Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and daughter in the art of reading and writing and in all that hath been laid down in the Holy Tablet.
(Baha’u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 37)

Today my little Juliet turned 5! Today, I walked up the hill holding her little hand on the way to school for her first day of kindergarten, and her older sister’s hand on her way to becoming a proud first grader! With two bouquets of flowers for the teachers, the girls left one phase of childhood and entered another — ever more exciting and fascinating. Today, for me at least, is the real Father’s Day!

Q. What would you like to share about your collaborators and in particular the other singers featured on the CD.

A. I had the honor of working with some of the best performers on this album. I was very happy with all of them and the greatest thing about working with the highest quality is how quickly everything gets done. When you work with lesser quality you find yourself second guessing the song. Even with poor quality equipment. You can have the best written song in the world but if you’re using poor equipment or poor performances the song won’t shine. So thanks to all these collaborators I was able to get the best takes on the best equipment with the best producer. Truly a magical combination. – The other two singers [Tamara Martella and Gergana Velinova] on the CD were so gracious and generous to donate their talent and time on this CD. They came in and in no time at all had their parts laid down. I was so happy with the results and how powerful everything came out. It left me with a great feeling and looking forward to collaborating with other artists in the near future.

Somebody Else’s Love Story

Saw the leaves change from green to red
Something in the air told me winter was coming
As I inclined my head I could see
That now your heart was in somebody else’s love story

If there’re no happy endings
If there’s no such thing as love stories
Then why’d you promise me some fairy tale?

And somewhere a prince fades from history
Written for a tale that no one can remember
Turns to his love but all he sees
Is that her heart is in somebody else’s love story

(Chorus)

Let’s tell a story
With pages of pain ripped from my bleeding heart
What consolation
Would you have me sing
To rid the memories from the hole in my heart

…my heart
…my heart

Nothing left here but a withered dream
Etched in my heart like gnarled tree trunk promises
To survive the years for all to see
Now that your heart is in somebody else’s love story

If there’re no happy endings
If there’s no such thing as love stories
If nothing can turn this page
Then how will I end our love story?

Next, read about Eric Harper’s song “Missing In The Dark” from his CD “Eric Harper”…

Q. What is more difficult to write — lyrics or music? What comes first?

A. Lyrics are DEFINITELY the hardest thing for me to write. If I’m inspired I can write a song in 5 minutes. But no matter how inspired I am lyrics takes months for me. I have to chisel and sculpt and revise for what seems like forever until I’m satisfied with my lyrical content. And even then I may look at it and not like it. I don’t have a natural talent for words. I think it comes from the fact that my mom is a concert pianist and well, her performances never included in verbiage. Every morning I would be awaken to her practicing Scarlatti or Beethoven or Chopin in our living room. So I never had any tradition of lyrics in my life. Which is probably why I can listen to horrible catchy Pop music and love it, because I don’t notice the lacking lyrical depth for a long while.

You Complete Me

Staring ‘cross the ocean
The ocean in your eyes
Diving into feelings
I never thought were mine And how I found a heart like
A spring in April’s bloom
How I found new meaning
Standing next to you

So I hope you understand
I hope you understand
Oh, I hope you understand
I hope you understand
Oh, I hope you understand
I hope you understand
You’re the meaning of it all
You know, you complete me

If someone were to tell me
That I’d be meeting you
I wouldn’t take it seriously
I’d chase away the news
I didn’t think me able
To be so deep in love
I thought it merely fable
To feel so much for one

(Chorus)

…complete me
…complete me
If someone were to tell me
That I’d be meeting you…

Staring ‘cross the ocean
The ocean in your eyes…

(Chorus)

Next, read about Eric Harper’s song “Somebody Else’s Love Story” from his CD “Eric Harper”…

Q. You clearly love coffee. What is your favorite coffee?

A. HAHA! Yes, I love coffee very much. In fact, I’m drinking some right now while I type this. I would have to say that my all time favorite coffee can be found in this little café located in the heart of Victoria called “Habit”. And a habit it has become. I’ve had coffee from Israel, Portugal, France, the US, and even China but this coffee rocks my world better than all those places. Must be the pure Canadian water or something.

Cream & Suga’

Do you like yours with Cream & Suga’
Do you like yours with Cream & Suga’
Do you like yours with Cream & Suga
Do you like yours with Cream & Suga’

‘Cause I could be
I could be
Your cream & suga’
I could be
Oh i could be
The sweetness in your life

Next, read about Eric Harper’s song “You Complete Me”…

Q. The CD is very personal — there is a song dedicated to your brother, another one dedicated to your wife, yet you also sing about a family with 6 billion members or so. Is this a reference to one human family?

A: 6 billion member reference in “Rain” does refer to humanity as a whole. Essentially, Rain is a song that’s for the downtrodden; it’s a solace for the one who’s having a bad day, week, month or even a hard life. My goal with Rain was to create a that feeling you get from a friend who simply listens to you when you need to vent or cry it all out. A sort of musical hug.

Rain

There’s a growing storm around me
The howling of the wind screams in my ears
The flood of bitter reasons
Was not enough to bring back my family

And it all rains down on me
Like a million tears from the sea
I don’t know where I was on that day
‘Cause it was raining down on me

I see my own family
Six billion maybe more drowning in the sea
And all their dreams float past me
Like the words of love that all went unsaid

And it all rains down on me
As the ocean empties the sea
I don’t know where you were on that day
I just recall you told me one thing

You wanna cry
You wanna scream
Baby that’s alright with me

You wanna cry
You wanna scream
Baby that’s alright with me

Baby that’s alright with me
Baby that’s alright with me

And it all rains down on me
As the ocean empties the sea
I don’t know where you were on that day
I just recall you told me one thing

(Chorus)

‘Cause you are the hope
That’s raining on me
And baby that’s alright by me

Yes, you are the hope
That’s raining on me
And baby that’s alright by me

Next, read about Eric Harper’s song “Cream & Suga” from his new CD “Eric Harper”…

Q. How was writing these songs different from writing for your Portuguese CD or the previous ones with your previous band, MimosA.

