toward the Source of all Creation as it takes us on a meditative journey into deeper realms of love, wisdom and joy, evoking soaring images that bring inspiration and delight. Peaceful and uplifting melodies stream through the mind, springing from internal realms of love, wisdom, beauty and joy. This album magically captivates the hearts and minds of its listeners! Dreamflight III In the conceptual structure of The Dreamflight Trilogy, Dreamflight opens our hearts to enchanting melodies of a sensitive nature, facilitating a peaceful relaxation that remains even after the music is finished. Dreamflight II takes us on a meditative journey into deeper realms of love, wisdom and joy, creating soaring images that bring inspiration and delight. Dreamflight III joyously celebrates the beauty and majesty of Life Itself, musically weaving together the Inner Realm of spiritual awakening with the outer realms of everyday reality, opening us to a greater awareness of our personal Power. Bringers of the Dawn “The Angel of Comfort must surely inhabit the synthesizer of Herb Ernst. Herb’s music is breathtaking in its shimmering radiance, eternal in its celestial scope, and healing in its heartwarming connections. A salve straight from Heaven.” -- Carol Wright, Music Reviewer, NAPRA REVIEW Herb Ernst (creator of the classic Dreamflight Trilogy) again shares his intimate, intuitive Comfort Music inspired from his inner journeying. He explains: The morning dawn has symbolized the awakening of higher awareness, a new beginning, the overcoming of darkness and fear and entering into light, love and hope – a spiritual new day. Bringers of the Dawn refers to those angelic, spiritual beings who offer us comfort and support to help us enter that new day. Some people call these beings angels (referring to beings of high spiritual consciousness, or messengers or thoughts from God). Personally, I believe that we are all “angelic” in our innermost nature and when we express love, comfort and support for each other (and ourselves) we, too, are angels bringing a new dawn to our planet. The music on this album ranges from complex, passionate rhapsodies to childlike serene lullabies. The inspiration for this album was to create music of such an angelic, rapturous nature that the listener could resonate with it at one’s deepest soul level, thereby deriving a restorative sense of inner peace and comfort (i.e., a “spiritual lullaby”) from the experience. (Although “lullaby” usually refers to music used to quiet children, lullabies aren’t just for children anymore, but also for the Inner Child in us all.) In this music, I endeavored to express, through a multitude of synthesized textures and classic instrumentation, a feeling of angelic rapture that would carry the listener to the deepest heart levels where a sense of inner peace and comfort would, in turn, bring the dawn of spiritual light to restore the soul. Angels and Ecstasy Euphoric and rapturous, this romantic music touches your soul. Your intimate moments will radiate and glow with a deeper and more spiritual understanding of love after listening to Angels and Ecstasy. Piano, strings and choir with vocal selections from the angel of song, Unita, will carry to a magic place where passionate physicality and ecstatic spirituality become one. This deeper understanding and feeling of love will lead you to find an elevated level of spirituality that brings tears of joy and peace as you listen to the beautiful music that connects you directly into a higher level of understanding and true passionate loving. Don’t let your life pass by without hearing this album! “….It is like a soft, hazy, neon-like glow of a very deep, beautiful, everlasting, spiritual love. My dear friends, this is one of the most peaceful, exquisite and loving feelings possible to feel, as long as we are on this planet. This is your gift from Angels and Ecstasy.” -- fan S.K.’s comments Herb Ernst first created The Dreamflight Trilogy and this was followed by a new "angel trilogy" project, of which Angels and Ecstasy is the second recording (Bringers of the Dawn being the first). The third album is in progress. The music of Angels and Ecstasy was intended to facilitate the listener's achieving a balance between the opposite polarities of the physical and the spiritual and, in so doing, actually integrate these energies into a state of being higher than either one of these facets of ourselves can achieve singularly. By blending these energies together, we at last become the "whole" person that we are capable of becoming instead of being less that we can be because of denying one or the other fundamental characteristics of our being. For example, by denying our physical selves in an effort to become spiritual, we weaken ourselves by becoming out of balance with the creative nature of the universe. And conversely, by denying our spiritual selves in an effort to immerse ourselves in physical pleasure, we miss out on the spiritual exaltation and rapture that comes from nurturing the inner soul. Both polarities are required for achieving a state of completeness and integrated harmony with the universe. The musical selections on the album alternate between these two polarities and then are finally synergistically merged together in the explosively passionate, ascending power of the last song "The Joining” – hence the inspiration for the title of the album. ********* TONAL