Adventures in iTunes: The Meditative Mix

As some of you may or may not know, work has officially begun on my first book. And to help get through some of the down time, I've taken to designing an iTunes mix whose purpose is stimulate the process of thought while remaining relaxing and chill.

Thus, I present to you all the very first draft of my Meditative Mix. Handy for reading, writing, or moments of reflection and introspection, this mix contains a potent combination of classical and modern instrumental pieces, with a few lyrical tunes thrown in for good measure, too. There's definitely movement in this list, but not so much of the driving, groovy kind. The percussion tends to be laid back and ethereal, in step with the moodiness of the overall vibe - peeking out from time to time as opposed to ubiquitously spread throughout the entire mix.

Hope you dig it. Feel free to share with me some of your ideas for any additional tracks that might work well with these. Happy listening!

• Opening, Closing from 'Glassworks' - Philip Glass Ensemble  
• Un Jour Il Viendra - Sarah Brightman 
• Ulaid, Isfahan -  E.S. Posthumus 
• Sunshine (Adagio In D Minor) - John Murphy 
• Vaughan Williams: Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis Barry Wordsworth - New Queen's Hall Orchestra 
• Dreams Are More Precious, May It Be - Enya 
• Time, This Is Clark Kent, Honor (For Oboe and Strings), To Every Captive Soul, Vide Cor Meum - Hans Zimmer 
• Fur Elise, Ode To Joy (Solo Piano), Symphony #9 In D Minor, Op. 125, "Choral" - Ludwig Van Beethoven 
• Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone 
• Turandot: Act III, "Nessun Dorma" - Andrea Bocelli 
• Hallelujah - Chris Botti 
• My Name Is Lincoln, Lone Survivor - Steve Jablonsky 
• Into the West - Annie Lennox
• Cello Concerto No 1 in G minor, Op. 49 (1949): I, II, & III - Dmitri Kabalevsky 
• The Wicked Flee, Your Headstrong Ways - Carter Burwell
• Waking Up, Never Never Never Give Up - Explosions In the Sky 
• God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters - Moby 
• Ultramarine - Michael Brook