Befriended Stranger

God grant that, with a penetrating vision, thou mayest perceive, in all things, the sign of the revelation of Him Who is the Ancient King, and recognize how exalted and sanctified from the whole creation is that most holy and sacred Being. This, in truth, is the very root and essence of belief in the unity and singleness of God. “God was alone; there was none else besides Him.” He, now, is what He hath ever been. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Incomparable, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

- Baha’u’llah, Gleanings From the Writings of Baha’u’llah

What a week this has been! Having completed the Ruhi 1 study circle last week, on Monday we gathered for a prayer meeting for the protection of the Baha’is wrongly persecuted and imprisoned in Iran:

O God! Thou beholdest Thy lovers in Iran in the clutches of hate and enmity. I beg of Thee, by Thy mercy which hath preceded the contingent world, to raise up from the earth those who will be moved to aid and protect them, and to preserve their rights and the restitution due to them by those who broke Thy Covenant and Testament, and perpetrated such acts as made the inmates of the cities of Thy justice and equity to lament. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

- Bahá’u’lláh

Two friends came and we all chanted — in Arabic, in Farsi, in Bulgarian and English. The human voice is a beautiful instrument indeed. And prayer is a powerful tool! Having grown with no religion I can testify just by the example of my life that prayer is the most potent healing instrument. I hope that also helps with freeing the friends in Iran. Either way, it is time to speak out 4 Baha’is and to urge your U.S. Congress representative to co-sponsor and vote for H. Res. 175 on the Baha’is in Iran! Those of you outside of the U.S. can of course pray and find your appropriate ways to act in requesting freedom for the Iranian Baha’is. The situation is still very much grave and we should continue extending our support until it has been resolved.

Ayyam-i-Ha has started and with it the preparation for the Baha’i Fast. How much has changed in my life is illustrated by how much I look forward to the Fast. I used to cringe at the idea of it…

Tomorrow our community will celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha twice. In the afternoon, at the Alexandria Baha’i Center, with all kids where I will sing along two songs “We Are Drops” and “We Are Soldiers in God’s Army”. Then at night the whole community will get together for some delicious food and more sing along songs. Baher is bringing his guitar and we will jam!

Next Monday, I will host the next Prayer Station “For God’s Beauty’s sake”. And on Wednesday, the Ruhi 2 study circle “Arising to Serve” will commence. I can’t ask for a better way to start the Fast — with friends, prayer and study of the Holy Words!

May God Almighty continue blessing you, guiding you, protecting you, loving you! I know He does. I know I am loved!

Life is sometimes like a domino game. You put one domino next to the other and continue shaping a unique combination of a somewhat random and seemingly limited set of choices. You put one foot in front of the other and continue moving.  Before you know it, you have a unique path behind you, and an equally unique one ahead of you.

A year or so ago, when I first came across the music of JB Eckl and Eric Dozier, I was intrigued by the music label behind their remarkable CD “Badasht“. So, I followed the link to Amity Records and from there to the flamenco rock band Mimosa. Now, anyone who can mix rock and flamenco, would be intriguing to me. Put the Baha’i Faith in the mix and you have Eric Harper. Here goes Eric’s story — enjoy:

Well, it must have been about 11 years ago when I was living out my last few months in Portugal. One of my friends asked me to compose some songs for the Baha’i community of Portugal. At first I was very hesitant as I felt religion and music didn’t really mix that well. All I had ever seen in current society were cheesy renditions, weak adaptations and musically “challenged” songs written in praise of God. Well, that never made me feel very good about God and certainly didn’t make me want to praise him in any way. So often I felt in religious people that if the spiritual intent, fervor and sincerity was there then it didn’t matter how the end product came out. Well, I just didn’t like that approach to my reality in music. It’s like Abdu’l-Baha says:

“Prayers are good. But next time read a recipe.”

You can want to write good music all you want. And you can love God with all your heart. But if you don’t get down and dirty and practice and study for hours upon hours upon hours then how can your musical product possibly match your sincere intent or possibly come anywhere close to praising the Divine?

