The following will be the liner notes from my upcoming CD entitled "Prohairesis":

Once upon a time an innocent man was stoned to death by his townspeople.  His broken body was tossed into a cavern amongst the corpses of other heathen dissenters.  As his lifeforce was drained from him, and his world was turned to darkness, he found himself at the gates of Heaven.  The blackness of his mind was replaced by an impenetrable gray fog.

From behind this fog, the thunderous voice of God spoke to him.  God granted the man entrance into his kingdom without hesitation.  No challenges, criticisms, or reviews of his life's accomplishments were required.  The man refused to enter, for he had never considered an afterlife.  Because he had not believed, he had not earned eternal life, and did not wish to accept it.  Because of his defiance, God threatened to send the man to Hell instead.

The man spoke, "If i have no control of my fate, then what should it matter?  A will for Hell is preferred to an enslavement of ecstasy."

At this God was outraged.  He refused him entrance to both Heaven and Hell and offered to create a unique realm just for the man to exist alone, in neither pain nor pleasure.   

The man requested Hell, "I choose not to live in the shadow of generosity and mercy."  God replied that mercy has no place in his judgment.  The man responded, "Then why haggle with the rewards or punishments that eternal life can offer?  For vengeance?"

God's voice boomed that he is neither vengeful nor pacifistic, and that his actions are rooted in a methodology that is beyond human consciousness.  

"There is nothing beyond human consciousness." declared the man.

With this statement, God was overcome by anger.  The gates of Heaven shook at their foundation.  God stepped forward from beyond the veil of fog to reveal his image identical to that of the man.  With a flash of fire from his eyes, God sent the man back to earth.

The man awakened in the tomb created by his antagonists.  He survived for several months on rats, invertibraes, and fungae until his broken bones were mended.  Building tools from the remains of his fellow corpses, he dug his way up from the underground.  With new found strength and determination, he sought revenge for his injustices, and lived a long life of freedom and prosperity.

This album is a musical representation of the faculty of his volition.

--------------------------

Once again i've decided to write the liner notes for my album before composing any of the music.  I spend the past few months experimenting with new software, learning new musical ideas, and thoroughly contemplating the exact direction i wanted to go with "Prohairesis".  It is imperative that when i die, i do so with pride and as few regrets as possible.  Each song on this album represents an attribute of my volitional soul that, when applied appropriately, will ensure a fulfilling life.

01. Autonomy - Independence and self sufficiency.

02. Obstinance - Adherence to your own ideas or desires regardless of authority.

03. Determination - The refusal to abandon a principle or task at a time when it appears that success is unreachable.

04. Tenacity - Holding persistently to an ideal in the face of violent disagreement.

05. Perspicacity - Keenness of mental perception in an environment of murky ambiguity.

06. Vehemence - A fervidly intense expression of conviction.

07. Vindictiveness - The desire to seek revenge for both personal satisfaction and justice.

08. Dexterity - Well honed mental or physical skill.

09. Prowess - Exceptional valor in battle.

10. Veracity - Adhering to and promoting the truth of a rational existence.

11. Avidity - Unabashed celebration of one's values.

12. Illustrativity - Leading by example.

13. Stoicism - Indifference to the opinions and influences of others.

Thank you for reading (and eventually) listening to my Prohairesis!

Sincerely,
Jon Zaremba
May 24, 2009