Stanton Lanier

Scripture inspired piano to refresh your spirit

Circle of Quiet (Solo Piano)

By 13 Comments

The new single Circle of Quiet (Solo Piano) just released April 13th and can be enjoyed across all music streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora. The PDF Sheet Music is also available.

This solo piano piece has a simple message. I definitely need a “circle of quiet” in the midst of a busy, hurried, and noisy world, and I am thinking that having a few quiet moments in your life would be a blessing to you as well. Here are a few thoughts I was having as I composed the notes.

The song has four sections with varying lengths, all of which were created to help bring the listener some moments of peace and quiet. Section 1 (0:00 to 0:54) is the opening minute with a gentle introduction and opening verse melody that helps to still our minds and invite us into a “circle of quiet.” Section 2 (0:55 to 1:47) reveals the chorus, which desires to sing a gentle song and rhythm over our lives, helping us to slow down. A higher transition melody answers the chorus to bring us back to the verse melody. Section 3 (1:48 to 2:46) plays the intro verse melodies again, but in a different way, with two lower left hand chords arpeggiating and alternating, then repeating and leading us to anticipate the return of the main theme. Section 4 (2:37 to 4:40) features this chorus, followed by the transition melody being played even higher. Then the chorus repeats once more, taking us, as C.S. Lewis would say, “further up and further in” toward heaven, our true home, the ultimate “circle of quiet” (and source of peace, hope, joy, wonder, etc.). The high transition melody guides us toward a soft ending, which references elements of the notes we have heard along the way. Each section is divided by long rests of 2-3 seconds to help us experience the blessing and refreshment of a “circle of quiet,” which is God’s gift to us when we put our trust and hope in Him.

Psalm 94:12-13 — “How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil…”

How does “Circle of Quiet (Solo Piano)” speak to you?

All Around and Deep Within

By 4 Comments

The new single All Around and Deep Within released March 23rd and has already been enjoyed in fifty countries, with some of the top listener cities being in Brazil, Australia, Taiwan, Finland, and Spain. You can stream from your favorite music service including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora.

The ethereal piano, harp, and symphony orchestra are rich with emotion, expressing the breadth and depth of God’s great love toward us (1 John 4:14-16). This is the overall idea, and down below are more insights into the meaning behind the music. 

There are two themes. At first I thought the opening Theme A was the verse, and Theme B was the chorus. However, during the creative process each section became a chorus of its own. Theme A is the “all around” and Theme B is the “deep within” of God’s love for us.

Theme A symbolizes the time period from eternity past all the way through the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. It begins all the way back in the dark void of the universe, before Creation. Musically God begins to paint His creative “brush strokes” across the universe. He ultimately breathes life into Adam and Eve, who live in the midst of His pure love and presence before they disobeyed and sinned against Him. The big, low bass strings are constant like the “all around” of God’s great love, which has existed all the way from eternity past. The melody on the harp and ethereal piano represent the simplicity and purity of God’s love, and the innocence of Adam and Eve receiving it. Theme A is expressing the “all around” breadth of God’s love surrounding Adam and Eve before the Fall, when their original sin separated them from God.

Theme B’s “deep within” takes us on a journey from the Fall to the end of the Old Testament. The melody is more complex to represent the complications Adam and Eve brought to their relationship with God and His simple love after they first sinned against Him. Their original sin was passed down to us as the Scripture says in Romans 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” There is beauty in Theme B, yet there is tension and complexity. God’s perfect holiness encounters our imperfect brokenness. This tension and complexity is a result of my sin and inconsistency in fully trusting God’s unchanging love, grace, and patience toward me. Ecclesiastes 7:29 says, “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.”

There are three significant musical rests in the piece, with the first one happening after the opening Theme A and Theme B. This long pause symbolizes the four hundred years of God’s silence from the end of the Old Testament (book of Malachi) to the beginning of the New Testament (book of Matthew). Theme A returns with a bigger and more wonderful version of God’s pure love, adding instruments and melodies for the birth of Christ and His gift of salvation through the New Testament up until the book of Revelation. Theme B follows with its grander version, as we receive more of God’s saving and transforming grace during our lives. This carries us from the New Testament until today, with the “all around and deep within” of God’s love through the centuries.