In the past you had magnificent compositions from some of the most astounding, capable, inspired and most importantly, educated composers ever to praise God. Composers like Bach, Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, Haydn, and so on. So how could I ever come close to matching that level of technical proficiency and yet raising the bar of current “God-praising” music. I say “God-praising” merely because using the word “religious” still falls sour on my tongue. And so often is love of God far removed from anything religious. But I digress;

So, I put off my friend’s request to write any Baha’i-inspired music. But the thought was always gnawing at the back of my mind. From time to time I would hear people complain about the current level and quality of Baha’i-inspired music saying that it was time for things to improve. Directly or indirectly they would always say that it was my job to aid in the process of improvement, so to speak. Well, finally about 8 years later, I thought I would give it a try and not think too much about it. So I sat down with my Baha’i prayer book in Portuguese and opened to the prayer:

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion…” – Bahá’u'lláh

I didn’t think of the notes. I didn’t think of what would the Baha’is of Portugal want to hear and I didn’t think of what I would want to have this song sound like. I simply followed the natural rhythm of the prayer and began to play notes that accompanied, what i felt, was the natural melody and rhythm of the prayer.

Well, for the next 3 years after beginning my process of composing, arranging and recording for the Portuguese album I tried to remain true to every prayer and whatever form or style came out. They weren’t so much a product of my own thoughts but more how i felt in my heart was the natural seed buried inside each individual prayer.

In 1997 I was asked to compose songs for the Baha’i community of Portugal. In 2008, 9 songs were completed for the album entitled “Romper a madrugada” (Breaking the dawn).

When I bought Eric’s Portuguese CD “Romper a madrugada” (Breaking the dawn) I was amazed by the diversity of the music and the masterful skill of his art. The songs range from very mellow ballads through passionate flamenco to joyful bossa nova. Indeed he offers a totally different take on Baha’i music. As someone who does not know a single word of Portuguese, I can honestly tell you, all I can react to is the pure music, and pure music it is indeed — great music that will touch your heart, and often your feet and hands too, making them tap and clap along.

Since I wanted to know what the songs are about, Eric generously shared the lyrics. Here they go:

“Amanhecer”

Levantei-me esta manhã
Levantei-me esta manhã
Por Tua graça, ó meu Deus,
E parti da minha casa
Com toda a confiança em Ti
E entregando me a Ti.

Ó meu Deus, meu Deus!

Translation:

“I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O my God, and left my home trusting wholly in Thee, and commiting myself to Thy care.” – Bahá’u’lláh

“Estrela Brilhante”

Ilumina a lâmpada do meu coração,
Ilumina a lâmpada do meu coração,
E faze de mim uma estrela brilhante.
Ilumina a lâmpada do meu coração,
Ilumina a lâmpada do meu coração,
E faze de mim uma estrela brilhante.

Ó Deus, guia-me, proteje-me.
Ó Deus, guia-me, proteje-me.

Translation:

“O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star.”

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Cura”

Teu nome é minha cura,
Ó meu Deus,
E a lembrança de Ti,
Meu remédio.

…ó meu Deus,
E a lembrança de Ti,
Meu remédio.

Aproximar-me de Ti
É minha esperança,
E meu amor por Ti,
Meu companheiro.

Translation:

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion.” – Bahá’u’lláh

“Nas Tuas mãos”

Ó Deus, refresca e alegra meu espírito.
Ó Deus, refresca e alegra meu espírito.
Purifica meu coração.
Ilumina meus poderes.
Em Tuas mãos confio todos
Os meus interesses.

Translation:

“O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand.” – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Fechar de olhos”

Ó tu que estás te volvendo
Volvendo a Deus, a Deus!
Fecha, fecha teus olhos

Ó tu que estás te volvendo
Volvendo a Deus, a Deus!
Fecha, fecha teus olhos

A tudo o mais,
E abre-os para o reino
Do Todo-Glorioso.

Translation:

“O thou who art turning thy face towards God! Close thine eyes to all things else, and open them to the realm of the All-Glorious.” – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Ó Filho do Homem!”

Ó Filho do Homem!
Se Me amas, não te prendas a ti mesmo;
E se buscas Meu prazer, não consideres o teu próprio;
Para que tu morras em Mim
E Eu possa viver eternamente em ti.

