Bruce Blaylock began piano lessons when he was very young, but he wasn’t that into it because the teacher never asked him what Bruce wanted to play. Later, his friend Chip encouraged him to start guitar, and Bruce hasn’t stopped playing since, currently with his band Beat Hotel. He says he has met so many remarkable people in his life through music and it has opened many doors. Bruce went to college and law school in New Orleans, and got to experience and play a lot of music from that fascinating city. Bruce says, “Music helps you find your people and your people find you, and that’s powerful.” He says music is literally magical, and he has seen magical performances on stage in many shared experiences over the years. Music creates a “connective tissue” with others in the music community and the audience, and Bruce also says music can help make life meaningful even when there are dark clouds. Please give a listen to Bruce’s fun and interesting storytelling about growing up with music.

Planetary Gig Talk

#126 Bruce Blaylock, guitarist and raconteur

Congressman Jamie Raskin is a Member of Congress representing the 8th District in Maryland, the home of the worldwide headquarters of the Planetary Gigs Society, and also plays piano. So, Jefferson Glassie caught up with him to ask a few questions about music. Raskin says there was always music in his home growing up, because his father was a classical music prodigy on the piano. His father saw the world through music and it was essential to who he was, and he thought society should be organized in a way that connected people just like music does. Raskin professes that he is not a musician, but only plays by ear, fools around, and improvises on the piano, but also said his entire family plays music, so music is always around. He says that with all the issues we are having, such as the covid pandemic and the January 6 insurrectionary violence, one can despair sometimes. However, he says, “When you listen to music, you understand where humanity is actually going and what we’re really capable of.” He says so many of the pathologies of our time result from people being separate, but music brings people together. Raskin says he is a big champion of science and math, but if we lose touch with literature, music, the arts, we could be headed to a dangerous place.

#125 Rep. Jamie Raskin, Member of Congress, plays piano

Peter McClard was born of the 60's, that time when black and white became color and music exploded. He had a voracious appetite for music even when very young. He took lessons on viola in first grade, moved on to guitar when 9 years old. He remembered listening to his brother's twelve string acoustic with a stethoscope and was blown away. There was a "rainbow of overtones, and the sound of metal and wood and vibration just made me so happy and I was just in love with sound at that point." He eventually went on to play in many bands, but also became enamored with other aspects of music, fractals, math, patterns, new overtones, which ultimately led to development of his theory of holistic tonality, sort of a unified theory of music. Peter says the power of music is so deep, vibration is everywhere, in everything, and goes to the most primal part of our being. Music and sound can be used for any purpose, good or bad, so its important for us to elevate music so that it can create shifts in consciousness that can better society. He says we need to reduce some of the noise and bring out the good stuff, including the silence and peace. Peter has developed lots of software, but check out a couple of his apps, including Pixound and Different Drummer, and other software at www.technemedia.com. Peter is an amazing, smart thinker and musician.

#124 Peter McClard, musician, software developer, author

Fia was ten years old when she went to a Christmas concert at a cultural school in Sweden and first heard an oboe. “I got so enchanted, I said I want to learn,” and she started taking lessons. She began writing songs, in both Swedish and English, and as a writer she writes about her life, the people she meets, and the stories they tell. She was in many bands and different genres, but a few years ago began on a solo track, and started writing about spirituality, which resonated with people and there was a ripple effect, where she gained a following. She crowd-sourced her first album, Made of Stars. She calls her music “transformational music” that inspires self-reflection and serves as reminders of who we are, which calls us back to our most inner core and connecting us to source, universe, and God. She says we like to see ourselves reflected, and the role of the artist or musician is to put words to emotions that can interact with and lead to a deeper understanding of the self. Writing and singing songs is her way of making contributions and she trusts that she will make a positive mark on this world. She says, inspiration is found everywhere, it is a divine spark, and when we follow it, it opens the possibility to create so much magic that is unique from our soul. What she is passionate about is to invite people back to themselves and ask who are you, what is your truth, let me see you. And they can be more in touch with themselves. I also see women rising to their own magic and becoming a force on the planet. People should reconnect with their authentic voice - not just talking but singing; what if we sang more? We need to dance, to sing, to tell stories, or we can become sick. “We all have the ability to be light beams ... change makers, on a big scale, small scale, it doesn't matter. We have a lot more power than many of us might think.” You can find more about Fia here: https://fiasmusicofficial.com