SYMBOLS OF INTUITIVE MUSIC Copyright in 1986 by Herb Ernst / All Rights Reserved Musical Voyages / P. O. Box 2864 / Blairsville, GA 30512-2864 / 706-363-7506 / herbernst@msn.com SOUND ARCHETYPAL SYMBOL Harp (and/or Guitar) Simplicity; Purity; “Return to the Source;” Eternal, Original Vibrations or Original Power Sound (i.e., “The Word”) Soaring/Shimmering Strings Radiating Vital Life Force; the Aura; Streaming Thought Energy; Flowing Emotions Such as Love Chimes and Bells Focused/Directed Thought Energy; Manifestation; Clarity; Concentrated Vital Life Force; Affirmations, Goals; Achievements Brass Horns Spiritual Awakening; Masculine Power Reed Instruments Vulnerability; Quiet Inner Strength Flutes Nurturing; Gentleness; Openness; Healing; Feminine Energy Drums Power, Strength; Heartbeat; Life Choir Angelic Presences and Forces; The Higher Self; Heaven Cathedral Organ “The Voice of God” Piano The Gamut of Human Experience, from Lowest to Highest; “Everyman” Sitar The Mystery and Power of Consciousness Ascending Scales and Arpeggios Uplifting of Consciousness; Cosmic Attunement; Energy Transfers from Physical World to Spiritual World Descending Scales and Arpeggios Influx of Divine Power into Matter and/or into Humanity Minor Scales and Chords Introspection; “Centering;” “Processing;” “Going Within;” Feminine Receptivity; Dissolution; “Negative” Polarity of the Universe Major Scales and Chords Expansion of Consciousness; Spiritual Empowerment; Feminine and Masculine Creation; “Positive” Polarity of the Universe Trills Cosmic Vibrations; Universal Energy Water Sounds Stream of Consciousness Wind Sounds Astral Flight; Freedom of the Soul and/or Spirit Reverberation and Echo Effects Limitlessness of Space, Time and Consciousness Tempo Acceleration Quickening of Awareness; Making Physical, Mental, Emotional, Psychic or Spiritual “Connections;” Manipulation of Time Waves (e.g., Going so Fast that Everything Seems to Stop) Tempo Deceleration Merging with Universal Consciousness; Manipulation of Time Waves (e.g., Going so Slow that Everything Seems to Stop) ********* JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM IN THE DREAMFLIGHT TRILOGY Copyright in 1986 by Herb Ernst / All Rights Reserved Occasionally someone asks me if the Bible has played a role in my music. The answer is yes, my music is replete with Biblical references, including (but not necessarily limited to) the following songs and the corresponding event, symbol, reference, inspiration, quote or concept: SONG TITLE BIBLICAL INSPIRATION From Dreamflight: 1. "Awakening Stars" The Star of Bethlehem 2. "Candlelighting” The Christ Child in the manger 3. "Sea Quest" The Sea of Galilee 4. "Liquid Indigo" Christ’s calming the turbulent waters 5. "Celestial Descent" Moses descending Mount Sinai 6. "Celestial Ascent" Prayer; touching the Kingdom of God 7. "Voyage into Silence" “The Kingdom of Heaven is within.” From Dreamflight II: 1. “Gaia’s Song” The Garden of Eden 2. “Galaxy Delight” “A great wonder appeared in Heaven: Behold! A Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet, and on her head – a crown of twelve stars!” [Revelation] 3. “The Crystal Forest” “Be like the lilies of the field.” 4. “Ancient Castles, Secret Mists” Christ’s personal struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane (“Take this cup from Me.”) 5. “The Light of Forever” Christ’s overcoming the fear of the Trial and Crucifixion; “Lo, I will be with you always…” 6. “Midnight Ocean Reflections” “I will make you fishers of men.” 7. “Silver Aura” Angels’ Halos; Christ’s Transfiguration 8. “The Healing” Christ’s Healing Power 9. “Reverence” (a.k.a. “Shannon’s Song”) The “Peace that passeth understanding” From Dreamflight III: 1. “The Enchanted Dance” The Joy of Life in God’s Love 2. “Crystal Echoes” The innocence and purity of Mother Mary 3. “Prima Materia” The Joy of God’s Creation 4. “Song of the Rose” Christ’s overcoming the devil’s temptation 5. “Ascension” Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension 6. “The Freedom of Forgiveness” “Forgive them Father; they know not what they do.” 7. “Shimmering Wings” A flight of Heavenly Hosts; Angels 8. “The Monastery” The Essenes; the Catacombs beneath Rome 9. “Song of the Soul” The Truth of the Higher Self Musical Voyages, Inc. P. O. Box 2864 Blairsville, GA 30512-2864 USA Tel.: 706-363-7506 herbernst@msn.com ********* Some Personal Notes on the Music…. The way in which music can so closely describe the various states of consciousness has always fascinated me. Just as thoughts are patterns of intelligence, so, too, is music the result of superimposing patterns of a higher intelligence onto the energy of sound. “Patterns of Intelligence” can manifest on physical, mental, emotional, intuitive and spiritual levels. I feel that most contemporary music is designed to appeal to the physical and intellectual, rather than the spiritual, parts of our being. Consequently, a significant part of ourselves is neglected and unfulfilled. The Dreamflight Trilogy is the result of an endeavor that began as a desire to nourish the higher aspects of our nature through music. I sincerely hope this music “works” for you. Your comments would be respected and appreciated. Herb Ernst ********* AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL WHO SUPPORT SPIRITUAL MUSIC AND OTHER LIFE-AFFIRMING ENDEAVORS..... If you enjoy the kind of music I create, you’re