We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Short Stories

by Michelle Qureshi

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

1.
To the Bone 01:30
2.
3.
4.
5.
Beyond Here 03:20
6.
7.
8.
Adrift 02:29
9.
10.
11.
12.
Resilience 02:22
13.
Brass Door 02:32
14.
15.
Windflowers 00:56
16.
17.
With Wonder 03:12

about

In this collection of seventeen sweet and poignant guitar tales, a variety of sounds on the acoustic guitar are explored then translated to tunes from my heart. “The heart is a thousand stringed instrument that can only be tuned with love” ~Hafiz

As the album title Short Stories implies, this is a collection of concise pieces that are imaginative, whimsical, poetic and powerful! Within these tracks I explore the colors, textures, and harmonics of steel and nylon string guitars, at times incorporating alternate tunings, a glass slide, and various capos. Some tracks are solo, some layered, and all are played in a finger style manner. This is also the first time for me to record with a recently acquired instrument called a Villela, which is a nylon string guitar pitched an octave lower then the standard guitar. The thoughtful and mystical album art is based on a work painted and designed by Ellen Lupton, with a heart felt thanks to her from me. I do hope you enjoy the adventure this album aspires to offer!
~MQ

"Michelle Qureshi’s new album “Short Stories” is a collection of poignant, well crafted compositions that cut right to the chase of each wonderfully titled track. The stories are in the telling and Michelle’s mastery of the guitar keeps us hanging on every note!"
~Mary Bartlein, Host/Producer, Instrumental Saturdays on WMSE

"Inspired by a collection of short pieces for solo guitar this delectable album Short Stories from Michelle Qureshi makes an impressive line-up of delicate notes woven into a story line which can be enjoyed at leisure.

Featuring the modern ‘finger picking’ style of work the ambient nature of the tracks is refreshing in that the singular pieces stand alone, pure, clean and filled with the emotion of the moment of creation.

To the Bone introduces the collection, beginning with a strong slightly discordant series of chords, delivering a strong, forthright, almost chunky melody which is short at 1:30 seconds, telling a brief but powerful story.

The very lovely piece “It didn’t have to go like this”, is a reflective combination of guitar that is relevant to anyone who has looked back with regret, at a time in their life where things have changed, not always in the manner expected.

As with work of this metre the track titles write the storyline, there to be interpreted by the listener as with Lower the Drawbridge a piece which has been worked with Villela guitar, a nylon stringed guitar pitched an octave lower to offer in deeper, richer, almost renaissance influenced tone.

One of the longer tracks is County Line Road where the slide guitar has been introduced to offer a rather lovely C&W style piece with something a little extra, a mellowness that is often missing from this genre of music.

A gentle farewell has been created in My Sweet Goodbye, a piece dedicated to Michelle’s father who passed away in 1990. In a desire to accept the loss and gentle the grieving she allowed her music to change the balance, change the emotion into a sweet goodbye. Beautiful.

Windflowers is what could be considered a pure finger picking C&W as immediately it brings to memory the vast fields and acres of harvest in this short and very catchy little piece. It also a offers a smile and a quick little toe tap!

Rounding out this interesting collection of seventeen Short Stories is With Wonder easily translated into a tribute to the absolute wonder of observing the beauty and life all around; being thankful for the love and abundance there to be enjoyed.

Short Stories is a journey into a relatively new aspect of New Age music which is delightful, refreshing and offers a very wide, blank manuscript within the music spectrum there to be explored."
~Janet Mawdesley, Blue Wolf Reviews

"The gorgeous emotional tone will wash over you and move you to a place that at once seems familiar and yet is somewhere you're sure you've never quite been before. I felt like I had taken a walk in the grove of trees behind my house, but when I returned to my living room everything looked slightly different because the music had shifted my point of view."
~Michael Kent Smith, Guitarist/Composer

"Michelle Qureshi has produced a wonderful album with a lovely collection of elegantly played and well written music for guitar."
Joseph Sullinger, Guitarist

Michelle Qureshi, after releasing successful albums in the past, has ventured on this solo journey with a right amount of confidence and correct measure of ingenuity.

As apparent from the name of the album itself, the songs are shorter than the usual length, though the number of tracks makes the album a sizeable one. There are 17 tracks in total and each one carries a message–a short and sweet tale. The benefit of reading a book of short stories is that you get more of them and within a short span of time can get the essence of the all the effort that the writer has put in. This album is like that–you get the message or the mood quickly!

Different processions of guitar and almost every possible sound that an acoustic guitar produces is audible in this album. As mentioned earlier, it is a completely solo album and therefore offers a rather intimate experience with the guitar and its capabilities.

From strings to chords, from phrases to questions, a guitar is capable of building a distinct aroma and Michelle has been successful in creating something meaningful. You will notice different tempos and themes of the songs creating effects and moods with its raw beauty. Joyful, somber, thoughtful, peaceful, and relaxing are some of the adjectives that come to your mind while you to listen to Short Stories by Michelle.

This is the first time I have heard her music, and I can easily say that she has a worthwhile talent that you would like to explore, and if you particularly like listening to an acoustic guitar, this album should be doubtlessly in your possession.

I wish Michelle success with her album and also look forward to more of her music!
~Vivek Kumar

credits

released August 24, 2018

Composed, performed and produced by Michelle Qureshi and published by Music as Metaphor ©All Rights Reserved. Album Art by Ellen Lupton

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Michelle Qureshi Carmel, Indiana

Award-winning Artist Michelle Qureshi is a composer, multi‐instrumentalist, and classically-trained guitarist who brings a contemporary yet timeless aesthetic to her music, which includes 16 albums 22 singles and 3 EPs.

shows

contact / help

Contact Michelle Qureshi

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Michelle Qureshi recommends:

If you like Michelle Qureshi, you may also like: