iTunes Link

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-sound-of-peace/id126952718

Sheet Music

http://www.readsheetmusicnow.com/tag/john-fluker/

Creating The Sound Of Peace CD

There Is A Road

I remember my mother had called and said, "Mrs. Porter died". Magnolia Porter was my first piano teacher and she taught nearly everyone in the whole neighborhood piano for basically$2.00

a lesson. She was notorious for correcting your bad notes with a slap on the hand with that ever present ruler. She was equally notorious for her summer piano recitals at her church that featured all of her students.

After I hung up the phone I instantly felt led to compose some sort of tribute. I sat down at the piano and the melody just naturally and instantly came to me. It was short and sweet and to the point. I guess I was actually thinking about Mrs. Porter in Heaven because I knew that's where she had gone. And I knew that she had traveled the right road to get there. Maybe I wanted to always be reminded how she gave so much to the community and I wanted to be able to travel that same road, that path to a wonderful place after my life long travel. There is a road. There is a place. There is a Heaven.

A Father's Love

This is the one composition that I have cried upon playing and felt the presence of The Holy Spirit. I don't know why. It's so simple it almost passes you by - being so short and all. I remember as I sat down to compose one night - I was thinking of intervals. I thought about 3rds and how melodic and close sounding they are. I waited and felt something simple again. I followed the C scale up and down like a child discovery the keys for the first time. I felt like one note was always leading while the other (harmonic note) stayed close by and I thought about how a father teaches his children or his son (like me) to to follow closely to his every lead. It's soft and melodic but the innocence of it gave me the perspective a child may think of his parents, his father - always watching closely, following right by his side.

I thought about how my father had passed and I cried some more but at the same time realizing that he is still near in spirit - still leading and guiding. I'm still following.

The bond is never broken.

Asleep Beneath The Moon Part One

I couldn't wait sometimes to get home from Las Vegas and play my piano at night. I would usually get home around 1:30 am from The Gladys Knight Show at the Flamingo where I was a keyboardist. Sometimes it was around 2 am (if it was a long show).

I've always loved Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and I believe it's in the top ten best Classical pieces of all time. I love the steady arpeggio "feel". I guess I was feeling that sort of vibe when I just almost instantly and instinctively began playing "Asleep Beneath The Moon". I knew I had to record it quickly before I forgot and while I was still in the mood. I didn't have a form but I knew how sections of it were to played. I didn't spend hardly any time trying to perfect it. I just had to get it down. I played and stopped. Then I started again and maybe stopped. I started again (comfortably) with the left hand steady and played melodically with the right hand. I couldn't believe I just kept playing and playing and flowing. I actually composed Part Two first. It was long too - over 6 minutes! I was definitely in the zone! I decided to play a shorter version that perhaps would open a little more decorative with arpeggios. I love arpeggios. Then I composed Part One (even though it was really Part Two). I almost placed Part One as the opener of the CD but my engineer, Elliott Peters, said that it was a little too heavy and suggested that I open a little lighter. I almost left both pieces off of the album because they weren't really executed well enough to me. After a few listening sessions, somehow they felt right and I knew I would never duplicate them again.

Journey Of A Soul

This was actually the first composition for The Sound Of Peace. I was thinking about Beethoven and "For Elise' and how popular it has always been. I wanted to compose something similar and simple as the Classic piece that other pianists may enjoy. I tried to resist adding strings but I couldn't. The added strings became another ambient counter melody line. After that I had to stop but then added a bell tree. I played the piece for my cousin, Ronald White, and he said that he liked that type of music and showed me the Music Choice station on my cable called Soundscapes. I had never heard of that particular station before. As we listened to the station we heard compositions comparable to mine and I knew (somehow) my compositions would be heard on that station. I my heart I felt that my music had found a home.

Bridge Of Light

I wanted to literally bridge two compositions "Journey Of A Soul" and "The Hollow Earth" so I incorporated the "feel" of both into a segue or interlude. I was quite surprised when many told me that this was one of their favorites on the CD.

The Hollow Earth

This is what I consider to be a magical, mystical piece. I had visited a New Age site and came across a hollow earth theory which was quite interesting. I personally believe there are things out there that we just don't know about. The greatest mysteries may be right here on this earth. The oceans cover two thirds of the planet and that's just plenty for something unknown and undiscovered to be hidden away. If there are ancient and/or advanced civilizations within the earth I wouldn't be surprised.

Again, I couldn't resist strings so I added them. I noticed an unintentional gap in the piano performance so I added a harp and loved the contrast and melodic interaction between it and the piano.

My favorite part is the end of the piece - when everything seems to wash away and become dense. It's the same way my dreams sometime end.

The Sound Of Peace

I was rushing home again from the Las Vegas show on another Saturday night and felt creative with this beautiful chord progression that had been in my head.

I really didn't have a set melody, just a "feel" that seemed to remind me of when we die we are at peace. This piece helped me think through a lot of feelings that surfaced when my father passed away.

I was astonished how I just played straight through for a long time with minimal structure in mind. I really went on another journey and it was a favorite of mine and I had to make it my crowning piece.

It was really my style of chord progressions. It showed a mature side that I hadn't seen in myself until then.

What Is True?

This piece began with a left hand arpeggio and I experimented playing intervals in the right. It began sounding a little "Asian influenced" and I loved it for that. I took myself on another journey searching and playing straight through with minimal structure to begin. I was thinking about how we all have different faiths and beliefs so I wanted to channel something like an ancient proverb that could evoke feelings of questions and answers. To me this is the wisest sounding composition.

A Time Before

This was the most R&B influenced piece reminding me of the Norman Connors/Phylis Hyman torch songs. I played it for a couple of vocalists to see if they would create lyrics but no one did so I accepted it as an instrumental. I played a fancier version with hip chords and lines but felt it lost it's innocent contemplative nature when I embellished too much.

Asleep Beneath The Moon Part Two

This is actually the 1st version (performance) of the song.

Please see "Asleep Beneath The Moon Part One".

Blue Sunday

I was feeling a bit lazy that night but peaceful. I kept sensing a chromatic line as I comfortably played somewhat of a "pop" melody. Again, I added strings which gives it that winding feel, tension and release - like you're sorting out your problems. It resolves peacefully and nicely just like we want all of our problems to do.

Through New Eyes

I literally had just undergone eye surgery - implanted lens. Unfortunately, my eyes didn't meet the qualifications for Lasik surgery. It just felt right to keep pecking at a note, like to ponder on a thought or problem. Then, as I transition into the arpeggios, I release these thoughts, these problems and it feels carefree.

A Dream Remembers

This song feels the most like I'm about to break out into vocals. The chord progression is very R&B/Pop to me and more "commercial" than "A Time Before". I kept it in the line up because it felt lighter and "less deep" than most of the other compositions. I wanted to get away from the slow, moody vibe and transition into a stronger contemporary medium tempo. A cousin of mine asked if she could use it in her wedding and I consented. However, she butchered the composition by speeding it up and adding horns to suit her "special arrangement". :-)

I cringed but met her request. The original is way better in my opinion. By the way, this composition is officially my most popular wedding music after so many requests to be included in ceremonies.

Life Begins

By now I had listened to a lot of artists on Music Choice Soundscape. Some of my favorites were Ann Sweeten, David Nevue and Danny Wright. Their piano compositions reminded me a lot of myself. I wanted to create something that moved and gave me hope for a positive future - a new beginning. I added the birds because they always sing you into a new day. I hear them all the time outside my window. I felt like I could go on with hope after my father passed away because he began a new life with the Lord.