This Week's Special Music

Charles Holt has led workshops, retreats, and dialogue discussion groups with youth and adults around the country with the intention of creating a space for each student to grasp a better understanding of their emotional landscape and learning pathways in navigating emotional trauma, pain, and upset.  

He actively teaches and facilitates emotional literacy programs, empowerment workshops, forgiveness retreats, and creative writing seminars.   

He is an accomplished Broadway actor, inspirational speaker, and author. He has starred in some of the most celebrated and spectacular shows in American theatre history: Smokey Joe’s Café, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Disney’s Lion King. 

He has addressed organizations such as the American Heart Association, The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, Rikers Island Correctional Facility, TED Talks and numerous colleges, universities and churches.   

 Dallas Brown was inspired...called by the Great Spirit many years ago to learn the Native American flute.  He did just that, working with several masters of these wind instruments over many years.  He discovered a new 'voice' calling to him from within and beckoning from the natural world around him.  Dallas has collected over a hundred native flutes crafted by artisans from many parts of the world.  Dallas has uncovered and unleashed each flute's personality and spirit, and he has intentional 'conversations' with them as he plays.  Dallas's essential goal is to bring 'flute medicine' to every soul and being he encounters through his flute playing and remind them of their connection to the Great Spirit and all of Life.  

https://www.facebook.com/DallasBrownFluteMedicine/

 Steve Mathews has been a member of the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living for several years serving in various volunteer capacities, and is now the newest member on the Board of Trustees.  Steve is a senior associate hairdresser and stylist at M. Scott Salon in SLC where he has served over a dozen years.  

Steve has sung with various college choirs, including The Utah Opera Chorus, but his recent roles in musical theatre have sparked a desire to use his rich, warm baritone voice and expand his repertoire so he may express his art, his heart, as a vocal soloist in the pop, folk and jazz genres.

Ric Sharette was raised in Michigan in a very musical family and began performing professionally with his parents and siblings at age 16 singing jazz, pop and traditional standards at public and private events, touring the midwest and Europe. Ric studied music performance, theory and composition in college.  At night he led a dance band at local clubs, singing and playing trumpet and guitar.

Ric moved to Utah in 1980.  He joined the LDS church and served as a Stake Music Chairman for many years. He started a professional a cappella vocal jazz quartet that performed many of his arrangements over a dozen years.  He is an accomplished songwriter, inspired by a wide spectrum of styles and a broad experience in musical theater, professional choirs, dance bands, a cappella groups and conducting.  He has served as the Music Director at the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living for 24+ years.  

Ric says, "I believe that music is a powerful, buoyant, evocative and healing energy, and I'm driven to play in that energy every way I can". 

 Mary Otterstrom began classical training on the violin at the age of 4 culminating with a Master's Degree in Violin Performance while Jimmy Ingold bought his first guitar in college and began teaching himself. 

From a young age Mary was learning the works of Bach and Beethoven while Jimmy was jamming out to the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones. 

Both of them found their way to traditional American music developing a deep passion for tunes written largely by unknown musicians who crafted music after long days of hard labor. 

With Jimmy’s deep roots in blues and country and Mary’s deep knowledge of technique and theory they come together to play American classics with passion and panache. 

Chamaigne Sharette began her professional music career while still in high school, as a back-up vocalist for many Seattle folk, rock, and blues artists, including Janis Joplin’s lead guitarist.  In addition to recording projects for these groups, she has worked as a session musician, doing lead vocals for song writer demos and internationally marketed multi-media projects. 

When she moved to Austin to pursue her singing career, Chamaigne found work doing singing telegrams as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, entertaining children as the Fairy Godmother, collaborating with dance troupes as "The Singing Belly Dancer", singing in a Reggae band, and performing at weddings and church services. 

She spent a few years as the lead vocalist in an original world-rock band, and also has a particular love for old-fashioned torch songs.  However, the real love of her life is spiritual music from all traditions.  

Since 2000, Chamaigne has been involved in healing music as a singer, songwriter, Music Director, and creator of music-and-message programs in a variety of contexts including interfaith, New Thought, Christian, Vedic and secular. It is her mission to use music to facilitate healing and harmony.

 Lezlee Monroe's journey is like no one else's and everyone else's.  She was born and raised in Cache Valley, Utah and started singing, playing piano and writing music when she was just six years old. Through the years she became aware of how she was avoiding her true voice even as a singer because of pain, trauma and incorrect beliefs she had picked up along the way which continually veered her off her inner joy-path. She followed her curiosity in the healing arts and studied to become a Rapid Eye Technician, a trauma release healing modality to assist others and her own healing journey.  On this journey, music was and is there all the way.  Music, as you know, is a powerful healer.  Lezlee is a singer/songwriter/keyboardist.  Lezlee is a healer.  And, from The Book of Lezlee: The purpose of life is to have fun!

www.lezleemusic.com 

Mindy Dillard is a musical alchemist who accompanies her award-winning songs with modern twists on the clawhammer banjo and funky rhythmic grooves on the guitar. Known for her innovative storytelling, powerful stage presence and soaring voice, she was recently described as a combination of Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos. “One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Jungian Psychoanalyst; Poet

Musical Alchemist: Transform or transmute the ineffable into healing stories. 

http://www.mindydillard.com/

Will Baxter is a Salt Lake City based musician with a style inspired by the blues.    

Rory Norseth, aka, the No Account Drifter, enjoys putting story to song and performing them for anyone who wants to listen. 

