A word from David about Transformations.
I have recently completed the creation of a concept album entitled Transformations, which is both a spiritual autobiography and hopefully, a spiritual vessel. The music defies single genre descriptions and has been described a fusion of YES and Andrew Lloyd Weber with a pinch of The Who. The songs from Transformations have deep, emotional and spiritual meaning and are meant to be heard sequentially for full effect.
I enjoy writing songs which emanate from the deeper recesses of the universal human mind. The CD “Transformations” makes use of Jazz, Rock, Broadway and Progressive Rock in a format which attempts to honestly express intense spiritual/emotional experiences spanning a lifetime. Transformations is a CD meant to be truly “heard” and savored.
The Soul of Transformations;
“Sometimes, in the midst of a perfectly ordinary day, one is unexpectedly flooded by the magnificence of “what is”. Perhaps that moment of awareness and clarity arrives while watching a storm or absorbing a piece of art or while kneeling with intention in a church. If blessed, echoes of the past and visions of the future fade from existence as the unknowing silence of the infinite present emerges. With patience and grace, one comes to know the incredible richness of “what is” as a revelation of God’s face and the mind is forever transformed into a mirror of creation.” . . . copyright 2009 “Transformations” David C Deal, Ph.D.
More About Transformations.
Transformations is the most deeply personal music I have written. The songs are actually autobiographical. For example the second song, “First Contact”, describes an epiphany experience I had when about 20 years old. I was driving my car to my girlfriend’s house when suddenly; God was “present” and “said”, “Dave I want you to know First; I exist and Second; what you do matters to me.” The intense, powerful reality of that contact was indeed life changing.
The third song, “I Don’t Know What” borrows a poem from the 17th century monk, St. John of the Cross. After the “First Contact” experience I discovered the writings of St. John and Thomas Merton. They seemed to most closely speak to the relationship I experienced with God, both during and following the “First Contact” moment.
“Where Are You Now”, song four, expresses a period in my life where I struggled to find organized theologies which would aid in my desire to learn more about the Divine and maintain closeness with God/The Ground Of Being, often with very limited success.
“Dark Night of the Soul” conveys a state of despair where I still knew the reality of God’s existence in a personal way but felt frustrated in my ability to learn more about him or to relate that knowledge to everyday issues in my life. 
Song six, “Bump”, represents the decade or so in my life where career and family issues overshadowed the theological questions. I wrote “Help Me Fly” after the wedding of my daughter and I believe it is self explanatory. I do believe that love of family emanates from the single source of love.
“What You Want Me to Be” is about feelings that gradually increased in intensity as my family became older and my career was established. The intense desire to further understand and relate to the Divine began to re-emerge, leading me back to St. John’s, mystical Christianity. This re-emergence is reflected in the ninth song, “Flowing Deep in the Night”. Finally, the song “Transformation” is a celebration of “SEEING” “The One/Spirit/God/Creation,” as totally connected; as faces of the same energy and our consciousness as a “mirror of creation”. Perhaps a song 11, 12 ……..is waiting in the future. I hope you enjoy Transformations.
Contributing Artists:
Some additional musicians who play on Transformations include Les Brooke, Tom Hannah, Tim Vargo, Andy Vargo, Cynthia Lugo, Andrea Bok, David Coonrod, Ned Clark, Kevin Peters, Kristin Sorensen and William O’Connell. I want to extend special thanks to Arthur Kills Straight Putnam who wrote and recorded the native flute song following each composition. Arthur’s segments represent “Spirit” which is best heard when the mind is most quiet.
Track 8 – What You Want Me To Be
