Travels
Chieli Minucci

Travels are long-form compositions written to personal stories reflecting my travels around the world, as well as within my thoughts –

Some of these pieces were originally performed in theaters around the world as ‘pre-show’ music for Special EFX concerts as well as the children’s shows, Dora the Explorer – live and Thomas the Tank Engine – live

– a melody is like a journey,
connecting us all!

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The story of Journeys ~

Some time ago my father had a dream about when he was younger, when he loved trains, like many boys do.

He was in a magical park where there was a long, winding train track. He boarded his own friendly engine, accompanied by a wise, old man, who had long white hair, a long white beard, and somehow reminded him of a double-bass. This bass showed him all around a mystical forest, introducing my dad to his lifelong familiars, protecting sprites, and long known feelings who all followed along the whole way. The sprites were particularly mischievous and playful, just like that part of his personality I always loved so much. .As the train gently moved through the forest the feelings manifested themselves in a loving, protective way, parading memories of his life before him. Even though he was just a boy in this part, the dream was filled with nostalgia, and soon the playful, meandering melodies that accompanied the bass reminded him of this. A whistling bird joined the bass melody, and they were moving along through many colors and emotions.

The train passed through many parts of the magical place, with childhood emotions returning, always guided steady by the wise old bass, soon joined by a chorus of other characters - liquid guitars, whistling melodies, twinkling sparkles of percussion, and strings. The atmosphere in the air was truly enchanted. There was some melancholy to be passed through, some regret, and some mixed feelings. There was joy, anguish, love, and hate - all the feelings he’d known in life, all flying by in images of sound. The train moved further through a forest of pianos, acoustic guitars, newer melodies, and then, as rhythms began, time soon passed into adolescence. The train slowly came to a boarder and a door in the woods, which led to the next level of the ride. He walked through to a higher place.

The sprites, familiars, and other emotions all followed through the opening with him, and he found himself on a giant ledge, a kind of balcony, overlooking the heavens. Out in the sky were thousands upon thousands of twinkling lights, many moving quickly, some moving slowly, all of them so far away it was impossible to tell what they were at first. The wise old bass held a staff now, and my father noticed that he appeared as more human at this point, gesturing to a something truly wonderful. It started to come into view...

It was the biggest, most beautiful train he’d ever seen! White, silver, shining brightly, it majestically pulled into the station in the sky. Golden steps led up to the engine and the conductor invited my Dad to board. He did so with a great pride, and perhaps even a bit of fear. Amazingly, the conductor then motioned for him to take the controls. Never had he ever expected such an opportunity as this!

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, the giant locomotive bolted from its floating cloud-like dock and shot out into the open sky.

The familiar feelings, comforting sprites, and smiling emotions all followed along, ever present. He came closer and closer to those colorful and quick, shiny objects he'd seen back at the dock in his past life. Suddenly those sparkling images of speeding light revealed themselves! They were flying trains! – full of fellow travelers on the same kind of journey; all kinds of people: young to old, male and female, black to white and everything in between - all flying their own trains, all on the same journey, all together, triumphantly headed toward the same destination.

The feelings soared, the sprites smiled, the familiars protected throughout, as the trains sped along, up and down, round and round the universe. Then, as the journey came to its end...with a little twinkling wink the dream faded back into the reality of the night..