| In 2003, Chuck Brown had a lot going on in his life. | | | | piano music. |
| His father's health was in decline and had been for | | | | By this time, his first album (released in 1997) was |
| a couple years. It seemed like he was suffering | | | | nearly out of print. His second album had found a |
| setback after setback. This meant that Chuck | | | | friendly audience in new age radio, and he was |
| was spending a good deal of time every day in | | | | trying to find time to finish his third album while his |
| hospitals, convalescent centers, doctor's offices | | | | father was still around to hear it. Soon he had |
| and at physical rehab...and therefore, around | | | | added 16 songs to the site...and over the next |
| people whose lives were in some level of crisis. | | | | few months, those who had visited the site and |
| And he began to notice a common thread: | | | | downloaded the music started sending in their |
| "Everywhere people were spending lots of time, | | | | comments: |
| especially as their health declined...there was music. | | | | "I listened to your piano solo 'remind me to |
| People whose active memories had broken down | | | | breathe' and it brought tears to my eyes. (hard |
| and whose ability to communicate had seemingly | | | | for a guy to admit that)" |
| completely failed them would begin singing along | | | | "Thank you for your gracious gift of love through |
| with songs on the radio from their much younger | | | | your music. I work with Alzheimer's patients and |
| days. A man who had become unable to take any | | | | the soothing sounds you've enabled me to give to |
| further nourishment (but who had also asked that | | | | them is not only extremely therapeutic, but truly |
| no heroic measures be taken to keep him alive) | | | | a gateway to the soul. Your music has given a |
| was alone in a room accompanied day and night | | | | greater gift than you could know. Peace and |
| only by beautiful music playing at a rather high | | | | tranquility is a rarity amongst my friends at |
| volume on a boom box. It was all really quite | | | | Emmanuel. Thank you!!!" |
| striking." | | | | "I've enjoyed hearing you play. It is very soothing |
| Chuck Brown had been writing songs at that point | | | | and relaxing and your sound is very beautiful. I've |
| for nearly 30 years...releasing two albums of solo | | | | had a tough time since my surgery and my |
| piano music along the way, with a third one in the | | | | Mother has lost her Mother in death this year and |
| works. Now, if there's a style of music that | | | | her Father is on his death bed. This music is very |
| travels really well, appealing to all ages and to fans | | | | comforting right now. Thanks so much." |
| of most musical styles, it has to be solo piano | | | | "I teach emotionally disturbed and behaviorally |
| music. The new age style of piano music had | | | | disordered high schoolers. The power of your |
| taken form in the early 1980s with the release of | | | | music I downloaded from Healing Piano has an |
| George Winston's album, December...a collection of | | | | almost magical effect on my students. I've bought |
| Christmas standards rendered in gentle, flowing | | | | countless classical CD's, but I can put on one of |
| piano arrangements released on the | | | | these when I sense their tension rising and a |
| newly-formed Windham Hill record label. Others | | | | peace comes over them, anger dissipates and the |
| had followed over the years, including John Tesh | | | | most hyperactive and attention deficit of them all |
| and Jim Brickman. And Chuck Brown...who had | | | | are just...calm. I thank you." |
| found it a perfect vehicle for his melodic, inspiring | | | | There's no mystery here to Chuck Brown: "When |
| compositional style. | | | | I write music, I honestly am only a part of the |
| He was sitting in his father's hospital room when | | | | process of creating the music. Music comes from |
| the thought came to him: "Why not a gift of | | | | somewhere else...someONE else, I believe. I am |
| music...for those who are going through the kind | | | | touched so often by it myself. It's just a delight |
| of struggles that often separate us from human | | | | to hear from people who are touched by |
| contact? Those who are sick and bed-ridden at | | | | something that I was a part of creating. And I |
| the hospital or at home...those who are caring for | | | | love the fact that the internet means I can make |
| someone, or who have recently lost someone | | | | it available without an admission fee. We get |
| and are grieving...". And as he sat in the chair next | | | | gouged everywhere these days. Sure, it costs |
| to his father's bed, he logged on with his PDA and | | | | money to have a web site. But I make a little bit |
| discovered that the domain name was available. | | | | of money back on the site...and that's enough for |
| He registered it then and there....and over the | | | | me. The comments I get back about the music |
| next few days, put together a simple web site | | | | and the site are worth much more than big dollars |
| featuring free MP3 downloads of some of his solo | | | | or big record sales ever could be! |