The music I’ve called “Heart Drum” came about as an exploration into my ancestors, namely the side of my family where I get the name Fearnley. The making of this music was primarily a journey into myself to connect with two people in particular – my lovely father Jim and his mum, my beloved grandmother, Theresa. Both these people were all heart. They simply LOVED, unconditionally. Deep, deep beauty – the honest heart, the unguarded innocent and the unwavering friend. By making this music, I connect with them and say hello. It’s an invocation as well as a gift of love I send them. It’s a bridge where we can both cross and meet halfway. I’ve always liked the idea of ancestors – that we can connect with them, ask for help, ask for advice, have a chat. But in western culture it’s seen as superstitious even though the pre-christian era European had a similar and intense relationship with their ancestors – much like the Chinese do today, an age-old sensibility and practice which simply hasn’t gone away… I also see ancestor connection as a way of sourcing information – activating pockets of memory within us that have come throughPlaying The Heart Drum – by Stephen Fearnley