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AÏM — I AM is a frequency field & initiation ecosystem for artists who value inner truth, presence & creative freedom. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter (home page) to learn about the soon upcoming offerings.   Music is a time-based medium and I invite you to an unusual listening experience - over a year. Chinese energetics point us to observe nature, to access the essence of being. listen to the rain results from the study of natural cycles from atom to cosmos, breath to eons, and how they inform our experience of the connection between earth & heaven. Giving you time to listen in a holistic way will illustrate my point. listen to the rain’s 8 movements will be released seasonally. Drops will drop every 45 days, as follows:
W A T E R December 21st, 2024 (solstice) M O U N T A I N February 4th, 2025 T H U N D E R March 20, 2025 (equinox) W I N D May 4th, 2025 F I R E June 21st, 2025 (solstice) E A R T H August 4th, 202 R A I N September 20, 2025 (equinox) S K Y November 3rd, 2025 That is the timeline for the initiation, based on what Taoists call the earthly order of the 8 forces -- after which, listen to the rain will be available as a whole, in the heavenly order. W H E R E T H I S M U S I C C O M E S F R O M I now unequivocally call myself a composer, although improvisation is essential to my music, which is about holding space for a transformative experience that is unique to every listener. Composition is a conduit for relational study. Over years of apprenticeship with Daria Faïn, I got to explore ways to embody principles of Asian energetics through martial arts, prosody and meditation. The fusion of the 5 elements, a Taoist meditation originally taught by chi kung master Mantak Chia, is what prompted me to write listen to the rain. In this practice, the cyclical equilibrium between our organs, our senses, colors, emotions, elements of nature, seasons and the planetary movements are all expressed through the 8 forces or 8 trigrams, which are variations of yin & yang combinations -- the powerful paradox of polarity transcending itself as its dynamic agents constantly change. Once all movements are released, the entire piece will reveal the original order in which they are meant to be heard, when listened to back to back. In the fusion of the 5 elements meditation, the 8 forces are called upon in their heavenly order: Water, Fire, Thunder, Rain, Earth, Mountain, Wind & Sky. I invite you to slow down the ways that you listen to and integrate sensory information as it relates to everything else, your inner landscape, your experience of your environment in the earthly order, and their cosmic resonances in the heavenly order, a year from now. If you wish to enter study mode, I recommend The Book of Changes - or I Ching (English translation Hua-Ching Ni) - as a companion to this journey. I will also be sharing commentaries, reflections and process documentation on social media (see you @anaismaviel) although I will make sure to share essential & detailed information here. LISTEN TO WATER PLAYLIST T H E P L A Y E R S The 8 forces fuse into 5 elements, embodied by Marina Kifferstein - violin, voice, Carrie Frey - viola, voice, Leah Asher - violin, voice, Meaghan Burke - cello, voice, +1 Anaïs Maviel - n’goni, voice, singing bowl, lyra, bells. As an ensemble of four composer-performers, The Rhythm Method strives to reimagine the string quartet in a contemporary, feminist context. I was blessed to find belonging with these 4 women with unique, distinct voices. I also confronted myself with the string quartet canon, while holding tight onto my n’goni (West African harp), lyra (Norwegian ancient string instrument) & singing bowl (sacred wavelengths made of 7 metals, in Nepal). The conversation between The Rhythm Method and I has been rich and complex: a true cross-cultural experience that got me healing my relationship to the Western cultural hegemony, and to own my multi-cultural, creolizing expressive truth. Writing for and developing a common improvisation language with these brilliant musicians, in conversation with multiple cultural layers, has tied listen to the rain to this specific combination of people. A B A R N R E C O R D I N G …not a studio recording. Shortly after a live premiere in 2021, I received the invitation from Looking Glass Arts to record the piece in an old, unrestored barn, upstate New York. The room is gigantic, the wood, both thick and spongy, brings the string quartet’s sound closer to the ngoni’s muted tones. The holes in the walls let you hear traces of our surroundings: birds, people, motors…so called nature and culture. Recording engineer and bassist Rashaan Carter had a site-specific vision for documenting our process, and this is what we are now presenting to you: a place & time in the ongoing collaboration between The Rhythm Method and I, as this piece unfolds. The music weaving improvisation with structural constraints for the players, this is inherently a work-in-progress. I C O N O G R A P H Y Sean Webley, film maker, visual artist and creative director of primitive collective, heard the premiere performance of listen to the rain and has been percolating a moving image response to this music since. A still work-in-progress of this longer term collaborative multi-media project will accompany each movement over the year of releases. half naked
