I am sitting on an island called Koh Samui, in the gulf of Thailand, watching the sunset with its layers of shimmering orange, gold, pink and purple cover the sky with its beauty. I am mesmerized by the vivid colors. The beauty of this creation is a sight one never tires of.

We are having a family reunion and members of my family have flown from different parts of the world.  It has been several years since most of us have come together and catching up with each other’s lives has been delightful.  We have been kayaking, riding motorbikes, taking walks along the beach, snorkeling, debating hot family topics and gazing at the immensity of the ocean.  This time together makes me appreciate the uniqueness of each person in my family.  Hoping you have a wonderful evening of celebration and a happy new year!

Thought of the Day:

 If love and agreement are manifest in a single family that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual… 

‘Abdu’l-Baha 

It has taken almost 3 years to complete ‘Fire and Gold’ and what an incredible process it has been.  Initially the plan was to embellish some of the pieces on the CD, but as the project progressed, the vision changed considerably.  Knowing that the possibilities of music production were endless, I decided that adding more live instrumentation would further benefit and enhance the pieces.  This change of vision delayed the project substantially (and also gave my producer a lot more technical challenges to deal with).  Because we wanted to add live instrumentation, we hired Farshid Samandari, classically trained in Iran, to score the nay flute, santour, cello and flute.  Other live instruments were recorded spontaneously.  One of the elements that I am most excited about ‘Fire and Gold’ is the diversity of instrumentation.  The nay flute, santour, Celtic harp, cello, flute, Spanish guitar and the Chinese erhu have truly enriched ‘Fire and Gold’.

Thought of the Day:

“The art of music is divine and effective.  It is the food of the soul and spirit.”

Abdu’l-Baha

Designing the booklet and cover for ‘Fire and Gold’ has been such a thrilling experience.  I wanted both of them to be works of art in themselves in order to complement the beauty of the music.  The booklet has 16 pages and includes the lyrics for each piece.  Prefacing each set of lyrics is a short personal description briefly sharing something of what that particular song means to me.  Here is a sample of one of the pages of the booklet:

On one page of the CD jacket we have also placed a short passage that reflects upon the meaning of tests and difficulties in light of the many statements of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha on this theme.  It is hoped that these reflections will assist friends in challenging times (great for sharing with others in need when visiting them in their homes, in hospitals and other places).  The following excerpt from this passage is the thought of the day: 

“This world and all its glitter will fade, leaving only our good deeds and what we have made of our souls.  And in the process of the development of our spiritual selves, hardship and struggles are not only inevitable but also indispensable.  For virtues cannot be acquired in a vacuum; no one has ever learned patience surrounded only by comfort, and forgiveness can only be exercised when we are wronged.  Like the athlete who accepts that pain and effort are inherent in the process of striving for excellence, we are called to see beyond the horizon of the present and to envision the “end in the beginning”.  When we contemplate our growth in this light then we recognize that the tests of life are gifts from God sent for our own perfecting.”

Thanks to all of you who have written such kind words in my guestbook and on the blog!  I am so excited to share ‘Fire and Gold’ with you.  Just another 13 days and it should be ready – yes – January 4, 2008 is the due date and I’m thrilled to say we’re early!!  J  The CDs will be pressed tomorrow and the printing of the cover and booklet have already begun.  Speaking of the cover, I am so delighted that it was home-made  - we took a photo of our fireplace and it came out beautifully.  Here is the design for ‘Fire and Gold’: 

This last month has definitely been challenging in completing the final stages of the CD.  Getting a license to press the CD, finding the right kind of glue, hunting for a high quality disc duplicating company and communicating in Chinese has had its share of challenges (thanks William and Agnes for those times I really needed help with translation)!  I feel as though I was being put to the test to really understand what the theme  of the CD is all about (tests and difficulties).

Some of you have asked how to get your own copy.  They will soon be available through CDbaby as well as on iTunes and other digital sites. 

Thought of the day: 

“Thou lookest upon them that are dear to Thee with the eyes of Thy loving-kindness, and sendest down for them only that which will profit them through Thy grace and Thy gifts.”

Baha’u’llah

I have been anticipating this moment for a long time. Ten years have passed since I released ‘Melodies of the Nightingale’ with two close friends, Fiona Doomun-Rouhani and Michele Brown, and six years since I completed ‘Melodies of the Nightingale for the family’. And now my upcoming CD, ‘Fire and Gold’ is near completion – January 2008 is the release date! Please join our mailing list for updates. Working on this album with talented producer, Jarome Matthew, has been such a fascinating and exhilarating experience and a true gift. Let me describe for you how Jarome has lifted my music to greater heights. It is as though he has found a hidden gem and lovingly polished it to shine brightly so it can be appreciated to the fullest. You can hear some samples of the music on the Music page or Myspace Page. Here is a photo I took of the two of us in Jarome’s studio this past summer while recording in his studio.

I’m so grateful to all the outstanding musicians who have contributed their talent on this CD (check out the links page for more details). The irony is that I haven’t met most of them as this project was created long-distance. I hope I will get a chance to thank them in person some day.The theme for ‘Fire and Gold’ is one that EVERYONE can relate to - the tests and difficulties in life and not one of us is exempt from these challenges. This is a quote from the Baha’i Writings that I rely on when I go through my own struggles. It is included as one of the tracks on ‘Fire and Gold’:“O Son of Man! Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.”I want to thank all of you who have listened to and enjoyed ‘Melodies of the Nightingale’ and ‘Melodies of the Nightingale for the family’ and for sharing how much it has affected your lives and friends you have shared it with. I hope that ‘Fire and Gold’ will continue to inspire you… I look forward to commenting more on the music and the potency of the words that I sing. They are truly soothing to the soul…I hope this blog is a source of inspiration to you and learning for me. I would love to hear your comments… Thought of the day:  ”When there is love nothing is too much trouble and there is always time.” Abdu’l-Baha