small acts

​Small Acts began in the fall of 1994, during a focused period of solo piano recording. From October through December, Alan Goldberg entered a personal and spiritual quest at the piano, preparing through fasting, meditation, and intention — kavanah — to explore how far spontaneous creativity could go.

Using an early version of Cakewalk MIDI software, Goldberg recorded freely: pressing record, playing until the piece felt complete, and stopping when the moment had fulfilled itself. The goal was to let desire, yearning, melody, rhythm, and will move directly into music.

The concept for Small Acts came during a late night walk — itself a small act of reflection, peace, and inner movement. From that walk came the idea that each piece represented an intentional gesture: being present, listening, remembering, wishing well, keeping a promise, fixing what can be fixed, and bringing something to completion.

Originally released in 2001, Small Acts returned twenty years later as Small Acts – 20th Anniversary Edition. The anniversary edition brought new clarity and warmth to the original MIDI recordings through remixing, remastering, and modern piano technology, with mixing and mastering by François Michaud of Wild Horse Studio in France.

The 20th Anniversary Edition also adds three new pieces — Remembering, Listening Well, and Fixing It — recorded years later in the same spirit of spontaneous intention. These new small acts reflect what time had made more important: honoring what shaped the path, listening as an act of presence and care, and turning toward what needs repair. Together, the original pieces and new additions form a renewed solo piano journey through desire, attention, memory, repair, quiet care, and becoming.