Grace Cathedral

“We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee;
we are as the mountain and the echo in us is from thee.” 

— Rumi

As we get ready for our next Sound Bath on February 14th, I would like to reflect on this quote by Rumi. This is at the core of my appreciation and understanding of music. I was born and raised in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tarsus, Turkey about four hours away from Konya where Rumi spent most of his adult life and always felt a deep connection to his teachings.

I believe that music is the universal language that all beings intuitively understand. Birds, cats, dogs, trees, flowers, bees, ants and babies all comprehend music deeply and without any education needed. Perhaps, not music in a conventional, human way but more as an inherent rhythm and flow that is present in nature. In all its forms, however, music is an inseparable part of being.

Only when we grow up apart from music being an integral part of our lives, we start to think that we can’t play music or can’t sing. But the love for music is not something you can unlearn by conditioning, as a matter of fact, time and time again, a song will come on the radio, you’ll see a street performer singing their heart out or watch a dried leaf gracefully dance as it falls on the ground and you’ll find yourself overwhelmed with emotion, a vision of memory, falling in love with music over and over again. For the love of music is the love of reality in its entirety, of awareness and energy, of form and formlessness, of the sacred and the divine.

A famous Zimbabwean Proverb says: “If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing.” Keep this in your heart and know that you can never be apart from music. Embrace being a music lover as much as being a human. Don’t forget being a musician first and foremost includes being a good listener. Sing every single day, even if it’s just a single note.

Our invitation for the upcoming Sound Bath on February 14th to consider these words and immerse yourself in the power of sound. As you receive the vibrations, remember your inherent connection to music, the natural rhythms and flows in your own body such as your breath and heartbeat.

For this month’s Sound Bath, I will be joined by my usual partners Phoenix Song on Vocals, Didgeridoo, Esraj and percussion, and Sam Jackson on singing bowls and gongs. I’ll be playing my sitar, handpans and baglama. 

Our featured musician for this month is the incredible DJ Drez who is not only a maestro as a performer but also a seasoned music archivist with endless knowledge of music history especially on Hip-Hop, Reggae and Dub as well as Classical Indian Music. We’re beyond excited to collaborate with DJ Drez and create a once-in-a-lifetime sonic journey. 

With Regards,

Egemen Sanli