Some reflections on music, kindness, and an album I hope will find its way into a few more hearts.
I’ve been thinking lately about a beautiful little piano album I created some time ago.
I released it under my musical name, Pitarra, with the rather unusual title The Mathematics of Loving-Kindness.
It hasn’t attracted much attention, although I think it’s some of the loveliest music I’ve created. And that’s understandable. I haven’t really done much to introduce it to the world.
But recently, I found myself listening to it again and remembering what inspired me to create it in the first place.
I wanted to explore a rather curious possibility.
Could music itself be constructed in such a way that listening might naturally encourage feelings of loving-kindness, compassion, and inner peace?
Not through lyrics or affirmations. Not by telling someone to be kind or compassionate. But through the subtle relationships between rhythm, harmony, silence, and sound.
In a sense, I was wondering whether loving-kindness might have a musical architecture.
That was where the original title, The Mathematics of Loving-Kindness, came from.
The album contains twelve instrumental compositions, built around a simple, alternating pattern.
One piece features minimalist solo piano. The next introduces a gentle acoustic accompaniment, creating a quiet conversation between the piano and another musical voice. Then the music returns to solo piano, and the pattern continues.
The tempo is unhurried, around 60 beats per minute. The melodies are gentle, with room for individual notes to linger and fade.
I wanted the music to feel spacious, almost as though it were breathing.
And I was particularly interested in the emotional movement between solitude and companionship. One moment, a single piano speaks softly into the silence. The next, another musical presence joins it.
Neither seems to demand anything from the other.
They simply make music together.
Perhaps there’s a little something about loving-kindness in that relationship.
Music and the Art of Resting
Living with ME/CFS for so many years has taught me something about the importance of gentleness.
There are times when even the simplest activities require more energy than I have available. Times when reading, conversation, meditation, or other ordinarily nourishing activities can feel like too much.
But sometimes I can still enjoy listening to beautiful music.
I can lie down, close my eyes, and allow the music to become part of the atmosphere around me.
No effort is required. No particular state of mind needs to be achieved.
And perhaps that’s one of the things I love most about peaceful piano music. It doesn’t have to take us anywhere.
It can simply keep us company.
My hope was to create something gentle. Something beautiful. Something that might make it a little easier for someone to rest, to soften, or perhaps to experience a quiet moment of peace.
A New Beginning for an Old Friend
Recently, I decided to give the album a new name and a new cover.
It’s now called Peaceful Piano: A Journey in Loving-Kindness.
I think the new title better reflects the experience I wanted to offer. And the new artwork, with its beautiful grand piano, warm golden light, and quiet symmetry, expresses something of the same intention.
The music itself hasn’t changed.
It’s still the same twelve compositions, waiting patiently to be discovered.
The streaming services are gradually updating the title and artwork, so you may still see the original name for a little while.
I rather like that. It’s part of the album’s history.
I’ve included links below in case you’d enjoy listening.
And if you happen to find yourself resting one afternoon, perhaps with a cup of tea nearby and nothing particularly important that needs doing, you might enjoy allowing the piano to keep you company.
I hope it brings you some of the peace and kindness that inspired its creation.
Listen to Peaceful Piano: A Journey in Loving-Kindness — Pitarra
Spotify · Apple Music · Amazon Music · YouTube Music
May the music find its way to those who might benefit from a little gentleness in their lives.
With loving-kindness,
Richard Silverman
Inspirations of Love and Hope