A. I would have to say that in one sense this album was harder to write than the Portuguese album merely because, with the Portuguese album, the lyrics were already taken care of. The MimosA albums had their challenges as well as it was a collaboration. This new album was more me on my own than anything else. I had started writing it almost 4 years ago while in a little café in Victoria, BC. The guitar idea for Rain came to me while enjoying a nice mocha. Kristian and I would later write the lyrics for that song. There is a freedom to writing alone but there’s also the risk of things sounding banal. Einstein talks about the group genius and this is also true in the [Baha'i] Faith where the more human elements you put together on a consultative level the greater the vision can be. But as I had all these songs that didn’t quite match the MimosA sound, I thought it was a good time to get them recorded through another means, through another producer and on my own.

Next, read about Eric Harper’s song “Rain”…

O thou who hast set foot in the wilderness of knowledge and taken abode within the ark of wisdom! Not until thou hast grasped the mysteries concealed in that which We shall relate unto thee canst thou hope to attain to the stations of faith and certitude in the Cause of God and in those who are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Daysprings of His Command, the Treasuries of His revelation, and the Repositories of His knowledge. Shouldst thou fail in this, thou wouldst be numbered with them that have not striven for the Cause of God, nor inhaled the fragrance of faith from the raiment of certitude, nor scaled the heights of the divine unity, nor yet recognized the stations of divine singleness within the Embodiments of praise and the Essences of sanctity.

Strive then, O My brother, to apprehend this matter, that the veils may be lifted from the face of thy heart and that thou mayest be reckoned among them whom God hath graced with such penetrating vision as to behold the most subtle realities of His dominion, to fathom the mysteries of His kingdom, to perceive the signs of His transcendent Essence in this mortal world, and to attain a station wherein one seeth no distinction amongst His creatures and findeth no flaw in the creation of the heavens and the earth.3

(Baha’u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 12)

O My Brother! A pure heart is as a mirror; cleanse it with the burnish of love and severance from all save God, that the true sun may shine within it and the eternal morning dawn. Then wilt thou clearly see the meaning of “Neither doth My earth nor My heaven contain Me,  but the heart of My faithful servant containeth Me.” And thou wilt take up thy life in thine hand, and with infinite longing cast it before the new Beloved One.

Whensoever the light of Manifestation of the King of Oneness settleth upon the throne of the heart and soul, His shining becometh visible in every limb and member. At that time the mystery of the famed tradition gleameth out of the darkness: “A servant is drawn unto Me in prayer until I answer him; and when I have answered him, I become the ear wherewith he heareth….” For thus the Master of the house hath appeared within His home, and all the pillars of the dwelling are ashine with His light. And the action and effect of the light are from the Light-Giver; so it is that all move through Him and arise by His will. And this is that spring whereof the near ones drink, as it is said: “A fount whereof the near unto God shall drink….”

(Baha’u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 21)

Last’s nights Musical Prayer Station with John Albertson and his talented daughters was truly delightful. Both girls sang sweet prayers and played on the piano, at first solo and then accompanied by their dad. After an intermission for refreshments, John Albertson shared with us a diverse selection of acoustic pieces for classical and jazz guitar. Then he transitioned into his own “Song for peace” which he had expanded earlier the same day with a beautiful meditative bridge serving as background for his lovely wife’s recitation of selected “Hidden Words” by Baha’u'llah, and concluded with an improvised blues collaboration between his guitar’s weeping voice,  Adwoa’s angelic voice and my own rock wailing, with a little percussive and vocal help from the whole group of 18 souls who had joined us for an evening of sweet cake (baked by Rochelle) and sweet music.

It was all truly a humble but true illustration of these holy words:

The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 53)

How very encouraging, that as we were making our humble attempt at human and musical harmony, the world welcomes a true anthem of unity in diversity, the inspiring “Citizens of the World” by Pangea:

As Cheng Lin elaborates, Baha’u'llah would be delighted by a song which so beautifully illustrates His message:

The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
(Baha’u'llah)

The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chord.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 53)

O OPPRESSORS ON EARTH!
Withdraw your hands from tyranny, for I have pledged Myself not to forgive any man’s injustice. This is My covenant which I have irrevocably decreed in the preserved tablet and sealed with My seal.
(Baha’u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words, #64)

Last night I read the powerful Tablet of Ahmad with my heart’s thoughts centered on those innocent souls so unjustly imprisoned. That same evening, a friend of mine dedicated her Yoga practice to the cause of their liberation. What would you do? Let us all pray:

Lauded be Thy name, O Thou Who beholdest all things and art hidden from all things! From every land Thou hearest the lamentations of them that love Thee, and from every direction Thou hearkenest unto the cries of such as have recognized Thy sovereignty. Were their oppressors to be asked: “Wherefore have ye oppressed them and held them in bondage in Baghdad and elsewhere? What injustice have they committed? Whom have they betrayed? Whose blood have they spilled, and whose property have they plundered?” they would know not what to answer.

Thou knowest full well, O my God, that their only crime is to have loved Thee. For this reason have their oppressors laid hold on them, and scattered them abroad. Aware as I am, O my God, that Thou wilt send down upon Thy servants only what is good for them, I nevertheless beseech Thee, by Thy name which overshadoweth all things, to raise up, for their assistance and as a sign of Thy grace and as an evidence of Thy power, those who will keep them safe from all their adversaries.

Potent art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou art, verily, the Supreme Ruler, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting
(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 23)