Translation:

“O SON OF MAN! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.” – Bahá’u’lláh

“Alláh’u'Abhá”

Ó Senhor! Abre Tu, a porta, provê os meios,
Ó Senhor! Abre Tu, a porta, provê os meios,
Prepara e torna seguro o caminho,
Para que sejamos guiados…

Translation:

I’m unable to find a direct translation but it’s very close to this popular prayer:

“O Lord our God! Open Thou the door, provide the means, keep safe the path and guide the way.” – Attributed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

“Nos céus e na terra”

Dize;
Deus é suficiente
Deus é suficiente
Deus é suficiente
Deus é suficiente

Para todas as coisas
Acima de todas as coisas
Para todas as coisas
Acima de todas as coisas

E nada nos céus ou na terra ou em
E nada nos céus ou na terra ou em qualquer coisa
A não ser Deus, Teu Senhor.

Translation:

“Say; God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God sufficeth.” – The Báb

“Buscar a noite”

Como posso eu querer dormir
Ó Deus, ó Deus, meu Deus,
Enquanto os olhos dos que te anseiam
Estão insones

Por causa de sua separação
De Ti, de Ti, de Ti;
Por causa de sua separação
De Ti, de Ti, de Ti;

Como buscar repouso?
Como buscar repouso?

Translation:

“How can I choose to sleep , O God, my God, when eyes of them that long for Thee are wakeful because of their separation from Thee…?” – Bahá’u’lláh

In case you want to get a hold of Eric Harper and his music, send him a message at ericharpermusic AT gmail.com or visit his MySpace page.

And spread the news — the dawn has broken and so has the mold on what God-praising music is! Thanks, Eric, for sharing your remarkable talent!

As tension is rising in anticipation for what promises to be an unfair trial of the seven members of the coordinating committee of  the Baha’is in Iran, in the campaign to eradicate the largest non-Muslim minority of Iran, the news that more and more governments are standing up for the freedom and dignity of the followers of Baha’u'llah are spreading. The truth shall be revealed and hopefully, these noble souls will be freed from prison.

But they are already free — for they, unlike their interrogators, are free from prejudice:

Your eyes have been illumined, your ears are attentive, your hearts knowing. You must be free from prejudice and fanaticism,  beholding no differences between the races and religions. You must look to God, for He is the real Shepherd, and all humanity are His sheep. He loves them and loves them equally. As this is true, should the sheep quarrel among themselves? They should manifest gratitude and thankfulness to God, and the best way to thank God is to love one another.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 468)

Just a few minutes ago, Tara Ellis and Benny Cassette launched the Be Free Campaign:

Be Free is a non-profit organization which aims to promote the active involvement of youth for human rights thru grassroots new media based campaigns. Its first project “Azad Bash” (Be Free), aims to contribute to creating a society of dialogue and openness in Iran by using music to involve Iranian youth. Be Free is a initiative free of any political agenda.

As part of this launch, they released three songs, including a new rendition of “Mona and the Children”, a beautiful song dedicated to the memory of Mona Mahmudnizhad, the 16 year old Baha’i martyr of Shiraz:

Until now, it had not dawned on me that Mona would have been my age, were it not for her dedication to the Baha’i Faith. It is good food for thought, particularly now that the Ruhi 1 study circle is complete and the last assignment reads, very appropriately:

Now that I understand that my life begins here on earth but leads me towards God for all eternity, how important are the following aspects of my life for me?

1. Obedience to the laws of Baha’u'llah
2. My contribution to the well-being of the human race
3. My service to the Cause and to humanity
4. My firmness in the Covenant

It is time to reflect, yes, but also time to take action. Be free, friends, and keep on praying!