truth is truth with a robe of belief fabric pulling life threads into unrealizing polarity poly perception amorously dresses common sense with confusion coats whereas there is only one truth be told glittering apart each reflection of what we came to realize is matter self a precious fraction of god damn realness We are vocalists, composers, choir directors, conductors and circle singing facilitators coming from Afrocentric, Jewish, Bulgarian & South Indian multicultural backgrounds. We are bringing together a choir working with the healing power of sound, based on vocal and musical excellence, deep listening and depth of embodiment, with artistic director Anaïs Maviel. It is a professional endeavor as we all are working musicians intending to elevate the experience of choir rehearsal and performance, while making this a solid source of revenue for us. This is a community project to the extent that true diversity as well as audience inclusion is key to the collective transformation that we believe is the function of music. We are looking for excellent vocalists of all ranges (especially bass and baritone) with strong ears and interest in dense harmonies and complex rhythms. We favor oral transmission, so sight-reading or classical training aren’t necessary, however, familiarity with Western notation is a precious asset for efficiency in rehearsal. We call for voices that can blend in an open throat (folk/world) style so as to build a unique, diverse and powerful choir sound. We are looking for professional level singers who are interested in contributing to a collective endeavor with high creative and professional ambitions. Improvisation, arrangement, composition, direction, grant-writing, accounting and booking skills are much welcome. INFORMAL AUDITIONS in the form of rehearsals will be held on MON, TUES & WED August 28, 29 & 30th, 6-8PM, Manhattan or Brooklyn location to be announced. Please hold all 3 dates, if possible. If we’re a match, weekly rehearsals starting September 10 are held on Sunday nights (6-8PM), location TBA (Manhattan or Brooklyn). First gig is on October 5th, 2023 at Greenwood cemetery's catacombs in Brooklyn, with repertoire by composer Anaïs Maviel. Pays 150. Two evening sets. 9/10, 17, 27 & 10/1 rehearsals are mandatory for this performance. If you cannot make all 4 rehearsals but are interested in committing to this ensemble, let’s talk. We are looking at creating a rotating cast that can learn a common repertoire and be available for upcoming gigs. If you are interested in singing weekly for fun, brushing up your technique, and occasionally filling in for the choir’s upcoming gigs, Anaïs will also lead vocal workshops on Sundays before the choir rehearsals. Learn more about Anaïs’ teaching here. Do contact her for further information about the workshop commitment at [email protected] How to prepare for the audition: Listen to some of this music, and see if you resonate with the aesthetics. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOXWd0N5Zf_GxPFxDsEKRGD-W3vo-PTUD https://soundcloud.com/ana-s-maviel/sets/commons-choir As soon as you confirm your interest and August availability, we will send scores and part recordings for Gayatri Mantra. We will start with a vocal warm up, play with rhythm, harmony and improvisation in a circle singing style, and we will look into Gayatri Mantra and likely Glory to the Sun. A note from the artistic director: I focus on artistic excellence and healing. I approach my vocal practice and leadership as a healer, which means that my mental, physical, emotional, relational and spiritual well-being are essential keys to my ability to hold space for audiences to have transformational experiences. That is part of the ethos I offer in this choir, as a facilitator. About multiculturalism: The choir is a platform for both composers and performers to explore ways to relate to ancestral traditions in a contemporary context. We sing songs from cultures that aren't always in our direct lineage, yet with an ethos as follows: As long as the songs we sing are transmitted orally and in person (AKA we have the vibratory information that comes with the sounds and words) then we can embody and perform that music truthfully. We care about the function of a song, as it gives access to the essence of the information it carries. We are grounded in functional music to the extent that it is transformational: you come to it one person, you leave it a different person. Ceremony needs consent: giving context is essential, especially for sacred music. Should the material be transmitted outside of this ensemble, it shall remain in integrity with this ethos (AKA no out of context or score based transmission for traditional chants). We are very much looking forward to resonating with you! craigslist post here
I Care If You Listen invited me to make a playlist. You can hear it on their website or on my YouTube. I am hoping this is the first of many Afrocentric music playlists.      |
anaïs maviel
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January 2026
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