#123 Fia, folk pop singer/songwriter of transformational music

Billy Presnell started playing music when he was really young, about five years old. Piano was his first instrument, and he got a guitar when he was eight. Billy says, “Music has always been a part of my life,” and he was still learning to talk practically when he first started. He has played many different styles and instruments, though he says, “when I read The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten, it changed the way I approached accompanying people; kinda changed my priorities in making the entire musical piece the goal, as opposed to me playing well with somebody.” He also began attending and volunteering at Wooten Woods music camps, and made so many connections. He learned that being a good person leads to good musicianship, and that will change your life in a positive way. He understood that he didn’t have to impress people, but that it is more about serving the music. Billy says that, when you play, if you put the intention of healing and providing positivity and peace into your music, it can change the world. He hopes after the pandemic that people will really going back to seeing live music.

#122 Billy Presnell, eclectic musician

Julie Rust grew up in a house where there was a lot of music; her father played trumpet and her mother was a big band singer, and Julie grew up with a piano in her room! She realized that she wanted to play piano at age seven, and was writing songs by the time she was sixteen, majored in Music at college, and ended up playing coffee houses all over the country. She says that she writes songs by listening to her heart; her music is like a thread of love that flows through her and helps her stay connected. She says music healed her and taught her that she is love, and she hopes her music can help other people realize the same thing. She also says that even if a musician is just playing at home, even that music makes a difference and is changing the world. Julie says things really started happening for her when she stopped trying to force her career. She started doing what she calls Sacred Space Experiences with particular songs and meanings for individuals in a room. Now she also creates virtual Messages from the Light for individuals., and recently Audible Insights on various and random topics. Please check out https://www.julierust.com

#121 Julie Rust, Performing Songwriter/Healing Presenter

Vivienne Aerts grew up in The Netherlands, and started piano at age 5, and by age 12 was the choir conductor. After performing all over, she got a scholarship from Berklee College of Music, majored in voice and the global jazz program. While there, she met Kenny Werner, author of the book Effortless Mastery. Since then, she has performed often with Kenny and administers the Effortless Mastery Institute at Berklee. She says that, as Kenny writes in the book, to become a master musician, playing needs to become effortless, where the music plays itself "from the space." She says one can train their mind to play from that space, from the now, which is similar to mindfulness, where you watch yourself play. "It is really a cognitive exercise in letting go," she says. The western world has forgotten wthat we can practice effortlessness. She feels there is a community building around Kenny's concepts of effortless mastery. More about Vivienne is at www.vivienneaerts.com.

#120 Vivienne Aerts, musician, singer, project manager Effortless Mastery Institute

Qiaoli Wang remembered the old Buddhist music from growing up in China, but then she had to opportunity to help preserve the music for posterity, and she did it. She listened to the call to make a movie about the monks in an ancient monastery who still played music that was over 1,000 years old. She says, "The music itself refused that I make it short." There had been no audio or video of this old music, and she said the process of making the film was like a pilgrimage. The monks saw their beauty in the music. Qiaoli says, "The essence of music actually is to make people appreciate their own existence." The film opened prior to the pandemic, but will continue in theaters hopefully soon.

#119 Qiaoli Wang, producer of the movie Music Monks

Peter de Koning from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, is a drummer and also the creator of Live Earth 2020, which will happen on August 29-30, 2020. Peter was only 6 years old when he started tapping on everything and was 8 when he got a drum kit. His sisters were in the marching band and it inspired him, so he joined marching bands and then the drum and bugle corps and it became his passion. He says, when he is not able to play for a while, he can really feel it; he needs to play and move with music and there are moments of flow with the marching band that are so great. His new project, Live Earth 2020, came about when he was doing sustainability work in Montenegro and decided to ride a bike back home to Amsterdam with his drum kit trailing behind the bike, as he rode through Croatia, Bosnia, Italy, and Austria. “The purpose of it,” he says, “was to give some concerts at beautiful locations for the earth.” He would get his drum kit out at a place that he felt was good and play to honor the earth and things that had happened at those places. Then, he came up with the idea of Live Earth 2020; “Why not organize … a concert for earth to pay tribute to the earth?” He says that Victor Wooten talks about the intention of playing music and Peter believes that playing for Mother Earth with the intention of honoring her and showing gratitude will be very beneficial. The goal is to gather 1,000 musicians and indigenous peoples from around the plant to perform and conduct ceremonies almost at the same time. He hopes artists will find nice places in nature, or wherever feels good, to give a concert, or dance, or make some art to pay tribute to Earth with that intention. It is free to sign up and participate at the website www.liveearthconcert.org. Peter says that he feels music and dance are the closest spiritual connections we can have. He sees in the future also addressing reconciliation with the earth for all of the awful things that humans have done and to focus on the good after the pandemic. He believes it is important to pay attention to the artists and the freedom thinkers to achieve a better world.

