Star Children

Each chapter in STAR FIRE begins with lyrics that reference quantum physics, remote viewing and other juicy topics, composed and sung by the main character, a rock star who becomes super-psychic and discovers ominous doomsday weapons that he wants to have both the US and USSR  destroy before they destroy the planet.  
 

At that point in my career, I had released just three meditative albums. And yet, Ingo handed me the lyrics to the songs and told me, “I'll be back in four months. I want you to compose and arrange the songs. Hire musicians so we can record the album in time to coordinate with the  release date of the book.”
 

How could Ingo have known that I'd be up to the task? (Could the  character in the book have been somewhat auto-biographical?)  He could not have known that eight years earlier, I had composed and arranged  several rock and pop songs for my 8 piece band while I was still an  undergraduate at the University of Buffalo (SUNY at Buffalo). More on that long-lost recording in next month's newsletter.
 

In any case, I accepted the challenge. It turned out to be an amazing experience. If you've only heard my healing music, you may be surprised by much of this album, which includes elements of rock, pop, disco and jazz. There are also, of course, a few meditative interludes that were to be included, as a way to introduce mainstream movie audiences to my relaxing and healing compositions.
 

At the studio I recorded at, I met the leading Bay Area disco band  called Santa Esmeralda, and hired them, minus their lead singer, as the musicians for the session. As we soon discovered, working with Ingo Swann in the studio was a unique experience. Indeed, after we recorded the blisteringly hot first song, the guys in the band looked at each other and said, "Whew! What got into us?"
 

We turned to see Ingo just smiling a huge Cheshire cat grin. Although he wouldn't discuss it with us, it was clear he was beaming each of us some special energy, and that is part of the magic of this album. It's  much more than just the notes....and it's why I think the music will  take you for a ride on what Ingo calls “the psychic starship.” 

-- Steven Halpern