Greg Hale is both a masterfully accomplished musician and composer. With a seemingly endless flow of energy and inspiration, he revels in the creative process, and the music and sounds that emanate from his work are suffused with a potent life force bringing truly "original music in a new time." Hale's contemporary flamenco-inspired guitar virtuosity and song writing ability comes alive in his new cd release, "Mountain Carnival" -  a clear and definite step forward in his musical journey.

As meaningful as the fruits of Hale's artistic endeavors - which are so elegantly showcased on both "One Mind" and now "Mountain Carnival" - is the uplifting philosophy that drives his vision, both creatively and in his personal sphere. Hale is committed to putting forth a positive message in tandem with his music, stressing core values of integrity, loyalty, and the aim to "Do what's right. That very often seems to not be simple or the easiest thing in the short term," says Greg, "but there's a balance out there that occurs, metaphysically, when you do the right thing - the honest thing, and ulimately you have to trust that the positive is happening even if it is unseen at the time. I've learned," he continues, "that yesterday ended last night. No matter what the situation, there is a way to move forward and let the life force flow through you, or else you cannot be true to who you are. It really boils down to being all about consciousness." That underlying sense of self-awareness helps realize the powerful immediacy of Hale's work.

His arrival at this ever-evolving state of conscious thought, action and feeling was forged through the challenges of his own personal history. Greg began making both music and visual art as a young child, and went on to graduate from Illinois State University with a degree in Fine Art. From there, however, he pursued work in the more conventional arena of sales, where he enjoyed great success for two decades. Though exercising his left-brain strengths professionally, Hale continued his creative pursuits...back then he crafted paintings and when making music, learned from some of the recordings of his favorite performers.

In 1993, everything changed for Hale when he suffered the sudden passing of his wife, who was expecting their first child. The tragedy caused Greg to completely reorder his priorities - the material effects of life lost importance, and love, family and the need to live life to the fullest became his guiding lights. Meditation helped Greg through the grieving process, and inspired the begining of a cathartic journey of self-discovery. As he began to heal and renew, Greg became infused with original images and music, and vowed to pursue a life of shared creative self-expression. On the road to serenity, stepping off the carousel, Hale found his creative voice.

It is then fitting that the new cd is named "Mountain Carnival"..."It is a point of invitation for the listener to jump off from if they want to explore the journey of this collection of songs," says Hale. "For me, making this cd has been like the unfurling and release of a windblown seed which grows to become a firmly rooted positive entity in this thing we call life."