Influences: Leanne Wright

Cedric Im Brooks was a master alchemist. deeply influenced by a trip to Phillly and the jazz scene there in the late sixties; by the music and ethos of Sun Ra, the fusion of Rasta and African drumming and aspects of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and even by Fela Kuti, his sound and message has always touched me. this particular track is one of my all time favourites. the lyrics are exactly that – words of wisdom. a big shout to Mark and Alan at Honest Jons for their earnest compilation of his works and for the musical education they both consciously and unwittingly bestowed upon me.

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (Nina Simone; the High Priestess of Soul) breaks it down – priorities. this song is a medley of two numbers originally from the musical “Hair”. this live performance took place in London in 1968. she sings from a place beyond this world.

Alice Coltrane is unequivocally my favourite artist. deeply spiritual, she spent the latter years of her life devoted to following the practice of her guru Sathya Sai Baba. she established a vedantic centre in California. this spiritual quest also lead her to visit Paramahamsa Yogananda’s American ashram where sat by the lake to meditate. her experience there inspired this piece of music. i practice a daily meditation called Kriya Yoga – the ancient meditation that Yoganandaji lived and taught.

Tune in turn on. and pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

Delia Derbyshire was a pioneering electronic music composer who literally crafted sound by hand using everyday objects in the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop (Maida Vale) in the early 60’s. her claim to fame is arranging now legendary them music for Dr Who.

I’m not a fan of computer generated animation. there’s so much more energy when hand-drawn images come to life on the screen. this is one of my favourite animations of all time; fun with a strong message. plus the beautiful soundtrack is scored by Youssou N’Dour. for big and little kids.

Ring the alarm another sound is dying.
reality check. what’s normal and how did we get here – or “How an Asshole Became President of the United States of America”
Adam Curtis’ 2016 documentary “Hypernormalisation” reveals the process of our collective, fabricated illusion of normality and our acceptance of it. but there is hope. the disciplines of art and music have the ability to go beyond the mere pleasure of the senses. they’ve been an outlet for radical thinking and organising like-minded people into communities. there’s a relevant quote from the film:
“radicals across America turned to art and music as a means of expressing their criticism of society. they believed that instead of trying to change the world outside the new radicalism should try to change what’s inside people’s heads.”

This Baltimore school started sending kids to meditation instead of detention. after a year of this practice, there have been ZERO suspensions. it’s so powerful to give children a tool to relax and be mindful at the beginning of their lives. i think meditation is the ultimate method of self-transformation. imagine if every school started the day this way. imagine if we all did.

I remember first hearing stories of Nelson Mandela’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee and being tremendously moved by the opportunity created for grace and compassion. Archbishop Desmond Tutu lead the proceedings based on Mandela’s understanding of the transformative nature of forgiveness and that they as a nation could not move forward post-apartheid without first addressing the atrocities and allowing people the chance to heal.

Follow your dreams and never give up…
74 year old artist James Turrell began this project in the Arizona Desert in the early 60’s. the crater will become a naked-eye observatory, characteristically playing with colour, natural light, the seasons and a celestial sense of time. this magnum opus has been over 50 years in the making and still has no finishing date. it’s been heralded as one of the most significant pieces of art in our time.