Wai Lana's Meditation Trilogy
Sound Massage
3rd Force: Gentle Force
Neil Young
The GooGoo Dolls
Return to Music Profiles Home Page
Yoga has been practiced for the past five thousands years in Asia. Tens of millions of Americans now practice yoga, according to a recent Time magazine article, and 75% of all American health clubs offer yoga classes. A survey in the Wall Street Journal found that nearly a quarter of all Americans do meditation, yoga or some form of stress-reducing practice.
Wai Lana has merged at the forefront of this worldwide interest in yoga. Her instruction television show is seen world-wide and billed as the most-watched yoga show on the planet. Two hundred episodes have been aired on five continents. Wai Lana is known for her colorful costumes, fresh flower head dresses and floral adornments, exotic outdoor settings and her softly soothing vocal instructions. The shows are filmed on location, often by the ocean or a stream or in the mountains, against backdrops of stunning scenery, from the coasts of Hawaii and Malibu, California, to the red rock desert of Sedona, Arizona.
To further share her excitement of yoga, a newly released 3 CD set of "sacred sounds to conquer fear and anxiety" are presented in Wai Lana's "Meditation Trilogy: A Journey of the Heart and Soul." This set provides three hours of relaxing, inspiring and uplifting energy. "Volume One: Yoga Sound" takes the listener into a deep state of relaxation to help relieve the stress and anxiety of everyday life. "Volume Two: Yoga Music of the Heart" transports the listener to a world of relation and inspiration. This CD is more upbeat. "Volume Three: Rest and Relax" is the capstone of the series where sacred sounds deliver you into a meditative journey. This CD begins as a guided mediation experience and ends with soft instrumental music.
Also available from Wai Lana is a three video set in the Fun Challenge Series called, simply, "Yoga." The instructional videos take you step by step into a series of techniques and practices. Video One: Firming," Volume Two: "Upside Down," and Volume Three is titled: "Burn Off." Lana has released several other series of instruction videos and sets for her audiences to practice in their leisure time.
Lana's music albums are taken from the video and television soundtracks. She considers them "sound meditation." The music ranges from quiet, meditative, reflective compositions to much more upbeat tunes featuring electric guitars, bass and drums.
Combining the power of the videos, and the soothing energies from the CD's, the entire collection develops a profound, but intimate connection between instructor/musicians and the participant.
Sound healing pioneer Dean Evenson has crafted a new collection of music specifically designed to support the beneficial effects of massage therapy and other forms of bodywork. Members of the Soundings Ensemble have reunited to create a healing environment through the music of flutes, harps, guitar and keyboards. New tracks of musical collaborations with harpists d'Rachael and Dudley Evenson and trance guitarist Scott Huckabay add to the effort. Also featured are Hungarian-born pianist Tom Barabas and Sounding's chief engineer Phil Heaven on viola. The CD is created from selected tracks from the best-selling award-winning Sound Healing Series and Nature Music Series.
Soundings of the Planet is an independent, artist-owned label by Dean and Dudley Evenson. Dean has been producing his popular form of healing music since 1979 with several albums reaching Billboard charts. Dean and his wife Dudley do interactive workshops on music and healing around the country and present multi-media, musical events with their world fusion group Sonic Tribe.
Smooth Jazz has been the trademark of 3rd Force for over a decade. Members William Aura, Craig Dobbin and Alain Eskinasi have added another notch to their collection - Gentle Force, a soothing and inspiring assortment of melodies with the talents of Tom Scott, Craig Chaqiuco, Acoustic Alchemy, Bryan Savage, Brian Hughes, Grant Geissman, Jimmy Sommers and others. The soulful vocals of singer Rebecca Carlish are showcased. Another new member of the 3rd Force family is trumpet and flugelhorn player Mitch Manker. The ten-track CD is uplifting, but also reflects a somber tone of September 11th. According to William, "an extra dose of smooth" was infused.
"We were in production during the 9/11tragedy and, of course, that situation and other world events continue to have a great effect on us all," says William, "This feel-tone translates into the music and how we relate to each other as fellow artists. The group decision was to go down a gentler path- one that could hopefully bring some healing to us all." Guest guitarists were simply asked to play with less velocity than they normally would and was amazingly well received by all involved.
William will take a pilgrimage to Nepal, Tibet and Dharmsala, India from May 14 to June 9, traveling with Tibet Aid (www.tibet.org) and supporting Tibetan refugees.
A collection of eleven new studio tracks from Neil Young on Reprise Records in his first studio set since Young's 2000 acclaimed "Silver & Gold." "Are You Passionate" features a wide range of musical styles from favorites such as originals "You're My Girl," "Mr. Disappointment," and the title track. "Goin' Home," with the entire Crazy Horse line-up, packs a punch.
Young's worldwide audience got a unique preview of "Are You Passionate?" late last year with "Let's Roll," a song written and recorded shortly before Thanksgiving and subsequently rush-released by Reprise Records. The song was inspired by the last words of a cell phone call from Todd Beamer, a passenger on Flight 93 who led an attack on the terrorists, foiling their presumed plan to strike a Washington D.C. target. The jet was brought down in a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board. Neil Young has also made a personal donation to the Beamer family. Prior to the release of this CD, Young embarked on an extensive tour as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, with whom he recorded the best selling 1999 reunion album "Looking Forward." The tour began Feb. 6 at Michigan's Palace of Auburn Hills. The artist, who was honored in 2001 for his extraordinary accomplishments by People For The American Way, is also planning a solo tour this summer, with dates to be announced as available.
Warner Bros. Records
The newest release of "Gutterflower" is a pinnacle to the solid sounds of the Goo Goo Dolls. The single release, "Here Is Gone" will be taken radio by storm.
"There is no way we could rest on our laurels," asserts vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik about the trio's fourth release, "No matter how successful we were going into this record, we all felt we were starting from scratch, as if we were making a record for the first time. Sure, you learn from experience, but the important thing is to keep it fresh, to stay alive to the possibilities and potential of the music. You can never take that for granted."
The 22-track collection was, according to Robby Takac, "A way for people to get caught up on what came before 'Iris.' We've been at this a long time and we're proud of what we've done. This was our way of acknowledging that history."
"I think, if there's a theme to these songs, it's about being honest with yourself and with others," John says, "and seeking out those who will return the favor. Our experiences over the past three years have taught us to appreciate friendship, love and loyalty... those basic human values. When we're writing about characters we've encountered and scene we've survived, it's that need for connection that comes through and hopefully everyone can relate to that. Otherwise, you're just talking to yourself."
Return to Music Profiles Home Page