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Paul Lloyd Warner (PLW) began his studies of the piano at age 6. He continued his lessons though most of his childhood and when he entered the university, he was granted a 4 year scholarship to study advanced piano with the noted Los Angeles teacher, Esther Lipton. PLW studied with this great woman from ages 18 to 21. With her guidance, PLW became more refined in his piano playing, and much more technically proficient and interpretive. Esther Lipton provided the future composer with all the piano tools he needed to become the keyboard personality and expert he is today.
After his university and piano study years, PLW moved to Europe and studied art history in Florence Italy. It was in that beautiful old city that he also started to compose his first pieces for piano. He continued to compose after he moved to New York City where he also learned about the growing development of electronic music which was in its infancy in the 1960s.
When PLW moved to Maui, Hawaii in 1968, his piano music became influenced by the magnificent nature in the Islands. After years of hiking the mountains, swimming in hidden waterfalls, PLW’s musical style began to crystallize and form into what it is today. His unique and wondrous cascading notes of arpeggios forms his “waterfall music” style.
PLW was also studying natural healing in Hawaii and was able to adapt his music into a “healing music” effort that still characterizes his music today. Paul’s music is well known for its “healing” qualities evidenced by numerous testimonials of those who have used his music for years in the service of their personal health.
In 1976, PLW was given the privilege of being the first person in history to play piano music to Humpback Whales, “live” at sea. A white grand piano was put aboard a 78 foot sailboat along with a sophisticated sound system that would allow the Whales to hear the music underwater. When the boat met with the Whales, loudspeakers were placed underwater while PLW started to play the piano. The music was amplified so that the Whales could hear it. They swam around the boat for awhile, investigating the source of the sound, then they dived UNDERNEATH the boat and swam somersaults for several hours while PLW played his piano music to them. Underwater divers filmed this event and reported that it appeared that the Whales were engaging in an “underwater ballet”. Their response to the music was more than the producers of the film had hoped for. It appeared that the Whales had fully responded to PLW’s music and were thoroughly enjoying themselves. This event was a defining moment in the composer’s life.
After that, PLW immersed himself in music as a healing tool to help others. People would come to his studio where PLW recorded music specifically for them. He brought a Yamaha portable piano to a local hospital and sanitarium, into the bedrooms of people who were ill, often terminally, and play for them. He went to nursing homes and played for the patients and staff after lunch. The response he received from folks was overwhelmingly warm and encouraging. As Paul evolved his piano music, he realized that he had to accomplish two important objectives. The first was the making of music with both melody and harmony as an absolute standard. It HAD to be beautiful and real music. The second objective was that the music had to possess a healing, or curative effect. Through years of self-study, practice, working with people in his studio and in the field, PLW solidified his own style of music making, calling it “Waterfall Music”.
Paul had always loved waterfalls as one of nature’s most pristine and beautiful creations. The sound of water falling, the thrill of watching the water falling down, the freshness of the air and negative ionization that was produced in the atmosphere surrounding waterfalls, all influenced the composer to re-create and incorporate both the beauty as well as the healing properties of waterfalls into his piano music.
The Waterfall Music style became more widely known from the mid 1980s to the present. The composer sold his music at fairs, festivals, art shows, festivals and public events throughout the United States from 1984 to 1995. The music was very well received and it encouraged Paul to purchase third generation electronic synthesizer keyboards to orchestrate his music.
The transition from piano to electronic music propelled the artist into a whole new era of orchestral, instrumental and choral music. He would drive his keyboards and digital recording equipment in a 4 wheel drive van into nature, up to the mountains, into the deserts, by the ocean and create music in the wilderness. Using large truck batteries to power the sophisticated equipment, Paul composed and recorded much of his music in nature, impacted by the beauty surrounding him, creating symphonic masterpieces that were released on Compact Discs during the early 1990s.
PLW continued to composer music for healing and spiritual upliftment but now on electronic keyboards where he could faithfully reproduce the pure sound of the harp, or violin, flute, choirs and a number of other instruments.
These are the recordings that are included in the 6 CD MUSIC FOR PEACE, Collector’s Set. Each one has been selected for its musicality, performance excellence and healing qualities.
All of these works demonstrate a high degree of musicianship as well as the composer’s personal vision and spiritual awareness. Each CD is unique, unlike any other in the collection, and selected for its timeless beauty and perfection.
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