In the first few seconds of “A Larger Dance,” we are brought into a world full of echoing strings, warm piano arpeggios, subtle guitar, and pizzicato strings. As the listener becomes truly transfixed on this angelic chorus of sound, Magdalena picks her moment to enter with a voice that is pure and full of space.
Melodically, this gorgeous piece of music is bright and open, while the harmony is built upon a variety of textures and feelings. While a groovy viola solo glides in and out to create seamless fills throughout the song, percussive elements complete an imagery reminiscent of the Pocahontas soundtrack.
Lyrically, Magdalena speaks to her listeners’ curiosity by probing introspective questions that drive into the core of what it means to be alive. The artist sings about how underneath our daily lives, there is a bigger picture. Kate Magdalena would suggest that everything happens for a reason, and that there is no such thing as luck.
“Are the people in our lives really there by chance? / Or are their destinies part of some great romance?”
By whatever means you were led to this music, you will feel grateful that you took the time to listen. Kate Magdalena has a wonderful way of drawing what we all can relate to into a succinct message that can resonate with our inner humanity.
This song itself is a magnificent dance of texture, sound, and meaning. Once again, Magdalena has created music that is mind-bending and incomprehensibly beautiful.
About Kate Magdalena
Kate grew up to the sounds of music on Broadway in New York City, during the 1970's exploding singer-songwriter, folk, rock, and psychedelic music scene, featuring Crosby Stills and Nash, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and so many more artists who continue to inspire listeners worldwide.
Kate was a child of the ‘60’s, and when she came of age, she moved from the East Coast to San Francisco on a quest to discover the meaning of her life. Kate’s journey was an unusual one in that she did many other things before turning to music as her central career focus, and traveling many paths to arrive at where she is now.
She adores teaching children and has done so as a music and classroom teacher. She was a hospital chaplain, bringing healing music to patients, and most important of all, she is a mother to two beloved children, with her husband Randall. Kate calls the Bay Area her home.
Drawn to many different styles of music, she became enchanted by Irish-Canadian artist Loreena McKennitt, who conjures a lost world with her harp and singing. Kate intends to do the same. She is also enamored of artists like Rachel Platten, Sara Bareilles, and the controversial Sinead O’Connor, and many others.
For Kate, “Singing is a way to bring what is inside, outside. It is to make the invisible audible. It can change minds and soften hearts. I believe that music is part of every cell of the human body; and that we can use music to reach others in ways words cannot.” Kate has an ability to move her listeners with her voice, to bring healing and joy. Her songwriting began through her poetry writing, and by setting a few poems to music, by great poets like WB Yeats and Robert Frost, and then in discovering a love of writing which came from her own heart.
Kate was raised in era in which people looked to the arts and music to inspire social activism. Like Dylan’s great songs, Kate’s songs address some of the pressing issues of our own day. She also sings of unity, hope, loss, and of the power of prayer in dealing with life’s many challenges. And she hopes that her own pursuit of her dream at age 62 might inspire others to follow their own cherished dreams regardless of barriers.
For more information on Kate Magdalena, please visit her website.
This review was brought to you by BWH Music Group.
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