Touched By the Sea is Silvard Kool’s second collection of solo piano “freeflow” compositions, which is music that is composed and recorded on the spot. A professor of biology and a lifelong collector of sea shells, Silvard combined his passions by spontaneously composing the fourteen pieces, most of which have titles related to the ocean and sea life. Many albums that are recorded as the music is improvised seem disorganized and can be difficult to listen to several times as there can be too many unrelated themes. Silvard’s music holds together unusually well, and is actually delightful to listen to repeatedly. There are no real musical surprises, but the pieces are low-key and relaxing, and beautifully played on three different acoustic grand pianos. The CD holds a fairly consistent reflective mood throughout, making this a very easy recording for background music or daydreaming. With careful listening, the left hand patterns can be very repetitive, but this wasn’t nearly as obvious when I wasn’t giving the music my undivided attention (listening with my eyes closed). “Lured By the Ocean” is a very flowing, peaceful piece that I strongly relate to, with my own love for the ocean. I also really like “Life’s Treasures,” which while still very calm and soothing, has a special energy and optimism. “Beachcombing” describes the serenity of walking along the shore and looking at the life all around you and under your feet. It is so easy to let go of life’s cares at the ocean, and this song captures that feeling of peace and connectedness. My other favorite tracks are “Seashell Splendor,” a happy, contented piece, and “Soulmates,” which is warm and loving, but also a little melancholy. Silvard has toured and performed with Danny Wright, and I think his style is closer to Wright’s than, say Wayne Gratz’ or Michael Jones (two artists who also do a lot of improvising on their recordings). There are pop as well as classical influences in his music, and it is very easy to listen to. Touched By the Sea can be ordered from silvard.com.