The arrival of new compact discs always is an exciting event.

Especially when they have your name on them.

This week, Washington keyboardist Shawn Caldwell received the shipment of copies of his own instrumental CD, which he calls "Mind Control."

"The title comes from a sermon my pastor preached over the summer," he says, which in turn comes from Romans 8:6 - "The mind of a sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the spirit is life and peace."

The spiritual theme extends to Shawn's arrangements of two hymns, "It Is Well" and "Doxology." The rest of the 13 tracks are Shawn's original compositions, featuring a variety of styles showcasing his dexterity, inventiveness and ear for production.

Shawn - who teaches piano in Washington and in St. Clairsville, Ohio - plays a Yamaha MOTIF music production synthesizer, an instrument that integrates fully with his computer-based home studio. And the results are of professional grade, with multiple layers of sound coming through clearly for the listener, especially through a good pair of headphones.

Stylistically, the songs range from relaxed compositions to those that integrate more experimental synthesizer work, without going too far off on a tangent. The title track is probably the most adventurous, featuring a variety of electronic sounds taking off in different directions over a steady percussion track. A couple of other tunes, "How Long" and "Come On," are constructed somewhat along the same lines and sound like it theywould receive a good response as ambient dance numbers.

Many of the songs feature more traditional piano sounds, as Shawn flashes the keyboard abilities he started honing at age 3, when his grandfather bought him a small organ. An example is on "Not of This World," which he calls his favorite on the album. The composition is in three sections: Shawn says he composed the middle first, then brought in the opening section from the outro of another song, and finally wrapped it up with the high-energy closing sequence.

If the disc sounds like Shawn worked on it for a long while, that's because it did.

"I've been doing the CD for 10 years," he says, admitting to such interruptions as concentrating on his family. "In earnest, I started last July."

Shawn is joined by accompanists on a couple of songs: Kelly Jones on acoustic guitar and Erika Thompson on soprano saxophone. The three perform on "It Is Well," a hymn written by Horatio G. Spafford and Phillip P. Bliss. "Doxology," credited to Louis Bourgeois, is a piano performance in 6/8, an arrangement Shawn says he arrived upon accidentally. But he's performed his version for the offertory at his church, to a good response.

Hear Shawn's music live when he performs from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Gospel Treasures in Washington Crown Center. And visit his Web site for more information.

PHOTO CREDIT: Philip M. McCullough (Shawn's brother-in-law)