Sound Healing and Reiki at The Gentle Barn

Last week I had the honor and privilege of playing my violin at the Gentle Barn FOR the animals. It was magical. There was a beautiful energetic shift that occurred during my time there.

Truthfully, this was not my first time playing in a barn. In 2018, my lovely friend Doris Degner Foster interviewed me for a piece in Sidelines Magazine. I had a fun photoshoot with my violin at Sonrise Stables in Broken Arrow, OK. You can read that article and see more of the photos here.

BUT this was the first time I’ve been invited to not just pose, but play in a barn, and not for humans – for the horses. This musical offering is a career highlight for me. I love horses. I’ve learned so much from watching them, riding them, caring for them, and competing with them (not against them). They are magical, and I swear one day I will have one of my own – just putting that out in the world.

A few weeks ago, my long-time friend and Reiki healer, Faith, invited me to join her for a sound and Reiki healing session for the horses at the Gentle Barn (You may have read about my very first Reiki session ever, gifted to me by the very same Faith last summer – if not, you can check that out here). Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend time with horses. She could have asked me to come to clean out their stalls, and I probably would have said yes, so this was an extra special invitation.

Faith and I offering our energy to Whisper.

This was my first sound healing session. I asked Faith for parameters to work within – colors of clothing, types of music, moods, etc. but Faith trusted me. Before the healing session, this made me a little nervous, but it turned out to be much more enlivening.

I didn’t bring a stand. I didn’t bring any music. I came prepared to follow my intuition and play what came from my heart, through my hands. When we started, I intuitively began to move from one horse or donkey to another, gradually making my way around the barn. At first, I could feel their curiosity. Many moved closer to me and watched and listened intently. Lulu, the donkey, might have been my first real fan. She never moved to a place where she couldn't see me, and she never multitasked while I played at her end of the barn. I made my way around the barn twice. Faith moved with me as I visited each horse, providing energetic support and relief for the animals.

Playing for Lovely Lulu.

My first trip around the barn felt like an introduction. I didn’t know these beautiful animals yet, and it felt like an opportunity to say hello musically and energetically. The second time felt quite different. Each animal has such a unique soul, and while playing for each horse, I could feel their essence radiating more strongly. I tried to stay open to this, and in turn, the music I created reflected their spirit back to them. That sounds very new age, but when I silenced the "must perform" urge, I could pick up on the subtle clues that the space provided. You could see and feel some of the horses respond positively to more lively and flowing music. Others were soothed by the long, slow vibrations of a held note.

The horse I ended my playing with was Hiroka, an older mare who struggles with poor vision from previous traumas in her life. She is beautiful, but what she must have endured previously in her life breaks my heart. As I played long, slow tones for her, accentuating the resonance through subtle vibrato, I was overcome with the desire to make physical contact with her by placing my hands on her forelock. I’ve never felt so intensely called to physically connect with an animal like that. Of course, I want to pet cute dogs and love animals, but this was different. It felt like a pull from the horse and motivated less from my own desire to pet.

This was such a special experience. A heartfelt thanks to Faith, the Gentle Barn, and to the horses for being the best audience a violinist living in quarantine could ask for.

I hope others are finding ways to connect with the arts and music right now. Musicians and performers, are you finding ways to connect with audiences (literally of any kind)? I know it has been hard for me to be "sidelined" as non-essential recently, so readers of this post – tell me how I can serve you from a social distance? I'm game to try (almost) anything.

PSA:

LA Friends – I give a weekly pop up concert every Thursday evening with my dear friend Caroline Campos. We play in public parks all over the city and surrounding areas. They are free but donations are appreciated. Follow us on Instagram to find out more about times, dates, places, etc. We are @lasunsetduet

I also have a Youtube channel if you want to see a few other videos. I'm slowly adding teaching and playing materials, but let me know if you have any requests. Please subscribe to stay in the loop and see some fun stuff.

Finally, I have a Patreon page where you can subscribe at various fiscal levels to support me and my endeavors. You also get certain perks at each tier, so it is not just a selfless act of love – you get stuff in return.

Get in touch with me.

Performance Highlight - Parasite at the Ace

Wow - the beginning of February flew by (actually, pretty much all of 2020 has flown by so far)!

Outside the Theatre after the show. This line means so much more now after Parasite swept the awards this year.

I’ve been trying to plug away at my goals and resolutions while also maintaining a busy performing and teaching schedule, which got much busier this year (for which I am so excited and grateful). I wanted to hop on here quickly and highlight a really cool performance opportunity that I took part in last month and encourage everyone out there who hasn’t seen the movie PARASITE yet to go see it! I’m no movie buff, and I definitely haven’t seen most of the films nominated for Oscars this year - this might be something I should work on especially because of where I currently live - but I did have the incredible opportunity to perform at a screening of the movie at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in January featuring live orchestra conducted by the composer, Jaeil Jung, with opening remarks by the director, Bong Joon Ho, to a sold out crowd. It was pretty cool.

Prior to rehearsal, I had seen the previews online and thought it looked cool but didn’t actually see the movie until the dress rehearsal and then again during the performance and WOW! It is amazing. I remember turning to another violinist on rehearsal break and saying something like “this movie is so quirky and bizarre” and then watching the rest of the movie with my mouth gaping open the entire time in full disbelief of what I was watching. I don’t want to give anything away, but if you haven’t seen it, go watch it. It takes some unexpected turns, and is equal parts funny and horrifying on so many levels and for so many different reasons.

