We had an extremely productive meeting at Dharmadevi and Narayan’s home this morning.
First we greeted Kali (their little black dog); met the three goats; caught a glimpse of some of the chickens; and viewed the barn and farmyard area (the cow chose not to make an appearance).
Then we brainstormed a whole new level of collaboration between Crystal Clarity Publishers and the Ananda Music Ministry. It feels like we’re shifting into a glorious new age for the music and books of Ananda!
But the funniest moment for me came when I noticed something strange in the bedroom… 😂
There were many, many wonderful things about Wednesday night’s concert.
First and foremost, for me personally, is that it was the first time since last December that we could actually sing in the Temple of Light! Che gioia!
Another thing that made it special was collaborating with a team of young people from our Expanding Light Ashram. We worked together on planning the program, plus they wrapped their auras around many of the technical and promotional aspects. Yay, team!
Every program we’ve put on since the beginning of the pandemic has been a “first,” as each event had to be adjusted for ever-changing circumstances. On this concert for the first time we combined live performers in the Temple of Light, live performers in other locations around the world, and pre-recorded videos. It definitely kept our sound and video team on their toes!
Finally, I want to highlight a couple of special moments during the evening. Throughout this program I was much more aware of challenging global realities; much more so than during previous “worldwide” concerts that we’ve produced.
I was especially moved when our dear friend in Tel Aviv sang: Lightly I fly when I live in laughter, Lightly I fly when my heart sings. Fling to the ground every heavy burden. Now I can soar up above the clouds! It was even more touching when her close spiritual friends in California joined her via the magic of video!
Then there were our friends in Mumbai. They were dealing with the double challenges of COVID and a cyclone, but that didn’t stop them from joining us live (at 8:30 in the morning their time!) to celebrate Swamiji.
As an appreciative friend/audience member put it: “I love our international concerts… Swamiji wanted us to join together around the world, and you have all made it so.”
We’re planning a global concert to celebrate the May 19th birthday of Swami Kriyananda (composer of Ananda’s music) and it’s thrilling to see increased collaboration happening.
At our meeting this afternoon we had representatives from the following teams: Ananda Music; Online With Ananda; Virtual Community; Communications; Development; Audio/Visual; and the Expanding Light Ashram.
Every person involved has experience singing in Ananda choirs and deep attunement with Swamiji and the music. What a wonderful feeling to see all the various ideas and areas of expertise come together into one harmonious and joyful whole.
