REGINALD CYNTJE
Healing is my latest album combining artistic expression with an awareness of the environment. The healing process is an intimate contemplative endeavor. Recorded on September 18, 2020, at Divine Order Studios, the album features Allyn Johnson on piano and Reginald Cyntje on trombone/compositions.
Artist notes…
Being an artist requires being vulnerable. The state of expressing intimate thoughts to be put on display. Being mindful of the healing process has magnified my sensitivity for the personal and the collective. The past, the present, and the hope for the future all mashed together within the space of art. It’s the process of turning on a faucet that gushes out forcibly. The art occupies my dreams. The art keeps me up at night. The art is seeking to express something within. It is something I’ve been wrestling with that our current collective world has put on hyper-focus. Healing loss. Healing trauma. Healing pain. Healing relationships.
The act of forgiveness brings about healing. The art of letting go of anger and grievance. The release that happens from understanding. Forgiveness is hard and beautiful. This difficult task reduces negative energy and restores wellbeing. When I say “forgiveness,” I feel a rhythmic pulse compelling me to act. The tension that builds inside dissolves when the music reminds me to live life well in love.
One important component of love is appreciation. The concept of appreciation represents the healing power of gratitude. With gratitude, I awaken the soul to love and light. I had a friend who ended every conversation with “I appreciate you.” The act uplifted spirits. After my friend transitioned to the ancestry realm, I found myself ending conversations in a similar manner. Appreciation is mindfulness. The ability to be fully present during the journey and awe of life.
To be in complete amazement of life, helps us attract wellness. Magnetism is part of restoration and rejuvenation. Magnetism is divine communication. Magnetism is realizing goals. In life and music, I often think about what I want to attract and repel. The will to love, to live, to learn, and grow helps me face ailments with a sense of optimism.
During the healing process, it is important to recognize the ailment and communicate the best solution. Good communication requires love. It is listening to understand. It is music. Compassionate and effective communication helps our day-to-day care for ourselves and each other.
As we care for self, family, friends, and community, do we have the passion to withstand the ups and down? Do we have the passion to heal? Do we have the passion to love? Are we inspired? I discovered the power of passion when I began playing music. Music allowed me to be my authentic self without filters. Healing requires us to be authentic and use our passion to endure.
How do we endure? What is our motivation? To forgive, to appreciate, to attract, to communicate, and to be passionate feeds motivation. Healing is an art. Art needs motivation. The artist finds motivation everywhere. As an artist, I’m motivated by life, by the environment, by activism, by love, by my family, and everything around me.
Healing starts with self. Healing takes courage. Healing takes acknowledgment and self-acceptance. In accepting the totality of self, family, and/or community, we can begin the restoration process. Acceptance is challenging. Acceptance is also life-changing.
Intense longing for change can also lead to healing. As a community, we are yearning to heal. Our family is yearning to heal. Our relationships are yearning to heal. Our physical and spiritual body is yearning to heal.
I hope that you experience the healing nature of music while you listen to this album.
Reginald Cyntje
September 2020