Instrumental music and lullabies for dreaming, for children and the child in you.

‘Dream by the River – Music for Dreaming’ originally began as a CD of lullabies for babies and young children. It then metamorphosed into a broader range of music for dreaming and contemplation, and as such will be suitable for both children and adults. The reason for this is that the music can stimulate visual images, imaginings, wonderings and feelings, as well as providing a platform for reflection, contemplation and relaxation. Nonetheless, the music can also be relaxing and soothing for babies, and acts as a container to hold and support our emotional, imaginative and reflective world. This music is a vehicle for children and adults to tap into their innate emotional wisdom.

My thanks to all the children in my life who inspired this set of instrumental songs and lullabies for dreaming, and their families. All the music was created in 2008 with the exception of ‘Dona Rosita’s Lullaby’, which was created some years ago as incidental music to the play by Lorca, but which has stayed with me for a long time and seemed to want a place in this CD.

Acknowledgements My thanks to the artist Lindy Longhurst, who graciously allowed me to use an image of her painting ‘Dream By The River’ on the CD cover and to borrow that title for this album. You can see more of Lindy’s extraordinary work at www.serpentmandalas.com

Unicorn Graphics gave generously in their design for this album, and my sincere thanks to Karen Curran at Unicorn Graphics for her imagination and generosity. Unicorn Graphics can be found at www.unicorngraphics.com.au/

Finally, my thanks to Renata and baby Nina, who started the whole project.

Peta Williams Blue Mountains, Australia

'When an artist is purely connected to source and creates an artwork – the artwork takes on a life of its own and transcends what limits us as humans. This is exactly what Peta Williams has done with her debut composition for children. She has filled the void of quality music for children with a distinctly Australian female voice. Finally we can enjoy a contemporary score for a contemporary child that is full of depth, complexity, colour and beauty.' 'Rebecca Geach, Airborne – Breathwork, Blue Mountains