Parasite won the Oscar for:

Best Picture

Directing

International Feature Film

Original Screenplay.

“It’s so Metaphorical!”

Backstage before the show.

See you soon! I’ll be back on here soon, I promise - there are lots of exciting things happening behind the scenes around here.

My Favorite Summer Tradition

Now that I've lived in Los Angeles for a year, I feel sure that going to the Hollywood Bowl is my favorite summer tradition. 

Jeff and I went twice last year, and in the past two weeks, I've gone three times. I love it! So far, I stick to the LA Phil concerts and have yet to see one of the pop performances, but the Bowl is easily one of my favorite places in LA. Jeff and I pack a picnic, and a bottle of wine or a few beers and typically sit in the cheap seats at the back. I don't go there for the acoustics, or the incredible sightlines –– but I adore the ambiance. Feeling the cool summer breeze, being in a relaxed environment, enjoying some snacks and beverages, and hanging out with friends, takes some of the snobbery out of orchestra attendance. Musical connoisseurs sit next to people who came for a chance to be outside, season ticket holders are side-by-side with first-time orchestra concert-goers, and people who want to socialize share a row with those who wish to enjoy an evening of beautiful music. And I bet that everyone is having a fantastic time. If I could go every week, I probably would.

Last week, Jeff and I packed a bottle of wine, some cheese and crackers, and a blanket and headed to the Bowl to watch the Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saëns, and Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. Typically, I might skip this concert, but the ladies of Sounding Point gave me tickets, and I have never seen Carnival live (plus I will take any excuse to get to the Bowl), so off we went. The show featured the Labèque Sisters on piano and the actor Sean Hayes as narrator. Hayes made his entry in a cage, and I chuckled throughout his performance, PARTICULARLY when he sat down at one of the pianos and performed part of a movement. It was hilarious. He played up the flamboyance and stage antics of a concert pianist and then "critiqued" one of the sisters while out of breath, sweating, and dramatically recovering from his performance. It was excellent.

Then, on the following Thursday, I was invited to the Falla and Flamenco performance featuring Siudy Flamenco Dance Theater performing El Amor Brujo – or Spell-bound Love. I was entranced, spellbound, and mesmerized by the music, singer, and especially the dancers. If I wasn't a fan before, I certainly am now! I could not get over the choreography, costumes, and footwork. I love how rhythmic flamenco is; how sometimes the feet are moving incredibly fast while the rest of the body is very fluid or even still, and how it fits with and enhances the sound of the orchestra. I don't know anything about flamenco, but I know that I want to see and hear more. This was one of the best "classical" concerts I have seen in a while. I've never felt more inspired to jump to my feet and scream encore at the end of a show.  Before this concert, I was unfamiliar with this piece, as it is not performed very often, to my knowledge. The synopsis (thank you Wikipedia) is:

El Amor Brujo is the story of an Andalusian gypsy woman called Candela. Although her affection is for a man named Carmelo, as a girl, she was promised to be married to another man (then a boy). After many years Candela's husband has died (at the hands of the husband of a woman named Lucia), but he continues to haunt his wife.

The entire village knows about the haunting, but still brands Candela as crazy because she dances every night with her husband's ghost. Candela, now a widow, is free to establish a relationship with Carmelo but continues to be haunted by her husband's ghost.

After a conversation with other women of the village, Candela finally comes to realize that her husband was unfaithful to her, despite all her efforts to make their marriage work; her husband's lover is revealed to have been Lucia.

Candela and Carmelo get advice that a ritual dance is necessary to cast the ghost off, but it does not work. The ghost is still obsessed with Candela's soul.

Candela manages to trick Lucía to come that night, with the excuse of hooking her up with Carmelo. As she turns up, the nightly ritual of Candela's dance with her husband's ghost begins, but at the last moment Candela moves away from her husband and Lucía is taken away by her now dead lover.

Dawn breaks, Candela and Carmelo are now truly free to enjoy their love.

Before the concert, we attended a special picnic catered by the James Beard Award-winning chefs Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (of celebrated local restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Tavern, and The Larder). The food was incredible. The octopus tacos still haunt my dreams, and I think about the Tuna every day. I have yet to visit these restaurants, but the flavor compels me.

This week, unexpectedly, Maestro Juan Felipe of YOLA invited me and Caroline to join him in box seats to see the Dvorák Cello Concerto and Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet featuring Gustavo Dudamel, cellist Pablo Ferrández, and Benjamin Millepied's choreography. I was so excited to sit close enough to see the soloist interact with Dudamel. I loved how the choreography took over the entire Bowl with fight scenes in the aisles, balcony scenes in the "lobby" areas, and party scenes in backstage storage rooms. Millepied was the cameraman (which I did not realize until later), and he made the camera work feel like part of the choreography. You watch the screens and feel intimately engaged in the drama that is taking place all around you, then turn your head and watch the action happen right beside you, then two minutes later, and it is back on the stage. While the focus was not on the orchestra, they played exquisitely – I could hear every not of those ferocious violin passages. In the words of Mark Swed from the LA Times, "This should be the future of virtual reality — not those silly headsets, pixilated video, cheapo headphones, and compressed audio." It was such a treat.

Are you interested in free tickets to the Bowl this summer? Follow me on Instagram @activeviolinist for opportunities to win tickets to upcoming performances like Yuja Wang next week!