I’ve always felt a tension between my deep, primordial love of music—its power to transform—and the practicalities of choosing composition as a career. Spindles is my way of tipping the scales back toward the transformative side. It’s my attempt to create something that not only enhances people's lives but also makes the world a little kinder and more peaceful. Music, beyond being enjoyable and moving, can comfort us, calm us, and help us through the challenges we face.

Now, religion and philosophy aside, my guiding principles boil down to two simple ideas: the Categorical Imperative(basically, the Golden Rule but with the twist: can you justify your actions if everyone behaved this way?) and plain old kindness. The most powerful version of humanism is when we all strive toward these concepts—respect, grace, and extending the same courtesy to others that we’d want ourselves. When we do, the world really does become a better place.

So, if these are my guiding principles, and music is both my passion and vocation, Spindles is my way of merging the two. Whether it’s helping you sleep, setting the tone for your morning, focusing your mind, or calming anxious thoughts, if we can ground ourselves and find peace as individuals, we can pass that calm on to others.

In Japan, there’s a concept called Ikigai—a reason for being. It’s the sweet spot where what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for all intersect. Spindles is my Ikigai.

Spindles is a hand-crafted music and sound app where vintage synths, acoustic instruments, and natural soundscapes come together to help you rest, meditate, focus (especially if ADHD’s in the mix), and calm anxious minds.

Why Spindles?

While AI has its place, I found most “functional music” apps to be... well, soulless. The music lacks humanity, and the interfaces feel more new-age crystal shop than practical. Spindles is the antidote—a beautifully crafted app focused on music with heart, intention, and texture.

But wait, isn’t Spindles electronic music?

Yes, Spindles is largely electronic, but here’s the difference: I love the raw, organic feel of analog synthesizers and the evolving, textured soundscapes they create. It’s about crafting music that feels alive—not the sterile, formulaic tracks typical of other apps. And if electronic music isn’t your thing, don’t worry. There’s plenty of acoustic music too, from my piano compositions to full orchestral movements.

What can you expect?

Since starting Spindles, I’ve composed nearly 4 hours of new music and recorded natural soundscapes from my home in Chicago and on my travels, using a 360-degree microphone setup. With headphones, you’ll be fully immersed—whether you’re drifting to sleep or zoning in on work, you’ll feel surrounded by nature.

Thanks for checking out Spindles—explore the app, enjoy the sounds, and stay tuned for more tips and tricks!

I’m a veteran, Emmy-nominated composer who twiddles in a serious way with electronic music on vintage and modular synth gear as a bit of a “sideline.” You’ve probably heard my music in Super Bowl commercials, PBS documentaries, and way too many ads for Fortune 500 companies (sorry about that). Recently, I composed a 7-act orchestral cycle to celebrate the rare co-emergence of two Cicada broods in the Midwest—ironically sponsored by Orkin, the pest-control company. I promise no Cicadas were harmed in the making.

When I’m not scoring or fiddling with synths, I’m at the piano. You’ll hear my glorious Schimmel K195 Konzert Grand sprinkled throughout this app. My compositional sweet spot is somewhere between experimental and accessible. I love pushing the boundaries of sound but wrapping it in something that still hits you emotionally.

I’m also a bit of a health nut. Sleep, meditation, exercise, relationships, diet—I’ve listend to far too many Podcasts about all of it.   That’s what led me to dive into music and sound therapy. I’ve been studying the science-backed methods (yes, listening to noise works!) and exploring long-standing traditions (like binaural beats or singing bowls) to see what actually helps.

I also love the tech side of things. Learning iOS programming was my latest rabbit hole, and it’s been a blast building an app that aligns with the exact aesthetic I’ve been aiming for.

I live in Chicago, so when you listen to the natural soundscapes in this app, you’ll hear sonic environments from my hometown, along with many from my travels.

One of the central ideas behind Spindles the app is connecting musical frequencies and rhythms with the natural pulses of our bodies—from circadian rhythms to the frequency waves in our brain. I stumbled upon this fascinating phenomenon called sleep spindles, which occur during Stage 2 of sleep. These are short bursts of high-frequency brain activity, lasting about 0.5 to 2 seconds. They’re thought to play a key role in memory consolidation, sensory filtering (keeping us from waking up at every little sound), and general cognitive performance.

The concept immediately clicked with me. Plus, I couldn’t resist the potential double entendre—“spindle” also refers to a part of a bike, and cycling might just be my greatest non-musical passion!

I wanted Spindles to strike a balance between streamlined functionality and a touch of whimsy. But above all, I wanted it to be clear, easy to use, and maybe even enjoyable to navigate.

First Tab: Home
The first tab is where you’ll find newly added tracks, highlighted across the top row, followed by rows dedicated to the app’s four main areas—sleep, meditation, focus, and calm. Each section showcases a selection of tracks designed for that specific purpose.

Every track has keywords that describe both its intended function and its musical attributes. When you click on the track art, a mini-player pops up at the bottom, and the track begins to play. Tap the mini-player’s art or title, and the full player takes over, giving you access to more controls—including one of Spindles’ key features: independent control of the soundscape (or noisescape) and music. Whether you want to crank up that Chicago thunderstorm or dial it down to hear more music, the choice is yours.

In the full player, you’ll also find an expandable description window with details about the track, a loop function, a favorites ‘heart’ button, and an option to add the track to a playlist. There’s also a download button, which is currently a placeholder for offline listening functionality coming soon.

Second Tab: Albums & Collections
This page is where you can browse tracks organized into albums. At the top, you’ll find music grouped by its primary function. Below that, you’ll see albums with isolated soundscapes, noisecapes, and binaural beats if you prefer just those elements. There are also albums for my special projects, like piano music and the Cicada Symphony, along with my entire Dudadius catalog. Some tracks from my existing work are sprinkled throughout the other functional areas too, where they fit.

