NMTE member Charles Betz has released a working demo of “Earth Was The Dream!” featuring the extraordinary vocals of Lia Peros.

This song, from the Turner/Betz musical-in-development Five Minutes on the Low Road, captures a frequently reported moment in the typical near-death experience: after exiting their body and perhaps going through the proverbial tunnel of light, the experiencer finds themselves alone in a beautiful realm — often with flowers, trees, grass, water. They may experience synesthesia: flowers that sing, melody that has color. The protagonist is marveling at this experience. At the end, someone shows up.

Lia Peros brings remarkable depth and emotional nuance to the performance, delivering the complex lyrics with both power and vulnerability. The demo showcases the sophisticated musical storytelling that NMTE members are creating in their individual projects.

Five Minutes on the Low Road is a musical about a woman’s near-death experience and its consequences, currently being developed with book writer Josiah Thomas Turner, whom Betz met at the Nautilus Composer-Librettist Studio.

Watch: “Earth Was The Dream!” on YouTube

More: Visit charlestbetz.com for updates on the full musical development.