  Mel Soul is a singer/songwriter from Orem, UT. She has been trained by vocal professionals, Rebecca Chock and Mindy Pack.  In 2009 she had the extraordinary opportunity to sing with her high school's Chamber Singers at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  

After high school, Mel began working with songwriter professionals including Rich Parkinson, Shane Adams, Johnny London and most recently, the talented Natasha Bedingfield. Her goal as a songwriter and performer is to inspire her fans to love themselves and everyone else. 

Holly Kirsten is a singer/songwriter from Salt Lake City, UT.  She makes herself at home with any stringed instrument and has been composing and performing since she was very young.  

She studied Music Education at Central Methodist College and then, the Business of Music at Belmont University in Nashville.  Holly started Little Rockstars, LLC in 2012 developing and teaching her music classes for preschool kids and their parents/caregivers.  She has over 10 years experience as a Worship Director at 3 different Methodist churches.  

She went back to college in 2018, and while in the throes of Covid-19 became a Registered Respiratory Therapist!  She currently works at a local children's hospital saving lives and helping children to breathe better.  

Holly is thrilled to share her musical gifts and allow the artist, the teacher, and the nurturer within her to fully express and cause a positive shift in her listeners.

 Doing What I Came To Do!

Our songs, our conversations, and our actions will determine our frequency.

Rickie, The Artist 

Rickie Byars is an acclaimed and beloved singer-songwriter in the genre of inspirational/New Thought music. Her music resonates in churches of all denominations throughout the world. Live audiences and FB/YouTube streamers who take part in the KUUMBA/B-hood Sunday Devotionals are uplifted through her music and her messages—always delivered with joy and sincerity. She created an inspirational 24-hour radio station, Bradio.org, which blasts her incredible songs from her golden era at the Agape International Spiritual Center where Rickie was the Founding Choir Director and Music and Arts Director for over thirty years. Rickie has released nine solo albums of inspirational music, produced seven choral music albums, three songbooks, two volumes of choral music arrangements and one mini-memoir of stories about her songs. She is often referred to as the Queen of New Thought Music, perhaps because she brings such joy through her healing songs that arise from Rickie’s Divine Connection to God.

Rickie, the Activist

The sixth child in a family of seven children, Rickie was born in the segregated town of Charlotte, NC. At an early age she was taught that she must bring her very best to her family, to her race and then to the world. Rickie has always remembered this and cares deeply about her community. For twenty-four years, Rickie co-facilitated the Soul Sisters women’s retreats, and empowered women through experiential processes, workshops, meditations, and other healing modalities. She sits on the Board of Directors of Voices4Freedom.org, an abolitionist organization working to free enslaved children, women, and men in northern India. In 2009, with a team of intergenerational artists, she established Kuumba in Motion, a non-profit inspirational initiative that empowers individuals to discover their inherent gifts and talents through exposure to nature, the arts, and creative sciences. The Kuumba design team is now focused on developing an innovative model for transitional and transformational communities as they age.

Bazeen in an Arabic music band whose members are Adnan Jasim on the Oud, Bryan Bale on Dumbek and our own Raj Harrous on Riq and Cajon. 

Bazeen plays all types of Arbic music traditional and modern. This Sunday they will be playing the tradition style on instruments like the Oud, Dumbek and the Riq.

Bazeen has played at many festivals and venues and has been part of Utah Living Traditions festival for the past 34 years ( yes we are old). They have also played at the Utah Summer Dance Festival, Mondays in the Park , and Rakkasah. 

 Kristen Lloyd is a singer/songwriter, cowboy poet, and cartoonist from Wasatch County, Utah. She has been delighting audiences with her musical prowess and her keen ability with a lasso since 2010. Her original music has especially captured the hearts of listeners of all ages.  Kristen grew up on her grandparents dairy farm in southeast Idaho. Deprived of formal education opportunities, Kristen found comfort and inspiration through writing music, drawing cartoons, and working with the animals. These passions helped her rise above her circumstances to become a graduate from Brigham Young University, and the owner of her own business.  She currently lives in Midway Utah with her husband Devin, and their young daughter, Lillian. 

 DelAnne Haslam and Mel Menlove 

 Melanie Menlove has enjoyed singing with her little sister, DelAnne, for the past 40 years. Music has always been where she finds peace and her breath and inspiration.  In her free time, Melanie loves to get dirt under her fingernails, play a good game of cards and travel with her husband.  She is a poet, composer, photographer and Lord of the Rings fanatic.  She lives with her husband and trio of animals that includes a bossy parrot.”  

 DelAnne Haslam was born the youngest of five and at age 3 began performing with the family band The Jessop Family Singers. She hasn’t stopped performing since. She loves to sing all genres of music and has sung in children’s groups, choirs, commercials, operas, plays, sporting events, and bands. But her favorite gig is singing with The Center for Spiritual Living Band every Sunday morning. 

DelAnne was introduced to the Center For Spiritual Living in 2014 when she and her sister were looking to add some spiritual community into their lives. Ric and the band kept them coming back long enough to hear the Science of Mind message and she was hooked. She took the foundations class and a few other courses and then began singing with Kopo on Sundays in 2015. She even spent a few months as music director before she took a much-needed hiatus in 2016. In 2017 Ric invited her back as special music and then invited her to stay on with the band. 

"I was ecstatic and feel so blessed to sing with my community of spiritual friends each week."  

 Kopo Magic plays harp, percussion, ukulele and flute. 

He believes music is a powerful, multi-dimensional, vibrational energy that brings healing through sound-waves and creative expression. He believes this because Music has healed him. 

Kopo's objective is to 'hug' you with his music and then 'move' you to a transcendent space of Love, Light, Wholeness and All things Good.