Bryce Jacobs

This Thursday’s upload from the dimly lit corners of a hard drive!! Sometimes, I like to put my fingers through the ringer a little; “Her Focus” is one of those tracks that I went down a bit of a rabbit hole with. The only rule: GUITARs ONLY!! - with a sign in the window to all other instruments that reads: “We don’t serve your type around here (well, not today)”. It’s easy to get lost in the vast array of colours various instrument textures can allow us (organic, synthetic, and all in their respective combinations of awesomeness!). But sometimes, a limitation can breed its own springboard of ideas. So, this week’s track is just that... me and a few guitars just having a bit of textural fun!!

This is a song inspired by the heart of the track "333" (333 - the number that represents Guardian Angels). With all the seemingly disparate elements of occurrence and synchronicity that play out in our lives, if we are perceptive, the patterns start to become clear and form a greater whole. I feel the Universe, Love and Divinity all come to perfect alignment when we can perceive the spaces in-between (sometimes outside and beyond the context of our own lives and existence). This song centers around the idea of love in all its forms; lost, found, unrequited, misunderstood, tarnished, hurt turned to hate, healing and beyond. What happens to the eternity of that love? Is love an external force that we all tap into (like the Moon controls the tides)? Does it orbit our lives; does it recur across time until it finds a destined home (only to take flight again). We understand love about as much as we understand the Universe, but we also know that we can't exist without it.

With all the seemingly disparate elements of occurrence and synchronicity that play out in our lives, if we are perceptive, the patterns start to become clear and form a greater whole. I feel the Universe, Love and Divinity all come to perfect alignment when we can perceive the spaces in-between (sometimes outside and beyond the context of our own lives and existence). This piece centers around the idea of love in all its forms; lost, found, unrequited, misunderstood, tarnished, hurt turned to hate, healing and beyond. What happens to the eternity of that love? Is love an external force that we all tap into (like the Moon controls the tides)? Does it orbit our lives; does it recur across time until it finds a destined home (only to take flight again). We understand love about as much as we understand the Universe, but we also know that we can't exist without it.

A top ten hit from 1825, my own modern twist on Schubert’s Ave Maria (mainly from the perspective of how I view the current world). Ave Maria has always been a beautiful piece of music, but I think it’s so much more than that. I wanted to reflect the beauty, the brokenness (broken beauty and beauty broken), the mystery, the synchronicities, the darkness and the threat constantly trying to extinguish light in the world… but, also the humanity that seems to somehow shine through. As an instrumental, it’s not tied down by the specifics of language; let the music communicate the spirituality that inspired Schubert the night he wrote it. When I was at University catching the train to-and-from, there was always that God awful sound of breaks through the tunnels as the bloody thing would pull in. But, if I had headphones on (which dulled it) and I was listening to the right music, it could actually have a broken beauty to it for a moment… that idea kind of inspired the rustic/abstract nature of the guitar melody. I guess somewhat appropriate given Mothers Day has just passed. Also, the only time I’ve ever performed it was at my cousin’s wedding with his daughter, Jess (who we lost 11 years ago last Friday). So… here it is for your listening (dis)pleasure ; )