My album is featured on SpiritVoyage's Free Music Friday!

Surprise surprise...February 5th is my ‪#‎FreeMusicFriday‬ with ‪#‎SpiritVoyage‬. IPlease enjoy this free download of my track ‪#‎AadGureyNameh‬ from my new album BEYOND THE BEYOND. Based on a melody by ‪#‎YogiBhajan‬ himself, and featuring the response vocals and instrumentation of Renee Finkelstein (Radharani), this mantra will build a strong protective aura around yourself and your environment. Enjoy, beloveds!

http://www.spiritvoyage.com/fridaygiftofgratitude

http://www.spiritvoyage.com/fridaygiftofgratitudehttp://www.spiritvoyage.com/fridaygiftofgratitude

Monks playing kit drums in my dreams...

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I always have interesting dreams after White Tantric Yoga and the 3HO Winter Solstice retreat. I also usually have interesting dreams around the time of the full moon. This year it was a double whammy, with the full moon occurring just after the solstice. Before I get to the dream: in my waking life I have been a bit worried, off and on, about the intensity of the drums—that would be the full-kit drums—on one of the tracks on my kirtan album‪ #‎BeyondTheBeyond‬, which launches on 2/5/16. The track is “Om Namah Shivaya and the drums, at times, sound a bit Keith Moon. There is a longer story behind that (which will eventually be up on the website), and I should state here that I adore ‪#‎KeithMoon‬ and his frenetic, masterful drumming and the constant fills. But does a Moonie belong on a kirtan CD? That’s what my worry-mind sometimes wonders (until my wiser mind reminds the worry-mind to let things be). So imagine my delight when I dreamed that one of the younger Khenpos at the monastery where I practice was playing a full drum kit during an intense Buddhist puja. He was whaling away on the drums and having a blast, and the puja was as powerful as ever. This confirmed to me something we all know but continually forget. That every sound is sacred as long as the intention is there to make it sacred. I felt that Khenpo was reminding me that the “Om Namah Shivaya” track was blessed. Is blessed. And all is well, well, well. 
‪#‎3HO‬ ‪#‎3HOWinterSolstice‬ ‪#‎WhiteTantricYoga‬ ‪#‎dreams‬ #beyondthebeyond ‪#‎spiritvoyagerecords‬

I’m having many moments of nostalgia as I think about album cover designs for my forthcoming album of mantra music, "Beyond the Beyond."  I come from one of those large Catholic conglomerate families, with six older siblings and step-siblings. One of my sweet step-brothers was so seemingly “old” when our families first merged I was awed and delighted to learn he had actually gone to Woodstock! Anyway, this “old” step-brother had the coolest collection of rock and roll albums the young me had ever seen.  I’ll never forget how blown away I was not only by the music (it explains why I am still such a huge fan of 70s rock) but by the cover art. I remember the curious and slightly scary surrealism of the Pink Floyd covers. Or the intricate and fascinating revolving collage of Led Zeppelin III. Or that zipper on the Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers"!?!  Talk about brilliant art! 

Recently, a friend of mine advised me that when I think about cover art design for my forthcoming CD, I have to keep in mind the thumbnail factor. Most people, my friend said, won’t see anything but that thumbnail. So keep it simple and bold. 

On the one hand, simple and bold is easy. It kind of takes the pressure off to create an intricate collage (and spend the reported $50K that the old Hipgnosis covers used to cost). But it makes me a little sad that another opportunity for great art has been lost through technology.

So who wants to see a zipper on their kirtan CD, huh?   

To those youngsters who haven’t heard of the late, great Storm Thorgerson and/or Hipgnosis Designs, I encourage you to get their art books or visit.  Be prepared for your mind to BEND!

http://www.stormstudiosdesign.com/#/203933/
#hipgnosis  #stormthorgerson #beyondthebeyond #pinkfloyd

My new Indiegogo Campaign Music Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5CV2GYEfg0

We finally uploaded a "sneak preview" audio file to the "Beyond the Beyond" campaign page: the track "Om Mani Peme Hum." Featured vocalists are Lama Karma Drodul and Lama Karma Thendup of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery in Woodstock, NY--which is HH Karmapa's North American seat. These beloved lamas open the song with the "Prayer of Praise to Chenrezig" and then Chenrezig's mantra (Om Mani Peme Hum), singing the melody written by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa himself. May all beings benefit from the sacred vibrations of this mantra! 

Anyone who contributes to our Indiegogo campaign will receive a free download of this track--when it's officially mixed and mastered and ready to release, of course. For details, visit:
http://igg.me/at/LeeMirabaiHarrington

This track--and the entire CD--has been a real labor of love. Other featured musicians are: Steve Gorn on soprono sax, Hans Christian on strings, Irene Soléa Antonellis and Satya-Franche Carlson Straus on response vocals, Anthony Molina and Wynne Ji Paris on guitar, (Anthony also plays on more instruments than I can count), Radha Gopinath Das Marinelli on tablas, Holly Montgomery on bass, Andy Hamburger on drums, Steve Bloom on percussion, and myself (surprise, surprise!) on harmonium.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5CV2GYEfg0

My lastest blog on Spirit Voyage is up....

Hello Friends. 
Apologies, as usual, for the inconsistent and infrequent posts.  I've been busy with....being busy!
My latest blog on Spirit Voyage talks about the benefits of the Chattr Chakkr Vartee mantra. http://www.spiritvoyage.com/blog/index.php/mantra-for-phobias-chattr-chakkr-vartee/