Kirtan at Shakti Yoga

Just got home from a beautiful and lovely evening with the good people at Shakti Yoga Center (Jai Pam and Alice!) on Staten Island. Tonight's Kirtan was especially moving for me as it really marked several endings and new beginnings in my life and I just basked in the glow of change as it happened before my eyes. The musicians were great. Sanchie joined us on the violin and although she wasn't at the rehearsal, she added so much to what we offered tonight. It was funny because she originally said, "I just want to play on a couple of things" but then she felt inspired to play everything. Wow, what a treat! Lily Maase was terrific on guitar, as were Brian Adler on tablas and Damaru on percussion and backing vocals. We had a very nice improvisation going and I was struck by the number of folks who enjoyed experiencing the improvisation, especially those who don't usually listen to "new music." I think it really helps using the "Talking Stick" to guide the audience during this kind of music. I've gotten a lot of resistance from other experimental artists about engaging the audience, but I truly believe that it's important to be "in the room" when one presents either artistic work or valuable teachings. The audience was SO with us and I think it made the improvisation stronger. Regardles, I was just thrilled with the sounds we made during this piece tonight. Boom, boom (segue). During the Kirtan, I noticed that I'd never performed with anyone on stage with me -- so it was a marvelous "first date!" I'm really looking forward to Integral Yoga on Saturday the 26th.