Thoughts on Music
For me , music is all about surrender, it is about healing and surrender. I am sure many musicians will agree with me that music is only truly something when we are blessed with that beautiful moment of surrender, the music wills itself into being, when we allow ourselves to relax into being an instrument for the music itself, it flows through us, not from us.
When people come to me after a concert crying, the only thing I wish to say, but rarely have the courage to, is that your heart is asking you to surrender and heal in the light and love of the Divine through the music. This music is my longing for the Divine, it is my surrender. I am trying in my way, to surrender all of me in worship and in love to the eternal One, and for me this represents God or Allah.
It is widely accepted that people can be healed by music, the harp has been used as a therapeutic instrument for centuries. With the harp I try to build the form of the music and composition so that it reaches out and brings closer the natural instincts within us, for nobility, good character, shining will, beauty, joy, compassion, humility and love. With these keys the music moves toward our hearts and tells a story that reaches us on a level we understand without the need for language or intellectual agenda.
The instruments I would love to have accompany me are:
Dulcimer
Hammer Dulcimer
Middle Eastern Drone Instruments
Drums
Cello... fiddle..
Flutes including the bag pipes
Hang
A Harp Choir
A Choir of voices
It is my intention to make music that allows us to feel the still and motionless clear lake in the heart of the mountains undisturbed, reflecting a clear blue sky.
My Musics' Long Term and Short Term Goals
The larger vision.
Home, in the words of one great man - To Live here as though we might die tomorrow and to live here as if we were to live on earth eternally -
Both my husband and i study sustainable living, through the application of the tradition we belong to resonance order and cleanliness on all levels of the natural and spiritual world exists, and can be applied as the science of life has been granted to us to learn and to return to out of modernity and into conscious living.
There is a great diversity in the tradition which we belong to, and this diversity is something which we are proud of.
It is a part of our belief that the whole is made from both the irreverent and the reverent, without the negation the positive does not exist. Without the nuance the magnificence is no longer, without suffering mercy is? When you are thinking of the thorns you become the thorn bush, when you are thinking of the rose you become the rose.
All that is noble and good will come and be magnified in the brilliance of the Right, likewise darkness will become even darker as the light increases.
Our intention is to be the founders of a living community based on the example of our tradition. Living with great reverence and peace on this earth. We have been and continue to apply for grants and write propositions for those who might be willing to co found the project. If you are interested, would like to see the plans, or have some ideas email me at
info@yasmeensong.com
Building a Centre
We are actively searching for finance to purchase land and homes built and cultivated sustainably, organically with biodynamic principles based on the treasures of the great mystery schools ie the golden age of persia on permaculture in studying the cosmos, creations rules and the Divine Attributes, dignity for mankind on the earth and praise for its Preserver.
Retreat centre
A hall for concerts music as prayer, art as prayer, writing as prayer.
A living example of prayerful life to be experienced by the seeker or willing observer.
A glimpse into the simple life of the way.
peace Salam
Yasmeen
As Concerns My Faith
Simply imagine; A young woman walking down to a small stream, she carries a jar in her arms. She is young and beautiful, her body is covered from head to foot in white garments that dress her in humility and modesty. Her face shines like the moon, and with each step she praises the almighty Creator. As she bends down by the side of the stream and fills her vessel with the sacred water, she sings the words. "In the name of the Creator, the merciful the compassionate." As she comes back up the bank, she hears the sounds of the birds jubilating and she feels the strength and calm of the earth carrying her, she breaths the fresh mercy of air and wind. Her heart rejoices.
As she arrives home, she enters her home with her right foot first, and says. "In the peace of the Almighty Creator I enter."
She washes her hands, with the clear flowing water, and prays that her hands might do good deeds, she washes her face and she prays that her face may be shone like the moon, that her face may be blessed with the beauty of the pious and loving, she washes her nose, and prays that she might smell the sweet scent of paradise, she washes her ears, and prays that she might hear the sound of the angels singing, she washes her arms, and prays that they may be just and kind, she washes both her feet, and this washing blesses her footsteps, her path toward her Creator.
Then dressed in the dignity of this ritual anointment, she moves to pray.
This she does each day. Five times
Once even before the birds begin to sing
Once at the zenith of the suns ascent
once as the sun is half way between its zenith and its rest
Once as the sun has set
Once as the first stars begin to appear.