#118 Peter de Koning, drummer and creator of Live Earth 2020

Anni Beach grew up in a musical family; her mother was a harpist, her sisters were musicians, as was her husband. She took piano lessons as a child, but the mandolin really grabbed her at age 50. She would take her mandolin to class as a substitute teacher, and one day a couple young boys came to her house and asked her to play some more music. That was the start of the Jam Pak Blues 'n' Grass Neighborhood Band, which has been playing, learning music, and performing from Anni's home as a base. Her goal, and that of the some 25 or more kids in the band for the last 25 years, has been to bring joy and make themselves and others happy through music! One important key is that they all have a common purpose to be happy and help other people be happy, and learn music and songs and be together. Also, she says, "There are no stars, everybody is on an equal footing; ... we help each other." She also encourages others to start music communities, however big or small; "Don't worry about it; just start," she says! "If you have your music and you can be happy, what a joy!" Anni emphasizes that we all need a purpose, and that even right now, in the pandemic, we have great virtual platforms to really talk with people, to keep learning and doing. She says, the more we try to create musical communities, share resources, learn from and help one another, the better we will do. "I believe our lives are going to change for the better," she says.

#117 Anni Beach, founder of Jam Pak Blues 'n' Grass Neighborhood Band

Dr. Pramod Kumar is the Founder of the Devi Music Ashram in Rishikesh India. Dr. Kumar is a philosopher, but his focus is not on metaphysical matters but on solving practical problems. He does not play music, but loves music. Dr. Kumar says music is the highest form of harmony of sound, which is very powerful. Harmony in music brings peace to the mind. Dr. Kumar’s children were very good musicians growing up, and he supported them and gave them the space to learn music; many in India do not encourage their children to play music because of the economics. He later wanted a place where all aspects of humans can grow, from the musical to the practical to the spiritual. Dr. Kumar says that music can solve many problems of man. Indian classical music in particular can uplift consciousness. He wanted a place where people from all over the world could come to learn music, art, yoga, etc. and the Devi Music Ashram provides an environment for them to do that while spreading love, music, and service. He believes we can combine the best parts of the West with the best parts of the East.

#116 Dr. Pramod Kumar, Founder of Devi Music Ashram

Biko Casini is the percussionist with my favorite music group, Rising Appalachia. Biko turned me on to The Music Lesson book by Victor Wooten and that changed my life and led to the founding of the Planetary Gigs Society. Biko is a profound player and spiritual thinker. Biko grew up in an intentional community outside Nashville, where he lives now, and he says it gives him the space to dream about what is possible when humans come together, sharing responsibility of stewarding the land. Biko’s father played guitar – all the time, many different songs, from many different countries and in many languages, like a troubadour. When Biko was 15, his brother carved him drumsticks and that started his lifelong craft as a drummer and percussionist. Through several interactions and his travels, he realized that for him music was a way to be of service rather than strive simply for personal success, and his quest has been to find a place or situation where music could be a key to unlocking healing energy. He has found that with Rising Appalachia, which is like a spiritual community because they are all working on similar goals. So many musicians have been funneled and co-opted by the music industry to serve the profit motive. Rising Appalachia focuses on the experience and the wild magic of music. “Music has given me more than anything else in my life, but it has also taken more than anything else,” he says. Biko is focused on an intention to create cultural and ecological learning and rejuvenation centers, with music being a huge part of that. He says concerts and festivals can provide energy for restoring ecology. Arts and creativity, he says, should feed the ecological restoration of the world and cultural renewal, which is the great work of our time. Biko says we all carry cultural trauma and music’s job is to connect us to what’s real inside of ourselves and then to help us be able to restore the external ecology. This also seems to me to be very much consistent with the music and message of Rising Appalachia, led by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, and they have all meant so much to so many people.