The second rest represents the waiting time between Jesus ascending to heaven (Acts 1:9) and His second coming to take all who have believed and do believe with Him to heaven to be with Him forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). In the final, shorter section, Theme A and Theme B interweave and overlap musically to signify our sanctification and unity with God through what Jesus has done for us. The third and final shorter rest happens just before the ending chord of the piece. This symbolizes our waiting for the new heaven and new earth to be fulfilled, and the final chord signifies all who are saved being in fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for eternity.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:14-16).

How does “All Around and Deep Within” speak to you?

The Outlaw Ocean Suite

By Leave a Comment

I hope you enjoy the promotional video clip below featuring An Unseen World. This is one of my orchestral compositions for The Outlaw Ocean Music Project with award-winning New York Times journalist, and best-selling author Ian Urbina.

The Outlaw Ocean Suite EP has eight tracks (four with journalism audio and music, and four music only). This new release is streaming everywhere including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora. Here is some of the story behind the music…

When God stirred my heart to begin composing instrumental music twenty-one years ago, I wanted to be surrendered, and to listen. This meant moving forward by faith, obeying His voice, asking Him for inspiration, and trusting Him with the results. 

Johann Sebastian Bach is my favorite composer. I played a lot of his timeless pieces (composed three hundred years ago) during my twelve years of piano lessons, and high school recitals. Bach’s quote about music may be my favorite too. He said, “All music should be unto the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” I didn’t know what the future held, but I began to see that writing instrumental music would be an adventure.

In February 2020 Ian Urbina emailed me to introduce himself and share he was a big fan of my music. He also invited me to be part of a project he had been working on. Ian’s invitation was for me to compose some pieces for The Outlaw Ocean Music Project, which combines music and journalism. This was very exciting for me, and I was inspired and challenged to use my learning from the Berklee School of Music film scoring program to write orchestral pieces for the project.

Composing what became The Outlaw Ocean Suite EP in August-September 2020 was a fantastic musical and spiritual experience for me. Because music is such a universal language, my heart is for listeners to have their own unique encounter with what I create. And hopefully to be inspired in their life. When I write music there is a sense that the melodies are coming down from heaven. Sometimes this happens quickly, and sometimes very slowly. The process is similar each time, but never the same. The only consistent ingredient is the feeling I have when the music is revealed. Here are some thoughts I had as these tracks came together…

An Unseen World. My commitment to Ian and his team was to write three to five pieces. With three completed, I could have stopped, but there was a nudge to attempt a fourth piece. This became An Unseen World, which is an epic theme song for the whole project. It is filled with drama, tension, rhythm, and haunting beauty. The full orchestra contributes to the musical journey, which expresses these attributes of life on earth. When life brings moments of drama, tension, beauty, and rhythm (finding my stride) into my story, God is faithful. He surrounds me with His love as I trust in Him, and helps me receive His gift of peace (Psalm 32:10, John 14:27, NIV).

Beauty Beneath. As I read Ian’s book I realized The Outlaw Ocean captures “an unseen world” most of us are not familiar with. I wanted to contrast the illegal and harmful things happening on the world’s oceans with music about the innocent beauty of all the sea life under the surface. For me the melodies reflect the beauty of God’s creation, and a more intimate beauty He offers through His grace and love toward us (Psalm 8, Romans 8, MSG).

Sailing Too Close to the Wind. This seafaring phrase means being on the verge of doing something illegal or improper. It applies to literally sailing too close to the wind (in its direction), but can also refer to taking an ill advised risk with a life decision. The music expresses adventure on the high seas, and the pursuit of ocean outlaws. I was not aware of all the injustice and illegal activity happening on The Outlaw Ocean every day, including lives being enslaved at sea, ships breaking international fishing laws, and worse. Spiritually this track represents my faith adventure with God, and the risk of trusting Him when something seems impossible (Luke 1:37, Philippians 4:6-9, MSG). As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Chronicles of Narnia, “Aslan is not a tame lion… He isn’t safe, but He is good.”

Lost on the Seven Seas. This piece is a sad and mournful tribute to lives being abused or killed at sea because of the injustices happening on The Outlaw Ocean. Pain and suffering are part of life, sometimes preventable and sometimes out of my control. These are difficult times when they happen to me personally, those I love, or even a stranger, when circumstances pierce my heart and prompt me to pray. I describe my life and music journey as a God-Story because I cannot imagine life without Him. I have seen Him come through for me, and I have experienced His silence when I longed to know His presence. He always lets me know He is there even when it doesn’t feel like it. The sadness of this composition implies God’s care for the brokenhearted. It also symbolizes hearts who are rejecting God consciously or unconsciously, even though He loves them and is reaching out to them (Psalm 34:18, John 3:16, NIV).

