“I love that God has created something so indescribably complex, and yet it's so simple. Music is such a beautiful gift, and I'm so thankful we can access that gift everyday.”
- Geneva, singer-songwriter

JUAN CARLOS GARCÍA is an author, composer, pianist, and producer from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands. His books "El Ave Diamante (The Diamond Bird)", "La Flor de los Mil Pétalos (The Flower of One Thousand Petals)", "No Pierdas la Magia (Don't Lose the Magic)", "Cuadernos Metafísicos (Metaphysical Notes)", "El Misterio Humano (The Human Mystery)", "La Vida del Metafísico (The Life of a Metaphysician)", "Apuntes sobre el Sendero (Notes on the Path)", "Los Cuentos de Hadas en el Cine (Fairy Tales on the Screen)", and "El Sentido de la Vida (The Sense of Life)" are all self-published and are available from Juan Carlos García. He has also produced a book series of Metaphysical Travels in Greece, England, Scotland, Egypt, France, Portugal, Israel, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Venezuela, and the United States of America. Juan Carlos García is also a prolific composer with an incredible portfolio of New Age music CDs of meditations and conferences. "Symphonium Illuminatum [DVD]" (2009) is also available from Pulsar Studios, a sonic exploration of space and time, featuring his pioneering instrument the Mundra Midi Controller. Website: www.juancarlosgarciaweb.com
Interview: January 13th 2010 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Photo: Juan Carlos García / Pulsar Studios

“Since ancient times the human being has been attracted to music and its meaning. All of us identify ourselves with the rhythm, melody, and harmony.” - Juan Carlos García, author of "The Human Mystery"

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REV. GORDON GILES is an author, priest, and vicar of St. Mary Magdalene's Church in Enfield Chase, England. His book "The Music of Praise" (2002), "The Harmony of Heaven: Musical Meditations for Lent and Easter" (2003), "O Come Emanuel" (2005), and "Fasting and Feasting" (2008) are all available from The Bible Reading Fellowship, and "O Clap Your Hands" (2008) is available from Paraclete Press and SPCK. Rev. Gordon Giles writes books on music and theology, and has a regular column for the RSCM publication Church Music Quarterly. He is also a priest in the Church of England, and between 1998 and 2003 he was Succentor of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Website: www.gordongiles.me.uk
Interview: January 17th 2010 Enfield Chase, England, United Kingdom
Photo: Rev. Gordon Giles

“The music of praise is the 'returning' of God's gift to us back to Him, stamped with our own personality and response.” - Rev. Gordon Giles, author of "The Music of Praise"

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GENEVA is a singer-songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand. Her debut release "Everyone [EP]" (2009) was self-released and is available from MusicGeneva.com. The EP was produced by highly-talented drummer Jonathan Wilson, engineered and mixed by Nic Manders at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios. Geneva has a Diploma in Contemporary Music Performance, is winner of MAINZ's Songwriter of the Year 2008 Award, and placed in the Top 20 out of 400 entries in the MTV 42Unheard 2009 Competition. Geneva's musical influences include Mariah Carey, Brooke Fraser, Whitney Houston, The Killers, Kings of Leon, and Sufjan Stevens. Geneva has performed live at Parachute Music Festival, and shared live sets with Edwin Derricutt, Nathan King, The Tokyo Keys, and is a rising star in New Zealand music. MySpace: www.myspace.com/musicgeneva, and Website: www.musicgeneva.com
Interview: July 30th 2010 Auckland, New Zealand
Photo: Geneva / MusicGeneva.com

“I love that God has created something so indescribably complex, and yet it's so simple. Music is such a beautiful gift, and I'm so thankful we can access that gift everyday.” - Geneva, singer-songwriter