Third Tab: Dynamic Keyword Search
One of my favorite features! This page lets you search for tracks using keywords. At the top, you can choose to filter by function or musical attribute. As you select the keywords you want, the tracks below will dynamically update to show the matches.

Fourth Tab: Favorites & Playlists
Here you’ll find tracks you’ve favorited (essentially a special playlist at the top), as well as any custom playlists you’ve created. You can edit playlists, remove tracks, or delete a playlist entirely—no hard feelings.

Fifth Tab: Settings
Finally, the settings page is home to this FAQ and user-related functions. Here, you can see how much time you have left in your free trial, check your subscription status, and manage your subscription (though canceling requires a trip to the App Store—sorry, it’s a rule).  See the FAQ explaining the difference between a user account and a subscription.

Oh, and don’t forget: you can switch between light or dark mode or let the app follow your system settings. In the future, this is where you’ll also manage any downloaded content.

One of my biggest annoyances is downloading a new app, excited to try it out, only to be hit with the subscription page right away. Sure, you might get a 7-day trial, but it feels like you're making a commitment before you've even had your first coffee. I get why some apps do it—there are technical reasons—but for Spindles, it was a priority to let you try things out without rushing into a long-term relationship (kids and mortgage included).

When you first open the app, you’ll be asked to sign in—either with your Apple or Google ID, via email/password, or even anonymously. This only creates a user account on the Spindles server so you can create favorites and playlists, and it starts your 14-day full-access trial. There’s no tie to the App Store or any payment at this point. It’s all about giving you time to experience the app before we talk subscriptions.

After 14 days, you’ll be presented with the subscription options. And yes, at that point, we might need to talk about taking things to the next level—sorry, but we’ve got to escalate the relationship eventually!

I offer all the usual subscription options, but if you’re a nurse, military member, student, or artist, I’d love to offer you a discount code via the Apple Store. It’s a priority for me to make Spindles accessible, regardless of your financial situation. So, if you fit into one of those categories—or you're just in a tight spot—send me an email.

There’s a solid amount of research supporting the health benefits of music and specific varieties of sound, including natural soundscapes. Salubrious (a word I love—meaning promoting health or well-being) is spot on when describing what music can do. Obviously, tempo can either pump you up or calm you down. Studies abound showing how music influences heart rate, breathing, and other physiological and cognitive responses.

But where things get fuzzier is with newer techniques, like binaural beats, and whether they really can change brainwave frequencies (a process known as entrainment). And yet, many long-standing traditions—from Himalayan singing bowls and sound baths to Gregorian and Buddhist chants—while not always scientifically proven, rest on centuries of therapeutic use.

Spindles aims to combine the best of both worlds: applying science where we have it, while respecting and blending the artistic and traditional practices. I take inspiration from the evidence while still making room for the "techier" and more experimental approaches.

Natural Soundscapes:
Here, the science is pretty clear: natural soundscapes have a range of documented benefits, from stress reduction to enhanced focus. That’s why I lean heavily on sound profiles that promote calm and sleep, or provide a natural backdrop for study.

Noise:
Noise, as a phenomenon, is better understood. I’ve crafted some dynamic, performative noise elements using my modular synth—adding a personal touch to what’s often considered a simple background sound.

Binaural Beats:
Binaural beats, however, are a newer concept. They involve playing two slightly different tones in each ear, creating a beat or pulse that is said to help the brain synchronize to that frequency. While the science here is less certain, I’ve chosen to explore this idea creatively. After all, sustained tones—whether from singing bowls or chanting—have long been known to aid focus and relaxation.

Frequency Specificity:
Then there’s the idea that certain frequencies or notes can have direct physiological effects—a concept with even less scientific backing. I’ve played with this idea artistically, but I’m careful not to overstate the claims. For now, it’s more of a creative tool than a scientifically proven method.

Ultimately, Spindles blends these ideas into thoughtfully composed sonic worlds, designed to address different functions. Read on in the FAQ for more specific tips.

Spindles offers nearly 400 hours of newly composed, function-specific music. Of course, there’s some gray area here—many tracks have crossover potential. You might find a piece I wrote for meditation works perfectly for studying… or even sleeping! Each track comes with multiple keywords to help you explore all the possibilities, especially when using the dynamic filtering page, but feel free to use the tracks however they work best for you!

***Sleep Specifics***

Sleep is a bit of a special category. Some users enjoy having music or sound playing all night, while others prefer something that helps them drift off and then fades out. You might also find it useful for those middle-of-the-night wakeups when you need a little help falling back asleep. I recommend experimenting with creating your own playlists. For example, you could build a playlist with one track, like Drifting to Different Shores, to put you to sleep and then end. Or, if you want continuous sound, mix a few sleep tracks with soundscapes to serve as a gentle noise machine throughout the night.

***ADHD Assistance***

Focus, especially for those managing ADHD, is another unique area. Research shows that moderate tempo music with a steady beat and no lyrics can help regulate dopamine levels, leading to better focus and attention (see below). While this applies to anyone, it’s especially effective for individuals with ADHD/ADD, as it provides a baseline dopamine response that helps manage attention regulation.

In this category, I’ve crafted tracks with simple, repetitive structures, yet they’re constantly evolving. The idea is to keep the brain engaged without overwhelming it—offering enough variety to prevent boredom but enough rhythm to sustain focus.

Some Relevant Studies:

• Sarkamo et al. (2008)

• Patston & Tippett (2011)

• Verywell Mind (2023)

Spindles is an independently-produced jam, so I had to chose one OS to start with, so for now it is iOS only. Hopefully this will gain traction and I can find an Android nerd to translate my code into that environment soon!