Which track is your favorite or speaks the most to you?

Twenty Years of Composing – Grace and Truth

By 6 Comments

It is hard to believe I composed my first instrumental melody twenty years ago (click above to listen with Spotify as you read). In May 2000 I had a new keyboard and basic studio set up. God inspired the idea to use a verse of Scripture as the basis for an instrumental song. The first melody was titled Grace and Truth from John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

This idea leading to my first instrumental has become more and more profound over the years. Below are a few thoughts about this song, and what it has meant to my life and faith journey. I hope these reflections inspire your story.

Grace and Truth is in the key of C, which made it easier to compose and play. It begins with delicate verse variations to represent how grace is gentle and tender. The chorus is big and bold with low chords to express truth. This is followed by a new grace melody with higher notes flowing down. The truth chorus repeats again. Then the original grace melody returns and ends the song. It became the seventh track on my first album Walk in the Light.

This amazes me how grace comes before truth in this verse. As my desire to study Scripture grew in the 1990s, I didn’t realize my heart was filling with more truth than grace. In the 2000s God began to teach me to have more grace and forgiveness toward people. He was gradually helping me to see every person as He sees them, and to love them with His love, as He first loved us. In my life and faith story grace has been catching up with truth. Today both grace and truth are filling my heart more and more. For many years I lived life with more of an either or perspective, where either grace or truth was the lead story. In my case truth carried more weight than grace. This made me quietly more self righteous and judgmental with regard to others, even though I was just as unrighteous and sinful in God’s eyes. Only Jesus is filled with one hundred percent grace and truth, but He invites us to grow in receiving and sharing both with others through our lives.

The Lord has been so patient with me. His grace is an amazing gift (Ephesians 2:8). His truth is perfect, refreshing my soul (Psalm 19:7). My life and musical journey with grace and truth is woven into all one hundred forty songs I have composed and arranged over the past twenty years. I hope my music and story continue to be a blessing and encouragement to you!

How does the music and inspiration behind Grace and Truth speak to you?

New Album SO LOVED – Intro Part 2

By 3 Comments

Click above to listen Walking on Air as you read, which is one of 15 tracks on the new album So Loved (releasing 4/24/18). After reading and listening, I encourage you to watch the Walking on Air Music Video for additional reflection and inspiration.

Has God shown you are SO LOVED by Him through another person?

I will be sharing more stories behind my 11th and newest album So Loved after it releases on April 24th. For this Intro Part 2 (if you missed it, you can also read Part 1), I want to tell you about Daniel in Zambia. Daniel was one of ten orphan boys in my Family Legacy Camp Life group in summer 2015 and 2016. Music to Light the World is Daniel’s sponsor so he can attend a Family Legacy Academy school to receive a top education, along with meals and nutrition. Before I share more about Daniel and the photos below, I encourage you to consider sponsoring a child in his Chainda community in Lusaka, Zambia (pronounced Chi-(eye)-in-dah) — Chainda Children Needing Sponsoring.

So the picture on the left is from June 2015 Camp Life and the picture on the right from January 2017 Dream Camp. You can see Daniel’s physical growth in these images. He is also growing in his faith in God as well as all his school subjects. From the first day we met in 2015, Daniel stayed really close to me, always wanting to play together, just the two of us, even when the other boys played as a group. Even though Daniel is fatherless, He has shown me God’s love in a fresh way, and how God sees me and wants me to stay close to Him, like I saw Daniel and was available to him.

Who is someone you can share God’s love with today?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

New Album SO LOVED – Intro Part 1

By Leave a Comment

Click above to listen Walking on Air as you read, which is one of 15 tracks on the new album So Loved (releasing 4/24/18). After reading and listening, I encourage you to watch the Walking on Air Music Video for additional reflection and inspiration.

What do the words SO LOVED make you think of?

