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State
of Nature is a series of reflections on the
relationship between Humankind and the natural world.
Through music, Stanley attempts to address the fundamental
questions of Man's inharmony toward self, other, and
nature, and then attempts to musically express the partial
answers he has found in his quest. Extensive commentary
in the liner notes chronicles his thoughts on these
matters and illuminates the meanings of the songs. The
songs are mostly instrumentals and are intended to stand
on their own, yet each contributes to the overall theme
in a specific way. Using the music as his guide, he
ponders the questions of how we can be so knowingly
destructive to the environment and yet not change our
ways, and how we might develop ourselves on the inside
to becomes more harmonious with nature. To his surprise
and delight he finds his own answers within, and he
attempts to share these insights in the music, which
is ultimately hopeful and optimistic. The key to finding
the answers was to realize that his own work on this
project symbolized Humankind's quest toward being in
the world--not only living sustainably but also attempting
to achieve and maintain a state of grace. |
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