O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more.
(Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

Troubling news are spreading all over the internet. The Iranian government is set to try seven outstanding servants of the persecuted yet innocent Baha’i community, a gentle Faith dedicated to uniting the hearts of all people. The claim is utterly ridiculous — that the members of the national coordinating committee of the Baha’is of Iran are spies for Israel. The truth about the plight of Baha’is of Iran is open for all to see! The jailed Iranian Baha’is should be set free! I pray to God to protect these innocent souls:

I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names, to guard Thy loved ones against Thine enemies, and to strengthen them in their love for Thee and in fulfilling Thy pleasure. Do Thou protect them, that their footsteps may slip not, that their hearts may not be shut out as by a veil from Thee, and that their eyes may be restrained from beholding anything that is not of Thee. Cause them to be so enraptured by the sweetness of Thy divine melodies that they will rid themselves of all attachment to any one except Thee, and will turn wholly towards Thee, and extol Thee under all conditions, saying: “Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, inasmuch as Thou hast enabled us to recognize Thy most exalted and all-glorious Self. We will, by Thy mercy, cleave to Thee, and will detach ourselves from any one but Thee. We have realized that Thou art the Beloved of the worlds and the Creator of earth and heaven!”

Glorified be God, the Lord of all creation!
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 96)

I plead for your urgent support in defending the persecuted Baha’is of Iran.

Yesterday was a remarkable day! One of the highlights was that Matthew Levine called me and after a year and a half corresponding by email, we got to talk about music, life, and the Baha’i Faith. I had wanted to share a prayer with him, as a part of my service from the Ruhi 1 study circle “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit”. You never know what the impact of a prayer might be:

Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom.
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 295)

After the prayer, Matthew was on his way to record a new song with Jon Rezin, the vocal producer and sound engineer for American Idol; I was on my way back to work; the prayer was on its way to work too. That same evening, as I spoke with Justin about Matthew’s tests and difficulties, she shared a brilliant idea…

You see, I had already posted about “A House Divided” on election day. I had also used Matthew Levine’s songs for my devotional on the day before inauguration. So, clearly I somehow saw the link between President Obama and these inspiring songs. But it never dawned on me to actually see the full connection (I can still use the excuse of being an ignorant foreigner) even though the inauguration commentaries were abuzz with references about the link between Abraham Lincoln and the phrase from his speech “A house divided cannot stand” and the new president from Illinois.

So, anyway, here is the idea that was shared last night — Matthew Levine’s songs should be the soundtrack of the Obama administration; they belong on President Obama’s iPod! Furthermore, since “A House Divided” was written as an anthem for the world, they deserve to get the attention of Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the U.N.

See for yourselves, here are the lyrics which Matthew Levine kindly provided:

A House Divided

music & lyric by Matthew Levine

Around the world, as we assemble
In every mosque and church and temple
We intone our dedication
To become one congregation
Now the sun of truth has risen
We will break out of this prison
God of mercy, God of thunder
Help us tear the walls asunder

No more living in a house divided lost in the dead of night
As one people we will stand united holding onto the light

One by one these chains are broken
As the word of love is spoken
From our slumber we awaken
With a faith that can’t be shaken
For in our hearts there builds a fire
In our soul chants heaven’s choir
Here’s our moment, now or never
One for all and all together

No more living in a house divided lost in the dead of night
As one people we will stand united holding onto the light

The heavens will hail
When the day is done
And love will prevail
If it takes a million broken hearts to beat as one

No more living in a house divided lost in the dead of night
As one people we will stand united holding onto the light

© 1987-2006 M. Levine

A Home That Forever Will Stand

music & lyric by Matthew Levine

O sisters and brothers, the hour is at hand
Our very foundation is turning to sand
So gather ye faithful, heed His command
And we’ll build a home that forever will stand

Into the future we stumble
Winding through din and decay
All around us we see the world crumble
Our old way of living’s had its day
Deep in our pain and confusion
Speaks the All-Merciful “Here am I, here am I
To love you and show you the way”

O sisters and brothers, our calling is clear
Sing Hallelujah for heaven is near
Our Kingdom will rise up throughout all the land
As we build a home that forever will stand

Bold is the pen of our Maker
Each word a beacon of light
Shining with justice and mercy
Piercing the darkness of night
Bright are the hearts of His servants
And though we are few we will find a way to seize the day
And with passion and vision unite

CHORUS

O my God, O my God – O Thou who hast made us from water and clay
Praised be God, praised be God – how long we have waited and prayed for this day

CHORUS

© 1993 – Matthew Levine (BMI)

Now seriously, we are in Washington and we will see what we can do about Obama’s iPod. Keep on praying!

