Welcome! I’ve just released a new piano instrumental album, ‘Glimmerings’
as well as a new single ‘Amame’ sung in English and Spanish:

Mothers day was a huge treat for me this year! The children brought me breakfast in bed (my daughter makes amazing French toast and eggs) and in the evening we went to one of my favorite restaurants. After we arrived home, the family surprised me with a delicious vanilla cake that my daughter had made and decorated herself specially for me!

My son’s gift was very special too! In addition to treating me with my favorite chocolate, he made me a video of one of the piano instrumentals I had composed in his honor entitled ‘Commencement’ from the Glimmerings album. As I watched the video with photos he had found on a hubble site, I was moved to tears knowing how much love and effort he put into creating the video. ‘Commencement’ was created for my son’s 8th grade graduation and it tells the story of life with its daily routines and the ending of a chapter and a new beginning. You’ll hear the piano repeat itself in the beginning and gradually become more complex and make some twists and turns.  What is especially wonderful about the video Taraz made is that the photographs of the gas nebula are the birth place of stars. They are a type of cosmic commencement! So the photographs capture the theme of the song so brilliantly.

I can’t tell you how proud I am of my children and how thrilled I am to be their mother – I am thankful each day for the blessing of having them in my life and for making me a better person.

Since the Glimmerings CD has been released, I’ve been thinking about creating videos for the pieces and would love your help. If you would like to create a video for one of these two songs on the Glimmerings album, Awakening or Realization, then please fill out the form below, be sure to check the contest box and both songs will be sent to you to choose from.  You can also listen to the songs by clicking the titles of the songs above.  

For all those who participate in creating a video, there will be a gift of music for each entry and for the top video for each song, the prize is 4 of my albums: Edge of Forever (an EP), Fire and Gold, Birds of Love gift set and Glimmerings. Grand prize winner’s videos will also be published on my website and youtube profile.

The deadline for submitting your video is June 15th (please don’t forget to check the contest box to ensure the songs get to you).  So looking forward to seeing your creations!

I composed a song yesterday that I wanted to share with you.  I love this quotation as it reminds me of all my loved ones that I wish blessings to be showered upon. The ‘ahhhing’ at the end are supposed to symbolize the rain. Enjoy!

The quotation is written by Abdu’l-Baha: “At all times do I speak of you and call you to mind.  I pray unto the Lord, and with tears I implore Him to rain down all these blessings upon you, and gladden your hearts, and make blissful your souls, and grant you exceeding joy and heavenly delights…”

For the whole month of May, we are having a music sale!

With every purchase of Glimmerings CD,  a free download of Fire and Gold will be given as a gift.
(After your purchase of Glimmerings, an email will be sent to you with a download code for Fire and Gold.  The download code can also be emailed to a friend as a gift instead if you would like).

Fire and Gold CDs are on sale for $5.

Birds of Love gift sets are on sale for $12 each!

I love this video especially since this musician is using only vocals, his mouth and body parts to make sounds.  His name is Alla Wardi and he uses no musical instruments.  My favorite part of the video is when he uses his beard to make an awesome sound and listening to all the incredible harmonies.  Hope you enjoy it too!

Last week I had the opportunity to play 3 pieces from my recent ‘Glimmerings’ CD on a grand piano at our Nawruz (Baha’i New Year) celebration.  It was the first time I had played them for such a large gathering and was excited to be able to share the pieces after just releasing the album.  About a month ago I started preparing and practicing the songs.  I had been asked to shorten them to about a minute each to play in between readings and prayers.  For two of them, it wasn’t too challenging to figure out where to end them and adapt them.  For the last piece, ‘Final Journey’, I had to actually learn it from scratch.  Let me explain…

I composed ‘Final Journey’ the day my mother-in-law passed away two years ago in May.  That morning I sat at the piano and spontaneously recorded whatever came to my heart in honor of her passing.   ‘Final Journey’ was composed on the spot which meant that I never actually practiced it in advance so I had to learn all the notes in order to perform the piece.

In order for a performance to be seamless, a musician has to know the pieces very intimately and play them without even thinking about the notes – that’s how much one has to practice.  I was a bit nervous with only a month to perform ‘Final Journey’ as I wanted it to be engrained in my mind.  I didn’t want to have to think about what my fingers were doing – just wanted to be on autopilot!  So I set out to practice the piece everyday to become familiar with it.  It felt a little odd learning one of my pieces from scratch because I’m so used to practicing them a lot before I record them.  This was the other way around so it was a fascinating experience working backwards.

The performance went very well but best of all was having the opportunity to play on a beautiful, open grand piano that resounded throughout the room!

I recently met a talented lyricist on Facebook.  We clicked immediately and he sent some of his inspirational work which fascinated me.  Creating lyrics have not been my strength so I was thrilled to be able to collaborate with him on a few songs where the lyrics come so naturally to him.  I recently asked if he would write a song for children on the theme of prayer and he graciously accepted.  

