Serenity

This new sleek meditation app will help me find more serenity in my life. The speaker’s voice is so soothing, I can already feel myself floating gently as I am focusing on my breath.

But I must say, the soundtrack is mixed just a tad too loudly in relation to the speaker’s voice. I would turn it down maybe 5%. Maybe even 6%. I will focus on my breath now.

The open fifths in the soundtrack, the default harmony so predictable for this genre, are quite relaxing, and the composer somehow managed to do a few interesting things with them. Maybe I could focus on my breath.

The synth pads are soft and warm. I wonder which virtual instruments they have used. They don’t sound artificial but are rather organic. I actually detect the sound of a pipe organ. The pipe organ is all about air and breath and I should focus on my breath! The pipe organ makes me think about eternity, death, and infinity. Oh yes, the breath. In and hold and three and four and out.

The melody is uneventful and hovers in a narrow range but that’s all that is needed here. Though. . . it could get on my nerves just. . . about. . . NOW. Yes, a major third, perfect fourth at the most. No, I know they couldn’t slip the triton here, but it would be so cool and startling! I bet no Buddhist monk could remain focused on his breath through that hiccup.

A modulation. I didn’t expect that! I thought I was going to remain forever perched on that open fifth, but no, they took me to a slightly different place and it was refreshing. Yes, they have hired a professional to make this soundtrack. I wonder how much money they paid them. How much would that run per episode? How many minutes of music total? How long did it take to compose? And how did they explain what kind of music they wanted? Did they even have to explain or was it understood from the get-go?

The breath, focus, yes, whatever.

Oh, the stereo image is quite wide and the oscillation between the left and right channel feels tranquilizing but becomes tiresome after a while. Now a wind machine! Is it audio- or synth-generated? I see that every session has a different soundtrack. That’s good. They offer a subscription option and I can unlock more sessions as I progress. Will there be different music? What else is coming up? More modulations? Different starting keys? Different instruments? I wonder if I could look up this composer online? Would they give him/her credit in the app alongside the narrator and the developers?

I really need to focus! Oh, well. This session is over. Should I try it again or start a new one? I don’t think this one counted. I was focused the entire time, just not on the right thing.

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