The Battle of the Battle of Thermopylae

Here's another free download from Michael Levy:

Another FREE 320kbps Quality MP3 Download: "The Battle of Thermopylae"... 

Hi Everyone!

Here is yet another new FREE 320kbps quality MP3 download of a brand new composition for solo lyre, "The Battle of The Battle of Thermopylae":

http://www.mediafire.com/?gksd96emyep1qql

This spontaneous improvisation in the war-like ancient Greek Dorian mode, is the first ever time I attempted to imitate an electric guitar WHAMMY BAR on the lyre...enjoy!! ;o)

Thanks everyone, for all your support in "spreading the word" about my music on ancientlyre.com...& this new series of 100% free promotional MP3 downloads!!

Exploring A Grand Mystery

Carving Grand Canyon: Evidence, Theory, and Mystery, by Wayne Ranney, is the next logical book to read after the one he co-wrote with Ron Blakey, Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. In Ancient Landscapes, the authors describe the environments in which the layers of the Colorado Plateau formed and illustrate those concepts with paleogeographic maps. As you study those maps, you can't help but try to impose the Grand Canyon on them, since it's the feature that best exposes the layers. At what point, you may wonder, does the canyon begin to be carved?

Carving Grand Canyon is the best answer to that question. It narrates the attempt by geologists to formulate a unified theory of how the Grand Canyon formed and how long it took to do so. Once you've started reading it you'll realize that theory is – complicated.

Fortunately, it's also fascinating – a story of rivers and basins, faults and frost wedging, lava flows and karst collapse, personalities and plate tectonics. If you look at a map of the Canyon, from Lee's Ferry to Grand Wash Cliffs, you may suspect that it's not simply a question of how old the Colorado River is (though that's the most pertinent question). It's a question of what else can happen in a region that large, over millions of years during which several unique conditions persist.

One of the most interesting controversies is whether a paleocanyon may have existed, one that continued to be cut down to current levels in parts of the Grand Canyon. The graphic on page 124 beautifully illustrates the argument that a paleocanyon existed in Mesozoic layers above Eastern Grand Canyon that have since eroded away. The relatively new study of karst collapse near the Kaibab Upwarp also sheds some light on the mystery of how the river cut through the southern tip of the upwarp.

This book is for people whose curiosity burns when they look at the Grand Canyon, trained geologists and armchair geologists alike. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs, cross-sections, maps (some of which are paleogeographic), and diagrams that make the text clear and easy to understand. It offers a coherent answer to a question that is far more complicated than it seems. And best of all, it sparks as much curiosity as it satisfies. Buy two copies – one for your reference library, and one to take with you as you explore Grand Canyon, a place with enough wonder to fill a lifetime.

Is Self-Promotion Always Spam?

Michael Levy is offering some more fabulous freebees of his music this week (please see the links below), and also posing a question. Is there a better way to self-promote than to keep sending out links through social media and asking your friends to share them? My own take on this is pretty straight-forward. I think if you're continually sending links that say BUY [SUCH & SUCH] FOR JUST $XX.99!, that's spam. If you're sharing links for free downloads, that's self-promotion. And if your music is really high quality, like Michael's is, that's an extra bonus. So please, friends – share these links and listen to the music. Spread the word!

Free Download of My New Composition For Solo Lyre!

Hi Everyone,

For being so amazingly supportive & subscibing to my mailing list, I have decided to now regularly offer free downloads of my future compositions - please feel free to share these free MP3 download links with the rest of the known world...this is certainly a new way I am experimenting with, to "get my music out there"! So, here is your first, 100% free download link, to my sparkly, brand new composition, "Ancient Lyre Strings":

http://www.mediafire.com/?f437hhzt5b3kdpa

For a more authentic ancient tone, as well as being tuned in the wonderfully pure-sounding just intonation of antiquity, the bass strings of the lyre being played here (my wonderful hand-made"Davidic Harp" by Marini Made Harps), are made of beautifully rich-sounding natural fibres of pure wound silk - special thanks to Peter Pringle for making these strings for me to experiment with!

I have also just uploaded a new promotional video on Youtube featuring this new composition, which I would be most grateful if you could also please share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veeC4MxaI5o

Recently, I have been impaled on the horns of a dilema facing every relatively unknown unsigned artist - if I don't do everything I can to "get my music out there" on both my website, Youtube & my recent abundance of posts on Facebook & social media to draw attention to these efforts, then absolutely nobody else is going to do it for me (there is no point in having my 18 albums on iTunes if nobody actually knows they are there!)...but how do I best go about this, without verging on spouting forth spam? 

Yet, to avoid this "sickening spammy spoiler scenario", if I only "blow my virtual horn" every month or so on social media instead of every few days, then for months at a time, anyone who hasn't yet had the chance of hearing my music for the 1st time is not going to get to hear my music for the 1st time - for months at a time...ARGH! The sweet pain!! 

If anyone has any useful advice on how to best resolve this dilemma, this would be incredibly appreciated - thanks!

Kind Regards,

Michael

Say "Ah!"

Mike Mackey posted some new articles over at Sonic Enquirer, this time about Neil Young's Quest For Quality, Neil Young on the Muse, and a simple exercise for tonal healing. Say “Ah . . . “ and check it out!

Musical Adventures In Time Travel

Michael Levy's music has been featured in The Sonic Enquirer. Read on!

Lyre, Lyre! The Sonic Inquirer

Hi Everyone!

 

I was pleased to stumble across a brand new article about my "Musical Adventures in Time Travel" in "The Sonic Inquirer" posted by Mike Mackey - here is the link to the article:

 

 http://www.sonicinquirer.com/2012/12/lyre-lyre/

 

It is a great feeling to see that my relentless efforts simply to get my virtually unknown music "out there" are, at last, bearing fruit!

 

Wishing everyone a healthy & happy 2013...

 

All the best!

Berries For Birdies

If you live in the Southwest, and you want to provide a habitat for songbirds, two plants to consider are the skunkbush sumac and the torrey wolfberry.

The skunkbush has unimpressive flowers that bloom in the spring, but afterward, hairy red berries that are high in vitamin C form on the bush – and birds love them. It's big, about 8 ½ feet, so keep that in mind if you have a small garden (unless you want to get all prune-y and shape-y with it).

The torrey wolfberry is also a bit sprawling, but one source I found said that you can “prune the lower branches to show off the attractive pale trunk.” It's berries are red, and the birdies love it. I haven't tried these in my garden yet, but when I do I think I'll prune them so the berries are up high enough to make the birds less of a target for the local cats.

My yard is still a work in progress. Think I'll try the wolfberry first . . .