#115 Biko Casini, percussionist with Rising Appalachia

I met Neeti Kumar at the Devi Music Ashram in Rishikesh, India. She teaches classical Indian singing and dance at the ashram. I have been so enamored by the concept of music ashrams; there should be millions of them! I posted some short videos of performances at the ashram, including a couple of Neeti singing. Neeti’s family has been coming to Rishikesh for most of their lives. Neeti and her sisters were always singing when they were little. Their father had a music teacher come to their home. About eight or nine years ago, they decided to start a music ashram to celebrate music, to create a nice atmosphere to develop oneself through music, art, and culture. Neeti says that humans have many different aspects – ethical, spiritual, biological, rational, etc. – and the Devi Music Ashram allows people the freedom, space, and opportunity to develop all these aspects through music. The Devi Music Ashram is different than most ashrams, which have a guru or teacher who sets the rules and the way of thinking. But there is no guru at the Devi Music Ashram. There are many teachers at the ashram, such as yoga, singing, sitar, meditation, dance, etc., but the gurus are music and nature. She says Indian music is like an ocean, every day there is a news opportunity to be better and have more understanding. She says it is very important for humans to have music in their lives, because music heals in so many ways. She also thinks it would be wonderful for there to be more music ashrams; people need that very much, she says.

#114 Neeti Kumar, of the Devi Music Ashram

Sandro Shankara is a very spiritual musician from Brazil, who leads musicians, pilgrims, and seekers on tours to sacred places like the Amazon, the mountains of Peru, and India. I met Sandro in Rishikesh at the Devi Music Ashram. We really connected and I was able to interview him on zoom. When Sandro was 17, he found Indian music, having played classical guitar before that. He plays many instruments, including guitar, ukulele, and table, sitar, and harmonium. Since a very young age, he has prepared himself through music to bring people peace. His mission is to unite the scientific knowledge of healing with mantras, and to connect more and more people with their inner being. He says it is important to drop the individual me, the ego, and join the global harmony. With so many modern distractions, “the most powerful tool to connect us to a space of calm and inner peace is music.” Sandro believes a new moment has arrived and together we will create a better world. Follow him on Instagram, where he posts about his trips and music. Also, he has four CDs on Spotify.

#113 Sandro Shankara, multi-instrumentalist from Brazil, leads spiritual and musical tours

Raj Sagonakha is with the Devi Music Ashram in Rishikesh, India. I met Raj when I walked into the ashram almost entirely by chance in March 2020. I had gone to Rishikesh to visit the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, where the Beatles visited in 1968, and I felt a profound connection with all this. As background, Raj started playing music when he was ten years old, learning the tabla, or Indian drum. He and his sisters became musicians and Raj transitioned to the sitar. His family had traveled to Rishikesh, and he says there is “something in the air, in the environment, here that is so amazing.” They gradually developed the idea of starting a music ashram, making a space for people to share music, and for them to share what they know about Indian classical music. At the Devi Music Ashram, there is no guru or master, but music and nature, and knowledge, says Raj, are your master. “You are free to discover your own divinity through music.” At the ashram, they offer all sorts of music, sound healing, chanting, singing, dancing, and learning to play instruments. Raj says that, “In India, music is not just entertainment; it is also a part of spirituality, peace, and harmony in life.” He says there is a metaphysical concept where we believe that everything is a vibration, a cosmic vibration, an unending sound, the sound of the cosmos. And then there is also the sound that we create. Indian classical musicians were saints, spiritual seekers, and Indian music developed that way, where you try to connect with the ultimate source or reality through music. There are also different moods of notes and tones, and those are how the ragas were developed by the Indian saints so when you listen you can experience that deep connection. The Devi Music Ashram is a very special place and Raj says that everyone is welcome there. Personally, I believe there should be millions of music ashrams around the world and I urge people to support the Devi Music Ashram and more music ashrams around the planet.

#112 Raj Sagonakha, of the Devi Music Ashram

Host Jefferson Glassie, chief spiritual dude of the Planetary Gigs Society, talks with guests about the power of music and how we can create a better world through music.

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Planetary Gig Talk

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