Credits
All songs written by Tom Penhale
All songs co-produced by Tom Penhale and Elizabeth Lorrey except:
"Going Deeper, Rising Higher" and "Leap Time" produced by Tom Penhale
Vocals, Flute, Electric wind instrument (EWI), Percussion recorded at Lofty Goals
Acoustic guitar, Keyboards recorded at Lorrey Sounds
Drums for all songs recorded at Chillhouse Recording Studio except:
Drums for "Right Here, Right Now" and "From the Void" recorded at Copperhead Studios
Photography by Randi Freundlich Photography and Meira Appell
Cover art by Tom Penhale
Credits for individual songs
Right Here Right Now and
From the Void:
Tom Penhale - Vocals, Flute, Electric wind instrument (EWI)
Elizabeth Lorrey - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards
Greg Tourian - Drums
Positive Addiction:
Tom Penhale - Vocals, Flute, Electric wind instrument (EWI)
Elizabeth Lorrey - Keyboards
Seth Botos - Drums
Background vocals: Bella Brewer, Ellis Cohen, Anne Goodwin, Jane Lanzillo
Going Deeper, Rising Higher:
Tom Penhale - Flute, Electric wind instrument (EWI)
Seth Botos - Drums
Leap Time:
Tom Penhale - Vocals, Flute, Electric wind instrument (EWI), Percussion
Elizabeth Lorrey - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards
Daniel Dischino - Drums
Background vocals: Bella Brewer, Ellis Cohen, Anne Goodwin, Jane Lanzillo, Chris Nauman, Jessica Richman, Stazya Richman
One of my biggest heroes is Joanna Macy. Since she wrote “Despair and Personal Empowerment in the Nuclear Age” back in 1983, I have drawn much strength and inspiration from Joanna’s writing and empowering Work that Reconnects exercises.
More recently, the writing of Charles Eisenstein, particularly his “The More Beautiful World our Hearts Know is Possible”, has given me a new perspective on how our interconnectedness can enlighten and empower us as we face our daunting planetary crisis.
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The recording of The Leap has been quite a journey. It started with me writing the lyrics as I recorded vocals, flute and EWI tracks as the backbone for the songs. Trying to find the right person or people to play the chordal instruments wasn't easy. I went to a number of open mics, erasing the flute and vocal tracks as I accompanied the EWI tracks. I met some great musicians and people there that I look forward to reconnecting with at some point.
Things took off when I came across Elizabeth Lorrey. What a lucky day that was! Always a pleasure to work with, her enthusiasm for my music kept things afloat when things got a little bogged down. Playing both acoustic guitar and a wide array of keyboards, she picked my songs apart with a fine tooth comb as a co-producer, while she lay down her tasteful tracks.
I experimented with three drummers, both remote and local, and the results were magnificent! There are some tricky twists and turns in these songs and they had the patience and talent to handle them.
And the background vocalists - what a great group of talented singers they were, squeezing into my little studio, and one by one, singing their hearts out! It was such a joy to have worked with them on Positive Addiction and Leap Time. You certainly answered to the call in stirring fashion!
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While I breath a big sigh of relief as this EP is released to the world, I don't see it as an end to the project. There is a story line running through these songs that I would like to fill out with new songs, some that are near completion. I see this being much more than just a collection of songs. An interactive theatrical production is one possibility. I have had ideas percolating for many years, going back to my screenwriting days, that I'd love to explore with others. I look forward to your responses to the songs, whatever they may be, and I welcome your ideas!
I want to thank Will Holland at Chillhouse Recording Studio for his patience and skillful mixing and mastering of these songs.
And finally, a special thanks goes out to those dear to me who kept me going through some challenging times, spurring me on as I took this leap of faith. I don't know what the next chapter of my life will be, but I sure hope that there's plenty of music-making in it as we take a spirited leap into the future!