The Whole Music Experience

World Gondwana Dawn   Africa & India: United in Music & Harmony Arc Music Heart and soul went into the Gondwana Dawn recording and project that partnered South African choral youth with Indian classical luminaries.   The liner notes describe the recording as, “From the swirling mists at the dawn of time come the ancient eastern hymns of the Veda, and the ancient spirituality of Africa, the Cradle of Humankind.”   Founder of the project Robin Hogarth (producer/composer/specialist in African music) joined with internationally-acclaimed Indian classical musician (vocalist) Sumitra Guha while bringing in classical Indian and vibrant South African choral singers together as they explored the concept of non-violence. The peaceful music allows us to drop our consciousness into our hearts while enjoying traditional music from South Africa and North India.  I dare anyone to feel angry, sad, or frustrated while listening to these delightful songs. ...

Playing for Change: Conversation with Filmmaker Jonathan Walls When it comes to street musicians, I have a fond memory of an African-American vocalist who sang soul tunes on University Avenue in Seattle. He accompanied his vocals by jingling a jar of coins and he always brought a smile to my face, even on the gloomiest days. Also in Seattle other street musician stars such as the Andean ensemble with their pan flutes and bombo drums performing at the Northwest Folklife Festival, where they drew crowds and downtown Seattle, as well as, an extraordinary Native American violinist that performed in Pike’s Place Market, etched themselves in my memory. So when I turned on the radio and to an NPR show, On Point , not too long ago, and heard an interview with Grammy award-winning producer/recording engineer Mark Johnson who chatted about his project, Playing for Change , I experienced goose bumps. My heart went out to Johnson who experienced an epiphany in a New York City subway...

Rim Banna April Blossoms Kirkelig Kulturverksted Helping children laugh and sing during an era of crisis is a precious commodity. More and more musicians have been doing just that, bringing the power of music, joy and up-liftment to children that have lost their innocence because of war, privation and other human frailties. Palestinian vocalist and songwriter Rim Banna has sent out a powerful message with her latest children's music CD, April Blossoms . Even with the success of Banna's previous internationally-acclaimed recordings, I was unaware that the singer was a Palestinian star of children's music. Joining such women musicians as Navajo-Dine Radmilla Cody ( Precious Friends on Canyon Records) and Sweet Honey in the Rock ( Experience 101 on Appleseed Records), Banna has recorded a sophisticated collection of children's songs that could also appeal to adults. She doesn't talk down to the children, but instead helps them to reclaim their innocenc...

Songs across Walls of Separation Kirkelig Kulturverksted Norwegian record producer and founder of the label, Kirkelig Kulturverksted, Erik Hillestad and I had previous conversations about a project involving nations with walls that keep loved ones apart. Similar to an earlier peace project, the album, Lullabies from the Axis of Evil , Hillestad set out to make a political statement via music. He found vocalists from both sides of several national walls, from countries as far-reaching as Morocco and Cyprus to Kashmir, Palestine and Mexico. While some people thought that the crumbling of the Berlin Wall was the end to this type of divide and conquer practice, need to reassess the type of world where we choose to reside. Once Hillestad found these vocalists, he asked them to sing the same songs then later he would meld those vocal tracks together, thus bringing loved ones torn by politics-as-usual and social conditions, together again. In the case of Palestinians Rim Banna and Jami...

I have been thinking a lot lately about how we have let various industries control our lives. Now the economy is crumbling, but the old economy which destroys the environment, treats people like disposable slaves and reaps a profit through sheer madness for only a handful of elites was not healthy for any of us. And certainly the planet and its other inhabitants have suffered enough under the weight of the old economy. Time to let it go and embrace the new. It's true that the arts are suffering because of the tight-wallet syndrome. Many people consider art a non-essential, but what if we as artists treated this era as a time of community building? I am suggesting that people not run out and buy those high definition televisions, but instead turn off the television sets, forget all those computer games and gadgets, including the iPod which just isolates people from one another. Get out of the house, go to a concert, a live storytelling event or even a book signing at a book...