I haven’t created many children’s songs but have felt a real need for them especially in regards to teaching children’s classes.  In the Ruhi Book 3, Grade 2 children’s class book, there are 3 lessons on the theme of prayer but no songs to accompany them.  When teaching the class last year, I remember feeling at a loss in finding an appropriate song.  So I asked the children to compose the lyrics and create their own song!  It was so sweet to listen to them.  Since then I’ve wanted to compose songs especially for this book which has wonderful themes on service, prayer, consultation and more…  I hope to create more songs soon with the help of my new friend. :)

For now, here is the song composed on the theme of prayer entitled ‘When we Pray’ with lyrics by Farshid Kamali.  Please feel free to download it for your children’s classes by clicking on the link below:

My Glimmerings CD is finally available!  Thanks to those of you who have been waiting patiently for its release.  It has definitely been an exciting yet challenging process releasing this CD which I have written about in another blog.

I feel tremendously relieved that the CD is complete especially since it was quite a difficult task to record the pieces.  I have written about how it was one of the most challenging CDs for me to record on another blog.

What is unique about Glimmerings is that the titles of the songs tell a beautiful story of a soul’s spiritual journey.  I can’t wait for you to read the liner notes – it was beautifully written by my hubby (shhh – please don’t tell him I told you!) :)

For my 200th blog, I shared a gift of the song ‘Reflection’ from ‘Glimmerings’.  If you haven’t downloaded it yet, please see the details on the blog for your free gift.

When the factory delivered the ‘goods’ a few days ago, I felt overwhelmed with joy and almost kissed the workman who was loading the boxes into our entrance! :) It was truly a fantastic moment!

The season of Baha’i fasting has just begun and today is the first of 19 days from sunrise to sunset.  It is a time of personal reflection, prayer, meditation and spiritual recuperation during which time we look at our lives and reflect on how we can strive to better ourselves in the next year.

Today I was thinking about some of the spiritual music I have released and one piece came to mind because it was recorded during the fasting period.  The Hallowed Beauty, a piece from the CD – Fire and Gold, was recorded during this special period and I remember feeling quite daunted at first to sing while fasting.  I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat or drink water and while recording one’s vocals must be kept lubricated.  But I knew there was a special spirit during the fast and I wanted to take advantage of that.  I was surprised that my voice flowed for the song even after two to three hours of singing and I felt so spiritually rejuvenated.  I still remember the special feeling of recording the song and how in awe I felt during the process and especially afterwards.  My body was exhausted but my mind and my spirit were fully charged!

The Hallowed Beauty:

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“…fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of self and passion.” ~ Baha’u'llah

In just less than a week, Baha’is all around the world celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha which is a time of bringing cheer to others, visiting the poor and needy and giving gifts.  One of the ways I like to celebrate is by giving Ayyam-i-Ha cards to show my love for my friends and family.

Last year, during the festival of Ayyam-i-Ha, I composed a song specially for the occasion. You can watch the video and listen to it here. For those of you in China, you can watch the video on youku.  I have recorded the song in Chinese as well (let me know if you want me to email you a rough copy) and the lyrics are below in both languages and pin yin:

These are the Days Of Ha     这荣耀的日子啊     Zhe Rongyao de Rizi a
Given by Baha’u'llah     它来自巴哈欧拉     Ta Laizi Baha’u’llah
Time for joy and happiness     尘世的欢歌会消逝     Chenshi de Huange hui Xiaoshi
These precious days are blessed     这福佑永不绝     Zhe Fuyou yong bu jue

Chorus: Happy Ayyam-i-Ha x4    开心阿亚密哈     Kaixin Ayyam-i-Ha
Acts of charity, hospitality     慷慨地给予，并不会失去     Kangkai de Geiyu, Bing Buhui Shiqu

Giving each other gifts     分享即富有     Fenxiang ji Fuyou
Visiting the poor and needy     你要善待陌生的人     Ni Yao Shandai Mosheng de ren
Friends and family     唤醒他的心     Huanxing Ta de Xin

Chorus:  Happy Ayyam-i-Ha  x4   开心阿亚密哈     Kaixin Ayyam-i-Ha

A time of cheer, a time of joy     云上的欢歌，地上的花朵     Yunshang de Huange, Dishang de Huaduo,
A spiritual preparation     啊灵魂  在生长     A Linghun, zai Shengzhang
Time for celebration     我们在感恩     Wo’men zai Gan’en

Chorus:   Happy Ayyam-i-Ha x4     开心阿亚密哈     Kaixin Ayyam-i-Ha
Time of joy and happiness     今日的欢歌永难忘     Jinri de Huange Yong Nan Wang
Happy Ayyam-i-Ha     开心阿亚密哈     Kaixin Ayyam-i-Ha