The Thaw

THE THAW has been a journey for me in every way, with understanding, compassion and redemption at it's core. With my music, I try to give people space to feel, to be, to reflect and to navigate life’s ups, downs and challenges. We can often be disconnected with how we feel. Music as somatic experience. From tender to terror we have this huge range of emotions. THE THAW and my other work I hope can serve as a soft, personal and sonic roadmap. It was inspired by the Arctic, Global Warming and the magic of sculpted ice. I’ve come to see THE THAW as a soundtrack to our stories. I hope this map helps you navigate your inner and outer world. It continues to do so for me. May this help you love deeply, feel everything, be generous and gentle with yourself as you face today, yesterday and tomorrow.

Be well - love and light.
 

Working with orchestras has always been a dream of mine, so when I was offered the chance I grabbed it. What I didn’t understand at the time was the personal rollercoaster it would take me on. When the opportunity came, I had no idea what I was doing, and certainly didn’t have a solid foundation to finance a large-scale production. Resourcefulness got me far, but taking nearly a year to write the music and prepare the score without finance meant credit got me through. The peak moment was: Do I use the mortgage money to pay the engineer, conductor and crew? Or do I do the sensible thing? The record companies and publishers I approached said no. The Arts Council and British Council said no. Luckily a few sponsors like Neumann Microphones said yes. As I walked onto the stage, only I knew the mess waiting when I returned. The performances were a success, and we also managed to record the studio album. The debt collectors were waiting at home and I had no idea what would happen next. In the end through faith I managed to keep my home and to climb out of that hole. I remember saying at the time  that I would rather die than not do it. And in fact I nearly did. What started as an exciting idea, opened a new chapter of change where I lost a lot. What I gained was a deeper understanding of myself, a course in faith, and a new foundation. THE THAW began as an Arctic winter-wonderland album and stage production, but evolved to be an inner process. I hope it can serve you in whatever way it can. I’m grateful for the opportunity to humbly share this offering.

From backroom bars to the stage of London’s Royal Albert Hall, to the Emmy award-nominated series The Path to 9/11, Rhett Brewer’s music has touched people around the world. Unusually Brewer uses his own otherworldly voice as an instrument. His evocative compositions range from the highly intimate, to epic drama. Most recently Rhett Brewer recorded THE THAW album with the 96 musicians of The Tampere Philharmonic orchestra in Finland. The music was staged in Finland before being performed at the Royal Albert Hall by The Royal Philharmonic in the presence of HRH the Prince of Wales. His humble musical path began with the collaborative album These Wings Without Feathers with Lisa Gerrard. His debut album The Ebbing Wings of Wisdom was his first foray in recorded sound. The cinematic, emotive quality of Brewer’s music attracts film directors and has been used in numerous films. Highlights include Together, starring Matt Smith in competition at the Cannes film festival and documentary Crossing Borders. With THE THAW now set for release and projects in development, Brewer hopes to heal and support with music.