part of very small niche. Just wander through the media section of a “big box” retail store and look at the type of video and audio media that’s displayed. What’s easily available to the general public is not this kind of music. And that’s really sad. It says something about our society and even our species. You can find violent, life-denying, morbid, spirit-crushing recordings just by taking a few steps, but to find this kind of genre, you have to go on a quest. If you’re reading this now, you’re actually on a quest, aren’t you? You’re looking for something positive. You’re seeking something life-affirming, encouraging, strengthening, peace-sustaining, health-giving, thought-provoking and heart-inspiring – without the narrow-minded, dogmatic, judgmental mind-controlling political/religious spin that bombards us from every angle, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to just flow with the natural creative energy of the Universe instead of having to battle your way through your day – whether it’s on the highway, at the office, in your neighborhood, in your family – wherever? Of course it would. And so you’re on a quest to find that flow. So, welcome to the very small niche of people whose lives actually don’t revolve around the Super Bowl or NASCAR or Saturday night wrestling or political pundits or talk radio or whatever the latest scandal in the tabloids is. And there are also people who want to share their quests with you, in the hope that their trailblazing will help you on your journey. And as you’re aided, you, in turn, can pay it forward and help the next seeker on their quest. So when you find a fellow seeker/journeyer/questor on their path, let them know what works for you. Spread the word. You don’t have to proselytize; just share your experiences. Tell about the art, movies, books and music that bring light into your day. There are artists, authors, poets, musicians, therapists, and spiritually-oriented teachers who would be grateful to you for helping them to spread the light. And in so doing, you spread your light, don’t you? And that small niche just got a little bigger. ********* THE LIFE SYMPHONY Music is a reflection of life. Music can range from harsh to tender, frenzied to peaceful, fearful to empowered, desperate to enraptured, as can we, in Life. As a composer weaves notes and chords into rhythms, phrases and melodies to create music, so, too, do we weave into our lives the thoughts, emotions and lessons learned to create our own personal “music.” As our lives continue, our music grows and develops into a kind of “Life Symphony.” That Symphony can be a cacophony of unresolved emotions, unfocused energies and unfulfilled dreams, or it can be a work of splendor and magnificence – depending on how we have organized, interpreted and integrated the day-by-day experiences of our lives. Our Life Symphony is a collection of many “themes” composed over a lifetime of personal experience. The following guide, patterned after the Prayer of Saint Francis, may be helpful in creating the “music” for your personal Life Symphony: Where there is discord, let your music bring harmony. Where there is uncertainty, let your music bring confidence. Where there is sickness, let your music bring healing. Where there is chaos, let your music bring peace. Where there is sorrow, let your music bring joy. Where there is loneliness, let your music bring love. Where there is need for spiritual attunement, let your music be The Song of God. Blessings, Herb Ernst April 20, 1987 ********* HERB ERNST Herb is a composer and musician from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. His focus is to produce gentle, intuitive music to aid in the healing of our wonderful world. Jack Clarke, author of Life After Grief -- A Soul Journey After Suicide, said of Herb: "When meeting him, the source of his marvelous music is better understood, for Herb Ernst is an extraordinary spiritual being. Perhaps that is why Shirley MacLaine chose his music for three-fourths of her Going Within double audiocassette. His Dreamflight Trilogy is one of the finest sets of New Age music tapes ever created." Herb was born in San Diego, California, on March 11, 1950. He began piano lessons at age eight. As his father was in the military, the family traveled extensively in both Europe and the United States. Herb entered college to study music but became bored with structured musical ideas and methodology. As a new social awareness was developing in the 1960's, he changed his major from music to sociology and graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1972. In 1977, he returned to school to earn an Associate of Science degree in electronics. Herb then began to experiment with combining his knowledge of electronics and music. In his youth, Herb developed an interest in metaphysics and a love for meditation. With meditation he explored new musical forms and the possibilities of using music for meditative purposes. With his sociological perspective and background in psychology coupled with his musical prowess and electronics expertise, Herb has achieved a unique integration of metaphysics, meditation, music and electronics and, through this process, has been able to attune with deeper levels of sensitivity to create music that incorporates tonal symbols to create intuitive meaning to enable the listener to commune and communicate with the Higher Self.