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CHTHONIC (pronounced "Thonic") are a symphonic black metal band from Taipei, Taiwan. "Where The Ancestors' Souls Gathered" (1999), "9th Empyrean" (2000), and "Relentless Recurrence" (2002) were all independently released, "Satan's Horns [EP]" (2003), and "Seediq Bale" (2005) are both available from TRA Music, and "Mirror Of Retribution" (2009) is available from Spinefarm Records. ChthoniC's black metal music also incorporates influences from traditional Taiwanese music including instruments such as a two-string violin known as the hena. ChthoniC have performed at the Wacken Festival in Germany, and also toured throughout the United States together with Ozzfest. MySpaces: www.myspace.com/chthonictw and www.myspace.com/dorisyeh, and Website: www.chthonic.org
Interview: July 22nd 2009 Taipei, Taiwan
Interview arranged by Rikki Zazula, Publicist, Adrenaline PR
Photo: Clive Arrowsmith / CliveArrowsmith.com

“People who are creating, singing, playing, and listening to a song will pour their soul into it. Without people, music will just be a sound.” - Doris Yeh, bassist and backing vocalist in ChthoniC

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MARGIE BALTER is a composer, pianist, and piano teacher from Los Angeles, California. Her album "Music From My Heart: Solo Piano Pieces By Margie Balter" (2007) is available from Baby Grand Publishing. Balter's CD won the 2008 and 2009 LA Music Awards, for "Piano Album of the Year", and a track was featured in the film Date Night, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Margie Balter is known as "Piano Teacher to the Stars" for coaching Holly Hunter for the film "The Piano" (1993), Tom Cruise for "Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" (1994), Sandra Bullock for "The Net" (1995), Scarlett Johansson for "The Man Who Wasn't There" (2001), Kevin Spacey for "Beyond The Sea" (2004), and Greg Kinnear for "The Last Song" (2010). Balter has six credits in the film "Beauty Shop" (2005), starring Queen Latifah, in which she coached Paige Hurd and Djimon Honsou, composed a prominently featured piano piece, and played and arranged piano segments for the film. Margie Balter has also served as Music Director for the New York production of "Slain In The Spirit" with music by Taj Mahal. MySpace: www.myspace.com/margiebalter and Website: www.margiebalter.com
Interview: March 16th 2010 Los Angeles, California, United States
Photo: Margie Balter / MargieBalter.com

“Music is like love. The whole world is better because of it. The vibration that emanates from music and love uplifts everything and everybody.” - Margie Balter, composer and pianist

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MERCAN DEDE is a composer, DJ, producer, bendir and ney player from Istanbul, Turkey. His albums "Sufi Dreams" (1998), and "Journeys Of A Dervish" (1999) are both available from Golden Horn Productions, "Seyahatname" (2001), and "Nar" (2002), "Su" (2003), "Nefes" (2007), and "800" (2007) are all available from Doublemoon Records, DJ Arkin Allen's "Fusion Monster" (2004) is available from Numoon Records, and "Sufi Traveler" (2004) is available from High Times. Mercan Dede's music is a fusion of world beat electronica and traditional acoustic music from Turkey. He currently divides his time between Turkey, Europe, and North America. Mercan Dede has toured internationally with Sufi Mevlevi whirling dervish Mira Hunter, and has collaborated with Turkish and international musicians such as Dhafer Youssef, Susheela Raman, Hugh Marsh, and Sheema Mukherjee from Transglobal Underground. MySpace: www.myspace.com/mercandede and Website: www.mercandede.com
Interview: June 13th 2010 Istanbul, Turkey
Photo: Mercan Dede / MercanDede.com

“Sound has a magic power, and if used wisely, it has a potential to be the key for ourselves and the universe.” - Mercan Dede, DJ and producer

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SIMONE GIULIANI, better known as 4MuLA, is an arranger, composer, freelance keyboard player, music producer, and orchestrator living in Manhattan, New York. He is currently recording and producing Sambismo, a project with multi-instrumentalist Zé Luis, and DJ and producer Béco Dranoff. Since 2007, Simone has been collaborating as A&R Consultant, Digital Audio Editor, and Sound Designer with Grammy Award-winner Jason Olaine for Monterey Jazz Festival Records, and the Concord Music Group, working on rare live recordings of Miles Davis Quintet, Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, and Tito Puente among others. 4MuLA writes music for TV and film, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS News, and E! Entertainment Tonight. The Golden Globe-nominated TV movie "A Raisin In The Sun", the original soundtracks of "Little Gold Men" and "Blindspot", are just some of his composer credits. Simone Giuliani is also the Founder of Emunity Records, a digital label that focuses on future-lounge, nu-jazz, and ambient soundscapes. Website: www.simonegiuliani.com
Interview: August 31st 2009 New York, New York, United States
Photo: Michael Weintrob / MichaelWeintrob.com