Back to Matthew’s story

I asked him to share more about the making of the CD “A House Divided”. Here it goes:

The CD, A House Divided, was the result of a tragic miscommunication. In 2005, I was finally able to buy some basic recording equipment. I had a difficult time finding work, so I thought I’d try to get some composing or producing work now that I could record music in my apartment. I lost most of my music contacts, having been away from LA for about 15 years, so I had to start all over. It proved to be an impossible task for reasons too lengthy to get into here. I didn’t consider recording any of my own music because, although I could record the tracks, I was not adept at mixing or mastering, nor could I afford to hire live musicians to put out a product that would surely lose money. All indie artists knew by now, that if you don’t tour or have music videos online you were doomed. Meanwhile, I was living on my savings which could last about 6 months.

I considered selling my equipment but about that time, someone emailed me a music video from a doctor who also wrote songs. I called him up to find out how he was doing and he said that he sold about 30,000 CDs in a few months. I asked him how he did it and told me that the formula was simple: Have a song that hits a nerve in a fairly large swath of the general public, make a music video, and email it to friends and, if it does indeed hit a nerve, it will go viral. I then asked him how much money he spent promoting the video. He said he didn’t spend a dime–he just emailed it to about 100 friends and it spread like wildfire.

I couldn’t help but wonder how a mediocre song and video could sell that much. Nevertheless, I decided to copy what he did only do it better. I couldn’t afford to record a whole album so I recorded A House Divided, On The Fence, Beautiful, and a new version of Wherever You Are (the first tune I ever mixed myself). I cobbled together an album including recordings and old demos that I had released on previous albums just to have something to sell (the story of my life). I designed a website with the help of a Baha’i, Peter Harris, and found photos on the web which I obtained permission to use, and had Peter create a flash movie of them featuring my song, A House Divided.

A year later I was up and running but after a couple of months I only sold about 200 CD’s. I called up the songwriting doctor and asked him if he had any idea why I was selling so few CD’s. He told me that you need to spend money on marketing–he spent $20,000. We had a mild confrontation about the discrepancy between his current advice and the advice he gave me a year ago but he wouldn’t admit he changed his tune. Being that it was a moot point at the time, I didn’t pursue it further. Fortunately, if he had told me the truth the year before I never would have recorded the new songs nor put out a CD. It was sort of a bittersweet fruit that I’m still trying to recover from. But I’m glad things turned out the way they did. Since then a half dozen choirs have performed the song, A House Divided, and I’ve gained some new friends because of it–you for instance, Mitko.

This morning as I was squeezing fresh grapefruit juice, I glanced at the window and saw two doves tenderly kissing each other. I took a photo of them just in time before they, having noticed my interest, shyly stepped aside from each other.

I kept thinking throughout the day of the meaning of what I saw. Here are some quotations from the Baha’i Writings that seem appropriate:

Consider! The blessed animals engage in no patriotic quarrels. They are in the utmost fellowship with one another and live together in harmony. For example, if a dove from the east and a dove from the west, a dove from the north and a dove from the south chance to arrive, at the same time, in one spot, they immediately associate in harmony.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 301)

O peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man. Laudable are the results and the fruits thereof, abundant the holy evidences deriving from this grace. This is mercy unalloyed and purest bounty; it is light for the world and all its peoples; it is harmony and fellowship, and love and solidarity; indeed it is compassion and unity, and the end of foreignness; it is the being at one, in complete dignity and freedom, with all on earth.

The Blessed Beauty saith: ‘Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the leaves of one branch.’ Thus hath He likened this world of being to a single tree, and all its peoples to the leaves thereof, and the blossoms and fruits. It is needful for the bough to blossom, and leaf and fruit to flourish, and upon the interconnection of all parts of the world-tree, dependeth the flourishing of leaf and blossom, and the sweetness of the fruit.

