The seed for this project was planted many years ago by Owen Findsen, retired art critic for the Cincinnati Enquirer. He suggested that I might enjoy the writings of Lafcadio Hearn. Hearn worked as a journalist in the United States, primarily in Cincinnati, Ohio, and New Orleans, Louisiana, before moving to Japan and becoming a Japanese citizen.

It was not until this past year (2022) while viewing the "Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan" exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that I remembered Lafcadio Hearn and Owen's suggestion that I read his work.

These seven ambient soundtracks are inspired by folk tales and ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn. They are collected in his 1904 book "Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things" which can be found in your local library or on the web. I chose seven particular tales as the basis for this work.

It is advisable to read the story and then listen to the soundtrack. To hear the immersive audio, these compositions are best auditioned through headphones or with quality stereo speakers.

Thank you to Owen Findsen for the suggestion to read the writings of Lafcadio Hearn; to Michael Scott for a sojourn in New Mexico in November 2022; and to Diane K. Smith for the five-pitch set derived from her first name and for modeling for the cover.