Composer, recording artist, and professional musican since his youth, Dr. Lundgren has been working for over thirty years on the soothing, inspiring, and integrative effects of certain kinds of music on the body, mind and spirit. Living several years as a cloistered, Benedictine monk, Dr. Lundgren trained in the centuries-old Christian monastic practice of combining momentary silence, sacred word, and sound as a centering and stress-reduction technique which enhances both awareness and a sense of well-being. Dr. Lundgren discovered that similar uses of music found in the Western tradition could also be found in other spiritual traditions. Most recently, Dr. Lundgren has composed music to select poems from Daniel Ladinsky's rendering of the 14th century Persian poets Hafiz, Rumi, and Mirabai (see Ladinsky's I Heard God Laughing, The Subject Tonight is Love, and Love Poems from God). AVAILABLE RECORDINGS "Diamond or Stone" (Cypress Ensemble, Blue Tree Records, 2004) a departure from their debut CD, "Pouring Light," this CD of fresh, upbeat originals incorporates the transformational poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, William Blake, and Neale Lundgren. Eric Peterson also adds a rich texture of percussion instruments from around the world. .................................................................................................................................................. "Pouring Light" (Cypress Ensemble, Blue Tree Records, 2003) original musical portraits of spiritual longing & transformation by the illuminated masters Hafiz, Rumi & Mirabai performed by the Cypress Ensemble: Neale Lundgren(composer, vocals, acoustic guitar), Eric Peterson (South American udu & Egyptiantar), Sheila Gambill (Egyptian tar & vocals) Description: - world fusion - poly-rhythmic, inspirational, and up-beat. .................................................................................................................................................. "Breaking Open" (Neale Lundgren, Alexander Zayne Records, 1992) original songs inspired by the 12step recovery movement with transformational & universal-spiritual themes. Neale Lundgren (composer, vocals, acoustic guitar) and Sam Broussard (arranger & acoustic lead guitar accompaniment) Description: - contemporary, progressive folk - up-tempo & inspirational .................................................................................................................................................. "Time of the Harvest" (Neale Lundgren with monks of St. John's Abbey, Liturgical Press, 1982) original compositions exploring Judaeo-Christian mysticism. Neale Lundgren (composer, vocals, acoustic guitar) with monks from St. John's Abbey (Timothy Backous, OSB & Paul Richards, OSB) Description: - contemporary, progressive folk - up-tempo, inspirational & devotional .................................................................................................................................................. " Determining Your Spiritual Path" (Neale Lundgren, Blue Tree Records, 2003) Dr Lundgren gives lessons on the seven major spiritual paths of the world. Inspired by the work of universalist and comparative religions scholar, Thomas James Hickey, Ph.D. Originally recorded before a live audience at the Ridgeview Institute Conference Hall, Smyrna, Georgia. useful for the spiritual seeker who wishes to explore different "spiritual path" options that align with one's nature, psychology, & personality bent, regardless of one's particular religious association.     A Word about Hafiz...click here.     SELECTED PERFORMANCES OF ORIGINAL WORKS Selected Songs from "Cypress Pouring Light" - Performed original music adaptations of sacred poetry with Coleman Barks (Rumi) and Daniel Ladinsky (Hafiz) at the Seney-Stoval Chapel on the University of Georgia campus, Athens, GA, January, 2003 " You Don't Know How Beautiful You Are" - An original poem adaptation from the 14th century Persian poet, Hafiz, performed for the first time in concert in Los Angeles, CA, by Jane Olivor (A Carnegie Hall alumnist ) before a capacity audience of two thousand, August, 2001. "Daddy" - Performed in concert for the college students at Coastal Carolina University by a choral group lead by Dr. David Bankston, Associate Professor of Music, Coastal Carolina University, April, 2001. "Jesuit Disorder" - Featured at a Graduate Recital by opera tenor, David Bankston, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Music degree at University of South Carolina (Columbia, S.C.). Other works represented were those of Frideric Handel, Franz Schubert, Henri Duparc, and Benjamin Britten. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, May, 1996. "Sefiroth," "Play, O Wondrous Awe," "The Anointing" - Appearing in concert with the renown folk ethnologist, John McCutcheon, performed selected pieces from an original work entitled Time of the Harvest: Songs for Three Voices, The Liturgical Press: Collegeville, MN, (1982), April, 1984. "Who Lit the Wonder" - A music adaptation based on an excerpt from A. J. Heschel's Man is Not Alone, composed especially for the Symposium on the Life and Thought of Abraham Joshua Heschel at the College of St. Benedict,St. Joseph, MN, May, 1983. "After the Dark" - Libretto written for the conclusion of a Requiem, conducted and written by Paul French, was performed by the St. John's University Choir, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, May, 1982. "Time of The Harvest" - Performed with a select group of musicians at the Center for the Arts, College of St. Benedict (St. Joseph, MN). Among those performing was a solo pianist for the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra who contributed works from Schubert, Telemann, and Rachmaninoff, May, 1991.