After moving from Chicago to California at the age of ten, he was involved in various high school bands playing guitars and keyboards, playing baseball in his spare time. He studied music in college and started a progressive rock band named after himself, but he soon discovered the music of Kitaro and was heavily influenced by it. Arkenstone was influenced by writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, and grew up listening to bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple, and Yes, as well as listening to classical music.
Arkenstone went solo and found his own sound in New Age music. He says that has been greatly aided by technology: "Technology has produced some wonderful tools for making music. The computer allows me to fully orchestrate my pieces and really fine tune them". His music is primarily instrumental. His albums, typically fantasy themed, often come packaged with literature and art. He worked with fantasy novel writer Mercedes Lackey on a few of his albums. Arkenstone and his ex-wife, Diane, created their own record label called Neo Pacifica. In addition to releasing their own music on the label, they have included other bands such as Earth Trybe, Enaid, and the Marquis Ensemble.
He has also composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film PRISM, as well as computer game soundtracks such as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Earth and Beyond, and Emperor: Battle for Dune; and Starlight Inception. He also features on 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Arkenstone has earned four Grammy nominations for his work: In the Wake of the Wind in 1992, Citizen of the World in 2000, and Atlantis in 2004. 'Fairy Dreams in 2020.
Arkenstone has learned to play a variety of musical instruments, including bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar, harp, cello, flute, electronic keyboards, piano, Turkish saz, pennywhistle, melodica, and pan pipes. He also plays drums and percussion and has performed some vocalizations on his albums.
Arkenstone is also involved in the band Troika; their sound is similar to his solo work. The band members like to remain anonymous, although the compositions are credited to Arkenstone.
His theme "The Journey Begins/Kyla's Ride" was used for the FIFA World Cup France '98 broadcastings intro by the Mexican television network Azteca.
His song "Papillon (On the Wings of the Butterfly)" is used as background music in Future World at Epcot in Walt Disney World. His song "The Palace" was once used as background music in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom as well. "The Palace" also used to play in Tokyo Disneyland's Tomorrowland, and another one of his songs, "Valley in the Clouds" was also used.
He signed with Domo Records and re-released the album Echoes of Light and Shadow in 2010.
Arkenstone was a member of the composing team who developed the music for Blizzard Activision's World of Warcraft videogame's Cataclysm expansion. Along with Arkenstone, the team consists of Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, and Neal Acree.
The Voice
David Arkenstone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All alone you were lost in a perilous game
Kyla, Kyla, Kyla, Kyla
There are times in your life you must face a choice
You will find what you need, listen to the Voice
In the dark you can run from the shadows of the night
When you cry from the pain, tears will set you free
Search inside for you voice, you will find the key
If you run from yourself, you will only lose
When you find you were lost, seek the Stone of Truth
Kyla, Kyla, Kyla, Kyla
In your blood is the fire, let them cry in pain
You will not be alone, in you burns the flame
You were free, you can be, you can live the fantasy
All the dreams in your heart, you will always be
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
The lyrics of David Arkenstone's song The Voice describe a journey of self-discovery and finding the courage to face oneself. The opening words, "In a dream you will see, Darkness calls your name," suggest a state of confusion and a feeling of being lost. The name Kyla serves as a reminder of identity and perhaps a familiarity with oneself, that can make one feel more grounded. The subsequent line, "All alone you were lost in a perilous game," points towards the challenges of overcoming one's own fears and self-doubt.
The song then goes into describing the importance of making choices and the power of listening to one's inner voice. "In the dark you can run from the shadows of the night, In the end, you will find you were standing in the light," suggests that going through the darkness can lead to finding the truth and inner light. The following lines, "When you cry from the pain, tears will set you free, Search inside for your voice, you will find the key," remind the listener of the beauty of vulnerability and a need to dig deep within oneself. The closing lines, "In your blood is the fire, let them cry in pain, you will not be alone, in you burns the flame," evoke imagery of strength and determination that is within oneself to overcome obstacles.
Overall, The Voice encourages listeners to trust themselves and to have faith that they have what it takes to face anything that comes their way.
Line by Line Meaning
In a dream you will see Darkness calls your name
You will have dreams where you feel as if darkness and despair is calling out your name.
All alone you were lost in a perilous game
You were completely alone and lost in a dangerous game.
There are times in your life you must face a choice
There will be moments in life when important decisions must be made.
You will find what you need, listen to the Voice
You must listen to the inner voice in order to find what you are truly searching for.
In the dark you can run from the shadows of the night
It is possible to try to escape from the shadows, fears, and doubts by pretending they don't exist.
In the end you will find you were standing in the light
Despite the darkness, you will ultimately find yourself standing in the light.
When you cry from the pain, tears will set you free
When you experience pain, tears can be a way to relieve and free yourself of that pain.
Search inside for you voice, you will find the key
You must look within yourself to find your true voice and unlock your potential.
If you run from yourself, you will only lose
Avoiding your true self will only lead to loss and emptiness.
When you find you were lost, seek the Stone of Truth
When you realize you are lost, you must find the truth and be honest with yourself.
In your blood is the fire, let them cry in pain
There is a fierce passion within you that may cause others to feel pain.
You will not be alone, in you burns the flame
You will never be truly alone because that passion within you will always guide you.
You were free, you can be, you can live the fantasy
You were born free and have the ability to live out your wildest dreams.
All the dreams in your heart, you will always be
Your dreams will always be a part of you and you should keep them close to your heart.
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
If you listen to your inner voice, you will never feel truly alone.
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
If you listen to your inner voice, you will never feel truly alone.
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
If you listen to your inner voice, you will never feel truly alone.
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
If you listen to your inner voice, you will never feel truly alone.
Listen to the Voice inside and you won't be alone...
If you listen to your inner voice, you will never feel truly alone.
Writer(s): David Arkenstone
Contributed by Eli P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.