For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one another and seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the lovers of God in this contingent world become the mercies and the blessings sent forth by that clement King of the seen and unseen realms. Let them purify their sight and behold all humankind as leaves and blossoms and fruits of the tree of being. Let them at all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful help. Let them see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, but think of all humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as an intimate, the stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice, drawing no lines.

In this day, the one favoured at the Threshold of the Lord is he who handeth round the cup of faithfulness; who bestoweth, even upon his enemies, the jewel of bounty, and lendeth, even to his fallen oppressor, a helping hand; it is he who will, even to the fiercest of his foes, be a loving friend. These are the Teachings of the Blessed Beauty, these the counsels of the Most Great Name.
(Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, p. 1)

Have you ever wondered about the thoughts of a composer as he creates new music? I have always found this a fascinating question to ponder. And since I have the bounty of having a friend who is a wonderfully talented composer, I asked him exactly about his thoughts behind his music.

But rather than me trying to introduce  Matthew Levine, let his music introduce him to you. You can buy his CDs at CDBaby and Special Ideas! Do buy his music — not only you would be inspired by it but Matthew can use the cash as you can see below! So, here is Matthew Levine in his own words:

I had classical piano training from 9 to 16 year old. From16-18 I played in a rock band and a jazz/rock band that were occasionally rivals. At 17 (1975) I went to Orange Coast Community College where I took music classes. There I met Jamie Findlay, the now renowned Jazz guitarist, who then was in the jazz band. At the time neither one of us were Baha’is. We would meet again years later in Los Angeles as Baha’is.

At nineteen I attended firesides in Newport Beach and soon became a Baha’i and, almost immediately after, moved to Hollywood to pursue a songwriting career. I had several songs published and collaborated with several famous songwriters such as Amanda McBroom (The Rose) and Alan O’Day (Angie Baby) but nothing ever translated into profits. I began writing my own lyrics and was introduced to David MacKechnie, a professional lyricist who took me under his wing. As the music business became stupider and more expensive, I was left behind. I had been attending Baha’i meetings at the Willows in Beverly Hills almost every week for several years which kept me spiritually grounded, relatively speaking. So I decided to write what I felt like writing which were songs with a spiritual bent. I also wrote some choral pieces.

By the time I was thirty I was tired of trying to record music on a waiter’s salary, if you could call it that. I went to Platt College or Graphic Design and took a ten-month crash course. After I graduated I worked for Smiland Paint designing brochures and paint can labels. Six months later, I had no reason to be in Los Angeles and packed my belongings in my Toyota pickup and headed up the U.S. coast with no plan other than to visit every Baha’i I knew and decide where I wanted to live and then look for a job. I sold my first cassette recording, The Big Idea, and a bunch of my demos and Baha’i calling cards to pay for gas and food.

By the time I got to Washington, I stayed with Kurt and Leslie Asplund, two true patrons of the arts. We hit it off swimmingly and they offered for me to stay with them so I could write music. So I did for a year and a half. The Asplunds and I and six other Baha’is formed a jazz a capella group called Tapestry directed by Tim Strong and we performed at various functions. My time in Washington was perhaps the best time of my life.

After 1.5 years in WA I decided to borrow money to make an album of Baha’i-inspired music. The result was A Sacrifice to Thee. At the same time I recorded a few new songs and added them to the one on The Big Idea and produced a second CD, the new incarnation of The Big Idea. I did this because I was planning a cross-country trip perform my music via “living room concerts” and two albums would pay for more food and gas than one album. Both albums had numerous problems in the recording process mostly related to not having enough money to do it right, but it was either cut some corners or not do it at all. Besides, I had an ulterior motive–to meet a woman and get married.

During this 100+ city tour, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, I met Jia-Yi Cheng. The next day I was off to a new gig. My schedule was being prepared by Rose Wendel and I often didn’t know where I was scheduled to go until the night before, so Jia-Yi, who wanted to hook up with me, found me through the internet (this was 1995). She drove about 1,000 miles each weekend for three weekends in a row to spend time with me while I traveled through Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois. While at the Green Lake Conference I got sick and Jia-Yi nursed me back to health just in time to share the stage with other Baha’i musicians such as Seaforth and Jenkins, Jaimi Findlay and Red Grammer. Jia-Yi and I hit it off and I proposed to her at the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette before my gigs were too far for her to drive to. When I got back to Washington, I moved my stuff to my parents’ house in California and was off in a few months to Asia where I did the same living room tour in Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. While In Taiwan, Jia-Yi toured with and translated for me.

