‘Shining Rainbow Hands’, is a labor of love for us at ‘Heart Sounds Yoga’. As a yoga teacher/trainer for children and families, I have been inspired by the children and teens in my classes as well as by the love of music. During classes they enjoyed chanting mantras and other yoga songs and would sometimes break out in ‘song’, for example, when I used the singing bowl. In a group, they would remember a song or mantra and would sing it spontaneously before a class, walking out of the class or on their own. I observed that they were totally taken by the sound/music and uplifted into a joyful place of love.
These interactive sing-along songs for children, accompanied by the children’s story, “All the Colors of Your Hands’ are dedicated to the Rainbow People, the original people of the Earth, who lived in purity, love and joy many, many eons ago. These catchy and lively songs awaken the hearts of children and adults.
This music CD is a good accompaniment to children’s music camp; story telling circles, yoga birthday parties and family yoga. It also complements children’s yoga teacher training with ‘Heart Sounds Yoga’.
All the Colors of Your Hands
Shining
Be Happy Today
I Am All
Susan Sweeney Hermon
Ottawa harpist
Susan Sweeney Hermon is a Celtic harpist whose early focus was the music closest to her heart - tunes from the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany and Galicia. She is not just a 'Celtoid' however. Multilingual and well-travelled, Susan is a lover of lore - stories and songs that grow out of many countries' soil, like beautiful perennials, from one generation to another.
Over the years Susan has collaborated with storytellers and has brought her harp into hospitals, schools, retirement residences and community halls. She has provided musical background at weddings and receptions, including events for the Speaker of the Senate on Parliament Hill, the Prime Minister's residence and the Emperor and Empress of Japan. She was a founding member of the Ottawa Harp Choir, an ensemble of ten Celtic harps, which performed in the National Capital Region for over a decade.
Susan is also the president of 'Spirit of Rasputin's that creates a home for the Ottawa folk music community - Rasputins.org
Reiko Lokker
Violin teacher, performer
Reiko has been playing the violin since the age of five and has performed with several ensembles and orchestras across Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, and Tokyo. She is a member of 234 Strings, an Ottawa based piano trio. Currently she is a private violin teacher, performer, and a Japanese teacher and translator part-time.
Thank you all for being part of this powerful musical journey. We had fun as creative ideas floated around for the recording. May we continue to collaborate and share the joy of music.
“We did it!”
Sylvia Larrass
Director, performer
Sylvia is a graduate of the University of British Columbia and holds a diploma in vocal performance, as well as a medal of excellence from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has performed with various ensembles at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, the Pontiac Festival, as well as with Opera Lyra, and as a soloist in Germany, where she grew up.
She is the director of Voice and Presentation Excellence, where she coaches people how to speak with confidence and sing with joy.
I just want to say how great Sylvia was at arranging the music and I hope we can work together again!
Francis Siddhartha Houleo
Vocals
Francis who is 9 and in grade 4 has among his best friends, 2 cats - Fufoo and Sophie, 2 lovely turtles - Lily and Lela and multiple colorful fish. He plays violin as a hobby and likes to sing. Francis performed at the Peace Festival of Ottawa a couple times. He joins Tzu Chi foundation for monthly performances at several senior residences in Ottawa. He follows and practices Buddhist meditation with his Mom.
Francis recently vowed to be a vegetarian for the well-being of animals. He goes to French school and speaks mandarin at home. Among his favorite things are: making up knock knock jokes, drawing friends surprise birthday cards. His best times are in summer camps and with winter skiing.
Graphic Designer
Sandra Penaloza has her own graphic art business at ‘Totem Studio’ and completed ‘Design Studies’ at Algonquin College School of Media and Design. She has a real passion for artistic projects, especially with children, being a mother herself. She loved doing this project and shared her ideas with children, other graphic artists and her friends to obtain feedback. It really shows in her work and many families will be attracted to this ‘rainbow’ CD.
Editor
Christiane Ryan is an artist, translator and editor and studied Traduction-Interprétation at Laval University and Ottawa. She brings much experience and creativity to the editing process.
Sound Engineer
Quddus Gordon is a musician and a former piano teacher and studied ‘Music Industrial Arts’ at Algonquin College, graduating 3 years ago. He has a lovely recording studio and his friendly, relaxed smile and approach made us feel comfortable during the recording process. It was a pretty seamless process!
Web Design
Sebastian Peralta is an Ayurvedic Practitioner but for me he has been a great help in the tech/website world. His versatility, patience, creative, and professional approach to his clients makes for a win, win situation. You will make me a techie yet!
I am Dr. Shamna Prajith from Kerala, India. I am writing this for my dearest daughter, Sreeparvathi. A few months ago I played her the songs that Anamda sent to me. She became a big fan of all the four songs especially, ‘Be Happy Today’.. and asked me if she could sing it in her school arts day. From then on I have heard her lips humming this song many times. She even got a big appreciation from the school for this song. So we are sending our love to the Heart Sounds Yoga team.
“Shining Rainbow Hands” is a sweet and joyful collection of songs for children. The songs are short and simple for young children to learn and provide a great accompaniment to a children’s yoga or movement class. Listening to this cd invites children to express themselves in their natural, spontaneous, heart-centred way. The uplifting power of music is one of the greatest experiences we can offer to our children. “Shining Rainbow Hands” promotes happy kids!
Composer & Author
Composing songs and story telling has been a natural pastime for me and it was time to share this passion with the children and families who have inspired me over the years. A beautiful channel of creativity and love flowed throughout this project.
The rehearsals, recording sessions and mastering of the music was a great learning experience with everyone having a voice in the process – bringing their own talents and ideas to the group. In a way, we are the ‘Rainbow People’ singing our songs!. And a special thank you to all the musicians and other professionals who made this CD possible. In gratitude, Anamda.
My 3 and 5 year old grandchildren LOVE the ‘Shining Rainbow Hands’ songs, the little one is intrigued by rainbows and was fascinated by the story behind the song. The boy knows the song by heart. Every time they come to my house, the first request is “let’s play the song and please granda—read the story for us.
This tune –‘All the Colors of Your Hands’ has a wonderful and powerful vibration. The story has a soft magic. Just beautifu!!!
Special Thank You
With gratitude, to Berdhanya Swami Tierra, for her teachings and the inspiring lyrics of the song, ‘I Am All’.
Anamda Sly
Owner and Teacher
Anamda brings innocence, creativity and wholeness to “Heart Sounds Yoga” and meditation teachings for children (including exceptional children) and adults or the whole family. She is passionate to bring multi-layered classes mixed with healing sounds (nada yoga).
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