(not necessarily in that order)
After months of recording and editing and planning and rehearsing and promoting and so on and so forth…all the pieces are finally falling into place!
We have a CD and tomorrow we do our launch concert in Sacramento.
But for now, you can view the lyric video of the first single from the album. Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve been focusing so much energy on finishing our new Christmas album, that I haven’t been talking about it all that much. However, “The Christmas Mystery” is almost here and I really am super-excited!
The official launch date is December 4, with pre-sales beginning on November 13 (I’ll be sure to share the link when I have it).
Our singing group, The Ananda Joy Singers, will be celebrating the release of the CD with a special World Premiere Concert presented by Ananda Sacramento & Crystal Clarity Publishers.
The concert is a week from this Sunday — on November 17, from 4:00-5:00 pm at the Ananda Sacramento Mandir. For more information & to register online CLICK HERE.
Come join us if you live anywhere remotely close by!
No surprise that I started the morning feeling shocked and sad, struggling to understand, to even slightly comprehend.
But then I remembered reading a quote that said something along the lines of “when agitated turn to nature” and decided to go for a walk. I immediately found myself focusing on (and taking even more photos of) beautiful autumn-leaved trees.
And as I started breathing more deeply and relaxing just a little bit, what popped into my mind was a prayer I learned during the seven years I attended a Unity church. When I gave birth to a stillborn baby boy in 1995, this prayer was the lifeline that kept me from drowning in grief and repudiating God:
There is only One Presence and One Power
active in all the universe and in my life:
God, the Good, Omnipotent.
I’m not saying that the situations are exactly comparable, only that I found it extremely helpful to remember this truth at this time.
As I continued my walk, I was thinking about the importance of living my dharma; of being a warrior of light in this world; and of how important it is to stay centered in love while keeping my energy high. And of how it’s all part of the Divine Lila (God’s play).
When I reached the midpoint of the walk and took yet another photo of a beautiful tree before I headed for home, I was surprised to find myself mentally singing one of my favorite Thanksgiving hymns from childhood:
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
But then I realized it was entirely appropriate to think about all that I still have to be thankful for, regardless of what is going on in the wider world. As the scripture says: “In every thing give thanks.” But note well that it says “in every thing,” not “for every thing.” HUGE difference.
For the rest of the way I sang Swami Kriyananda’s song, “I Live Without Fear” (lyrics below) and arrived home feeling much calmer and centered in myself.
After breakfast, Ramesha, Mike, and I gathered in the recording studio for the absolutely FINAL listen-through of the Christmas album. It felt like perfect timing because our dharma is to help get Swami Kriyananda’s music into as many ears as possible in order to raise the consciousness of the world, and I believe this album is really going to help make that happen.
And finally, as I left the studio I looked at and (for once) really saw the big old cedar trees across the road from where I was parked. Looking at how big around they were, and thinking about how long they’ve been there, made me think of the “Trees” verse from Swamiji’s song “Channels”:
Trees, standing firm, hold the secret of inner pow’r.
Give us, when tested, strength to endure.
What a great reminder to stand firm in our inner strength and power, so we can stay the course through the longer rhythms. 🙏
I LIVE WITHOUT FEAR
Though green summer fade
And winter draw near,
My Lord, in Your presence
I live without fear.
Through tempest, through snows,
Through turbulent tide,
The touch of Your hand
Is my strength, and my guide.
I ask for no riches
That death can destroy.
I crave only Thee:
Your love, and Your joy.
(repeat)
The dancers will pass;
The singing must end:
I welcome the darkness
With You for my friend.
Today we spent six solid hours in the studio with Mike and Christian, mixing and mastering and editing (oh my, indeed!).
My brain is completely exhausted but twelve of the fourteen tracks for our upcoming Christmas album are now done.
This sometimes seems like a never-ending project, but we’re so close at this point that I can practically taste it.
We spent the morning with our recording tech guys, mixing and mastering the two songs that we’ll be sharing as singles from our soon-to-be-launched Christmas album.
Then I tackled some fairly hefty tasks this afternoon.
And now I really don’t feel like typing another sentence. Yep, I’m truly done for the day!
With plans proceeding full speed ahead for the launch of a new Christmas album with the Joy Singers, it was time to get serious about a photo shoot.
So, today was the day, with Barbara Bingham, our photographer extraordinaire, guiding us every step of the way.
It was grueling, at slightly over three hours, but also great fun. And — for once — I even remembered to take some pics to document the process.
We’re happy to say — in any language — that we are officially finished with all the actual recording required for the Christmas album — whoohoo!
The focus was on filling in the arrangements with instrumental accompaniments — violin, flute, keyboard, and harp.
It took literally all day, from 9:30am until 6:30pm (with a lunch break, of course). Prashad was with us for most of it, but had already left before we took the photo at the very end.
I’m quite certain that we’re going to sleep well tonight.
We had hoped to finish up the Christmas album today, but — as is often the case when recording — it all took longer than anticipated.
So, we’ve got one more session scheduled for later this week, and that really should do it.
Of course, we always manage to have quite a bit of fun in the process. Prashad might look innocent, but he’s the one who had everyone cracking up!
The Joy Singers accomplished our Christmas album recording goals today, but — boy oh boy — is it an exhausting process!
The six traditional carols are “in the can” (as they say); one more full day and we’ll be done.
We just finished our weekend of recording and I’m pleased to report that we’ve made a really good start on our Christmas album!
People have been asking us to do this for years, decades even. So, even though there’s still a lots and lots to do, it feels really good to finally be transforming the “idea” into “reality.”
PLUS…! Today was my first butterfly sighting of the year; two lovelies joyfully dancing around one another. Made my day.
I think Spring has most definitely “sprung!”