She strives to be pious and good.
She prays as though she were preparing for her meeting with love at the end of her life. So that perhaps her soul will come as clean and pure back to its origin as it did when it came thus from its origin. From the Great I am, the Master of all things, the Almighty Creator.
Thoughts on Concerts
I love to perform in holy healing places, the energy is such that my inspiration is that much more potent. Although i could not go and play and sing inside the Cathedral in Strasbourg, as i had no repertoire suitable to be engaged with, the energy of the place surrounding was such that performance was made possible. As it was at the Mnt St Odile, and in many other places.
Throughout my journeys performing outside, the important thing was to find a place that resonated. Even in markets or fairs, it was the effort to choose the place with the most peace, where the ecoustics would support my voice, and where the wind could carry it, that was essential to the performace. When choosing an outside venue, the position of you and your sound is critical. It is also the romance of the spot, the place that can make romance with you and your expression to the world.
For instance: I used to play under a bridge in Petite France, in Strasbourg. It was a very odd place to play, there was very little space for people to stop and listen, and it was often wet and cold. But the intention was not to have many people listen at one time, or to have them all very comfortable, the intention was to touch those people who passed by on there way, so busy with this life. The acoustics beneath the bridge were deep and accomodating, as they carried the sound only just so far.... people would return under the bridge just to get closer to the sound.
For me an audience is completely unpredictable, the experience of having been a street performer clarified that for me. If I were to advertise a harp concert in a church in such and such village, I am sure the gangs of gangsters, punks and gypsies would not come. But when one plays
on the street, everyone comes. It is a congregation of all manner of people, the young and intense, the old soft grandmothers, stand beside each other sheding tears together, I have even seen people who are of very different paths and ages, meet and hug one another just through the familiarity of soul they find touching
them in the music. I have seen people react with anger and impatience at their own tears and vulnerability, some people the music does not touch at all. It is exhausting to perform the music itself. It sometimes takes me 3 days to recover. The photo above is
one taken of a concert I made in the area of France called , in Provence, it was in a little village with a beautiful stone church, this concert was my 5th ever in a church, and it was especially memorable because so many people showed up and then all of a sudden a huge storm of wind and rain and thunder washed over
us during the middle of the concert, it was climactic and moody, a wonderful feeling as we exited the hall, the sky was clearing and the air was fresh. My Concerts are infrequent at this time, as my life is occupied by the task I feel the most worth in. I am a mother of three and the occupation of street performer is not an easy task. Now I no longer perform on the street. If you listen close to the video in Strasbourg, you will hear my eldest , then just 4 yrs old calling me. He was with his Papa, playing outside the Cathedral on the large stone sconces. Now I perform inside churches..at specific times.... ...... and yes... it is true that I have been caught singing in underground parking lots... high up in the woods overlooking farmland, and in the parliament building "entrance" in Edmonton Alberta Canada. There are many unofficial concerts in my repertoire, but I am happy to say they mean very much the same to me, and the feeling that jubilation can happen anywhere at anytime is reasurring and therapeutic for my life :) The dhikr of all the words natural environment, when in harmony with the "One', is Divine and wonderful to witness and it is in this I am utterly content.
Thoughts on Composition
These are all subjects I can write endlessly about... I love these subjects so... that the end result is a feeling that perhaps I should not write at all, as I am endlessly confused and enchanted by them.
My compositions come from improvisation and what I feel one of the ways I can surrender. I have never had any formal training as a singer, and I have only past very minimal grades in Harp... I think it was grade 5... My musical training came naturally because of my good father, who has now passed on, as he sang to me each night before I went to sleep. Also I was blessed to be given a waldorf education, in which music is a very important aspect of the curriculum.
In my limited expereince, humming and singing to oneself all day long, with the continued desire to follow the music and harmony in your heart, is much the best way to compose a piece of music.
And again my music is very improvisational. The songs Mawlana, a voice, another voice, Ocean of Light from the first album, "Yasmeens Song" were all composed on the spot in studio. The Song O Habibi from the video outside the Cathedral in France, was completely improvised, and so I had to re-learn it to place it on the cd. The new album "Oceans Rising" is also highly improvised... as is th music on the "My Secret Garden" album. It is in this way that music really happens for me, it is in my surrender, I listen to the silence, the silence comes through the harp and I, while we are open and sound is created.