“Music is Alchemy: it's the art that transforms every human into a divine being. It's the most powerful, most accessible, and purest form of communication.” - Simone Giuliani, arranger, composer and producer

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ROBERT JAMES HAYWOOD is a public speaker, author and workshop presenter with many years of international experience, now residing in New Zealand. As a Music Shaman, Robert is a medicine man working through the sacred wisdoms of music, creative self expression and free form dance. Since 1973, Robert has developed a unique style of practical spiritual teaching, supporting advanced healing and personal development techniques - a valid and powerful footstep upon a person's personal journey. He provides weekend workshops, entitled "Harmonic Journey Sculpting", Corporate Staff Training Sessions in relaxation and creativity development, personal "Musi-Heal" support sessions, group meditations, music demonstrations, and public talks. His forthcoming book "Every Song Is Precious" (2011), and current titles "To Cross The Golden Bridge" available in print, "Dance Of Angels", and "Gentle Visions II: A Journey In Feelings…" both available as e-books, will be available through his Website: www.musicshaman.co.nz
Interview: July 1st 2010 Riwaka, New Zealand
Photo: Robert James Haywood / MusicShaman.co.nz

“The great blessing Music has to offer is the opportunity for people to be in the now.” - Robert James Haywood, Music Shaman

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PAUL KENNY is a composer, performer, and pianist from Queensland, Australia. His albums "Rainforest Dreaming" (2002), "Merry Christmas" (2004), "Babies Lullaby" (2010), "Deep Sleep" (2010), "Forest Walk" (2010), "Ocean Discovery" (2010), and "Visions of Tasmania [DVD]" (2010) were all independently released and are available from PaulJKenny.com. Paul's music combines Hi-Tech recording technology with the atmospheric sounds of nature to produce New Age Relaxation Music to take the soul on a journey of discovery. Paul is also a Fellowship Member of the Academy of St. Cecilia London, a Fellowship Member of the Cambridge Society of Musicians, Fellowship Member of the Australian Guild of Church Musicians as well as a Professional Member of the Australian Society of Music Educators. Website: www.pauljkenny.com
Interview: July 6th 2010 Tasmania, Australia
Photo: Paul Kenny / PaulJKenny.com

“Music defines the way in which people live, love, breathe, and worship. Music is at the heart of all life.” - Paul Kenny, composer and pianist

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CYRIL MORIN is a film composer, musician, and producer from Paris, France. He has scored over sixty soundtracks, including spirituality-related film soundtracks for short film "The Khajuraho" (1993), critically acclaimed movie "Samsara" (2002), international documentary "Ayurveda: Art Of Being" (2004), and "Valley Of Flowers" (2007) all directed by Pan Nalin, short film "Kaal" (1996), and "Speaking Tree" (2007) both directed by Natasha de Betak, and feature documentary "Unmistaken Child" (2008) directed by Nati Baratz. Cyril Morin has also arranged orchestration for many artists including Madonna's "Paradise (Not For Me)" from her album "Music" (2000), working with multi-platinum French rapper Kerry James, composing and producing albums on Indian singer Vidya Rao's "Song for Shunyata" (2008), and U.S. trip-hop artist Zera Vaughan's "The New Seed" (2009). As a solo artist, Cyril Morin’s "Contemporary Moments" (2010) and "The Evolutionist" (2010) are both available from Massive Music. Website: www.cyrilmorin.com
Interview: July 2nd 2010 Paris, France
Photo: Cyril Morin / CyrilMorin.com

“Music speaks to the soul, to the senses, and is the only art that doesn't reproduce reality. Music goes straight to our spirit and our body.” - Cyril Morin, composer and musician

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