My 11th and newest album So Loved has many stories to share behind all the new music, which I am excited to share in the coming months. As an introduction before its release, ideas have been flowing about this theme. One picture I will forever have in my mind is “my boys” served by Family Legacy in Zambia, some of whom are pictured in the photo below. These boys are orphans by the world’s definition, but they are children loved and seen by their heavenly Father from His perspective. Joyfully and beautifully they saw my love and care for them as a glimpse of God, and through their love, hugs, and smiles for me, God gave me a glimpse of how He sees and loves each of us as His children. Please read on for a few more thoughts to inspire your life and faith journey…

In being loved and loving others each of our stories include the past, future, and present. If you are like me, there are happy and sad memories from the past, with many positive experiences and some regrets. It can be easy and difficult at the same time, but a word to represent the past is “faith” as we remember God’s faithfulness in loving and caring for us. A word for our future in being so loved by God and sharing His love with others, is “hope,” as we place our trust in Him. A word for the present day and moment is “love.” Our being fully present and engaged in life’s moments enables our doing of receiving and sharing God’s love.

If you have been moved by this story and blessed with resources, please consider sponsoring a child in Zambia to help them attend a Family Legacy school and receive an excellent education, as well as much needed nutrition. Click here for Sponsorship Information (you then need to click the “Search” button).

What step can you take to grow in experiencing and sharing God’s love today?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Easter 2018 ~ Seeking Hope

By Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to listener favorite Awaken the Dawn as you read (this track first appeared on Unveiled, and is also on December Peace and Treasures of Peace). which appears on three albums. You can also order the CD or MP3 Album or Sheet Music and listen on Apple Music-iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and more. If you have never seen it before, I strongly encourage you to pause and watch the Awaken the Dawn music video.

Where are you seeking hope this Easter, and in 2018?

It is amazing to think that three months have already passed this year. Since “hopes and dreams” are often spoken in the same phrase, how is your progress toward finding hope, and living your dreams in life? If you are like me, it is often easier to think of negative things reducing my hope in life, and preventing my dreams from coming true.

One of my hopes is that the four ideas below will help bring you greater hope this Easter, and also fuel your 2018 dreams…

1. Sing and Make Music.
What is your passion? Your purpose? What do you love doing that also serves others? To “sing and make music” means to release your “song” — your gifts and calling — into the world to be a blessing to others. To clarify your purpose, think about the one or two things you love to do. They often begin in childhood, or revealed themselves to you early in life. Do one thing today to “sing and make music.” Read and reflect on the verse behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Awaken the Dawn video to inspire you and go deeper with this idea.

2. There’s No Need to Fear.
What are you afraid of? Success? Failure? What others will think? These are some of my fears. Take a leap of faith today, like a little child who jumps into your arms and trusts you to catch them. Take one action step that is a little scary, but which will move you one step closer to your dream coming true. Read and reflect on the verse behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Far Away from Home video to give you courage and go deeper with this idea.

3. Do Not Be Anxious.
What are you worried about? What makes you anxious? For me, this can be uncertainty about the future, financial security, being healthy, my creativity, making a difference, etc. Whatever you are are anxious about, surrender this to God today, asking Him to carry it for you, and to show you a next step to take toward your dream. Read and reflect on the two verses behind this phrase (see down below). You can also watch the Dawn and Dusk Take Turns Calling video to bring a calm assurance and go deeper with this idea.

4. Jesus is Our Ultimate Hope
Easter fills me with awe and wonder. Though I am sinful and undeserving, Jesus loves me (and you) so much, He came from heaven to earth to save us and make us fully alive forever, through His death on the cross and His resurrection three days later. Romans 10:9 and John 5:24 are two of many beautiful and powerful Scriptures which testify to this…”if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (ESV)

Father God, thank you for loving us more than we can know or imagine. Thank you for your amazing gifts of grace, forgiveness, and hope you offer to us through Jesus.

Psalm 108:1-2 (NIV)
“My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”

Isaiah 41:10 (MSG)
“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.”

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Psalm 65:8, Psalm 34:9 (MSG)
“Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship.’ Worship God if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.”

Easter 2018 ~ Seeking Peace

By Leave a Comment

Click above to listen to Peace from The Voice as you read (also on the albums December Peace and Treasures of Peace). Here are links to shop and hear more: The Voice CD, MP3 Album, or Piano Book, PDF Sheet Music, Spotify, iTunes-Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon. After reading you can also soak in the Peace Music Video to relax and reduce stress.

How are you “seeking peace” this Easter season, and sharing the gift of peace with others?

