The Tao of Kindness – Andy Smallman

A few years back, a quiet weekly reflection became something bigger than I expected. From 2018-2020, I translated each Tao Te Ching chapter into kindness-focused poems, sharing them on Facebook and on my Kind Living website as a personal anchor and maybe a little support for others who value kindness.

Last year, I discovered an AI music generator called Suno and started turning those poems into modern pop songs. I wrote the words and prompts. Suno made the music. The result? “The Tao of Kindness,” a five-volume music series inspired by all 81 Tao verses, seen through a lens of kindness.

I’m pleased to announce that the fifth and final volume of The Tao of Kindness is now completed! This wraps up the full cycle—81 kindness poems, 81 kindness songs. You can stream the songs for free and even download all 81 tracks for free on Bandcamp.

“The Tao of Kindness” has been a real passion project, exploring old wisdom in a fresh way. I hope it resonates with some of you. Here’s a sample song:

First, it’s my birthday today (61 – wow!) and I’m using the occasion to announce a new Kind Living project based on one of my all-time favorites.

Over 81 consecutive weeks, beginning in 2018 and ending in 2020, I adapted the 81 chapters of the Tao Te Ching into kindness verses, one each week, as part of a personal meditation practice. The idea of this project was to consider the ancient wisdom of the Tao through the lens of 21st-century kindness. Find the verses archived here.

In 2024, I discovered Suno, the AI music generator that allows people to make their own music using prompts, including putting their own lyrics to music. I’ve found this to be a tremendously satisfying thing to do and I’m joyfully adapting all 81 of my verses into pop songs.

The one embedded above, “Slow Down (At One With the Divine),” was inspired by Verse 13 of the Tao Te Ching. It’s included in the first of five albums I’ll be making available over the next several months, ultimately having all 81 verses adapted in readily-available pop songs. You’ll be able to find them on pretty much all the usual music streaming services and as free downloads on Bandcamp (links below).

I’ve named the “band” Motte Rouge as a tribute to the city of Nantes, France, where my family lived in 2010-11. This is a specific tribute to Line 2 of the city’s tramway, Motte Rouge being one of the tram stops. Learn more via this blog post I wrote on October 15, 2010.

STREAM:
Apple Music || Amazon Music || Spotify

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE:
Bandcamp

SUPPORT KIND LIVING:
Buy Me a Coffee || Patreon || PayPal

Category: The Tao of Kindness

The Tao of Kindness – 81 Songs Now Available

The Tao of Kindness Pop Songs – “Slow Down”