Harlan Mark Vale

Without music, there is no life. I am also spirit. The journey that got me to this realization is also the journey that created the album, Bright Angel. The music I have created here is a free-flowing river of the Divine expressing itself through me.

My formal music training began at The Evergreen State College in Washington State in the 70’s, where I studied electronic music and audio engineering. Later, I performed with Trillium, The New Art Orchestra, and others creating free improvisational jazz and experimental genres playing piano, synthesizer and percussion.

After years of playing and recording electronic music covering many genres, I have finally returned to my beginnings; the piano. This is where my hearts speaks to me most clearly.

The album title, “Bright Angel” came about after spending time at the Grand Canyon. There is a feature in the canyon called Bright Angel Point as well as a trailhead by the name of Bright Angel Trail. These features are moving and inspiring by their very nature. While at the canyon, I discovered a baby grand piano on the mezzanine above the lobby at the El Tovar Hotel, situated on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was here that I gave birth to the music portrayed on the Bright Angel CD. These pieces are my attempt to capture the majesty and serenity I feel being and performing at the Grand Canyon.

As an interesting aside, I have conducted home studies of the music on the Bright Angel CD using standard muscle testing techniques. Listeners test stronger during and after listening to this music than they do before. I would be curious to find out if these results could be duplicated by others under more controlled conditions.

The journey to this point has been long and winding, but worth the wait. I finally feel that the Universe and I are playing the same piano. Nothing on the album have I written, it’s more that I am allowing the music to emerge from me fully formed. My job is to make the Divine connection, step out of the way and become the conduit for creative exploration.