One of my meditations behind this music is the idea that the amount of peace and contentment I have in my life is a result of the quantity and quality of my private, quiet times with God. He is the ultimate source of my peace. His peace overflows into the fruit of our public ministry into the lives of others. If we don’t invest time seeking, we won’t be as fruitful in our sharing…

Peace is a gift received, which then can overflow from the heart in loving and serving others. But how do we receive, and then share, this precious gift? The following verse is a great one for seeking peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). After asking and seeking, then we begin to find, and to receive this peace from Jesus, which transcends our circumstances.

When I feel like I am running low on peace, I know I need to refuel by spending some time with the Prince of Peace. He is always ready to encourage me and give me wisdom as I seek to listen to His voice through prayer and Scripture.

What is one step you can take to be a “peace seeker” (and sharer) this Easter?

John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Psalm 46:10 — “Be still and know that I am God.”

John 15:5 — “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Easter 2018 ~ Seeking Grace

By 2 Comments

Click above to listen to Spirit of Grace from Open Spaces as you read (after reading, watch the Spirit of Grace music video). You can also order the Open Spaces CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

As we prepare for Easter 2018, what do the words “seeking grace” mean to you?

The song Spirit of Grace reminds me to remember, and be grateful, for life experiences and memories. Whether beautiful or disappointing, most life events keep pointing me toward grace. The photograph below is from an unforgettable family visit to the Great Ocean Road in Australia a few summers ago. This image symbolizes three reasons for a “seeking grace” in my life, relationships, and calling. I hope the music, words, and video invite you to join me in seeking grace this Easter season.

Seeking Grace Reason #1: Receiving Grace Leads to Giving in Life. God’s love and grace are bigger than an ocean, surrounding, protecting, and washing over the shoreline of my heart. The more deeply I  receive and am grateful for them, the more they overflow out of my life. This leads to giving love, grace and forgiveness to others, as well as giving time and resources to serve others.

Seeking Grace Reason #2: Giving Grace Leads to Blessings in Relationships. God and and the truth of His Word are like the rock along the Great Ocean Road — strong, unshakeable and often bold. God’s grace is like the oceans — deep, wide, and often gentle. After unknowingly doing the reverse for many years, I have found if I first give people gentle, compassionate grace, which is rooted in bold, confident truth, this leads to blessings in relationships.

Seeking Grace Reason #3: Blessings of Grace Lead to Freedom in Our Calling. In the verses down below the Holy Spirit is called a spirit of grace, the spirit of truth, and our Helper. Jesus was full of both grace and truth, and the gift of God’s grace saves us through faith. It is easy for me to condemn myself because of my sins, selfishness, imperfections, and failures, which can hold me captive. I can never earn them, but I can receive the blessings of grace. These include being forgiven, others-centered, faultless, flawless and excellent in God’s eyes, all of which lead to freedom in my calling.

Which reason for seeking grace is most inviting to you this Easter?
 
“I’ll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them.” — Zechariah 12:10 (MSG)

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…the Spirit of truth.” — John 14:16-17 (ESV)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14 (NIV)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

“The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide.” — Isaiah 11:9 (MSG)

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” — 1 Samuel 2:2 (ESV)

A Love Song for Your 2018

By Leave a Comment

Click above to use Pure Fountain as your reading soundtrack, from my 8th album Open Spaces. Then watch the Pure Fountain music video and receive this as a love song from God to you. You can order the Open Spaces CD or MP3 Album or PDF Sheet Music, or enjoy on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Pandora.

How can this instrumental love song inspire your 2018?

With the February 14, 2018 Valentine’s Day holiday approaching, I wanted to offer you a love song without words. Our favorite love songs with lyrics are wonderful, but sometimes creating a musical opportunity to listen for God’s loving “gentle whisper” or “still small voice” can provide a special blessing in my life. I hope you will receive this as a beautiful love song from God to you, and receive His blessing over you in this New Year.

Reflect on these words from the Lover (God) to his Beloved (us) in Song of Solomon, Chapter 4. Then, watch for them in the Pure Fountain video, and let the Lord sing them over you and your life in 2018…

“Dear lover and friend, you’re a secret garden, a private and PURE FOUNTAIN. A garden fountain, sparkling and splashing… You’ve captured my heart. I stay until dawn breathes its light and night slips away. Body and soul you are PARADISE. One look my way and…I was hopelessly in love!” (The Message)

Father God, thank you for loving me and forgiving me. Please show me your love today, and throughout 2018. Help me to take notice, and to share your grace and love with others. Amen.

“…the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him.” — Psalm 32:10 (NIV)