"Harmony Grove" is derived from my rural life experiences over the past year. Living in the pastoral countryside of Pennsylvania has brought great delight and pleasure to me. Songs such as "Natures Fury", "The Chicken Chase" and "Halfway There" are musical interpretations of my immediate natural surrounding, from the henhouse out back to the Applachian Trail nearby. The compositions in the album Harmony Grove were motivated by two core things: personal events over the past year and writing songs into which I could integrate new techniques I have been experimenting with. Overall, the year has brought a great deal of joy and some sorrow. The song First Light is about the first light of dawn coming through our bedroom's 9 foot picture window, waking us to the day. The Reluctant Ballerina was written about a timid, reluctant dancer coming into her own as the music sets her free, something which anyone with a true love for music can understand. On a more somber note, the song Elementals was written as my mother's illness progressed to her passing away, and the song Rising expresses the peace and relief of her transition. Nature's Fury is about an approaching thunderstorm, expressing the feeling you get while looking at the ominous dark cloud in the distance and hearing the rumbling thunder and seeing the flash of lightning. Last but not least, The Chicken Chase paints a picture of our chickens as they scurry about, chasing each other for the tastiest morsels of food. The cover art is done by Renee Hippensteel and is a stylized portrayal of our life in the country. Some songs on this CD are available in sheet music format as a pdf download. If you are interested in playing this music, go to the website www.gregmaroney.com for further details.