On the way back from my tour, I stopped by Taiwan again and we got married having already received consent from our parents. Back in the U.S. I moved all my belongings once again from California via my Toyota pickup to Indiana PA where I lived with Jia-Yi for a year-and-a-half while she worked for her doctorate degree in English specializing in literature from minority women writers (mostly Latin and native American women). I worked doing freelance graphic design and as a waiter at the Train Station Restaurant. After a year-and-a-half, Jia-Yi received her degree and got job offers from the University of Texas and a new University in Taiwan. We chose Texas. During those ten years we had two beautiful children, Dana and Andrew (now almost 8 and 11 y.o.) while she taught and I worked as a graphic designer. We got tired of Texas so Jia-Yi went on the job market while I went the University of Houston to get a music teaching credential. After a year, we realized that we couldn’t afford for me to go through the six year teaching credential program so I opted for a 4-year music composition degree with the plan to get a teaching job afterwards while I continued at night taking the required classes. During my senior year, I wrote a string quartet called, “The Prophet of Shiraz” which won first place in the undergraduate yearly composition contest. The month of my graduation, Jia-Yi received a job offer from College of the Canyons in Valencia, California. We moved there the summer of 2005 and found apartments in the same complex, one for each of us (we started a year of separation).

In Valencia, I found it almost impossible to find work. I taught piano at a local performing arts studios part-time, worked at the LA Times as a graphic designer for a ten-month contract, lived off of unemployment for six months, had to then take a job as a security guard at a warehouse, there were layoffs, six months more of unemployment, and that’s where I am now. No money, no job. Welcome to 2009.

The songwriting business over the last 30 years has been inherently expensive. Those that haven’t been able to work full time at it and don’t have expendable income to record or buy recording equipment–necessities of the businesss–are left in the dust. I was only able to afford my own recording equipment three years ago at the age of 47. I’ve only been able to spend about 5% of my life, if that, writing and recording music. I wish it were otherwise, but considering what I had to work with, it’s amazing I produced anything at all. Being a Baha’i has saved my life. Knowing that my life is not about my music but about spiritual growth I am greatly relieved, for God gives us numerous catalysts for growth every day, regardless of our circumstances. If along the way, someone enjoys my music, that’s the icing on the cake.

Notes on “A House Divided”

I asked Matthew Levine to share some background stories about each song in this remarkable CD. Here they go:

A House Divided was conceived as a world anthem. It is more of an occasional song rather than the kind you listen or sing to while doing the dishes or driving down the freeway, although I have been known to bellow “O say can you see…” with my car windows rolled up and the kids in the back seat, but that’s only if they’ve been naughty. I mostly whistle to jazz or blues.

I wrote A House Divided in the ’80’s but wasn’t totally happy with it. About 20 years later I realized it needed a bridge and a single chord change in the chorus. I would have liked to hire a rock band to do it but, not being man of means, opted out of necessity to sequence all the tracks except for two of the guitar tracks and the vocal tracks. The four-bar guitar solo near the end was pieced together from eight takes (you get what you pay for—in my case, nothing). The song was recorded on 72 tracks and mixed at Westlake Studios, but the engineer forgot to mix in some critical instruments so I mixed his “stems” with the missing tracks on my computer. Again, you get what you pay for. Considering the difficulties, it didn’t come out half bad.

On the Fence was inspired mostly from personal experience.

Seven was written and recorded about 15-20 years ago. I think I was subconsciously trying to emulate my favorite songwriter, Joni Mitchell. The bass part before the second chorus was played spontaneously by the engineer as we were getting ready to mix. Again, you get what you pay for–in this case $300/hour.

The Mother Tongue was also written and recorded about the same time as Seven, this time thinking of Sting. My good friend, Greg Hofmann–who wrote the song (the only song by another person I’ve ever recorded) Mr. Bones on my previous album, The Big Idea–helped me with the lyrics. He’s a devout atheist but we both are into protecting the environment.

