A Journey of Faith, Music & Schizophrenia For Ed Chilungu
Old Bear Records is releasing its first instrumental album, 'SoundTracks', on October 12th by artist Ed Chilungu. "This is a very special and unique release to us due to the nature of Ed’s backstory, and our personal belief in his incredible musical abilities as well as his heart to share his Christian faith through instrumental compositions despite living with schizoaffective disorder for the majority of his adult life", explains Old Bear Records.
"I play music as a means for me to find communion with God. I want my music to be a means that invites others to
have communion with God too", says Ed Chilungu.
"Ed is one of the most talented and interesting people that we’ve ever worked with. When you sit in a room with him while he’s composing and sharing music - two things become very evident. One - he’s a gift to music lovers. Two - his main goal through his music and life is for people to have encounters with Jesus."
Early on in his life, Ed was on his way towards being a professional concert pianist when a set of circumstances changed the trajectory of his life and was ultimately diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. During the process of readjustment and finding a new direction - Ed was exposed to hearing a friend and fellow student playing piano in a way that Ed describes as "so fluid and different that he had to know what the difference was." His friend happened to be a Christian, and the fluidity of his playing was attributing to something that would be self described as a playing that was inspired by a personal worship and prayer that came through the melodies he played. Ed had yet to experience this type of playing that he now calls “a flow,” but knew it was something he longed to incorporate into his own playing and experience for himself.
Through the years Ed has taken his jazz and classical training and combined them with modern worship to create a hybrid of musical expression that begins through his own personal worship through music that leads to him seeking the heart of the Father and translating it through compositions that he believes has inherent qualities of blessing, and healing that make up the DNA of the compositions he creates. In many ways - it’s how he prays and how he hears the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit impart more of God into every area of his life and the lives of his listeners.
