RICKY SWEUM - SOUND ARTIST

Interviewer: Why did you record Earth Song?

Ricky: I spent the last six years living in Japan and prior to that, one year in Alaska, and I wanted to capture the energy of my experience on record before moving back to America. Life in foreign lands allowed me fresh perspective on spirituality, nature, and humanity. Composing and performing music is the best way I know how to share the energy and insights I’ve experienced. I believe sound vibrations can be imbued with intention, which can have a positive subconscious effects on the listener. I’ve approached this music from a meditative state and hope that hearing it inspires people to more fully realize their creative spirit. 

Saxophonist legend, John Coltrane, has long been an inspiration to me. In particular, his recording, “A Love Supreme,” has been of monumental influence. Coltrane brought deep spirituality to his music, and I am merely following the path he set forth.

Interviewer: Tell us about the music on the album.

Ricky: The title track, Earth Song, is a melody I wrote many years ago, and my mother, Barbara-Joy Weston, wrote the lyrics. My mother was a sound shaman who taught me the power of using sound vibrations to bring healing to others. We have the power to heal the planet. As the lyrics go, Earth Song, “is an ancient story of how we used to love the Earth of how we lived in harmony with all things.”

The track, Energy Dance, was composed on my wedding anniversary after climbing Japan’s Mt Takao with my wife. After hiking to the top, we stopped at the zen monastery and ate a traditional vegetarian meal prepared by buddhist monks. Then, climbed down to the base of the mountain and soaked in natural hot spring mineral baths. We felt tremendously energized by bathing in the energy of the mountains, trees, and water. Also, being married for decades is both a real and metaphoric “energy dance.”

The track, Majestic, is about living with an attitude of daily celebration in that each day is a MAJESTIC gift of creative potential.

Interviewer: Is there a significance to your tune named Consciousness?

Ricky:  All that is perceived and experienced in one’s life appears in consciousness. Nothing exists that isn’t first in our consciousness. Our senses, thoughts, and feelings all appear in the realm of consciousness.