The Hunter was written in the early ’90’s during a walk around the neighborhood when I lived in King County NE, Washington at the home of the illustrious Asplunds–true patrons of the arts. I remember passing a llama farm.

Children of the Amazon, another environmentally themed tune, was written…I don’t know, a long time ago. My friend and mentor David MacKechnie wrote the lyrics to the bridge. At the time I was listening to a lot of Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell and, apparently, it shows.

Trio was written in 2004 during my tenure at the Moore’s School of Music at the University of Houston where I was working towards my bachelors degree in music composition. It was recorded at KUHF Studios by a fellow composition student and performed live by other fine student instrumentalists.

The Man Upstairs is one of my personal favorites. It was inspired by the many child martyrs of the Heroic Age of the Baha’i Faith.

Wherever You Are was written by David MacKechnie and me in the Cretaceous period: my inspiration came from a series of Baha’i martydoms in Iran; David’s inspiration came from the death of his good friend and collaborator, Jerry Fielding, the Hollywood movie composer. I wasn’t planning on putting this song on the album because I hate my original recording, but a number of people close to me insisted that I include it. So, three days before the album was scheduled to be mastered, I rearranged and recorded it just for them. They returned the favor and bought a few CD’s. So what do I do with the rest? Any ideas?

Beautiful was inspired by an idea I had after I had done two recordings of Baha’i prayers featuring my son, Andrew. I wrote a script and recorded Andrew speaking one phrase at a time. The tune was built around the script. The initial chord pattern avoids the root altogether giving it that shifting, unsettling, mystical feeling that one gets when you bump into someone you’ve never met before yet you know her name.

A Home That Forever Will Stand was written about 15 years ago while I was living with the Asplunds in Washington. My friend, Greg Ives produced it in Portland where he had access to good gospel singers and engineer Chris Huston who used to be friends with John Lennon. Since then it has won four awards in various songwriting competitions.

I just sent a reminder to my fellow participants in the Ruhi 1 study circle “Reflection on the Life of the Spirit”. We have two more sessions left, and I have been sending weekly reminders and updates so that those who might have missed a session are not left alone. The message our group received by one of its participants was uplifting and humbling! I post it here not to brag but to share the power of transformation these weekly study circles have had on us:

I don’t want to entice you too much to join us this Monday night, and the next, but our last session was a soul-stirrer and a heart-warmer of the first order.  How many meetings actually educate one on the very purpose of life and give one the incentive to live the deepest, most meaningful and purposeful life?  That’s what last Monday did for us. Every person on this list who was not present was genuinely and thoroughly missed.  Every single soul in this group has most positively inspired me and led me to thoughts I would otherwise not have had.

I’d also like to say to every single soul who has ever before attended these sessions at Mitko’s - think it or not, beautiful spiritual bonds are formed between and among us all who are present,  between these profound readings of the holy Creative Word and the light shed on them by the thoughtful comments of the friends, the deeply meaningful prayers we say for each other and ourselves – there is a whole lot going on at Mitko’s – so please please return, make an effort to be there.  The profundities and the subleties of what transpires there in apartment 311 absolutely positively must reflect – eternally – in the very essence of our beings.

Oh, did I mention the great teas, salads, and Bulgarian savory puffy pastry at Mitko’s?  Soul, mind, body – I can’t think of much else that needs to be fulfilled…

Lest we think this has anything to do with us, here is Abdu’l Baha’s perspective:

Therefore, the Lord of mankind has caused His holy, divine Manifestations to come into the world. He has revealed His heavenly Books in order to establish spiritual brotherhood and through the power of the Holy Spirit has made it practicable for perfect fraternity to be realized among mankind. And when through the breaths of the Holy Spirit this perfect fraternity and agreement are established amongst men — this brotherhood and love being spiritual in character, this loving-kindness being heavenly, these constraining bonds being divine — a unity appears which is indissoluble, unchanging and never subject to transformation. It is ever the same and will forever remain the same.
(Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 391)