A significant journey into the world of contemporary New Age music.

The CD “Chronology” range over different aspects of pure New Age music, someone can describe it like conceptual, others like experimental with large number of improvisations or more close to the stage/concert music. I will just define it like sensitive piece of gem, with peculiar goal, namely to reach the hearts of usual people, those who believe that the music will prevail the whole pain scattered around the world.Sometimes the less is more!

Mai-Ling shows enviable skills in performing piano.Not by chance all of her tunes are based exactly withclassical piano sounding. I felt power and confidence,which speaks for one composer, standing behind thisproject, who knows exactly how to express her feelingswith music. There is more, for except of that she didall lyric, graphic design & vocals, amazing andcomprehensive!!! I can tell one thing with a strongwill, everyone can leave behind the impossible. This is exactly what is happened in “Chronology”.

What most impressed me is the tenderness flowingaround the keys of the piano and in some moments justlike storm comes the powerful dynamic of one fightingsoul, as though wants to cry out “I am alive and stillhere”. Most of the music is sentiment and emotion,dressed with classical motives and technical ability.Even in this acoustic view – piano, vocal & lightpads/strings, you can be touched by the angelicmelodies and start imagine a better world. I think isemphasized on _expression, with words about love,friendship, knowledge, fear, friendship things thattrilled almost every human on this planet, but seemsforgotten by most of us. Then comes the music like aforerunner of goodness, still exist in us.

I can’t bypass the main purpose of the creation ofthis CD – “A portion of this CD will be donated to the American Stroke Association to help support strokeresearch”. This just proves that we are all humans,and have not to forget who we are and from where weare coming and where we are going. We are all thesame. Such activities unites people and makes themstrong against everything surround us, even incurableillness, could pass through the hand of magic. Magiccomes when you believe in it. Music makes you tobelieve, like a child.

Speaking so good things, I would like to mention someflaws I find out and think could improve Mai-Ling’screativity. The sound is centered too Mono, themissing of stereo pan, reflects not well by my view,especially on CD recordings. Of course you saved theacoustic, even with the needed noise, which has everygrand piano – I like it, but try to imagine how thiscan sound with more density and dynamics, whichpredominate more when you are using the whole spectre.In a few songs the piano is stand in the way of the vocal, namely in the center, practically both don’tfit well in same pan.

Leaving more space for the vocalis always a good approach and naturally leads tobetter mix. Speaking for good mix, will point that in“Not To Be This Way” the backing vocal needs to bemore spread away from the main one. There is no spacefor the fade away of the reverb, which is not dosewell everywhere – in some moments it add more resound,than realism. Seems you have overburdened almost allbeautiful lines, as fitting everything in the middle.In the presence of the whole pan you have, I can’t guess, why don’t you use it. Anyway I will concludewith two words, without going more further, Irecommend more concentrate work over your mixes in future and you will definitely have more success.

The sound design is the second hand of the musiccomposition, don’t underrate it. My favourite tracks from the album are “Hold On”,“Firecracker”, “Not To Be This Way” and “TheCommitment Song”, generally almost all vocals tunes.As a follower of melodic and atmospheric sound, I havealways searched for this and appraise it firstly. Mai-Ling is very talented composer, who has placeamong advanced pianists in the world. Not accidentallyshe performed on stage, in so many places and hasgreat background concerts in her career. To be a poetand musician in the same time is a gift, which I appreciated.

Frances Mai-Ling
Alternative-Classical Pianist
www.mai-ling.net